prevention and multi-disciplinary teams...•in 2017, of the 7,503 children entering out of home...

Prevention and Multi-Disciplinary Teams

Relationships First Initiative| Early Childhood Mental Health Initiative

St. Louis County | Department of Human Services

Child Safety and Permanency | mn.gov/dhs

Who are we?

Char McDonald, MSW, LICSW

MN Department of Human Services

John Soghigian

ECMHI Facilitator / MCCC Parent Consultant

Annie Krohn, MSW

St. Louis County Health & Human Services

Kelly Lind, BA, RN, PHN

St. Louis County Health & Human Services


Objectives

• Learn about creating a partnership between community organizations and county public health and human services.

• St. Louis County’s Early Childhood Mental Health Initiative (ECMHI)

• Define the ECMHI’s innovative work currently underway

• Articulate the Strengths and Challenges of ECMHI’s collaborative work


Agenda

• Early Childhood Mental Health Initiative

• Formation

• Stakeholders

• Goals

• Relationships First Initiative

• Partnership with Department of Human Services

• Data

• Projects

• Strengths & Challenges

• Questions


Early Childhood Mental Health Initiative (ECMHI)

• Began in May of 2017

• John Soghigian and Kelly Lind (St. Louis County Public Health), co-led the formation of ECMHI

• Collaborative group in Northern St. Louis County


ECMHI Partners

• Bois Forte Family Services

• Early Head Start

• Ely Community Care Team (ECCT)

• Ely Community Health Center (free clinic)

• Essentia Ely Clinic

• Essentia Virginia Hospital

• Fairview Range Medical Center

• Mesabi East Schools Early Learning

• Mesabi Family YMCA

• Minnesota Communities Caring for Children

• Northern St. Louis County (NSLC) Family Service Collaborative

• St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services

• St. Louis County PHHS Advisory Committee

• Northland Healthy Minds

• Northland Learning Center

• Northland Special Education Cooperative- Early Childhood Programs

• Range Mental Health Center

• United Way

• Advocates for Family Peace

ECMHI Goals

• Good Early Childhood Outcomes by:

• Utilizing best practice tools to decrease ACEs and build resilience

• Promoting collaboration among professionals of those serving children ages 0-7 and their caregivers/mentors

• Promoting community involvement

• Identifying current resources of gaps in resources

• Preparing action plans to best fill gaps and utilize available services


What did ECMHI actually do?

• Monthly meetings

• Spotlight on a community or county agency at each meeting

• Decision making on group consensus

• Develop strategy to address mental health stigma


How DHS plays a part…

We envision a future in which all children in MN live in safe, supportive, healthy, and permanent families.

Targeted

• Highest Risk

• Feasibility

Balanced

• Evidence

• Lived Experience

Collaborative

• Shared Aims

• Mutual Learning

Restorative

• Reducing systemic bias

Focused

• Scale what works

• Stop doing what doesn’t


A broader view of Prevention

Child Maltreatment

Homelessness

Mental Illness

Substance Abuse

Poverty


Theory of Change

Families are facing systemic and individual challenges, and screened in maltreatment

reports and removals are on the rise

We can prevent the first-time occurrence of maltreatment and

neglect and intervene to strengthen families

By focusing on building social connectedness and belonging

and other protective factors, we can strengthen families.

There are existing resources available to do this work, but we need to improve the way these

services are delivered

We must collaborate to leverage resources, engage families, and build relationships to increase

well-being

Partnering to deliver services, and identifying and

implementing prevention strategies will improve outcomes

for children and families


Prevention Strategic Goals for 2018-2020

• Significantly reduce the disproportional representation of African American and American Indian children in our child welfare system

• In 2017, of the 7,503 children entering out of home care, 3,701 were identified as either African American, American Indian, or Multi-racial, a category advocates believe often masks the true number of American Indians that are system involved. Moreover, while entry rates are high, the real problem for these communities is often length of time in care.

• Reduce new entries in out of home placement across Minnesota

• In 2017, 7,503 children entered out of home care.


OHP Data (Minnesota)


Data (2017)

• St. Louis County (SLC) screens in approximately 60% of reports received, about 20% higher than the state average.

• SLC has a slightly higher average of kids living in poverty than the state.

• Top Four Drivers of OHP:

• Parental Drug Abuse: 46%

• Child Mental Health Issues: 13%

• Alleged Neglect: 13%

• Alleged Physical Abuse: 5%


Data Continued

• Voluntary placement initially for 44% of OHP

• 40% of placements resulted in reunification with primary caregivers

• 10% resulted in transfer of permanent custody to a relative

• Approximately a quarter of the community is reporting anxiety and/or depression


Where is North St. Louis County?

Minnesota Department of Human Services | mn.gov/dhs

Relationships First Initiative (RFI)

• Project of ECHMI

• $50,000 single source grant from DHS Child Safety and Permanency Division

• ECHMI will deliver coaching and support to the Relationships First Initiative (RFI) toward the achievement of goals:

• To support the development of a multi-year continuous improvement process that reduces out of home placement in the target area; and,

• To strengthen family and community engagement in prevention services and resources


RFI Deliverables

• Work Plan for this Initiative

• Process Map

• Data development and reporting agenda

• 3 to 5 prototype models

• Community engagement strategy


RFI Strategic Planning


Strategic Planning Process

Action!!Change Ideas

SecondaryDrivers

Primary Drivers

AimsVision &

Mission


Primary Drivers

• Build and support a strong, motivated, and aligned, implementation team through ECMHI

• Build an integrated service model that promotes protective factors, early identification, and service referrals

• Build a network of partners to strengthen and innovate ways to reduce risk factors including poverty, chemical dependency, and mental illness

• Implement communications to promote prevention, wellbeing, and strong families and communities

• Support the workforce for success


Current Change Ideas/Deliverables

Shared Process Map

Parent Support Groups


Current Change Ideas/Deliverables2

Early Intervention Family Court

Community Events

• ACEs Presentations

• Community Panels


Current Change Ideas/Deliverables3

Communications Campaign

Multi-agency Release of Information Form


Strengths

• Committed Leadership

• Top-Down Commitment

• Shared Vision and Aim

• County and Community Partner Collaboration

• Clearly defined Next Steps

• Continuing to increase Stakeholders


Challenges

• Keeping motivation in light of set-backs

• Changes/leaves of staff

• Data

• Confidentiality

• Passion versus workload obligations

• Rural Community- Distance/Winter

• Deliverables came before the Plan

• Feelings of County Centric

• Managing funds


Putting it all together

What is ONE next step you could take in your community (or agency) to better improve collaboration?


And that’s a wrap…

[email protected] | mn.gov/dhs

Remember…


Thank You!

Char McDonald; [email protected]; 651-431-4972

John Soghigian; [email protected]; 218-365-8408

Annie Krohn; [email protected]; 218-262-6084

Kelly Lind; [email protected]; 218-471-7621


mailto:[email protected]




prevention and multi-disciplinary teams...•in 2017, of the 7,503 children entering out of home...

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