Franceen Rea, MSW, BSW, GRMS

California Social Work Expert Witness-CPS & APS

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

With more than 32 years of social work experience, I provide expert witness and consulting services in Child Welfare Services (CWS), Child Protective Services (CPS), Adult Protective Services (APS), adoptions, foster care, and social work standards of care. My background includes countless child and adult welfare investigations, removals, placements, case management, and more. I work with attorneys and legal teams in matters involving child abuse, child neglect, sexual abuse, elder abuse, dependent adult abuse, self-neglect, financial exploitation, adoptions, termination of parental rights, permanency planning, and broader social work and child welfare litigation. My experience includes testimony in juvenile, civil, criminal, and family law matters. • My areas of expertise include: • Child Welfare Services (CWS) / Child Protective Services (CPS) • Adult Protective Services (APS) • Child abuse, neglect, and exploitation investigations • Elder and dependent adult abuse, neglect, self-neglect, and financial exploitation • Adoptions, including termination of parental rights, voluntary relinquishments, and 366.26 hearings • Foster care, guardianships, and permanency planning • Social work standards of care • Case management, risk assessments, and safety planning • Court testimony, report preparation, and court orders • Foster home certifications, evaluations, decertifications, group homes, and STRTPs • Structured Decision-Making tools, S.A.F.E. adoption home studies, and ICWA • APS Core Curriculum, CDSS Core Curriculum for CWS, Title 22 policies, and Welfare and Institutions Code Section 300 • Record reviews, case reviews, consultations, best practices, and the NASW Code of Ethics • Training for social workers, educators, resource families, and foster/adoptive parents • Trauma-informed and grief-informed care • Mandated reporting, crisis intervention, and counseling support • Sexual abuse, human trafficking, physical abuse, emotional abuse, substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health issues, and homelessness • Failure to protect, caretaker absence, and related concerns Additional focus areas: • Adoption assistance, post-adoption services, and post-adoption contact agreements • Adult placements in residential and community-based care, including AL, ARF, HCBS, AFH, CBRF, and ILS • School and law enforcement liaison work • CWS/CMS and LEAPS case management systems • Dementia, Alzheimer's disease, TBI, developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and cognitive impairments • Cultural competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion • Attachment, trauma, crisis intervention, and clinical issues • In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)/ALW Program • LGBTQIA2S+ support and advocacy • Forensic interviewing and motivational interviewing • Suicide screening, domestic violence screening, and substance abuse assessments • Familiarity with the DSM-5-TR for diagnostic reference purposes/service plans • Non-minor dependents / AB 12 and independent living skills