What is a Plan of Safe Care?

A Plan of Safe Care (POSC) is a voluntary support plan for individuals with substance misuse during pregnancy. The goal of a POSC is strengthening a family and keeping child(ren) safely at home. The POSC may prevent involvement with Children Services. A POSC provides resources that can support a pregnant individual during pregnancy and after birth. The POSC will be written with the help of one or more agencies involved in providing health care or other services to the individual or child(ren.)

Who is Responsible for Developing a POSC?

A Plan of Safe Care should include input from all service providers involved in the pregnant individual's care to promote the best health outcome for mother and infant. This could include:

  • Medical staff

  • OBGYN

  • Mental Health Providers

  • Early Childhood Intervention staff

  • Home Visitors

  • Public Health Providers

Licking County POSC Partnership

Caring experts from the medical, social services, mental health and treatment communities are available to consult with an individual's POSC team to explore creative solutions and resources to assist the POSC team in ensuring delivery of comprehensive services to ensure a healthy pregnancy, birth and infant.

Child Protective Services & Mandated Reporting

The law requires "mandated reporters" to contact child protective service agencies if they have concerns related to substance misuse that can affect the health and safety of an infant.

Mandated reporters can include:

  • Doctors/Nurses

  • Treatment workers

  • Social workers

When the following concerns are present, these reporters will contact the local child protective service agency:

  • Mother or infant tests positive for an illegal substance and/or misused prescribed controlled substance.

  • Infant is showing signs of withdrawal as a result of prenatal exposure to an illegal substance, non-prescribed substance, and/or misused prescribed controlled substance.

  • Infant is diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

A POSC may prevent local child protective service agency involvement. However, the agency will still be able to provide support and services.

What Services are in a POSC?

Basic Needs: Safe housing, food, utilities, transportation, medical care and coverage, Mental health and substance use treatment, help with infant.

Infant's Needs: Identify what is needed and how to obtain items like pediatric care, diapers, cribs, car seat, breastfeeding support, formula, childcare plan, and other needed items.

Delivery Plan: Delivery location, transportation to hospital, information needed at hospital, toiletries, and clothing for stay, transportation with infant from hospital, Medically Assisted Treatment Plans, Education about CPS involvement.

Support After Delivery: Referral to home visiting program, education on impact of substance exposure on infant, resources to help.