COMMUNITY CHILD PROTECTION TEAMS

North Carolina Division of Social Services

May 2003

Added Dimension

• In addition to reviewing state child protection policies, CCPTs also are charged with accessing child protection needs in the county.

• Deficiencies in local services or resources are reported to the local Board of County Commissioners annually.

• This added dimension supports the grass roots change theory

State

county

family

Recognizing that child protection is the responsibility of everyone, and responding to child protection needs is more effective before a child is harmed; the Community Child Protection Team, a team composed of agency representatives, child advocates and citizens-at-large; will take action to identify and address gaps or deficiencies in services and resources through the annual report to the Board of County Commissioners, collaboration with community partners, promoting public awareness, and advocating for action that addresses the child protection needs of the county.

ALL CHILDREN IN OUR COUNTYWILL BE SAFE

community’s environment as soon asChildren will be safe within the

possible.

Parents will be able to access communitysystems as needed to assist in parenting

children.

The community will become more aware of situations in the community that cause harm

to children.

• REVIEWING CASES• COLLABORATION• TELLING WHAT YOU

KNOW• ADVOCATING• ACCEPTING A PERSONAL

CHALLENGE– Talking to others

– Mentoring

– Observing

– Reporting to Board of County Commissioners

(ACTIVITIES)

• Change in the attitude about the purpose of CCPT

• Each year more and more team accept CCPT as a change agent

• As a state coordinator in the CW section I have had an opportunity to integrate information from multidisciplinary teams into state policy and recommendations

•Effective Chairperson•Dedicated Membership•Purposeful Case Reviews•Determining System Deficiencies and or Gaps in Services/Resources•Promoting Change

A Dynamic leader

Creative (willing and able to go outside of the box)

A Motivator

Charismatic

Committed to the well beingof Children

Diplomatic

Influential

A Visionary

• Is Dependable

– Attends all meetings

– Actively participates

– Willing to collaborate

• Will share information

• Has something to offer to facilitate child protection in the community

• Ensure your teams child protection recommendations stay on the “front page” until the recommendation becomes a reality

• Has influence in the county

Risk takerA Personality Type

Remembers how it was

Legal expertiseResearcher/planner

Peace maker

Can find the bucks

B Type personality

Town crier

Won’t take no for an answer

The driven Perseverance

CCPT is one unit. Comingtogether as one body requires eachmember be willing and able toaccept the blending of agencies,individual thoughts, variancesin practices, cultural differences, etc. and to use the differences to develop a community approach tocombating child maltreatment

= Punch

All team members participate inestablishing team rules and protocol

What cases are reviewedRecommending new members to theBoard of County CommissionsHow non-participating membersshould be handledTeam Logistics

Projects that will inform community ofCCPT and child protectionConsider time limits for membersappointed to the team

Identify issues in the communitythat are a barrier to child protectionin the county

Identify case specific issues that impact a child’s wellbeing and as a team collaborate about ways the condition can be improved.

Identify state policies thatare not in a child’s bestinterest

• Basis of case decision

• Case goals

• Case action since decision or last CCPT review, or services provided

• Family’s response to services

• Relevance to the issue of child protection in the county

• CCPTs have access to all information from all agencies with the exception of substance abuse records. Information from school records is limited to information about the health and well being of a child.

• It is illegal for CCPT members to discuss case information received during a CCPT meeting with anyone outside of the meeting

• Violating confidentiality is a misdemeanor

• Any citizen may be invited to a CCPT meeting. Only CCPT members are present during closed sessions

• Strategies for addressing the condition (barriers)

• What is required to bring about change?

• Does the plan need a lead person? Whom will the person be.

• Are there others in the community can be used to promote the necessary change?

Turning Up the Heat

• How can the community protect children in drug addiction families

• What can the community do about children that linger in the foster care backlog

• What can be done to engage parents in more effective parenting practices

• How can the socialization needs of adolescents be met

• How can the community support schools and parents

Team members see CCPT as a DSS team

General Statutes governing CCPT are loosely structured

• ’ No process for addressing members that don t participate• No relief for mandated members to step down from the

team• No formal protocol to take recommendations to the next

level• Members have limited knowledge about promoting change• Most mandated members are employed in positions that

precludes the member from actively participating in systematic changes that are not sanctioned by their funding

sources• Service consumers are not a part of many teams

Theme for the year

Sharing information from state to state

Time is a factor for most members

Do the children of the United States need to be protected by aConstitutional Amendment

Does child protection need to be federalized?

Phyllis Banks Fulton

NC Division of Social Services

CCPT Coordinator

Tele: 919-733-2279 Fax: 919-733-4756

Email: phyllis.fulton@ncmail.net