Priority Access (PASS)
Agency Commitments & Draft Recommendations
Presented to the California Child Welfare CouncilMarch 4, 2015
The Need for Priority Access
The Current Situation:
The state has a moral obligation and fiscal incentive to see these parents succeed in reunification.
Child Welfare Council – Priority Access to Services and Supports
Court-Ordered
Case Plan
Family enters CWS
Concrete needs
Knowledge
Parental Stress
Risk for Child Abuse & Neglect
Parents must navigate multiple systems
Services build parental capacity
Safe, Nurturing
Family Reunification
Strong families &
communities
The Vision
The PASS Project is working to create a future in which:
Parents in reunification are:
1. Readily identified as a priority population within each system (social services, housing, employment, courts, corrections/probation).
2. Immediately fast-tracked through eligibility and into services.
3. Supported through case management to achieve success within the specified timeframe and become successful parents to their children.
The State of California has achieved the nation’s highest reunification success rate and reduced costs dramatically not only in child welfare but across multiple systems.
Thousands of youth turn 18 each year and enter the world with the support of their family and a greatly increased change of succeeding as adults.
Child Welfare Council – Priority Access to Services and Supports
The PASS Structure
Child Welfare Council – Priority Access to Services and Supports
PASS Leadership Team
Behavioral Health Team
Housing Team
Corrections & Probation
Team
Workforce/ Employment
Team
Resource Teams: State and County CWS; Judicial and Legislative Partners; etc.
Commitments: Behavioral Health
Child Welfare Council – Priority Access to Services and Supports
Pathways
• DHCS and CDSS will provide guidance to, and identify and remove barriers for, County Mental Health Departments and Contracted County Managed Care Health Plans to provide priority access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment for parents of children in foster care.
Care Coordination
• DHCS will ensure that (1) the full continuum of evidence-based programs and practices for mental health and substance use disorders treatment are available on a priority basis to parents with a child in foster care; and (2) that parents in reunification have the support they need to navigate complex service systems.
Implementa
tion Tools
• State oversight and local management tools to facilitate priority access are disseminated by state partners and actively utilized by counties. CDSS and DHCD disseminate tools to local BH systems to facilitate priority access for FR parents; support counties in understanding the process and using the tools.
CHILD WELFARE
Process Flow: Current CW, MH, and SUD SystemsDay 1 72 Hours 6 mo.Day 1 12 mo.
Document Findings
CW Worker Initial
Investigation
Court “Detention Hearing”
Call to Hot Line
reporting a problem
Periodic updates to
Court
Court Hearing
Court Hearing
Periodic updates to
Court
MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER SERVICES
Primary Care ProviderIf court orders MH Services
If court orders SUD Services
Assessment: Diagnosis/ Impairment Level
County MH Plan
MH Managed Care Plan
Treatment Plan
County MH or Specific MH Provider
Assessing MH Clinician provides
treatment
Assessing MH Clinician refers to
provider
Brief Intervention by PC Provider
Treatment: Residential, NTP/MAP,
Outpatient, Detox, Perinatal,
etc.
SBIRTAssessment
Primary Care Provider
Progress Reporting
Progress Reporting
Progress Reporting
Family Reunification Plan
Jurisdiction & Disposition
Hearing
Recommendations
CW WorkerRisk
Assessment
SUD NeedsAssessment
County SUD Office
Recommendations: Behavioral Health
Child Welfare Council – Priority Access to Services and Supports
Identification:• As early as possible, identify PARENTS’ need for BH services and initiate the
process with the appropriate parties (County BH, Managed Care Providers, etc.)
Entry into Services:• Embed the information needed to identify parents in reunification upon entry
into the Behavioral Health system.• As the Reunification Plan is developed, Child Welfare and Behavioral Health
partners will work together to align treatment plans, timelines, etc.
Care Coordination:• Utilize/enhance care coordination mechanisms in CW and BH systems
(e.g., peer support, case managers, inter-disciplinary teams) to support parents in successfully achieving treatment milestones and to ensure progress is communicated to Child Welfare/Courts.
• DHCS/BH and CDSS will develop and disseminate tools to ensure the CW and BH are able to prioritize parents in reunification for services and supports.
Overview: Housing & Community Development
Child Welfare Council – Priority Access to Services and Supports
Department of Housing & Community Development
Provides leadership, policies and programs to preserve and expand safe and affordable housing opportunities and promote strong communities for all Californians.
• Housing instability often brings families to the attention of child welfare and, in many cases, serves as a barrier to family reunification.
• HCD is one of many state agency financing entities
• Leadership role with respect to numerous housing & homeless assistance programs implemented by local government and/or non-profit organizations
Committments: Housing & Community Development
Child Welfare Council – Priority Access to Services and Supports
PASS Housing ConveningOctober 6, 2014
– Integrated, cross sector conversation
– Education of housing providers & partners
– Identification of effective housing options for families in reunification
Identify effective, evidence-based housing approaches for families in reunification.
Promising Options: Rapid Re-Housing Transitional Housing Supportive Housing
Commitments: Housing & Community Development
Child Welfare Council – Priority Access to Services and Supports
• Identify families in reunification who also need housing and/or homelessness assistance
• Expand Availability of effective housing and homelessness program options
• Facilitate Priority Access through cross-system education and outreach
Maximize funding allocation for effective, evidence based housing options for families in reunification.
Recommendations: Housing & Community Development
Child Welfare Council – Priority Access to Services and Supports
• Developing access to current and future State Housing Programs through review of targeting, set-asides or direct funding approaches:– Reviewing HCD MHP program, new National Housing Trust Fund, and reaching
out to State Tax Credit Program– Developing a better system level view and approach to funding and
coordination at the local level• Cross education between systems:
– Housing sector participation on Child Welfare Council– Benefit of housing first approaches, promote/educate use of emerging
coordinated entry systems, and coordinated assessment tools• Data and research development to support:
– Reviewing case files database for better information on housing needs and supports
– In continued national conversations concerning best housing intervention approaches and best leverage points among systems
Overview: Workforce/Employment
Child Welfare Council – Priority Access to Services and Supports
California Workforce Investment Board (CWIB)
assists the Governor in setting and guiding policy in the area of workforce development.
required by the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998.
Part
ner/
Lea
der
Part
ner/
Lea
der
Faci
litat
or/
Conv
ener
Faci
litat
or/
Conv
ener
Moti
vato
r/ E
valu
ator
Moti
vato
r/ E
valu
ator
Commitment 1: Expand Awareness of and Strategies for Engaging Parents in Reunification and Prioritizing Access
An Information Notice will be sent to entire California Workforce System providing guidance and information on:
Upcoming Opportunities for
Learning Communities• Accelerator Fund to
Facilitating Multi-Disciplinary Teams:
•Child Welfare/Public Assistance•Housing•Corrections/ Probation•Behavioral Health Care•Workforce Development•Community-Based Organizations
Strategies for Stabilizing
Parents/Families• Stabilizing Services:•Meaningful Family Engagement•Coordinated Assessment and Case Planning•Service Delivery: health/ behavioral treatment; legal services, housing, parenting/ coping skills, public assistance/ income supports
Strategies for Sustaining Families• Sustaining Services:•AJCC Career Planning Services•Life Skills, Work Readiness•Skills Development: (credentials/degrees) and work-based learning (earn and learn) in high-demand sectors•Collaborative Coaching•Job Development and Job Placement•Job Retention Networks/Services•Support Services: child care, transportation, work supports
• Challenge: Few resources specifically dedicated to developing, prototyping, and piloting new strategies or “out of the box” ideas.
• Solution: Leverage current CWIB Accelerator process to create and prototype innovative strategies that accelerate access to training and employment for Parents in Reunification.
• Accelerator Goals: Identify replicable practices at the county level to inform statewide policy and local service delivery.
Replicable Models for Ensuring Access to
Workforce Development for Parents in Reunification
Evaluation of
Innovative
Practices
Oversight from Leaders
hip
Leverage Process
and Funding
Commitment 2: FR Parents are the Target Population in next Workforce Accelerator Fund
Overview: Corrections and Probation
Child Welfare Council – Priority Access to Services and Supports
State Corrections
• State Administered• High Level Offenders• Service:
– In-Prison Based (pre-release)– Community Based
(post-release)
• Service delivery:– Evidence-Based Programming– Based on Assessed Need– Provided by Contracted
Providers
County Probation
• County Administered• Lower Level Offenders• Service:
– Community-based (post-release or in-lieu of sentencing)
• Service delivery:– Evidence-Based Programming– Referral by probation officer– Re-entry Hubs/Day Reporting
Centers
Child Welfare Council – Priority Access to Services and Supports
Increase awareness of PASS related to criminal justice.
Commitments: Corrections and Probation
Child Welfare Council – Priority Access to Services and Supports
• Data Match• Identify inmates or
parolees with reunification order to services
• Memo/fact sheet on best practices in reunification specific to probation
Develop data linkages to provide offender priority access to available reunification services.
Commitments: Corrections and Probation
Child Welfare Council – Priority Access to Services and Supports
• NEXT STEPSDistribute PASS flier to Probation Departments
CDCR to continue Data Match project with CDSS
CDCR and Probation to convene Forum/Roundtable in Spring. Topics for discussion include:
Interactions at front end of system
Current best practices across state and counties
Parent/mentor perspective and system challenges
Recommendations: Corrections and Probation
Priority Access (PASS) Agency Commitments & Draft Recommendations
Presented to the California Child Welfare CouncilMarch 4, 2015