To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Social Services
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Approval of California Child and Family Services Review, 5-Year System Improvement Plan for Humboldt County Child Welfare Services and Probation Department (2017-2022)
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Adopt Resolution No.____ (Attachment 1) authorizing approval of the System Improvement Plan, recognizing the Child Abuse Prevention Coordinating Council (CAPCC), and identifying the CAPCC to administer the County Children’s Trust Fund (CCTF);
2. Approve the 5-year California Child and Family Services Review, System Improvement Plan (2017 to 2022) for Humboldt County Child Welfare Services and Probation Department (Attachment 2);
3. Authorize the Chair to sign three copies of the System Improvement Plan signatory pages (Attachment 3) and one copy of the Notice of Intent (Attachment 4) as requested by the state; and
4. Direct Clerk of the Board to return one certified copy of the signed Resolution, two signed copies of the System Improvement Plan signatory pages, one signed Notice of Intent and one executed agenda item to the Department of Health and Human Services - Contract Unit for further processing.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Social Services Fund
DISCUSSION:
In 1997, the federal government enacted the Adoption and Safe Families Act, which mandated the development of outcome measures for safety, permanency, and child/family well-being. The Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) was created to measure outcomes in these areas with interagency partnerships, community involvement, and public reporting of program outcomes. The federal government audits child welfare systems in all 50 states using the CFSR and requires states to develop and implement a Program Improvement Plan (PIP). As part of this act and California’s Program Improvement Plan (PIP), all 58 counties in California are required to participate in the California CFSR.
In 2001, in response to the federal CFSR oversight system, the California Legislature passed the Child Welfare System Improvement and Accountability Act (Assembly Bill 636, Chapter 678, Statutes of 2001, Steinberg). The intent of this legislation is to improve safety, well-being and permanency outcomes for at-risk children and families served by the child welfare and probation system, while holding county and state agencies accountable for the outcomes achieved. This statewide accountability and quality assurance system, known as the California-Child and Family Services Review (C-CFSR), went into effect Jan. 1, 2004.
The 5-year cycle of the C-CFSR involves the County Self-Assessment (CSA) and Peer Review, which guide and inform the local System Improvement Plan (SIP) updates. These are conducted by the county according to state guidelines.
The county’s CSA was completed in November of 2017 with input from agency representatives, community organizations, and stakeholders that play a role in the safety and well-being of children and families. The CSA incorporated feedback collected from community meetings during January through April of 2017. The CSA also encompassed the Peer Review, held March 14 - 16, 2017, which invited peer representatives from other counties to serve as peer reviewers of specific practice areas related to the outcome measure “Permanency Within 12 Months” for children/youth in care and their families. The Peer Review also provided feedback on the strengths and challenges of Child Welfare Services (CWS) and Probation.
The SIP and CSA included input from the Peer Review process and community stakeholder representatives from the following areas:
• Child Abuse Prevention Coordinating Council (CAPCC)
• CAPCC serving as the Children’s Trust Fund Commission
• American Indian Tribes served within the county
• Parents/consumers
• Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), designated as agency staff to administer the Child Abuse Prevention, Intervention and Treatment (CAPIT) program, the Community Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) program, and the Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) program.
• Probation administrators, supervisors, and officers
• DHHS Public Health staff
• DHHS Mental Health staff
• DHHS Social Services, CWS and Probation administrators, supervisors, and case workers
• Resource families and other caregivers
• Youth representatives
Humboldt County’s 5-year SIP goals and strategies are in line with those of the state’s PIP. These goals focus on child/family safety, well-being and permanency, achieved through county improvements of programs, services, and processes. The county’s selected SIP goals for 2017 - 2022 seek to improve performance outcome measures in the following areas:
CWS
1) Permanency Within 12 Months (for children/youth who have been in care for 12 - 23 months)
2) Timely (Initial) Response, 10-Day Compliance
3) Quality Assurance, utilizing Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)
Probation
1) Permanency Within 12 Months (for youth who have entered care)
2) Service Array (including residential placement for youth with intensive treatment needs)
CWS strategies include: increasing use, timeliness, and improved fidelity of Structured Decision Making (SDM) assessment tools, implementing/increasing effective and timely use of Child & Family Team (CFT) meetings, developing and implementing process for improved data entry and tracking of 10-day referral responses using CQI, providing staff training and guidance with responding to referrals and documenting in a timely manner, and developing and implementing CQI structure and process.
Probation strategies include: improving array and accessibility of local services for behaviorally challenged adolescents and increasing family finding and engagement.
The county has needed to extend its SIP completion date beyond the Aug. 31, 2017 target date to allow sufficient time for the county to receive and comply with the Office of the Attorney General’s (AG) final stipulated judgment for Humboldt County DHHS and the Sheriff’s Office. This judgment pertains to children’s safety and well-being and also refers to the larger disparity of American Indian children in the county’s CWS system and the need to strengthen collaboration with Tribal partners. Planning efforts for the SIP and the AG’s judgment orders have been combined since the AG’s judgment orders could impact the county SIP’s goals and strategies, and the AG work plan and community task force could overlap with the SIP planning and work as well as community stakeholder input process.
DHHS recommends that the Board adopts the Resolution, approves and authorizes the Chair to sign three copies of the System Improvement Plan signatory pages and one copy of the Notice of Intent and directs the Clerk of the Board to return one (1) certified copy of the Resolution, two (2) signed copies of the System Improvement Plan signatory pages, one (1) copy of the signed Notice of Intent and one (1) executed agenda item to DHHS.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The report prioritizes where staff time and resources are assigned. Costs associated with performing services that are in line with the SIP reside in fund 1160, budget unit 508 - Child Welfare Services, and were included in the proposed county budget for fiscal year 2019-20. Continuing to maintain an approved SIP report allows the county the ability to seek reimbursement for these services through CAPIT and CBCAP. There will be no impact to the county General Fund.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by creating opportunities for improved safety and health , protecting vulnerable populations, and providing community-appropriate levels of service.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
Humboldt County Probation Department
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board could choose not to approve the System Improvement Plan. This is not recommended as this plan guides the county in its efforts to maintain safety, permanency and well-being for vulnerable children and families.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Board of Supervisors Resolution to approve the SIP, recognize CAPCC, and identify CAPCC as Administrator of the Children’s Trust Fund
2. The California Child and Family Services Review, 5-year System Improvement Plan (2017 - 2022)
3. System Improvement Plan Signatory Page
4. Notice of Intent
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: N/A
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: 19-799