One Community, One Family

1
One Community, One Family

• Apples and Oranges
• Department of Child Services and Systems of Care
  Working Together

2
Overview

• Understanding child welfare priorities
• Impact of mental health on child welfare outcomes
• Lessons learned as child welfare partner in
  systems of care
• Making collaboration work for the success of both
  DCS, SOC, and families

3
Presenters

• Traci Eggleston Decatur/Ripley County Department
  of Child Services Director
• Brenda Konradi Systems of Care Project Director,
  One Community, One Family
• Denise Floyd Resource Facilitator Leader, One
  Community, One Family
• Heather Hardman Dearborn County Dept. of Child
  Services Family Case Manager

4
Creating a CollaborationWe are all fruit!

• System-level Change (i.e. expansion, pulling
  resources)
• The importance of networking conversations
• See the perspective of the other side
• We all have a common goal!

5
Cycle of Experiences in the Child Welfare System
Rate of Referrals/ Substantiated Referrals
Home-Based Services vs. Out-of-Home Care
Reentry to Care
Permanency Through Reunification, Adoption, or
Guardianship
Counterbalanced Indicators of System Performance
Use of Least Restrictive Form of Care
Shorter Lengths of Stay
Maintain Positive Attachments To Family, Friends,
and Neighbors
Stability of Care
6
CFSR and MH-SOC Connection

• Child and Family Services Reviews
• Focus on well-being (PH, MH, Education)
• Have identified the need for MH reform
• Provide the opportunity for this reform
• Encourage participation of other systems,
  agencies, families and youth
• Services for parents to enhance their capacity

7
The Child and Family Services Review Process

• Goal Determine child welfare agency conformity
  with processes that promote safety, permanency
  and well-being outcomes.
• Source Supporting Improvements in Child Welfare
  Systems Through the CFSRs A Resource for State
  Legislators

Statewide Assessment
PIP Completion
Onsite Review/ Exit Conference
Continuous Quality Improvement Through the
Federal CFSRs
PIP Monitoring
Final Report
Program Improvement Plan
8
Expected Child Welfare Outcomes

• Safety
• Children are, first and foremost, protected from
  abuse and neglect
• Children are safely maintained in their own homes
  whenever possible and appropriate
• Permanency
• Children have permanency and stability in their
  living situations
• The continuity of family relationships and
  connections is preserved for children
• Child and Family Well-Being
• Families have enhanced capacity to provide for
  their childrens needs
• Children receive appropriate services to meet
  their educational needs
• Children receive adequate services to meet their
  physical and mental health needs

9
Resonance Between CFSR and SOC Outcomes

• Child Family Services Reviews
• Children are protected from abuse and neglect
• Children are safely maintained in their homes
  whenever possible and appropriate
• Children have permanency and stability in their
  living arrangements
• The continuity of family relationships and
  connections is preserved for children
• Families have enhanced capacity to care for their
  families needs
• Children receive appropriate services to meet
  their education needs
• Children receive adequate services to meet their
  physical and mental health needs

• Systems of Care
• Build safety plans into services/support plans
• Prevent out-of-home placements, keep families
  intact
• Minimize disruption in childrens lives and
  promote continuity and smooth transitions
• Core value family focus
• Strengthen the resiliency of both families and
  youth and enhance natural helping networks
• Focus on all life domains, including education
• Holistic approach, broad array of services and
  supports

10
CFSR / SOC Practice Principles

• CFSR
• Family Centered Practice
• Community-Based Practice
• Individualizing Services
• Strengthen Parental Capacity

• SYSTEM OF CARE
• Family Driven/Youth Guided
• Individualized/Strengths Based
• Community-Based
• Culturally and Linguistically Competent
• Interagency Collaboration
• Shared Accountability

11
CFSR Findings Areas Needing Improvement

• Services to protect children and prevent removal
  from home
• Comprehensive needs and strengths assessment and
  identification of community-based services to
  address needs
• Active involvement of children, youth and their
  parents in case planning and ongoing visits
• Timely achievement of permanency and retaining
  connections while in foster care

12
Collaborating with child welfare staff and
agencies
13
Systems of Care Improves Child Welfare Outcomes

• Improve screening, assessment and referral
  processes
• Increase access to evidence based trauma
  treatment and crisis intervention
• Reduce out of home placements
• Engage families and youth in decision making
• Assist families in navigating child welfare
  system through parent partners

14
Impact of System of Care on Youth in Child
Welfare System

• What impact could systems of care have on a
  childs story?
• - Maintained relationships within
  community of origin and maintained
  connections with relatives
• - Built on strengths (vs. treatment
  approach)
• - Youth centered, youth driven case
  planning

15
Transitions out of the child welfare system

• Establish healthy, strengths-based
  relationship with biological parents
• Youth driven support network in youths community
  PRIOR TO aging out of care

16
How child welfare outcomes for older youth could
be improved by systems of care?

• Post secondary education
• Permanent connections and natural support systems
• Access to community and life-skills needed for
  successful transitions
• Youth engagement

17
Lessons Learned

• Its all about building and maintaining
  relationships!
• Being consistent
• Being persistent
• Communication, communication, communication
• Establish a protocol for the best method of
  communication
• Ex e-mail or phone call which works best for
  that person
• Dropping in if appropriate
• Dont give up
• Be visible for one another
• Learning the language and jargon of each others
  programs and systems
• Learn and respect the protocol for the system
  youre working with
• Learn and respect the protocol for the individual
  youre working with
• Take into consideration personality styles and
  differences
• How to approach one another
• Remembering and respecting that everyones time
  is precious. Everyone is busy.

18
Lessons Learned

• Ways to structuring and scheduling family team
  meetings
• Location is always the familys preference but be
  flexible and support having meetings at locations
  convenient for others
• Compromise, compromise, compromise
• Establish common goals and ground rules. Hold
  each other accountable.
• Establish and maintain roles so they dont get
  blurred.
• Mutual respect
• If you as a resource facilitator or as a DCS case
  manager dont understand something about what the
  other is saying, seek clarification.
• Question, question, question
• Think about how important clarification is since
  your role is to explain to the family and help
  them navigate the system.
• Reputation
• Takes time

19
For more information
Traci Eggleston, Decatur/Ripley DCS Director
traci.eggleston_at_dcs.in.gov Brenda Konradi, OCOF
Project Director brenda.konradi_at_cmhcinc.org

• PLEASE COMPLETE AND RETURN EVALUATION FORMS,
  THANKS!