PCCYFS June 20, 2012 Office of Children, Youth and Families

PCCYFSJune 20, 2012

Office of Children, Youth and Families

1. Financing2. Placement Reform3. Workforce4. Mission/Vision

OCYF Work Group Priorities

1. Financing

• NBB – The Needs Based Plan & Budget process is found to be long and tedious. The workgroup would like to see reforms around the requirements for these submissions.

• Waiver – The workgroup would like the state to apply for the Title IV-E waiver to give flexibility to federal funds.

• Contracting/Maximum Allowable Reimbursement – The contracting and maximum allowable reimbursement rate process is time consuming and currently requires duplication of efforts by the county staff and DPW contractors. The workgroup would like to see a streamlined process that is more reliable at determining Title IV-E eligible costs.

• Maximization of Federal Funds – Following a federal audit, Pennsylvania became very cautious with federal Title IV-E claiming. The workgroup would like increased training around eligible federal expenses in order to maximize the federal share. Currently Pennsylvania draws a very low percentage of federal funding compared to comparable states.

• Payment Schedule – The current payment schedule for Act 148 funds often causes cash flow problems in counties. A new payment system has been developed that mirrors the payment schedule of the Special Grants.

• County Match – The workgroup would like to see reform around the required county match for services to create a system that rewards counties for safely maintaining children in their homes.

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2. Placement Reform

Pennsylvania needs to continue its focus on ensuring that every child is in the right placement by reducing the number of children and time in out-of-home placements, especially congregate care. In order to do this, there must be an emphasis placed on community-based solutions for both dependent and delinquent youth. Additionally, the group would like a review of the costs of the YDCs.


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3. Workforce

• Staffing Ratios – The workgroup would like a review of staffing ratios for shelter and detention facilities.

• Training Hour Requirements for Detention Staff (Annual) – The workgroup would like a review of training requirements for detention staff to decrease the number of training hours required on an annual basis.

• Curriculum Development and Civil Service/Job Requirements – The child welfare workforce is the most important resource we have in OCYF. Caseworkers need to be properly trained to engage families, assess safety, and ensure timely permanency. The workgroup would like a review of the current curriculum for child welfare workers, additional training hours prior to a worker being able to take a case, and a review of the minimum requirements for the position.


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4. Mission/Vision

The workgroup feels that child welfare has gotten away from its mission of ensuring safety for children and has branched into areas beyond what the system was created for. The workgroup would like reform of the definitions of dependency, GPS and CPS; the creation of a true differential response; a review of the mandates of child welfare; and a restricted, defined role for child welfare.


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Common Themes1.Concerns with Definition of Physical Abuse:

Subjective Standard

2.GPS vs. CPS

3.Multidisciplinary Investigative Response

4.Mandated Reporters

5.Challenges of the Child Welfare System

Task Force on Child Protection

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1. Concerns with Definition of Physical Abuse:Subjective Standard

• Severe pain• Non-accidental• Definition of perpetrator – family member or

others• Unknown perpetrator• Standard too high

Task Force Themes

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2. GPS vs. CPS

• Counting of GPS in national statistics• Definition of neglect – too broad

Includes issues of socialization and or moral education

• Differential response

Task Force Themes

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3. Multidisciplinary Investigative Response

• Use of Children’s Advocacy Centers• Use of team investigative approaches• Communication• Coordination of efforts• Value of CYS staff teaming with medical

professionals, such as with nurses, to support agency’s response to reports of abuse and neglect

Task Force Themes

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4. Mandated Reporters

• Universal mandated reporters• Greater protections for mandated reporters• Increased penalties for failure to report• Need for a better understanding of the magnitude for false reporting• Current burden on system to respond to current level of reporting, related to

false reports involving custody disputes• Concern over lack of doctors willing to diagnose child abuse due to fear over

liability or burden associated with testifying in court• Desire to expedite process for doctor’s to testify (i.e. video conferencing)• School or institution reporting: need for immediate and appropriate reporting

by the “observer” or “witness”, which would support stronger prosecution down the road by expediting the report and avoiding multiple people within the institution interviewing the child and spoiling evidence

Task Force Themes

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4. Mandated Reporters (Cont.)

• Agreement that the distinction of “student abuse” should be eliminated• Further review is needed related to the lack of public visibility of children who

are being educated through home or cyber schooling and the prevalence of the use of these education alternatives in recent cases of child deaths Discussion of enhancing health screen requirements for these children

• Concern over mandated reporters being confused about current definitions of abuse and perpetrators in determining whether to report – recommendation made that reporters should report any serious risk of harm to a child

• Currently no requirement for mandated reporters to be trained – one should be established with reasonable intervals for training (ideally the first training in-person and subsequent refresher trainings done electronically). Broad support to require school officials to be trained

Task Force Themes

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5. Challenges of the Child Welfare System

• Child welfare workforce challenges: young, inexperienced, need for strong supervision, retention issues, poor compensation for qualified staff

• Training of child welfare professionals was discussed including, quality of training and training in relation to when they receive cases

Task Force Themes

• Special Grants that have been moved into the Human Services Block Grant include Evidence Based Practices, Promising Practices, Alternatives to Truancy, and Housing.

• Full flexibility of the funds will be phased in over several years.

• Counties will be required to submit a plan detailing how the block grant funds will be allocated.

• Reporting will be streamlined.• For Child Welfare, the funding categories will include

evidence-based programs and practices, in-home services, prevention, and reunification.

Human Services Block Grant

• GAL Pre-Service DVD: One copy was sent to all President Judges, Leadership Roundtable Judges and CYS Administrators. Counties can order copies through OCFC (PPI $5/non-PPI $7).

• Children’s Court Activity Booklet: What’s Happening in Dependency Court? An Activity Book for Children Going to Court in Pennsylvania can be order through OCFC (PPI $3/non-PPI $4 or print from website).

• Incarcerated Parents “Know Your Rights” handout is available.• PPI Phase IV Invitation – letters of interest due to OCFC by June 30,

2012• Children’s Summit – Seven Springs April 29 – May 1, 2013• CPCMS Dependency Court Data Dashboard – anticipated release

winter 2012

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Children’s Roundtable

• Truancy Data• APPLA: As of September 30, 2011,

there were 1458 children with a goal of APPLA in PA. Of those, 50 children are age birth to 12.

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Data

Regional Offices – Post 7/1/12

WHAT IS GOING:• Licensure of Facilities

under Chapter 3800• 2 Staff

WHAT IS STAYING:• CPS Investigations• Child Fatality/Near Fatality• Needs Based Budgets• Licensure of Chapters

3680, 3350, 3700, 3130/3490

• Supervision of County Children and Youth Social Service Agencies

CHANGING ROLE• Technical Assistance • Supervision • NBB – Benchmarks/CIP

Focus of Activity

WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE:• Monthly Contact• Safety Support Sessions• Critical Case Reviews• Data Discussions• Quarterly Budget

Meetings

FY10/11

Initial Submission – 202 In review – 2

oWith OCYF – 2 (Community Specialist/Summit Academy)

Finalized - 200

Provider Packet Reviews – FY 2010-2011

FY11/12

Initial Submission Expected – 209 Initial Submission Actual – 203 At County level – 35 At OCYF level – 14 Finalized – 154 No initial submission – 6

This time last year we had 78 packets outstanding, we currently have 49 outstanding reviews.


FY12/13

Initial Submission Expected – 200 Initial Submission Actual – 122

oWith County – 103oWith OCYF - 17

Finalized – 2 Extensions requested - 72


• Permits youth to remain in care until 21if they are employed 80 hours per month

• Extends adoption subsidies up to age 21 for youth adopted after age 13

• Extends subsidies for permanent legal custodianship up to age 21 for youth placed with a PLC after age 13

• Permits youth to re-enter foster care up to age 21 when discharged 90 days prior to their 18th birthday or after

• Generates additional federal revenues and saves state and county funds

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Fostering Connections

• HB 75, PN 3770 – Amends the Juvenile Act

• HB 1261, PN 3646 – Amends the Public Welfare Code

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Fostering Connections

Child Welfare Information Technology

Child Welfare Demonstration Project

Waiver Design Requirements

A waiver would offer Pennsylvania the opportunity to use Title IV-E funding as a source of flexible spending on efforts which meet the waiver goals designated in the Title IV-E waiver legislation.

The waiver demonstration project must be designed to accomplish one or more of the following goals:•Increase permanency by reducing time in foster care and promote successful transition to adulthood for older youth•Increase positive outcomes and safety for children in their homes and communities, and improve the safety and well-being of children•Prevent child abuse and neglect and reentry into foster care

DSHS Children's Administration Title IV-E Waiver Application


The federal guidance includes information on the types of waiver proposals that will receive priority from ACF. •Produce positive well-being outcomes for children, youth and their families, with particular attention to addressing the trauma experienced by children who have been abused and/or neglected;•Enhance the social and emotional well-being of children and youth who are available for adoption, as well as those who have been adopted, with a particular emphasis on those children who have been waiting the longest or are hardest to place in order to achieve and sustain successful adoptions;•Yield more than modest improvements in the lives of children and families and contribute to the evidence base; and/or• Leverage the involvement of other resources and partners to make improvements concurrently through child welfare and related program areas, including proposals to establish financial incentives based on the achievement of positive child outcomes.



A strong waiver design will complement and build upon existing reform efforts.

The waiver itself should not be the impetus for change and reform. The waiver should support change and reform undertaken by the state or counties.

A concern is that if the waiver is the driving force behind the reform, the waiver itself as a funding mechanism may not be sufficient to sustain the reform.



Waiver demonstration projects must be cost neutral: the total amount of federal funds used to support the demonstration will not exceed the amount of Federal funds that would have been expended by the Title IV-E agency under Title IV-E and Title IV-B if the demonstration project were not conducted.

Pennsylvania will come to the table with ACF with a request for funding that makes a reasonable calculation of how much Title IV-E the state and/or participating counties would expect to receive during the course of the waiver if there were not a waiver program.

To develop and support this calculation, PA must identify prior year Title IV-E claim information.



A waiver would offer Pennsylvania the opportunity to use Title IV-E funding as a source of flexible spending on efforts which meet waiver goals and fit within the Pennsylvania’s child welfare reform efforts.

Due to the cost neutrality condition, the only way the waiver project can generate these flexible funds is if the waiver project reduces spending on foster care. Then, and only then, those savings can be reinvested into other programs.

No new funding is available under the Title IV-E waiver.


ACYF-CB-IM-12-05: Waiver Proposal

The guidance includes a number of requirements that are required by the law or previously released through the Federal Register, including:

Description of the demonstration projectThe goals identified in statute that the project is intended to accomplishThe target population that the agency wishes to serveGeographic areas in which the proposed project will be conductedService interventions to be implementedDescribe time period in which project will be conductedThe impact the intervention is expected to have on outcomes related to safety, permanency, well-beingHow service provisions will change for children and familiesStatement of program requirements for waivers needed to conduct the projectDescription of the proposed evaluation designEstimate of the projected costs or savings


ACYF-CB-IM-12-05: Waiver Proposal

There are a significant number of new requirements that OCYF must meet. For example, OCYF must provide information regarding:

Provide a reliable method for measuring and ensuring Federal cost-neutrality over the course of the demonstration.Describe impact on any similar projects already underway. Accounting of any other sources of funding that have been used to provide the services that the agency now proposes to address under a waiver demonstration Provide an assurance that the Title IV-E agency will continue to provide an accounting of that same spending for each year of the approved demonstration Identify the statutory and regulatory requirements under titles IV-B and IV-E of the Act for which waivers will be needed to permit the proposed project to be conducted.Partnerships and collaborations including letters of agreement and or Memorandum of Understanding.Impact on child welfare information systems.Impact on any existing court orders.Relationship with Child and Family Service Reviews and Program Improvement Plans.Summaries of public input.


Application Activity

• Discussion Advisory Cabinet MeetingsCasey Data Presentation

• County Interest Survey – May/June 2012Conference Call – June 13, 2012Follow-up Questions – Responses by June 20, 2012

• Waiver Workgroup ConvenedJune 8, 2012Two Subcommittees – Practice and Fiscal

• Governor’s Budget Office Meeting

Timelines for an FFY12 Waiver

• The Letter of Intent is due June 4, 2012

• The Waiver Proposal is due July 9, 2012Draft Application – June 28, 2012First Level Review and Approvals complete– June 29, 2012Application submitted for final approvals – July 2, 2012


• Improve Child and Family OutcomesUse of assessment to identify needsServices match identified needs

• Placement PreventionReducing entries and re-entries

• Use of appropriate placementIncrease use of less restrictive placementsDecrease reliance on congregate care

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Demonstration Project - Goals

National Youth In Transition Database

• Three data groups: Baseline, Served, Follow-up Populations.

• OCYF/HZA have been working with county NYTD Coordinators for Served Population being collected 4/1/2012-9/30/2012.

• HZA has made collection and submission as simple as possible. HZA also is in final stages of development of web-based data entry.


• Follow-up Population (a sample of the Baseline Population from 2010-11) will begin October 1, 2012.

• The sample size is 296 for Pennsylvania and will be for 19 year old former/current foster youth.

• Specific youth per county will be available shortly so counties may undertake outreach.


• NYTD Bulletin for Baseline and Served is near completion. The Follow-up Population info will be updated for another date.

• Financial penalties for areas of non-compliance.

Identity Theft/Credit History

• Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act (P.L. 112-34)

• Amends the case review system definition to require that each child age 16 and older in foster care receive a copy of any credit report annually and be assisted in interpreting and resolving inaccuracies.

• OCYF State plan must be updated by Aug 13, 2012.

• Bulletin forthcoming with more, helpful information.

Identity Theft/Credit History

• Most likely roles/responsibilitiesAdministrative – mail/fax necessary documentation to each of 3 Credit Reporting Bureaus annually for each youth 16 years of age or older in placementCasework/IL staff – inform, educate youth of any finding or lack of findingGAL/Casework/IL staff/other agency – assist youth with any inaccuracies

CFSR PIP: Update

• PA is on target for completion of strategies and actions steps identified within PIP Matrix come 6/30/12.

• September 14, 2012 will be our annual PIP meeting to celebrate our accomplishments over the past two years.

• PA may be required to move into a non-overlapping year for certain baseline items which are measured using our Quality Service Reviews.

Continuous Quality Improvement

• 6 Phase I CQI Counties completed their 2nd round of QSRs this year

• 5 Phase I CQI counties will have completed their 1st round of QSRs as of June 13th.

• Approximately 16 CCYAs have shown an interest in being involved in Phase III

• We are currently working on completing After Action Reviews with our Phase I and II teams and are discussing capacity planning re: roll out of future CQI phases so stay tuned for further details….

Concurrent Planning

Concurrent Planning Policy and Implementation Bulletin issued in May, effective date of July 1, 2012.

Concurrent Planning Implementation

Effective July 1, 2015 all children entering foster care with a goal of reunification will have a concurrent plan for permanency established within 90 days of their placement.

Effective January 1, 2016 all children who were already in out of home care will have a concurrent plan for permanency, regardless of their court-ordered permanency goal.

Concurrent Planning Implementation

Eight Core Components

Full disclosure to all participants in the case planning process Family search and engagement Family Group Decision Making/family group conferencing/Teaming Child/family visitation

Establishment of clear timelines for permanency decisions Transparent written agreements and documentationCommitted collaborationSpecific recruitment, training and retention of resource families

Eight Core Components

Implementation Guidance

• CCYA Organizational Self-Study must be completed by July 1, 2013.

• Copy of Organizational Self Assessment & Implementation Plan must be given to OCYF Regional Office for approval.

• CCYA submit needs and costs in 2014 – 2015 NBPB Request.

Safety Assessment

• Efforts have centered on reducing duplication and streamlining documentation

• Interval changes to In-Home will be effective July 1, 2012

All County Safety Call will be held to announce this• Final Out-of-Home Care Tool will be released July 1,

2012IntervalsAlert DocumentPresent Danger Assessment

• Full implementation expected July 1, 2013• Revisions to the manual and curriculum are being

finalized• Training plan being finalized with CWRC

Safety Assessment

GPS Response Times

• Issued April 26, 2012

• Web-based training developed by the Child Welfare Resource Center for workers to take at their leisure

• Full implementation July 1, 2012Training brochure distributed with the bulletin

General Protective Services Response Times

GPS Response Times

• Immediate: The information reported indicates that a Present Danger exists which by definition meets the Safety Threshold. In order to reach the safety threshold, a condition must meet all of the following criteria: have potential to cause serious harm to a child; be specific and observable; be out-of control; affect a vulnerable child; and be imminent. Present Danger is defined as an immediate, significant, and clearly observable threat to a child actively occurring in the present.

• Priority (Within 24 hours): The information reported indicates that an Impending Danger exists which meets the Safety Threshold and/or the information reported indicates that overall Risk Factors rated as high exist which place the child in danger of future harm. An Impending Danger refers to threatening conditions that are not immediately obvious or currently active or occurring now but are out-of-control and likely to cause serious harm to a child in the near future. The information reported does not indicate the existence of Present Danger.

• Expedited (Within 3-7 calendar days): The information reported indicates that overall Risk Factors rated as moderate exist which place the child in danger of future harm. The information reported does not indicate that Present or Impending Danger exists and does not meet the safety threshold.

• General/Other (Within 7-10 calendar days): The information reported indicates that overall Risk Factors rated as low exist which may place the child in danger of future harm. The information reported does not indicate that Present or Impending Danger exists and does not meet the safety threshold.


GPS Response Times

• County agency staff must make reasonable efforts to establish face-to-face contact with the identified child within the assigned response time.

• Ideally, the identified child or children and their primary caregiver(s) should be seen within the response time so that an appropriate assessment of safety can be completed. However, consistent with the In-Home Safety Assessment and Management Process, there may be instances when county agency staff must make the immediate, preliminary assessment and safety decision without seeing both the child and the primary caregiver in order to assure child safety. This would lead to the development of an immediate, preliminary safety plan.

• When this happens, the county agency staff must make reasonable efforts to see the other household members and persons involved with the case, including children, involved in the case within the 72 hour time period for the safety assessment worksheet to be completed.

• If during the process of the preliminary assessment of the identified child, the threshold of present or impending danger is not met; county agency staff must continue to make reasonable efforts to see the other household members and persons involved with the case, including children involved in the case within the 72 hour time period for the safety assessment worksheet to be completed.


GPS Response Times Training

• Following this one hour training participants will be able to: • * Define the statewide General Protective Services (GPS) response times. • * Identify connections between information gathering, Pennsylvania’s Safety Assessment and

Management Process, Risk Assessment Model, and the statewide General Protective Services (GPS) response times.

• How to access online trainings: • 1. Obtain your user name and password by • e mailing [email protected] • 2. Go to www.e-learn.pitt.edu • 3. Enter your user name and password. If you wish to change your password-click on Edit Profile • 4. Click on the Course Catalog icon at the top of the screen. • 5. Scroll down to 204: Statewide General Protective Services Response Times • 6. Click on the Clipboard Icon at the right of the screen to enroll in the course • 7. In order to receive a certificate of completion, you will need to complete the course, as well as

complete the evaluation. Once the evaluation is completed, you will see a certificate of completion that you will be able to print out for your records.


Education Bulletin and Screen

• Delayed Implementation pending further review and revisions to the screen and bulletin

• Final Edits have been made to the screen• Efforts continue to be made regarding the

manualSlated to be finalized by the end of July 2012

• Efforts continue to be made regarding edits to the bulletin including:

Population for whom the screen must be completedIntervals for completion of the screen

Educational Screens

Documents

PCCYFS June 20, 2012 Office of Children, Youth and Families