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Pennsylvania Permanency Barriers Project

Pennsylvania Permanency Barriers Project. Anne Marie Lancour Heidi Redlich Epstein Mimi Laver Kathleen McNaught Elizabeth Thornton Cristina Cooper Jeffrey Adolph Margaret Burt Honorable Stephen Rideout (ret.) Scott Trowbridge. American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law.

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Pennsylvania Permanency Barriers Project

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  1. Pennsylvania Permanency Barriers Project Anne Marie Lancour Heidi Redlich Epstein Mimi Laver Kathleen McNaught Elizabeth Thornton Cristina Cooper Jeffrey Adolph Margaret Burt Honorable Stephen Rideout (ret.) Scott Trowbridge American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law

  2. History of the Project • 1989 – Termination Barriers Project began with funding from the New York State Department of Social Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. • 1991— NYS Office of Children and Family Services continued to fund the Termination Barriers Project for the next 13 years. • 2004 – The project was successfully completed in 20 small, medium, and large counties throughout NYS.  • 2004 – Pennsylvania contracts with ABA for largest Permanency Barriers Project to date. • 2004 – KY and WY contract with the ABA for the Permanency Barriers Project • 2005 – ABA wins Adoption Excellence Award for work on the NY Permanency Barriers Project

  3. Goal: Reduce children’s stay in foster care • Approach • Locally developed action plans • Small steps that add up • Permanency planning focus • Key Components • Permanency Planning Specialist • Advisory Board • ABA Project Director

  4. Project Tasks The project undertakes five major tasks: • Identifying and analyzing delays; • Interactively developing recommendations and implementing reforms; • Establishing written protocols, procedures, and providing multidisciplinary training; • Monitoring reforms and changes; and • Sharing project results throughout the state.

  5. Reform Efforts • Early identification of children’s needs • Refining court procedures in permanency planning areas • Legal analysis and technical assistance • Training the child welfare agency and legal staff • Sharing information with other counties and states

  6. Problems Causing Delays • Missing or unidentified parents • Relatives entering case late • Increase in adolescent population • Lack of training on permanency planning issues • Lack of written procedures • Late starts in offering services • Inadequate concurrent planning • Difficulty in obtaining evaluations and/or expert testimony • Delays in court procedures

  7. Current PA Project Counties • Beaver • Butler • Clearfield • Lehigh • Montgomery • Washington • Westmoreland

  8. Armstrong Berks Blair Centre Cumberland Huntingdon Lancaster Lackawanna Luzerne Lycoming McKean Mifflin Northampton Northumberland Philadelphia Venango Warren York Past PA Project Counties

  9. New York Results New York Results Average Time Saved in 20 Counties 15 months Total Money Saved $15,272,000

  10. Pennsylvania Results

  11. Project Achievements:Blair County The Barriers to Permanency Project has permitted Blair County to develop a Family Treatment Drug Court. • The Project Director in Blair County has facilitated the county’s participation in the upcoming National Drug Court Institute Training to develop a family treatment court model. • A family treatment drug court will provide coordinate services, track progress, and encourage accountability for substance abusing families.

  12. Project Achievements:Northampton County Northampton County successfully utilized the Barriers to Permanency Project to improve collaboration and communication between the Agency and the Court. • The Agency and the Juvenile Court developed an Interim Court Directive/Permanency Plan which is prepared at the conclusion of every permanency hearing and distributed to families before they leave court. • The Interim Directive outlines expectations of both the family and the agency and eliminates delays in service referrals.

  13. Project Achievements:Lackawanna County Lackawanna County successfully utilized the Project to introduce a new court procedure to increase accountability and expedite permanency. The Agency and the Juvenile Court created an informal Dependency Compliance Conference which documents and tracks compliance by both the agency and family. • DCC hearings track both success and failure and permits an immediate response when a family starts to struggle. • More frequent and meaningful reviews of family progress promotes concurrent planning.

  14. Project Achievements:Westmoreland County Westmoreland County has used the Project to initiate a 90-day multidisciplinary case conference process. • The 90-day case conference seeks to promote permanency, engage families, frontload services, and encourage cross-system collaboration. • The case conference is used in every new case 90 days after removal from the home to evaluate progress, review service referrals, and prepare for the first permanency hearing.

  15. Questions/Contact Information Anne Marie Lancour ABA Center on Children and the Law 740 15th Street, NW Washington, DC 20005 (202)662-1756 (phone) (202)662-1755 (fax) AnneMarie.Lancour@americanbar.org www.abanet.org/child

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