North Carolina SOC Moving Forward

1. North CarolinaSOCMoving Forward June, 2008

2. SOC Works in North Carolina • Looked at data from 7 other MRS pilot counties and the 3 SOC counties • What families said: • More foster parents, relatives, and service providers attended CFTs in SOC counties • In SOC Counties: • More felt they had a say in who came to their CFT • More were encouraged by their SW to bring supports to their CFT • More felt the purpose of their CFT meeting was clearly explained in SOC counties

3. SOC Works in North Carolina • What social workers and community partners said: • In SOC counties: • Community partners were more aware of MRS Practice/Policy Changes • More community partners and family supports attend CFTs • SWs tended to exhibit more positive attitudes toward the CFT process • DSS agencies had stronger collaborative relationships with community partners

4. How Did We Get These Outcomes? • Family Partners • Training • Systemic change at local and state level

5. Family PartnersMission: Decrease child welfare involved family’s resistance (perceived and real) to institutional services Support families with front-end engagement prior to CFT process and supply back-end support after families’ engagement with Child Welfare

6. Family Partners Deliverables: Family Engagement CFT Preparation/Participation Peer Support and Family Advocacy CFT Facilitation Community-based Family Supports Community Advocacy Parenting Education

7. Family PartnersAccomplishments/Data Provided community outreach and education (social marketing) in each geo-district to prevent and reduce abuse and neglect Distributed over 23,000 informational materials July, 2004 – January, 2008 Participated and presented at 75 local, state, and federal SOC meetings Generated 480 volunteer support hours

8. YFS Family PartnerAccomplishments /Data Advocated for families at CFTs and connected them with Family Partner services and other community resources Provided Parenting Education, In Home Services and Support Groups Connected families with other community support services before, during and after engagement with Child Welfare

9. Family PartnersAccomplishments /Data July, 2007 through December, 2007 Participated in 101/178 requests for CFTs (57%) Supported 393 families Food, Clothing, Medicine, Transportation, Child Care, Rent, Utilities, Furniture, Job training and placement

10. Family PartnerMoving Forward “Evidence shows that frontloading services is a good practice, one that clearly has a positive effect on families.” MRS/SOC Information in support of NC Multiple Response Report January 2008

11. Family PartnerMoving Forward Families need peer support Peer Support can best be provided by individuals and families that have successfully been through the Child Welfare System. . “Walk a Mile in My Shoes”

12. Family PartnerSummary Child Welfare & Family Partners have successfully collaborated over the last 5 years We have accomplished great things but the work is not done Family Partners will continue to be an integral resource to bridge child welfare and community-based services

13. Family PartnerMoving Forward Family Partners need: Earlier front-end engagement with families and Child Welfare staff to prepare families for CFTs Parent Partners to provide peer support and advocacy for parents CFSR Program Improvement Impact Dedicated Funding

14. SOC Training in Alamance County • Quarterly SOC Overview • Quarterly Overview of Child and Family Teams • Agency Protocols biannually • Annual CFT Facilitator Training • Annual Resource Fair • Supervising from a SOC perspective (monthly in DSS, every other month with community partners)

15. Alamance County:Annual Strategic Planning Retreat • Focus on identified child risk factor • Child Maltreatment • Drop Outs • Infant Mortality • Juvenile Crime • Revisit and strategize committee work • CFT/Care Review • Family Involvement • Faith-Based • Funding

16. SOC Training in Bladen County • Cross Agency Child and Family Team training in Bladen and 3 adjacent counties (350 trained in past year) • In partnership with: • DSS • Mental Health • Partnership for Children (Smart Start) • School Child and Family Support Team Program • Family Partners • Cross System training has vastly increased collaboration

17. Bladen County: Additional Accomplishments • Two adjacent counties have used blended funding to hire SOC Coordinators • Other blending of funds • MOA’s • School and Private Mental Health Providers • DSS and LME Family Partner

18. Mecklenburg County • MeckCARES Training Institute 2008 • Family Partner Parenting Education Training • Family Partner Facilitation • Family Partner/FSS Front-end Engagement • Transition Resource Center

19. North Carolina Division of Social Services SOC is driving NC’s Program Improvement Plan Implementing Multiple Response System, a system-wide reform based on family centered practice System of Care incorporated in policy manuals and training Regional, monthly meetings with opportunity for peer networking

20. Indications of Solidifying System Reform • True partnership with State Collaborative • When champions leave, system reform effort stays in place • All child serving agencies agree on how to define Child and Family Teams • Cross-training module developed for every child-serving agency regarding Child and Family Teams • DMH/SAS/DD has System of Care coordinators across the state

21. Statewide SOC Conferences • Regional Conferences held in five different locations in Fall 2006 (500+ in attendance) • December 2007 Sold Out Cross-Child Serving Agency conference held in Winston-Salem (350+ in attendance) • December 3 & 4, 2008 To be held in Wilmington, NC