Permanency Practice Initiative

1. Permanency Practice Initiative June 27, 2008

2. Hypothesis Enhanced judicial oversight partnered with strength-based, family led, community involved practice will ultimately increase the number of children safely maintained in their own homes and expedite safe return from out-of-home care.

3. Expected Outcomes • Safety: • First and foremost protected from abuse & neglect • Safely maintained in their own homes whenever possible

4. Expected Outcomes • Permanency: • Children have permanency & stability in their living situation • Continuity of family relationships and connections is preserved for families

5. Expected Outcomes • Family & Child Well-Being: • Families have enhanced capacity to provide for their children • Children receive appropriate services to meet educational needs • Children receive adequate services to meet their physical & mental health needs

6. Practice Components • Three (3) Month Court Review • Children’s Roundtable (oversight team) • CPCMS Dependency Module • Family Group Decision Making • Family Finding/3-5-7 Model • Family Development Credentialing

7. Court • Court component • Children’s Roundtable (oversight role) • 3 month reviews (minimum) • Comprehensive, well-trained legal representation for all parties • CPCMS Dependency Module • Coordination between Dependency & Orphans Court

8. Court • Court component resources • Transcript development technology • Video conferencing technology • Mini-grants for CPCMS data entry • Equipment needs related to CPCMS • Legal training • Other court identified needs…

9. Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) • Voluntary decision making process • Guided by values and beliefs • Organizational Change/Practice Shift • Three phases of a FGDM meeting

10. Family Finding • Finds Families (extended families) • Combines: common sense, social work, detective work, and technology • Search for families at every stage with emphasis at intake • Connects to other family focused practices • Real work begins once family members are found

11. 3-5-7 MODEL • GUIDE FOR WORKERS & FAMILIES • FRAMES WORK OF: • RECONCILING LOSSES • REBUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH ATTACHMENTS • CLAIMING/BELONGING TO NEW FAMILIES BEFORE,DURING, AND AFTER ADOPTION

12. 3-5-7 MODEL • COMPLETION OF 3 TASKS • ANSWERING 5 CONCEPTUAL QUESTIONS • USE OF 7 CRITICAL SKILL ELEMENTS

13. 3TASKS • CLARIFICATION: reasons for being in care/life events • INTEGRATION: acceptance of being a member of several families • ACTUALIZATION: visualize membership in permanent family

14. 5 Questions • Who Am I?…………………Identity • What Happened To Me?…Loss • Where Am I Going?………Attachment • How Will I Get There?…Relationships • When Will I Know I belong?.... Claiming/safety

15. 7 skill Elements • ENGAGE the child in the process… • LISTEN to the child’s words… • When you speak, TELL THE TRUTH… • VALIDATE the child and their story… • Create a SAFE SPACE for the child… • It’s Never too late to GO BACK IN TIME… • PAIN IS PART OF THE PROCESS ! !

16. Family Development Credentialing • Process to develop a network of strength-based community providers • Involves local providers on advisory group • Includes: • Instructors & Portfolio Advisors • Course work & transfer of learning hours • Credentialed through Cornell University • Costs vary depending on in-kind elements

17. Additional Initiative Components: • Training for all staff involved and community partners • Current Organizational Assessment (within past 2 years)

18. Training Resources • Family Finding & Family Development Credentialing: • Kevin Campbell August 25 & 26, 2008 • Broad based attendance from Phase One County staff, partners, community • Promoting Permanency thru Family Connections: November 13, & 14, 2008 • Additional community/partner agency slots

19. Expected Outcomes • Reduction in: • placements • re-entry • time spent in foster care • court involved caseload • level of care • cost of care

20. Expected Outcomes • Increase in • Child, Family & Community participation • Community based services • Prevention services • Placement stability • Safe & timely permanency

21. Expected Outcomes • Incentive Funds: • Act 148 funds • Special allocation rate

22. Resources • Incentive funds • Technical Assistance • Initiative training • Financial support for program and court components • Evaluation

23. Next Steps • Letter of Interest (due by 12:00 noon on July 25, 2008) • What is already in place • What is needed • Signatures for Letter of Interest & ultimately commitment to incentive fund utilization: • Commissioner, President Judge, Dependency Judge and C&Y Administrator

24. Next Steps • Send Letter of Interest (due by 4:00 p.m. on July 25, 2008) to: Attn: Sandy Moore, Administrator Office of Children & Families in the Courts 5001 Louise Drive, 3rd Floor Mechanicsburg, PA 17055

25. Next Steps • Selection August 7, 2008 • Phase One County on-site visits • Phase 1 Roll Out

26. Contacts • Richard Gold, OCYF • Sandy Moore, OCFC • Peter Vriens, FGDM Statewide Leadership

27. Contacts • Honorable Todd Hoover, FGDM Statewide Leadership • Kathy Moore or Barb???, FDC • Darla or Jim for 3,5,7 • Angelo Santore, OCFC – Family Finding

28. Questions