Power to the Community

1. Power to the Community COMMUNITY CHILD PROTECTION TEAMS North Carolina Division of Social Services May 2003

2. North Carolina’s Added Dimension • In addition to reviewing state child protection policies, CCPTs also are charged with accessing child protection needs in the county. • Deficiencies in local services or resources are reported to the local Board of County Commissioners annually. • This added dimension supports the grass roots change theory county State family

3. CCPT Mission Statement Recognizing that child protection is the responsibility of everyone, and responding to child protection needs is more effective before a child is harmed; the Community Child Protection Team, a team composed of agency representatives, child advocates and citizens-at-large; will take action to identify and address gaps or deficiencies in services and resources through the annual report to the Board of County Commissioners, collaboration with community partners, promoting public awareness, and advocating for action that addresses the child protection needs of the county.

4. Goal ALL CHILDREN IN OUR COUNTY WILL BE SAFE

5. Children will be safe within the community’s environment as soon as possible. Parents will be able to access community systems as needed to assist in parenting children. The community will become more aware of situations in the community that cause harm to children. Objectives

6. Exerting Power (ACTIVITIES) • REVIEWING CASES • COLLABORATION • TELLING WHAT YOU KNOW • ADVOCATING • ACCEPTING A PERSONAL CHALLENGE • Talking to others • Mentoring • Observing • Reporting to Board of County Commissioners

7. Making Strides • Change in the attitude about the purpose of CCPT • Each year more and more team accept CCPT as a change agent • As a state coordinator in the CW section I have had an opportunity to integrate information from multidisciplinary teams into state policy and recommendations

8. CCPT At Its Best • Effective Chairperson • Dedicated Membership • Purposeful Case Reviews • Determining System Deficiencies and or Gaps in Services/Resources • Promoting Change

9. A Great Chairperson Must Be A Dynamic leader Creative (willing and able to go outside of the box) A Motivator Charismatic Committed to the well being of Children Diplomatic Influential A Visionary

10. A Working Member • Is Dependable • Attends all meetings • Actively participates • Willing to collaborate • Will share information • Has something to offer to facilitate child protection in the community • Ensure your teams child protection recommendations stay on the “front page” until the recommendation becomes a reality • Has influence in the county

11. The Best Members Peace maker Town crier A Personality Type Risk taker Legal expertise Can find the bucks Researcher/planner Remembers how it was Won’t take no for an answer The driven Perseverance B Type personality

12. Coalesce Punch = CCPT is one unit. Coming together as one body requires each member be willing andableto accept the blending of agencies, individual thoughts, variances in practices, cultural differences, etc. and to use the differences to develop a community approach to combating child maltreatment

13. Team Maintance All team members participate in establishing team rules and protocol What cases are reviewed Recommending new members to the Board of County Commissions How non-participating members should be handled Team Logistics Projects that will inform community of CCPT and child protection Consider time limits for members appointed to the team

14. Identify case specific issues that impact a child’s wellbeing and as a team collaborate about ways the condition can be improved. Case Reviews Identify issues in the community that are a barrier to child protection in the county Identify state policies that are not in a child’s best interest

15. What Will Be Reviewed • Basis of case decision • Case goals • Case action since decision or last CCPT review, or services provided • Family’s response to services • Relevance to the issue of child protection in the county

16. Confidentiality • CCPTs have access to all information from all agencies with the exception of substance abuse records. Information from school records is limited to information about the health and well being of a child. • It is illegal for CCPT members to discuss case information received during a CCPT meeting with anyone outside of the meeting • Violating confidentiality is a misdemeanor • Any citizen may be invited to a CCPT meeting. Only CCPT members are present during closed sessions

17. Bringing It Together • Strategies for addressing the condition (barriers) • What is required to bring about change? • Does the plan need a lead person? Whom will the person be. • Are there others in the community can be used to promote the necessary change? Turning Up the Heat

18. Issues that Need Answers • How can the community protect children in drug addiction families • What can the community do about children that linger in the foster care backlog • What can be done to engage parents in more effective parenting practices • How can the socialization needs of adolescents be met • How can the community support schools and parents

19. Taking It To The Next Level

20. Something To Think About Theme for the year Sharing information from state to state Time is a factor for most members Do the children of the United States need to be protected by a Constitutional Amendment Does child protection need to be federalized?

21. Phyllis Banks Fulton NC Division of Social Services CCPT Coordinator Tele: 919-733-2279 Fax: 919-733-4756 Email: phyllis.fulton@ncmail.net