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Licensing’s Role in Foster Care Placement Stability. Alice LeDesma Children’s Services Coordinator aledesma@washoecounty.us September, 2012. Changing the Way You Think About Being Part of the Team. And What is This All About? . Introductions Who are we? Who do we serve?.
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Licensing’s Role in Foster Care Placement Stability Alice LeDesma Children’s Services Coordinator aledesma@washoecounty.us September, 2012 • Changing the Way You Think About Being Part of the Team
And What is This All About? • Introductions • Who are we? • Who do we serve?
Foster Care Placement Stability • Issues – literature review UC Davis Center for Human Services, www.humanservices.usdavis.edu/academy August 2008 • Concerns – a laundry list • Outcomes – less moves (of course!) • Futures Directions – assessment before, during and after placement.
How Did We Get Started and Why? • Placement moves – how it went then (prior to October 2009) • Legislative changes – congregate care limitations (AB 147: 2009)and commitment hearings (AB369: 2006) • Who was in charge and what were we doing? • What does licensing have to do with this?
Foster Care Placement Stability Team • Members • Rules of the Game – policy • Sportsman-like Conduct • The Winner - Permanency
Services That Come Free Inside the Box • Advanced Foster Parent Trainer • Foster Care Liaison • License Support • Documentation Follow-up (The “To-Do List”) • Clinical Care Management
Is it Working and How Do We Know? • Disruption Data • How does the Department Use It?
Changes – First Round • What we didn’t understand and wanted to know. • New terminology – agreeing what everything means (planned placement move vs. disruption). • What wasn’t working. • How did that affect licensing? Making the transition from regulator to team member.
Changes – Round Two • Specialized Foster Homes • Evaluation of the meetings • Documentation – getting the info to all the players. • Follow-up – it is great to make recommendations, but… • Still more agreement on what means what – what is a disruption exactly? How long is something stable to call it that? • Corrective Action
Implications for Licensure • Quality of Care • Corrective Action • Placement Disruption and the effects on licensure.
System Improvements • Department requirement to attend • Court Recommendations • A Child Requests an AFPT • Foster Parents attend Stability meeting • Foster Parents request Stability notes • Public Defender subpoenas Stability notes • Foster Parents refuse services
How Can Your Practices Influence Placement Stability and Permanency • Licensing Standards that Promote Stability • Participating in the Stability Discussion
Questions and Discussion • Why try this at home? Why not? Alice LeDesma, Coordinator Children’s Services Division Washoe County Social Services aledesma@washoecounty.us