AB 12 Informational Convening Placement & Licensing Breakout Session

1. AB 12 Informational ConveningPlacement & Licensing Breakout Session

2. Placement Breakout Session • Guiding principles • Supervised Placement Setting • Community Care Licensing • Additional items

3. Guiding Principles • Value permanency • Help youth transition with lifelong connections to caring adults • Create a collaborative youth-centered process • Work proactively with youth in developing and reaching their independent living goals • Allow youth to gain real life experience with independence and allow them to learn from their mistakes • Provide a safety net for the most vulnerable youth so they can be successful as independent adults

4. Additional Guiding Principles • Provide for the health, safety, and well-being of young adults • Be clear, concise, user-friendly, and simple • Prepare foster youth for adulthood

5. Where are Older Youth in Placed in Foster Care? 2,985 18 year-olds as of April 1, 2011

6. Supervised Placement Settings • Traditional placement options still available to youth including: • Approved home of relative or NREFM • Certified home of an FFA (includes ITFC) • Foster Family Home • Group Home (with limitations) • Home of a Nonrelated Legal Guardian • Small Family Home/Dual Agency Regional Center Homes • THPP (with limitations) • 2 NEW Placement Options: • THP-Plus Foster Care • Supervised Independent Living (SILP)

7. Group Homes for NMDs • Decision on group home placement is to be a youth-driven, team-based case planning process • Youth can remain in group home if under age 19 AND continuing in group home is in NMDs best interest in order to complete high school or equivalent • Once NMD completes high school or turns 19, whichever is first, continuing in a group home is prohibited UNLESS • NMD has a medical or mental health condition (participation condition #5) and continuing in group home functions as a short-term placement; • Treatment services to alleviate the medical condition cannot be sole basis for disqualification from group home (Ex: youth is seriously emotional disturbed and is in therapeutic day treatment); • Treatment strategies should prepare NMD for discharge to a less restrictive and more family-like setting.

8. Transitional Housing Placement Program • Youth can continue to participate in THPP after age 18 and up to age 19 if: • In order to complete high school or equivalency prior to age 19; OR • In order to complete the high school year prior to age 19

9. THP-Plus Foster Care • Modeled after existing THP-Plus programs and will offer affordable housing and supportive services. • Current program: • Three settings: single-site (25%), scattered-site (62%) or host home (13%) • 51 counties; 60 providers; 2,209 youth served in FY 10-11 • THP-Plus FC not designed to replace THP-Plus • THP Plus will continue to exist to serve emancipated youth between ages of 21 and 24, and for emancipated youth under age 21 who do not want to participate in extended care or are ineligible • THP-Plus FC is a IV-E eligible placement

10. THP-Plus Foster Care • THP-Plus FC ACL on County Plan Requirements is final • Future ACLs to cover statewide approval standards and rates. • AB 12 authorizes for approval, renewal and per site fee, which is calculated into rate. • Two rates proposed: one for site based and one for host family • Parenting NMD’s receive the infant Supplement and if in host family model, may be eligible for the WFFH Shared Responsibility Plan rate in addition • Unclear how 70/30 provision will operate under realignment

11. Supervised Independent Living Placement • Subject to approval by county using statewide approval standards • No service provider/ no caregiver • Settings may include but not limited to: • Apartment living • Room and board arrangements (including w/ a relative or family friend) • Shared roommate settings, • Dorms • NMD may receive the foster care benefit directly – limited to basic rate (currently $776.00/month) and clothing allowance • Parenting NMDs receive the Infant Supplement.

12. Approval of SILP • Settings where there are already health and safety standards (i.e. dorms or college housing) are deemed to have met the standard. • The privacy of the youth is a key aspect to the SILP placement option. • Roommates and landlords do not need to be assessed • Important for discussions between the NMD and the supervising agency and/or case managers to help the youth reach a responsible decision • Process by which a youth is determined ready to live independently (readiness assessment) and whether the home meets IV-E standards is still being developed.

13. Shared Living Agreements • Shared Living Agreements are a best practice • to be negotiated between the NMD and provider/caregiver/roommate • Examples of what to include in SLAs • Curfews (up to caregiver and NMD). • Overnight guests (caregiver could restrict it or allow it). • Using kitchen and utensils.(caregiver can’t restrict it as off limits but could have “no cooking past midnight” rules.) • Allowances or passing along money for personal spending – it is not required but should be addressed in the Shared Living Agreement.

15. Placement Agreements • If a NMD remains in his or her current placement no new placement agreement is required • for any change in placement by the NMD, each new placement requires a new placement agreement. • Placement agreements are being updated to be appropriate for the NMD rights a adults.

16. Assembly Bill (AB) 12 Licensing Regulations

17. Identified “Big Ticket” Sections • Definitions • Plan of Operation • Safeguards for Cash Resources, Personal Property, and Valuables • Reporting Requirements • Admission/Intake Procedures • Criminal Record Clearance

18. Identified “Big Ticket” Sections, cont’d. • Removal or Discharge Procedures • Nonminor Dependents’ Records • Personal Rights • Expectations, Alternatives, and Consequences • Health-Related Services • Food Service • Responsibility for Providing Care and Supervision • Activities • Buildings and Grounds

19. Definitions, Plan of Operation & Records

20. Safeguards, Reporting & Criminal Record Clearance

21. Admission/Intake Procedures • Process for the caregiver and a NMD regarding admission into a licensed children’s residential community care facility. • Appraisal of a NMD to address needs of a NMD, ability to meet needs, and compatibility of the NMD with the facility or home.

22. Removal or Discharge Procedures • Reasons and procedures for removal or discharge of a NMD from a children’s residential community care facility in an emergency or non-emergency situation.

23. Personal Rights • Personal Rights that apply to a NMD, e.g., allow NMD to acquire and maintain as well as possess and use personal items.

24. Expectations, Alternatives, and Consequences • Reasonable expectations for living in the facility or home with emphasis on reasonable alternatives and consequences for noncompliance with expectations. • A NMD is to participate in review based on needs. • May use Shared Living Agreement as a Model

25. Responsibility for Providing Care and Supervision • Caregiver to assist a NMD in developing skills necessary for self-sufficiency.

26. Activities, Food & Health-Related Services

27. Buildings and Grounds • Permits a NMD to share a bedroom with a child or another NMD • Permits a NMD to have access to household items needed for cooking or cleaning.

28. Relative Approval Standards for NMDs • Now that we have the draft of Article 3 of the CCL regulations, the process for relative approval for NMD’s needs to be correspondingly modified to meet the new Article 3 standards.

29. Fingerprinting • Youth remaining in care in the same placement attaining age 18 – no fingerprints. • Youth who exit and re-enter – they may be fingerprinted only for the purpose of assessing the safety and appropriateness of placement in a facility that has minor dependents

30. CountyGrievance Procedures • Grievance process currently exists for relative approvals (not placement); defined in Division 31 • Disputes arising around placement decisions – resolved through social worker, NMD and ultimately by the court • Other grievance processes around placements will be locally determined

31. QUESTIONS?