NYC Department of EducationCollaboration

Professional Development

NYC Administration for Children’s Services

Office of Education Support and Policy PlanningKathleen Hoskins, Esq. , Director

January 10, 2014

Agenda• ACS Overview• PINS/FAP program• Educational neglect• Family Support Services/Preventive

• OSEPP Collaborations

ACS DivisionsCPS

• Division of Child Protection

Foster Care

• Division of Family Permanency• Division of Youth and Family

Justice

Preventive

• Division of Family Support Services

• Division of Early Care and Education

Family Assessment Program (FAP) and

Persons In Need of Supervision (PINS)

• Differences:o PINS—court proceeding to make determination if

student is a person in need of supervisionso FAP—PINS diversion program that provides

services to families to prevent court involvement or action

• Mission:Provide immediate support to families in crisis.

Through screening and assessment, individualized intervention, and referral to a range of community-based or contracted services and supports, FAP aims to strengthen families and help them stay together

What is FAP?• The Family Assessment Program is New York City’s

lead provider of assessment and diversion services for status offenders (referred to in New York State as Persons In Need of Supervision – P.I.N.S.).

• Status offenders are defined as young people, usually between the ages of 11 and 18 years old, charged with offenses unique to their status as juveniles, such as truancy, ungovernability or running away.

• FAP offices are located in each of the five boroughs of New York City either in or near the Family Court in the respective borough. FAP serves between 6,000-7,000 families annually.

What can a family expect from FAP?

Family Assessment Program staff: • Meet each family who is seeking help quickly,

without delay or waitlists;• Talk to each family to understand the

circumstances that bring them to FAP;• Identify the most helpful and practical options

for resolving the family’s problems;• Introduce families to a range of support options

close to home that are designed to resolve family conflicts;

• Will not help a family file a PINS petition in Family Court unless all other alternatives have been exhausted.

FAP SERVICE CONTINUUM

NBS Referral

Discussions, counseling and mediation followed by a targeted referral to a local organization so families can seek support close to home.

Duration: Varies

Family Stabilization

An intensive crisis team will make a visit to the family’s home. After assessing the situation, the worker will help identify community-based supportive services and next steps. Over a period of no longer than 60 days, the worker will support family members as they execute a collaborative service plan.

Duration: 60 days

FFT

FFT consists of a small team of highly trained therapists, with a maximum caseload of ten families, which provides therapy in the home. Therapy takes place over an intensive four-month period including 30 one-hour therapeutic sessions.

Duration: 3-5 months

MDFT

MDFT is a family-based treatment approach for adolescents with substance abuse and associated mental health and behavioral problems. A small team of trained therapists delivers MDFT. Treatment takes place in a combination of in-home, in-school, and in-clinic sessions over the course of two to five months.

Duration: 3-5 months

MST

MST is a therapeutic intervention, offered by a small team of highly trained therapists, with a maximum caseload of six families. The team provides therapy to an entire family in the home over a period of four months. Therapists visit the home multiple times per week, and are available by phone 24 hours a day.

Duration: 3-5 months

MTFC

Youth are placed with a specially trained foster family who becomes, alongside a family therapist, part of the youth’s therapeutic team. For a maximum of ten months, MTFC foster parents carry out an individualized program setting rules and expectations to manage behavior. In addition, the youth’s family receives intensive therapy and training to develop parenting skills to teach them how to provide discipline, supervision, and encouragement.

Duration: Less than 10 months

FAP Mediation and Counseling Evidence Based Interventions

PINS Petitions• PINS petitions can only be filed in Family

Court if the lead agency (ACS / Family Assessment Program) makes a determination that “there is no substantial likelihood that the youth and his or her family will benefit from further [diversion] attempts.” FCA Section 735.

• If a PINS petition is filed, a PINS respondent cannot be securely detained in a secure facility. A judge can only place the child in an ACS foster care setting.

Common Myths & Expectations of PINS

• Youth will be placed in a boot camp, locked facility, or sent upstate or out of state campus with close supervision.

• A Family Court Judge will order youth to go to school or change his/her behavior.

• A Probation Officer will closely supervise the youth by enforcing curfews, take the youth to school, and monitor peer interactions.

• Parent(s) are no longer responsible for the youth.

• Youth will be “scared straight”.

Common Myths & Expectations of PINS

• Families can bypass the diversion process and directly access Family Court.

• A PINS petition will result in the youth being monitored and compelled to comply with curfew, school, etc.

• A PINS Petition will always result in the placement of the youth in foster care.

Educational NeglectSection 1012 (f) the Family Court Act (FCA) identifies a "neglected" child as a child less than eighteen years of age • (i) whose physical, mental or emotional condition

has been impaired or is in imminent danger of becoming impaired as a result of the failure of his parent or other person legally responsible for his care to exercise a minimum degree of care in supplying the child with adequate food, clothing, shelter or education in accordance with the provisions of part one of article sixty-five of the education law, or medical, dental, optometrical or  surgical care, though financially able to do so or offered financial or other reasonable means to do so; (emphasis added)

Education LawPer Part One of Article 65 of the New York State Education Law, Section 3205(1)(c), the following age requirements apply:• A child must attend full time instruction from the

first day school is in session in September if he/she turns six years old on or before the first day of December of that school year. 

• A child must attend full time instruction until the

last day of session in the school year in which the minor becomes 17 years of age.

• Chancellor’s Regulations A-210 (attendance) and A-750 (child abuse)

What is necessary for Educational Neglect case to be reported?

(1) Excessive absence from school by the child;   o However, any information the school has as to

whether the absences are excused or unexcused should be provided to the SCR; and

(2) Reasonable cause to suspect that the parent is aware or should have been aware of the excessive absenteeism and that the parent has contributed to the problem or is failing to take steps to effectively address the problem (in other words, failure to provide a minimum degree of care); and(3) Reasonable cause to suspect educational impairment or harm to the child or imminent danger of such impairment or harm

What is NOT Ed. Neglect?

• Truancy• Parent refusing to consent to special

education evaluations or services• Parent refusing to attend school

events, such as parent-teacher conferences

• Parent dispute with school officials

What services does ACS offer to support

schools?• Office of Safety First

• Community Partnership Program

• Family Support Services/Preventive

• Foster Care Education Liaisons

• OSEPP

Office of Safety First• Safety First is a special hotline that was created

by ACS for mandated reporters such as employees of City agencies, schools, nonprofit providers, hospitals and childcare providers.

• The hotline was set up to answer questions and address ongoing safety concerns related to open child protective investigations.

• ACS Office of Safety First 718-KIDSAFE

Foster Care Agency Education Liaisons

• 32 Foster Care Agencieso Each has at least one Education Liaison

• Work with schools and foster parents to ensure children in foster care are attending schools

• Advocate and arrange for additional remedial services for youth in foster care

Division of Family Support Services

• Family Support Services provides preventive services and support to families throughout New York City, through a network of community-based non profit organizations and contracted preventive agencies 

• These services are designed to strengthen and stabilize families, prevent the need for out of home care, expedite permanency and prevent the replacement of children into foster care

Community Partnership Program

• CPPs are partnerships of families, community constituents, grassroots and faith-based organizations, ACS contract provider agencies, local schools and others who are collaborating to explore, develop and implement community-based child welfare strategies.

• The CPPs support children, families and ACS’ provider agencies by engaging in the following activities: o Family Team Conferences to discuss child safety, well-being, and

permanency) ; o Recruiting and supporting foster families; o identifying community visiting locations and facilitating visits for

families about to transition to un-supervised visits; o Making referrals between preventive agencies and Child Care/Head

Start providers and; o Creating partnerships with local schools to identify youth

and families in need of preventive and other community services.

Preventive Services• ACS provides preventive services as a

result of a child protective investigation or at the request of the family.o ACS contracts with over 200 preventive services

programs. Many organizations offer these services directly to families upon request.

• Preventive services are free for families that have a child under 18 or whom are expecting a child.o Preventive services are VOLUNTARY!

• Preventive Service Search Engine:http://a068-preventivesse.nyc.gov/psse/search?actionType=search

Office of Education Support and Policy

Planning• The Office of Education Support and Policy Planning

(OESPP) is comprised of Education Advocates and Attorneys, who assist casework staff (child protective, foster care, juvenile justice and preventive agencies) with education issues for children between the ages of 0-21.

• We provide consultation and advocacy services to children, youth and their families, as well as individuals from the child welfare community.

• School-based Support:o Trainings/Coordination with ACS Divisions for school eventso DOE/ACS monthly Collaboration Meetingso Coordination with DOE Office of Student and Youth

Development

Contact informationOffice of Education Support and Policy Planning (OSEPP)

• Kathleen Hoskins, Esq. ,Director, • Donald Lash, Attorney, • Christopher Tan, Attorney,• Roberto Romero, Supervisor, • Nancy Santiago, Ed Advocate, • Melissa Cueto, Ed Advocate,

OSEPP website topics include:• Enrollment/ School Choice• Special Education• Transportation• Transfers (including Safety Transfers)

…and much more.

• Email us at education.unit@dfa.state.ny.us

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