Reducing Disproportionality in Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice

1. Reducing Disproportionality in Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Patricia Parker, CSW. P.A. Parker Consultants, Milwaukee, WI Lori Rogerson, MSW Des Moines Public Schools Des Moines, IA Brad Richardson, Ph.D. Univ. of IA School of Social Work DMC Resource Center & National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice / NRC-In Home Services 1

2. B-6 Reducing Disproportionality in Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice This workshop will present research on two approaches for reducing disproportionality in child welfare. It will also provide empirical evidence of the effectiveness of practice and systems change which correlates with increased culturally-competent services. An approach using ethnographic interviewing techniques will also be discussed.

3. What we’ll cover . . . • Context - some background on disproportionality in Iowa – CW JJ Educ • What the data tell us • Interventions & Promising Practices • What parents and children tell us • Context and implementation of a strengths based approach using cultural competency and an ethnographic approach

4. OJJDP’s DMC Reduction Model

6. Extreme Disproportion (Robert Hill; Overrepresentation of Children of Color in Foster Care in 2000) 14) New Mexico 3.74 13) Iowa 3.76 6) Oregon 4 .38 5) Wyoming 4.53 4) Minnesota 4.77 3) Idaho 4.84 2) New Hampshire 4.93 1) Wisconsin 5.48

7. Extreme Disproportion (Robert Hill; Overrepresentation of Children of Color in Foster Care in 2000) 13) Iowa 3.76 6) Oregon 4 .38 5) Wyoming 4.53 4) Minnesota 4.77 3) Idaho 4.84 2) New Hampshire 4.93 1) Wisconsin 5.48 0) Polk County 5.50

8. Out of Home Placement 2007

9. Out of Home Placement 2007

10. Out of Home Placement 2006

15. State Efforts to Address Disproportionality In CW & JJ DMC Committee developed - 2000 DMC Resource Center at University of Iowa –SSW, National Center for Family Centered Practice, 2002 Child Welfare Better Results for Kids Redesign includes focus on disproportionality - 2003 Minority Youth and Families Initiative (MYFI) – 2004-5 Executive Order #5 October 2007 HF2393 requires racial impact statements 2008

16. Leadership around CW, JJ and Disproportionality Governor’s Office Executive Order establishing Youth Race & Detention Task Force Remarks at 2007 Annual DMC Conference, “Linking CW, JJ, Education & Health to Reduce Racial Disparities” Supreme Court Chief Justice “Children’s Justice Initiative” focusing on both CW & JJ Legislature Passed HF2393 requiring minority impact statement on disproportionate or unique impacts

17. Intervention - Polk County MYFI MYFI Practice Guide for Afr Am families (April 2008) - based on the Des Moines MYFI demonstration project Previous program evaluations (outcomes, practice, participant feedback) Current data under review – program, administrative, participant, NAPCWA disproportionality tool

18. Community Partnership forProtecting Children Monthly meetings Cross sectional participation Motivated by non-governmental agencies Undoing Racism training

19. Parent Partners Parents helping parents Overseen by Visiting Nurse Services Parents who successfully closed their child welfare cases helping parents newly in the system

20. Family Team Meetings Implemented by DHS Intended to build informal community supports Also designed to engage those who would otherwise be very resistant

21. Key Services/Practice ImprovementsPolk County Community-based services that are individualized Building on strengths Meeting the needs of children and families across life domains to promote success, safety and permanence in the home, school and community Facilitating family team meetings, Providing community outreach promoting Family Team Decision Making within the African American community engage informal and community-based resources & supports

22. Documentation of Intervention and Practice Improvement for Replication http://www.uiowa.edu/~nrcfcp/dmcrc/myfi.shtml

23. Richardson, B. Forthcoming. Comparative Analysis of Two Community-Based Efforts Designed to Impact Disproportionality. In McRoy, R et al. The Practice of Social Work: Addressing Racial Disproportionality and Disparity of Outcomes in Child Welfare. Washington DC: Child Welfare League of America. Derezotes, D., Richardson, B. et al. Forthcoming. Evaluating Multi-systemic Efforts to Impact Disproportionality through Key Decision Points. In McRoy, R et al. The Practice of Social Work: Addressing Racial Disproportionality and Disparity of Outcomes in Child Welfare. Washington DC: Child Welfare League of America. Richardson, B. Forthcoming. Measuring Strategies to Reduce Disparities: Utilizing the Disproportionality Diagnostic Tool. Special Issue on Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Disproportionality/Disparity. The Journal of Health & Human Services Administration.

24. Nellis, A. & Richardson, B. • Getting Beyond the Failure: Promising Approaches for Reducing DMC. • Journal of Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice. • Online First, published on April 22, 2010 as doi:10.1177/1541204009361180. • Richardson, Brad. • 2008 Comparative Analysis of Two Community-Based Efforts Designed to Impact • Disproportionality. Child Welfare Journal, Issue 2, • Special Issue: Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in Care. • Washington D.C.: Child Welfare League of America, Child Welfare. • Derezotes, D., Richardson, B., Bear King, C., Rembert, J. & Pratt, B. • 2008 Evaluating Multi-systemic Efforts to Impact Disproportionality through Key Decision • Points. Child Welfare Journal, Issue 2, • Special Issue: Overrepresentation of Minority Youth in Care • Washington D.C.: Child Welfare League of America, Child Welfare. • Richardson, Brad et al. • Juvenile Detention and Alternatives: Perspectives From Three Counties: • Report to the Governor’s Youth Race and Detention Task Force. Iowa City: IA: • DMC Resource Center, University of Iowa School of Social Work, • National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice. • Fabella, D.; Slappey S.; Richardson, B.; Light A. & Christie S. • Disproportionality: Developing a Public Agency Strategy. • Washington DC: National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators, • American Public Human Services Association. Online at: http://www.napcwa.org/DDT/ddt_main.asp

25. Cultural Competence Continuum*

26. Disproportionality and Suspension: Intervening in the “school to prison pipeline” Lori Rogerson, MSW Des Moines Public Schools

27. Focus GroupFacilitator Training • Pat Parker-Strengths Based Practice • Nation Resource Center Staff-Focus Group Facilitation • DMPS Social Workers and Psychologists • Part One: Knowing your Stakeholders • Part Two: Relationship Building • Part Three: Conducting Focus Groups • Part Four: Making it Happen, Next Steps

28. Findings • Parents and students perceive that suspension “does not work” • Parents and students perceive an interaction between race and suspension

29. Findings • Parents and students perceive school staff as lacking in cultural diversity and cultural competence • Parents and students agree that in some circumstances suspension is required

30. Recommendations • The district should provide feedback to participants • Suspension should be viewed as a process rather than as an action or event • Teacher focus groups should take place

31. Recommendations • Administrator and school board focus groups should take place • Cultural competency throughout the district • Goals should be set for reducing rates

32. Focus Group Follow-Up • Lack of a connection between students and teachers • Teachers and administrators are conflicted about how to deal with students between being supportive with interventions versus punitive sanctions which do not support achievement • When parents and schools have a cooperative relationship students benefit

33. 9th Grade Academy North High SchoolSuspension should be viewed as a process rather than as an action or event • Non Severe Behavior-Promotes more adult contact to avoid more severe behavior and suspension • Discipline Card • CI/CO • With teacher beginning and end of class • With administrator beginning and end of day

34. 9th Grade Academy North High SchoolSuspension should be viewed as a process rather than as an action or event • Severe Behavior-Promotes even more adult contact to avoid situations which lead to suspension and loss of academic time • Shelter Card • Restricted passing • Supervised lunch • CI/CO • With teacher beginning and end of class • With administrator beginning and end of day

35. Fall 2009-Start of 9th Grade Academy • Attendance-Improved from 2008 Fall Semester • Credits Earned- • Compared to 10-12, highest at 9th grade • Failing Grades- • Improved From 346 in 2008 to 193 in 2009

36. Follow Up Information • North High School lora.rogerson@dmps.k12.ia.us • Joliet Central High School jths.org/central

37. Reducing DMC Through Strengthening Families BACW Conference May, 2010 National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice University of Iowa School of Social Work 100 Oakdale Campus, W206 Oakdale Hall Iowa City, Iowa 52242 Phone: 319/335-4965 Presenter: Patricia A. Parker Email: pa_parker@msn.com

38. *Four Levels necessary to Understand Disproportionality and Disparity • Family Level • Community Level • Organizational Level • Institutional Level *Dr. Robert Hill,2009

39. Model for Reducing DMC • Identification and Monitoring • Assessing (the collected data • Preparation • Intervention • Evaluation

40. Characteristics of Successful DMC Intervention Programs • Holistic • Individualized treatment Plans • Intensive: weekly or daily contact • Frequent positive and negative feedback • Operate outside the formal juvenile justice system • Build on a youth’s strengths • Used a socially grounded framework for understanding the youth (ethnographic) • Energetic and committed staff.

41. Four Principles for Reducing Recidivism • Risk: Who requires the most intensive programs. • Need: What factors should programs target? • Treatment: How should programs target risk/need? • Fidelity: How well does the implemented program reflect the program design?

42. Targeting Crimino-genic Factors According to the DMC Technical Assistance Manual, 3rd Edition, for programs to reduce recidivism they must target risk factors that are: • Dynamic- amenable to change • Criminogenic- associated with criminal conduct • Antisocial attitudes, values and beliefs • Antisocial peer associations • Lack of problem-solving skills

43. Focus Change in Context of Family and Community Two suggested approaches: • Ecological or Eco-systemic Perspective • Understand and know the child in the context of his/her family • Identify stake holders and support from the child’s community • Ethnographic Approach • Assessing the child’s strengths and needs from a cultural anthropological perspective

44. Cultural Competence as defined by James Green Green (1999) argued that “cultural competence means only that the worker has a systematically-learned and tested awareness of the prescribed and proscribed values and behaviors of a specific community, and an ability to carry out professional activities consistent with that awareness “

45. Cultural Competence Continuum • Cultural Competence is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes and policies that come together in a system, agency, or professional and enable that system, agency or professional to work effectively in cross-cultural situations. (Cross, 1988) • Cultural Competence is a goal an agency or professional strives for. • Cultural Competence is a developmental process • Where are you and your agency on the continuum?

46. Cultural Destructiveness • the most negative end of the continuum represented by attitudes, policies and practices which are destructive to cultures and therefore to individuals in the cultures.

47. Cultural Incapacity • The next position on the continuum is one in which the system or agencies do not intentionally seek to be culturally destructive but rather lack the capacity to help minority clients or communities • The system remians extremely biased, believes in the racial superiority of dominant group and assumes a paternal posture towards “lesser” races • Assumes “White privilege”

48. Cultural Blindness • At the mid point on the continuum the system and it’s agencies provide services with the expressed philosophy of being unbiased. • They function under the belief that color and culture make no difference and that we are all the same. • Culturally blind agencies are characterized by the belief that helping approaches traditionally used by the dominant culture are universally applicable; if the system worked as it should, all people, regardless of race or culture, would be services with equal effectiveness

49. Cultural Pre-Competence • This agency realizes it’s weaknesses in serving minorities and attempts to improve some aspects of their services to specific population. Examples are: • try new approaches • Hire and consult with minority professional • Explore new ways to reach and engage minorities in all levels of their organization • Initiate cultural sensitivity and competence training

50. Basic Cultural Competence Characterized by: • Acceptance and respect for deference • Continuous self assessment regarding culture • Careful attention to the dynamics of difference • Continuous expansion of cultural knowledge and resources • Adaptation of service models to better meet the needs of minorities, • Hires unbiased employees • Seeks advice and consultation from minority comunities.