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In re C.M.C.8/3/2005
ent, and the Sheriff's Department indicated that they had been left alone at the boyfriend's home."
A revised permanency plan was developed in December 2003. This plan revised the permanency goal to "exit custody to live with relative." In April 2004, the goal was again revised to "adoption." The goal of adoption was handwritten on the December plan. The revised permanency plan included no requirements for Mother and was not signed by her.
At the December 2004 hearing, Mother testified that she was living in a three bedroom home with her sister and her sister's family. She testified that she planned to obtain independent housing for herself and her children once they were returned to her care. Although she had maintained only intermittent employment, Mother had successfully secured disability benefits from the Social Security Administration. The record does not reflect, however, the amount of these benefits or when they were to commence. Although Mother had been given a car by Mr. M., it had been severely damaged by friends in a brawl. However, the record reflects that Mother had completed an educational program in parenting skills taught by the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service in June 2003; had sought and received treatment, including prescription medication for bi-polar disorder, from the Nolachuckey-Holston Area Mental Health Center; had received and continues to receive counseling and therapy at the Church Street Pavillion; and had received counseling from mental health-care professionals at the Nolachuckey-Holston Area Mental Health Center approximately ten times in 2004. Additionally, Mother testified that she had attended several AA meetings but that she could not "get anybody to sign paper" and stopped going after five or six meetings.
Mr. Denney, on the other hand, testified that he had no knowledge of whether Mother had attended parenting classes, that he had never seen Mother intoxicated, and that he had not asked her to submit to drug screens. He further testified that he did not know anything about her housing conditions after July 2003, and that he had no knowledge of whether she was homeless at the time of the December 2004 hearing. He also testified that he did not recall whether Mother had told him she was living on Hemlock Drive with her sister, despite the fact that Mother previously had given the Hemlock Drive address in court. Mr. Denney testified that he was aware that Mother had been receiving counseling at Church Street Pavillion, although he did not recall exactly what the counseling entailed. He testified that he recalled discussing Mother's AA meetings with her and that he did not tell her that attending the meeting would not be sufficient for assessment. Additionally, Mr. Denney testified that he did not recall telling Mother about agencies and resources which might be available to her for counseling or drug and alcohol assessment. Mr. Denney testified that, although Mother had telephoned numerous times, he did not document all of her calls but would "sometimes" try to return her calls. He also testified that he had not seen Mother since August 26, 2003. Finally, Mr. Denney testified that, regarding Mother's relationship with Mr. McClain, he knew "only [knew] what heard through rumors."
The trial court determined that Mother had chosen not to avail herself of social services which would have helped her to address her substance abuse programs. However, upon review of the permanency plans and the testimony in the record, we agree with Mother that she was given little in the way of guidelines or advice on how or where to receive the required services, how often she was to receive them, or what was expected in the way of s
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