Permanency Practice Permanency Practice Initiative Initiative

June 27, 2008June 27, 2008

HypothesisHypothesis

Enhanced judicial oversight partnered Enhanced judicial oversight partnered with strength-based, family led, with strength-based, family led, community involved practice will community involved practice will ultimately increase the number of ultimately increase the number of children safely maintained in their children safely maintained in their

own homes and expedite safe own homes and expedite safe return from out-of-home care.return from out-of-home care.

Expected OutcomesExpected Outcomes

•Safety:Safety:

– First and foremost protected from First and foremost protected from abuse & neglectabuse & neglect

– Safely maintained in their own Safely maintained in their own homes whenever possiblehomes whenever possible

Expected OutcomesExpected Outcomes

•Permanency:Permanency:

– Children have permanency & Children have permanency & stability in their living situationstability in their living situation

– Continuity of family relationships Continuity of family relationships and connections is preserved for and connections is preserved for familiesfamilies

Expected OutcomesExpected Outcomes

•Family & Child Well-Being:Family & Child Well-Being:– Families have enhanced capacity Families have enhanced capacity

to provide for their childrento provide for their children– Children receive appropriate Children receive appropriate

services to meet educational needsservices to meet educational needs– Children receive adequate services Children receive adequate services

to meet their physical & mental to meet their physical & mental health needshealth needs

Practice ComponentsPractice Components

• Three (3) Month Court Review Three (3) Month Court Review

• Children’s Roundtable (oversight team)Children’s Roundtable (oversight team)

• CPCMS Dependency ModuleCPCMS Dependency Module

• Family Group Decision MakingFamily Group Decision Making

• Family Finding/3-5-7 ModelFamily Finding/3-5-7 Model

• Family Development CredentialingFamily Development Credentialing

CourtCourt

• Court componentCourt component– Children’s Roundtable (oversight role)Children’s Roundtable (oversight role)– 3 month reviews (minimum)3 month reviews (minimum)– Comprehensive, well-trained legal Comprehensive, well-trained legal

representation for all parties representation for all parties – CPCMS Dependency Module CPCMS Dependency Module – Coordination between Dependency & Coordination between Dependency &

Orphans CourtOrphans Court

CourtCourt

• Court component resourcesCourt component resources– Transcript development technologyTranscript development technology– Video conferencing technologyVideo conferencing technology– Mini-grants for CPCMS data entryMini-grants for CPCMS data entry– Equipment needs related to CPCMSEquipment needs related to CPCMS– Legal trainingLegal training– Other court identified needs…Other court identified needs…

Family Group Decision Family Group Decision Making Making (FGDM)(FGDM)

• Voluntary decision making processVoluntary decision making process

• Guided by values and beliefsGuided by values and beliefs

• Organizational Change/Practice ShiftOrganizational Change/Practice Shift

• Three phases of a FGDM meetingThree phases of a FGDM meeting

Family FindingFamily Finding

• Finds Families (extended families)Finds Families (extended families)

• Combines: common sense, social work, detective Combines: common sense, social work, detective work, and technologywork, and technology

• Search for families at every stage with emphasis at Search for families at every stage with emphasis at intakeintake

• Connects to other family focused practicesConnects to other family focused practices

• Real work begins once family members are foundReal work begins once family members are found

• GUIDE FOR WORKERS & FAMILIESGUIDE FOR WORKERS & FAMILIES

• FRAMES WORK OF:FRAMES WORK OF:– RECONCILING LOSSESRECONCILING LOSSES– REBUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH REBUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH

ATTACHMENTSATTACHMENTS– CLAIMING/BELONGING TO NEW FAMILIES CLAIMING/BELONGING TO NEW FAMILIES

BEFORE,DURING, AND AFTER ADOPTIONBEFORE,DURING, AND AFTER ADOPTION

• COMPLETION OF COMPLETION OF 33 TASKS TASKS

• ANSWERING ANSWERING 55 CONCEPTUAL CONCEPTUAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS

• USE OF USE OF 77 CRITICAL SKILL ELEMENTS CRITICAL SKILL ELEMENTS

33 TASKSTASKS

• CLARIFICATIONCLARIFICATION::

reasons for being in care/life eventsreasons for being in care/life events

• INTEGRATIONINTEGRATION:: acceptance of being a member of several acceptance of being a member of several

familiesfamilies

• ACTUALIZATIONACTUALIZATION::

visualize membership in permanent visualize membership in permanent familyfamily

55 Questions Questions• Who Am I?…………………IdentityWho Am I?…………………Identity

• What Happened To Me?…LossWhat Happened To Me?…Loss

• Where Am I Going?………AttachmentWhere Am I Going?………Attachment

• How Will I Get There?…How Will I Get There?…RelationshipsRelationships

• When Will I Know I belong?....When Will I Know I belong?....

Claiming/safetyClaiming/safety

7 skill 7 skill ElementsElements• ENGAGEENGAGE the child in the the child in the

process…process…

• LISTEN LISTEN to the child’s words…to the child’s words…

• When you speak, When you speak, TELL THE TELL THE TRUTHTRUTH……

• VALIDATEVALIDATE the child and their the child and their story…story…

• Create a Create a SAFE SPACESAFE SPACE for the for the child…child…

• It’s Never too late to It’s Never too late to GO BACK GO BACK IN IN TIMETIME……

• PAIN IS PART OF THE PAIN IS PART OF THE PROCESS ! !PROCESS ! !

Family Development Family Development CredentialingCredentialing

• Process to develop a network of strength-Process to develop a network of strength-based community providersbased community providers

• Involves local providers on advisory Involves local providers on advisory groupgroup

• Includes:Includes:– Instructors & Portfolio AdvisorsInstructors & Portfolio Advisors– Course work & transfer of learning hoursCourse work & transfer of learning hours– Credentialed through Cornell UniversityCredentialed through Cornell University

• Costs vary depending on in-kind elementsCosts vary depending on in-kind elements

Additional Initiative Additional Initiative Components:Components:

• Training for all staff involved and Training for all staff involved and community partnerscommunity partners

• Current Organizational Assessment Current Organizational Assessment (within past 2 years)(within past 2 years)

Training ResourcesTraining Resources

• Family Finding & Family Development Family Finding & Family Development Credentialing:Credentialing:

– Kevin Campbell August 25 & 26, 2008Kevin Campbell August 25 & 26, 2008•Broad based attendance from Phase One Broad based attendance from Phase One

County staff, partners, communityCounty staff, partners, community

– Promoting Permanency thru Family Promoting Permanency thru Family Connections: November 13, & 14, 2008 Connections: November 13, & 14, 2008 •Additional community/partner agency slotsAdditional community/partner agency slots

Expected OutcomesExpected Outcomes

•Reduction in:Reduction in:– placementsplacements– re-entryre-entry– time spent in foster caretime spent in foster care– court involved caseloadcourt involved caseload– level of carelevel of care– cost of carecost of care

Expected OutcomesExpected Outcomes

• Increase inIncrease in– Child, Family & Community Child, Family & Community

participationparticipation– Community based servicesCommunity based services– Prevention servicesPrevention services– Placement stabilityPlacement stability– Safe & timely permanencySafe & timely permanency

Expected OutcomesExpected Outcomes

• Incentive Funds:Incentive Funds:

– Act 148 fundsAct 148 funds– Special allocation rateSpecial allocation rate

ResourcesResources

• Incentive fundsIncentive funds

•Technical AssistanceTechnical Assistance

• Initiative trainingInitiative training

•Financial support for program Financial support for program and court componentsand court components

•EvaluationEvaluation

Next StepsNext Steps

• Letter of Interest (due by 12:00 noon Letter of Interest (due by 12:00 noon on July 25, 2008)on July 25, 2008)

– What is already in placeWhat is already in place– What is neededWhat is needed– Signatures for Letter of Interest & Signatures for Letter of Interest &

ultimately commitment to incentive fund ultimately commitment to incentive fund utilization:utilization:•Commissioner, President Judge, Dependency Commissioner, President Judge, Dependency

Judge and C&Y AdministratorJudge and C&Y Administrator

Next StepsNext Steps

• Send Letter of Interest (due by 4:00 Send Letter of Interest (due by 4:00 p.m. on July 25, 2008) to:p.m. on July 25, 2008) to:

Attn: Sandy Moore, AdministratorAttn: Sandy Moore, Administrator

Office of Children & Families in the CourtsOffice of Children & Families in the Courts

5001 Louise Drive, 35001 Louise Drive, 3rdrd Floor Floor

Mechanicsburg, PA 17055Mechanicsburg, PA 17055

Next StepsNext Steps

• Selection August 7, 2008Selection August 7, 2008

• Phase One County on-site visitsPhase One County on-site visits

• Phase 1 Roll Out Phase 1 Roll Out

ContactsContacts

• Richard Gold, OCYFRichard Gold, OCYF• Sandy Moore, OCFCSandy Moore, OCFC• Peter Vriens, FGDM Statewide Peter Vriens, FGDM Statewide

LeadershipLeadership

ContactsContacts

• Honorable Todd Hoover, FGDM Honorable Todd Hoover, FGDM Statewide LeadershipStatewide Leadership

• Kathy Moore or Barb???, FDCKathy Moore or Barb???, FDC• Darla or Jim for 3,5,7Darla or Jim for 3,5,7• Angelo Santore, OCFC – Family Angelo Santore, OCFC – Family

FindingFinding

QuestionsQuestions