Reducing Overrepresentation in Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Systems

1. Reducing Overrepresentation in Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Systems Brad Richardson; Ph.D., Julia Rembert, MSW; DMC Resource Center University of Iowa School of Social Work, Nat’l Resource Ctr. for Family Centered Practice Iowa City, IA Pat Penning, LMSW and Terri DeVos Iowa Department of Human Services – Woodbury County Sioux City, IA

2. The National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice • Established in 1977 as a national consulting division of the University of Iowa School of Social Work • Research, Evaluation, Technical Assistance, Training & Organizational Development • NRC specializes in research-supported, strength-based culturally competent family centered practice; “Dr. Outcomes” • Family Development Specialist Certification Program

3. National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice About NRCFCP | Training | Research/Evaluation | Tech.Assistance | Pubs Fam.Dev.Spec.Cert | Cult.Comp.| DMC Resource Center | Latino Institute| Website: www.uiowa.edu/~nrcfcp “Ask Dr. Outcomes”

4. DMC Resource Center • Education & Information • Technical Assistance • Research and Evaluation • Annual Conference • Minority Youth and Families Initiative (MYFI)

5. SAG Creates DMC Committeeand DMC Resource Center

6. Jumping the Gap • Research and books • Training • Meetings • Pilot projects • Test protocols • Families getting what they need, when they need it • Flexible access to community resources • Systems Change • Fear • Defensiveness • Hidden assumptions • Formal structures • Tyranny of habit Adapted from John Franz, Sr. Juvenile Justice Advisor, Nat’l Resource Network

7. [1] Population data from Iowa’s KIDS COUNT, Annie E. Casey Foundation. [2] Detention data from Iowa DHR, CJJP.

8. DMC & MYFI Intensive TA Sites

9. DMCRC Technical Assistance Sites Lyon Emmet Osceola Dickin-son Howard Kossuth Mitchell Worth Winnebago Winneshiek Allamakee Clay Palo Alto Hancock Sioux O’Brien Cerro Gordo Floyd Chickasaw Clayton Fayette Plymouth Cherokee Humboldt Wright Franklin Butler Bremer Pocahontas Buena Vista Webster Woodbury Black Hawk Buchanan Delaware Dubuque Ida Sac Calhoun Grundy Hardin Hamilton Jones Benton Jackson Tama Linn Monona Crawford Greene Marshall Carroll Boone Story Clinton Cedar Audubon Johnson Iowa Shelby Dallas Guthrie Jasper Harrison Polk Poweshiek Scott Muscatine Adair Keokuk Madison Marion Cass Mahaska Pottawattamie Warren Washington Louisa Lucas Monroe Clarke Wapello Mills Union Montgomery Adams Henry Jefferson Des Moines Fremont Page Van Buren Taylor Wayne Ringgold Davis Decatur Appa-noose Lee National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

10. DMC in Iowa (2003) National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

11. DMC in Iowa (2005) National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

12. National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

13. Iowa Relative Rate Indices National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

14. National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

15. “ We stopped looking at what was wrong with the kids and trying to fix them. Instead, we looked at ourselves and tried to fix the system. The result was a better use of resources, better behavior by the kids and reductions in racial and ethnic disparities.”Scott MacDonald,Director of Juvenile Probation, Santa Cruz, CA from No Turning Back, 2005 National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

16. Focus on a decision point • Focus on Reducing Racial Disparities • Employ Risk Assessment Instrument • Create Placement Alternatives • Gain Judicial Support • Enlist a Community Champion • Gain Community Engagement and Involvement • Use Outcome Indicators National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

17. Resource Materials to Consider …Resources & Publications:Providing Effective DMC Technical Assistance:A Strength-Based Community Practice ApproachA Strength- Based Culturally Competent Approach to Reducing D.M.C.www.uiowa.edu/~nrcfcp National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

18. Strategies for Reducing Disparities in the Juvenile Justice System Ashley Nellis (2005). Seven Steps to Reducing DMC , 2005. • Step One: Define the Problem • Step Two: Implement Evidence-Based Programming • Step Three: Develop Program Logic • Step Four: Identify Measures • Step Five: Collect and Analyze Data • Step Six: Report Findings • Step Seven: Reassess Program Logic National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

19. …Publications on Reducing DMC • Guidebook for Integration and Coordination of Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Systems (Wiig & Tuell 2005). CHILD WELFARE LEAGUE OF AMERICA • Disproportionate Minority Contact in the Juvenile Justice System CHILD WELFARE LEAGUE OF AMERICA National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

20. …Publications on Reducing DMC • No Turning Back : Promising Approaches to Reducing Racial and Ethnic Disparities Affecting Youth of Color in the Justice System; A Project of the Building Blocks for Youth Initiative, October 2005 • Seven Steps to Develop and Evaluate Strategies to Reduce Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Juvenile Justice Evaluation Center Guidebook Series Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Juvenile Justice Evaluation Center Justice Research and Statistics Association National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

21. All levels must pay attention to program capacity

22. Motivation…orwho should care? Concept from Cornel West, 2000

23. Community Collaborative Efforts to Reduce Disproportionality in Child Welfare:The Experience in Woodbury County Julia Rembert, MSW University of Iowa School of Social Work and Minority Youth and Families Initiative, DMC Resource Center Pat Penning, LMSW & Terri DeVos Iowa Department of Human Services, Woodbury County Sioux City, IA National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

24. National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

25. Cherokee 4 Crow Creek 2 Macy 8 Mille Lacs 2 Oglala Sioux 5 Omaha 20 Ponca 7 Rosebud Sioux 8 Santee 25 Sisseton 3 Turtle Mt/Chippewa 1 Yankton Sioux 2 Northern Cheyenne 3 Winnebago 22 Tanana Chief/Alaska 2 Tribal Affilations: December 2005 National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

26. Woodbury County (Sioux City) Iowa • Native Americans make up 0.4% of the population • Native American children make up 2.2% of the foster care population • History of community activism highlighting need for system change. • Recover Our Children • Community Initiative for Native Families and Children (CINCF) - Passage of Iowa ICWA - 2005 National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

27. Planning built on relationships with the Community Initiative for Native Children and Families Targeted interventions that would be: Visible Effective Could continue without additional funds (integrated into practice, systems change) Planning Considerations National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

28. Planning Process National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

29. Underlying Issues • Communication gap between NA community and DHS/courts • Lack of trust between families and system • Relationship issues between DHS and Native community • Trust – lack of confidence in tribes/system • Anger Broken Trust by Stanley Wanlass National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

30. 2004-2005 Problem Statement Native American children (0-18), as self-identified, are overrepresented within Woodbury County’s foster care system, resulting in a loss of: • Culture • Self-awareness • Identity, and • Tribal and family relationships This is happening because of: • Shortage of Native foster homes for children in crisis, and policies that present barriers to relative placement. • Lack of culturally competent providers in the community. Graphic from the Nawash Native child welfare program for the Neyaashiinigmiing Community National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

31. Increases in: Relative placements, even if Termination of Parental Rights has occurred, Reunification with parents, Increase of Native American foster homes Decreases in: Termination of Parental Rights Reabuse/neglect rates Entry into the foster care system Abuse/neglect rates overall Number of placements for Native children 2004-2005 Goal Statement Native American children are safely raised in the Native community as evidenced by: National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

32. 2004-2005 Areas of Primary Focus • Culturally competent services being provided, • Increased numbers of Native children placed in Native foster homes, and • Increase of Native children placed with relatives. - Photo by National Geographic National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

33. New Ways of Doing Business: The SNAP* Team *Specialized Native American Project Team • Native family liaison • Native tribal liaison • Supervisor • Social workers • CPS workers • Adoptions worker National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

34. Parameters Within Which SNAP Must Work • Number of referrals • Cannot control number of concerns that are phoned in to IDHS • Iowa Child Welfare Redesign • Assigns level of risk and service provision in part on numbers and age(s) of children in the family. • Repeat assessments within 18 months result in automatic system involvement – at a higher level National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

35. Parameters Within Which SNAP Must Work • Police mandated to remove children to licensed foster home. • County Attorneys choose to file Child in Need of Assistance (CINA) and Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) petitions independently of IDHS. • There are cases where Tribes choose not to pursue transfer – in the best interests of the child and family. National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

36. How SNAP is different • Works with all children in manner upholding ICWA principles – regardless of ICWA status • Lower caseloads: allow workers to know their families better State of Washington Manual National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

37. “I feel like I get to do real social work again . . . I KNOW the families that I’m working with now.” SNAP Social Worker Image from Canku Oto newsletter: http://www.turtletrack.org/ National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

38. How SNAP is different • Values culturally competent practice • Training for workers and area providers: • NICWA’s Conference • Wellbriety • Fatherhood is Sacred Program (Ho-Chunk Nation) • Training sponsored/organized by IDHS • Beyond the Addiction: A Community Uprising • Indian Child Welfare Act 25 Years Later • Iowa ICWA in-service by one of the authors of Iowa ICWA National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

39. Culturally Competent Practice Beliefs • Families are diverse and have the right to be respected for their special ethnic, cultural, religious and other traditions • Practice and services are delivered in a manner that strengthens the family’s identity • Child-rearing patterns are influenced by cultural norms and mores • Every culture has positive attributes as well as challenges National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

40. How SNAP is different • Works as a cohesive team National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

41. Dear Team Members:     I . . . sincerely thank you all for all of your hard work yesterday.  Your willingness to assist me in finding a foster placement for my teen mom was greatly appreciated.     I had a former co-worker once tell me, on the eve of his retirement, that he never would remember the policy changes, the endless paperwork, or the grueling days in court.  He told me that he would remember the people he worked with.  He told me that the time spent with his co-workers . . . would be the memories he would take with him.     Working with our team, I completely understand what he means . . . National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

42. Yesterday, you all came together to help me solve a big problem. And, because of your assistance, WE were able to keep a family together. For that, I can not thank you enough.  The girl that you helped has been through a lot more than any normal person of eighty should experience, let alone a young woman of seventeen.  The young mom, asked me to thank you all for finding a foster home for her. Finally, when I talked with (Native foster care mother) tonight, she reported that she would be perfectly happy to work only with the Native American Team National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

43. as we have always been very responsive to her.  She knew that if she had a problem with a kiddo, and the regular worker was unavailable, that other members of the team would step up and help out.  She had talked with other foster parents who expressed similar sentiments. I know that a "touchy, feely" email is somewhat unusual coming from me, but I wanted to make sure that everyone knew how appreciative I was of all of you, and how positively our work is viewed by people in our community. Thanks for all that you do! National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

44. New Ways of Doing Business: Emphasizing Relative/Community Networks • Understanding lineage and descent – from the beginning of the case National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

45. Importance of Geneology . . . • New standard forms to identify tribal history and descent • Enrollment • Access to other services • Understanding who’s “in the family” • Use in court www.redheadedartist.com National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

46. New Ways of Doing Business: Emphasizing Relative/Community Networks • Using Family Team Meetings • Understanding family members’ support roles • More client-focused • Allows for more culturally competent planning Family Team Meeting Use - December 2005 Used technology – 45 Refused meetings - 29 Pending meetings – 6 Not applicable - 14 National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

47. New Ways of Doing Business: Emphasizing Relative/Community Networks • Knowing who to call in the community • Flexible resource dollar pool • Reconsidering family members as placement options, when they might have been ruled out before. National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

48. Our only security is our ability to change.  ~John Lilly National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

49. New Ways of Doing Business: Increasing Native/Culturally Competent Foster Homes • Recruiting at events of interest to Native Americans • Pow Wows • Winnebago • Ponca • Land meeting • Minnesota Mdewakanton Dakota Oyate 1886 Census Descendants Photo by Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice

50. New Ways of Doing Business: Increasing Native/Culturally Competent Foster Homes • Holding licensing workshops at times and places that work better for Native people • Offering assistance in the process National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice