This approach draws extensively on the ideas and experience of "brief therapy" and is designed to be used in child protection practice from the intake and investigation stages through case closure. There are six practice elements. One element is the "position regarding the abuse/neglect." "Position" refers to the strongly held values or beliefs that inform the individual abuser regarding the abuse or neglect. Identifying the position of each family member involved makes it more likely that the worker will be able to find a way to establish a cooperative relationship. The second element involves "exceptions to the abuse/neglect." Exceptions are times when the abuse or neglect could have happened and did not. "Family strengths and resources" compose the third element. This element identifies those elements of the family's life upon which to build in remedying the abuse. The fourth element involves "goals." The foundation of the Signs of Safety approach is the focus on the goals of the two key groupings involved in the process: the family members and the statutory agency. The remaining elements are "scaling progress" and "willingness and confidence." The latter refers to the family's willingness to take action and its confidence in the intervention. This article also discusses the essence of assessment and case planning in the Signs of Safety approach to casework. 1 table and 25 references