Erwin McEwen & Dana A. Weiner Illinois Department of Children & Family Services

1. Erwin McEwen & Dana A. Weiner Illinois Department of Children & Family Services Northwestern University Strengthening Communities, Families, and Children: Measurement, Resource Development & System Planning

2. Keep the focus… “on protecting children, by strengthening and supporting families” Violence, Crime, Poverty, Lack of Resources Community Stress, Trauma, Lack of Resources Family Trauma, High Risk for Negative Outcomes Child

3. Using data to support & strengthen the child welfare system Inform new initiatives, identify resource gaps System Monitor effectiveness of interventions, identify emerging needs Program Support for decision-making, identify needed resources Caseworker

4. Measurement for Transforming of Child Welfare Practice • Evaluation considerations • Target/goals • Timing • Assessment Strategies

5. Evaluation Targets/Goals Targets: • Casework level • Service Level • Agency level • System level Goals: • Decision making • Determining effectiveness of interventions • Continuous Quality Improvement • Planning needed resources

6. DCFS Evaluation Activities

7. Timing: Evaluation as an ongoing process • Initial assessments • The value of adding subsequent measurements • Observing change • Predicting outcomes • Guiding treatment planning decisions

8. Initial 6 Months 12 Months ACR CANS IA CANS ACRCANS Data on Child/Family Needs Gap Analysis: Are resources sufficient to meet needs? CANS Changes Report: Did services address needs? Trajectory Analysis: Are the services effectively addressing needs? Analytic Tools Record of services delivered Record of Services Delivered Data on Community Resources Statewide Provider Database

9. Illinois CANS 2.0 • Revisions & Additions • Enhanced caregiver section • Trauma & strengths in the forefront • Utilization • All cases at 6 month intervals • Specific programs & processes (SOC, Residential, CAYIT to guide decision making or track progress) • Integration • Service Planning with Statewide Provider Database • Geomapping for Gap Analysis • Planning new initiatives (JJ, Differential Response) • Understanding trends (Strengths, Trauma, and Risk behaviors; Strengths and Placement Instability)

10. Enhanced Caregiver section incorporates: • Strengthening Families protective factors: 1. Parental Resilience 2. Social Connections 3. Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development 4. Concrete Support in Times of Need 5. Social and Emotional Competence of Children 6. Healthy Parent-Child Relationships • Parent /Caregiver Commitment to Permanency • Safety items

11. CANS for Case Work Staff Website

13. Parent Readiness for reunification worksheet

14. Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare

15. Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare – Service Needs N=151 youth assessed with CANS in Cook County Probation

16. Placement Trajectories based on Mean CANS Domain Scores

17. CANS-Based Trajectories by Placement Type

18. Statewide Provider Database • Online Search Tool • Geocoded service delivery locations • Highly detailed descriptions of programs and services • Broad user base invested in helping to maintain current data • Integrated with CANS, Child Placement Data, and Geomapping website

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27. Strengthening Communities with SPD • Raising awareness of resources • Regular training in the use of SPD • Participation in community “resource fairs” • Providing access to resource information in exchange for shared responsibility for maintenance • Inter-agency collaboration to ensure adequate resource availability

28. Community Collaboration – SPD Training • Chicago Public Schools Social Workers • YMCA • Chicago Police Department Community Policing Unit • Kane County Learning Network • Youth 1st • Alternative Schools Network (mentors) • South Suburban Family Shelter • CDPH • Northwestern Legal Clinic • La Rabida • Family Focus - NuestraFamilia • LAN 79 • Birth Parent Council Summit • Safety Networks • Cook County Probation

34. EBP Trained/Certified Staff

35. IDCFS Geomapping Website

40. 50 Cases Per Square Mile

44. Service Accessibility & Outcomes Rural Lt. Urban 10 m Urban 5 m 2.5 m

46. Independent variables • Age • Clinical characteristics – CANS scale scores • Risk behaviors • Emotional/behavioral needs • Strengths • Trauma experiences • Trauma stress symptoms • Acculturation • Life domain functioning • Service Accessibility

47. Overall Predictors of Placement Disruption

48. Predictors by Land Use

49. Barriers to CANS implementation • Technology keeping pace with innovation • Change in practice requiring an additional tool • Comfort/familiarity with data driven decision-making

50. Future Directions • Coordinate between child-serving agencies using child assessment and provider data • Integrate access information, trajectory models, and other tools into contracting approaches to make efficient use of resources • Continue to educate staff on the use of data and new tools to support decision-making