Minority Youth and Over-Representation

1. A Conference Focused on Prevention and the Pathway to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect Cal ifornia State University Monterey Bay Institute for Community Collaborative Studies Minority Youth and Over-Representation Brad Richardson, Ph.D. & Kellee McCrory, MPH DMC Resource Center Univ. of Iowa School of Social Work National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice Iowa City, Iowa

2. The National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice • Established in 1977 as a national consulting division of the University of Iowa School of Social Work • Research, Evaluation, Technical Assistance, Training & Organizational Development • NRC specializes in research-supported, strength-based culturally competent family centered practice; “Dr. Outcomes” • Family Development Specialist Certification Program

3. Information/Education Research & Evaluation Training/Tech. Asst Cultural Competence

4. Research & EvaluationDivision DMC Resource Center & Minority Youth & Families Initiative

6. Woodbury County Minority Youth and Families Initiative for Native American children and families • Sioux City is at the intersection of 3 States: Iowa, Nebraska & South Dakota • Nearly 30 Local Tribes

7. Woodbury County MYFI

8. Alaska Native Assiniboine Blackfeet Cherokee Cheyenne River Sioux Chippewa Crow Creek Sioux Fort Peck Sioux Wisconsin Ho-Chunk Hopi Mdewakontan Sioux Wisconsin Mille Lacs Mississippi Choctaw Mohawk Navajo Northern Cheyenne Oglala Sioux Omaha Pottawatomie Rosebud Sioux Santee Sioux Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Spirit Lake Sioux Standing Rock Sioux Tunica-Biloxi Turtle Mountain Chippewa Nebraska Winnebago Yankton Sioux Tribal Affiliations of Native Children Assessed for MaltreatmentWoodbury County (2005-2007)

9. Woodbury County (Sioux City) Iowa • Native American = 2.8% of the population • Native American children = 15.4% in foster care

10. Woodbury County Scorecard FY 06(Implementation)

11. Recent Efforts • Community Initiative for Native Children and Families(CINCF) Monthly gatherings 2001-present • Recover Our Children (ROC) Memorial Marches for Lost Children began in 2003 • CSSP/RaceMattersConsortium/Alliance/MYFI MYFI 2004, CSSP 2006

12. Casey Alliance: 6 Dimensions of Change • Legislation, Policy Change and Finance Reform • Research, Evaluation and Data-Based Decision-making • Youth, Parent and Community Partnership and Development • Public Will and Communication • Human Service Workforce Development • Practice Change (site-based implementation)

13. Dimension 1: Legislation, Policy Change and Finance Reform Activities • State-funded Minority Youth and Family Initiative • Creation and passage of Iowa Indian Child Welfare Act • State level examination of foster family licensing for processes and requirements that exclude Native Americans • Development of Iowa State Indian Commission as part of Iowa’s Human Rights Division

14. Created to reduce overrepresentation of Native Americans and African Americans in child welfare In Sioux City, planning involves multiple systems and stakeholders, especially Native American community and Tribal members Trust, communication, and relationship issues among IDHS, courts, families, Tribes, and Native community Dimension 1: Legislation. Policy Change & Finance ReformMinority Youth and Family Initiative (MYFI): 2004 to present Broken Trust by Stanley Wanlass

15. Increases in: Relative placements, Reunification with parents, Increase of Native American foster homes Decreases in: Termination of Parental Rights Reabuse/neglect rates Entry into the foster care system Abuse/neglect rates overall Number of placements for Native children Dimension 1: Legislation. Policy Change & Finance ReformMYFI Goal Statement Native American children are safely raised in the Native community as evidenced by:

16. MYFI Areas of Primary Focus Dimension 1: Legislation. Policy Change & Finance Reform • Provision of culturally competent services • Use of family team meetings • Increase of Native children placed with relatives (including Tribal transfer), and • Increase in Native children • placed in Native foster homes. - Photo by National Geographic

17. Dimension 1: Legislation. Policy Change & Finance ReformMYFI Tools • Special Native American Project Team • Emphasis on Relative/Community/Tribal Networks • Flexible resource dollar pool • New approaches to recruiting Native foster parents • Helping non-Native foster and adoptive parents become more culturally competent

18. Dimension 1: Legislation, Policy Change and Finance Reform Accomplishments • Iowa Indian Child Welfare Act: unanimously passed by the Iowa Legislature and signed by the Governor in 2003, the second year of its introduction. • MYFI $ increased and made a part of the state annual budget

19. Dimension 2: Research, Evaluation and Data-based Decision-makingActivities Data Collected • Minority Youth and Family Initiative: January 2004 to present • Quarterly reports • 2 annual reports: 2005 and 2006 • Quality Service Reviews: 2004 and 2007 • Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Compliance Reviews: 2004 and 2007 • Casey/Center for the Study of Social Policy Alliance on Racial Equity • Scorecard • Internal Native Unit Tracking Database • Social Distance Mapping

20. Dimension 2: Research, Evaluation and Data-based Decision-makingAccomplishments Tracking American Indian Children in Care over Time Active Woodbury County DHS Cases during the month of December 2004-2007

21. Dimension 2: Research, Evaluation and Data-based Decision-makingTracking Services Provided in and out of home over timeActive Woodbury County DHS Cases during the month of December 2004-2007

22. 2 ENV_I -0.18 0.82 ENV_C 0 -1.27 PAR_I -2 PAR_C -3.31 -4 -4.27 FAMINT_I -4.31 FAMINT_C -5.45 -6 FAMSAF_I -7.38 -8 FAMSAF_C -8.08 -10 CHILDWB_I -10.23 CHILDWB_C -12 Dimension 2: Research, Evaluation and Data-based Decision-makingNCFAS Results +2 = clear strength +1 = mild strength 0 = baseline/ Adequate -1 = mild problem -2 = moderate problem -3 = serious problem.

23. Dimension 2: Research, Evaluation and Data-based Decision-makingangeCFRA and CFRR • 24 Family Assessments • CFRA: • 1 Low risk • 9 Moderate risk • 13 High risk • CFRR: • 9 Low risk • 6 Moderate risk • 8 High risk

24. Dimension 3: Youth, Parent and Community Partnership and DevelopmentAccomplishments • The work in Woodbury County began in the community. Today the collaboration has many accomplishments as reported throughout this presentation. • “The community is seeing action, not just words.” “Action helps them to deal with all the removals and terminations in the past.” Native community member • Long term, sustainable change is only achievable with equal partnership with the community.

25. Dimension 4: Public Will and CommunicationActivities • National Indian Child Welfare Association Conferences in 2007 and 2008: Get on the bus! • Update to legislators and community, including blanket ceremony for legislator who championed Iowa ICWA: 2007 • Woodbury County DHS present at Annual Memorial March for Lost Children: 2006, 2007 • Annual Conferences

26. Dimension 4: Public Will and CommunicationAccomplishments • Continued Expansion of CINCF Representation and relationships with DHS • Alliance Promising Practices Site • Governor’s Recognition & Request for other Directors to Visit Woodbury County (Iowa Workforce Development, Iowa Department of Economic Development, Iowa Finance Authority (Housing) and others)

27. Dimension 4: Public Will and Communication Disproportionality Diagnostic Tool (Baseline 2006)http://www.napcwa.org/DDT/ddt_main.asp

28. Dimension 5: Human Service Workforce Development Activities • Cultural Competence Training • Undoing Racism • National Indian Child Welfare Association annual conferences • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Conference (co-sponsored by Mercy Medical Center’s Child Advocacy Center) • Children’s Bureau Trainings: Youth in Transition & Recruitment and Retention • Wellbriety • Fatherhood is Sacred Program (Ho-Chunk Nation) • Beyond the Addiction: A Community Uprising • Indian Child Welfare Act 25 Years Later • Iowa ICWA in-service by one of the authors of Iowa ICWA • Understanding ICWA’s true intention (for workers, judges, attorneys): Judge Thorne

29. Dimension 5: Human Service Workforce DevelopmentChallenges • Maintaining commitment from workers to using culturally competent practices over the long haul • Organizational capacity of area providers (Native and not) to provide culturally-competent and relevant services in multiple areas: substance abuse, mental health, in-home services, etc. • “More Native providers would be helpful . . .” Guardian Ad Litem

30. Dimension 6: Practice change (site-based implementation)Activities • Special Native American Project Team (MYFI) • Child Welfare System Navigator • SCIEC Community Advocate

31. Members: Native family liaison Native tribal liaison Supervisor Social workers Child Protection workers Adoptions worker Provides active efforts to all children self-identified as Native. Lower caseloads: allow workers to know their families better Working with relatives immediately Connecting with Tribes early and often Native Liaisons involved with case from point of CPS contact. Dimension 6: Practice change The Woodbury County MYFI Team

32. Dimension 6: Practice changeAccomplishmentsListening to Families Served : MYFI Report 2006 Interviews with client families: “The DHS Native American Unit helped by having our family take the situation into our own hands and learn how the system works. The workers stood behind us and advocated for us, and helped us contact the Yankton Tribe for help too.” “ . . . I was surprised that they gave me a chance to participate in placement for my niece because of my past history with DHS. People change and the Unit recognized that and gave me a chance.”

33. Dimension 6: Practice change (site-based implementation)Accomplishments • Increased use of healing ceremonies, sweats, and other culturally competent practices. • “DHS is more receptive to trying new services . . . A year or two ago, sending families to Flowering Tribe (substance abuse treatment for Oglala Sioux women with children) would have been unheard of and now it’s considered part of a service option menu.” Guardian Ad Litem

34. Dimension 6: Practice change “I got my granddaughter back in my home and I’m waiting to hear from the Tribe to go to Tribal court. The workers helped me until the end. The Unit workers know their job and the support from the Unit made a difference.” “There is an understanding of how I live, my culture, my values, and my ethics. It helped me to be honest with DHS, and they did not look at me negatively.” “Although it took two yearsin the system, I got my children back in my home. Today, I find it harder to get services because I am not drinking. I don’t like the way the system is set up so you can only get help if you are messed up.”

35. A Look at Systems Relationships Over Timeas they work to impact Child Welfare System Involvement • Eco-maps of the past, present and future • Key: Strong/supportive relationship Tenuous/weak relationship Conflictive/harmful relationship New element

36. Woodbury County, (Sioux City) IA, Pre-1995 Healthcare Schools Woodbury County DHS Extended Family Tribes Federal Policy: ICWA State Policy Law Enforcement Mental Health Services Employment Disproportional Representation of Native American Children in Woodbury County DHS Culture & Spirituality Court/ Legal Community Advocates Substance Abuse Services Housing Racism, Historical Oppression and Genocide Racism, Historical Oppression and Genocide

37. Woodbury County, (Sioux City) IA, 2008 Woodbury County DHS Healthcare Schools Extended Family Tribes: varied response Employment Law Enforcement Greater Equity and more proportional representation, of Native American Children in Woodbury County DHS State DHS National Attention Culture & Spirituality Federal Policy: ICWA, ASFA, JJDP, CFSR, MEPA Community Advocates Court/ Legal JCS State Policy: MYFI, IA ICWA Substance Abuse Services Mental Health Housing Interest from other Stakeholders Culturally competent /NA provided health, mental health, and SA Services Casey Alliance Racism, Historical Oppression and Genocide

38. Tomorrow in Woodbury County, Iowa Today, members of the Native American Community, the local child welfare system and other collaborative members all agree there is some progress toward a more racially equitable child welfare system for Native American children and families in Woodbury County, Iowa. The last slide shows how we look to the future………………………………………

39. Woodbury County, (Sioux City) IA, future IA Dept of Human Rts. Indian Commission Woodbury County DHS Schools Extended Family Tribes: consistent response Employment Law Enforcement Racial Equity and PROPORTIONAL Rep. of Native American Children in Woodbury County DHS State DHS National Attention Culture & Spirituality Federal Policy: ICWA, ASFA, JJDP, CFSR, MEPA Community Advocates JCS Court/ Legal State Policy: MYFI, IA ICWA IV-E Access for Tribes Housing Interest from other Stakeholders Culturally competent /NA provided health, mental health, and SA Services Culturally competent/Native American provided family services Racism, Historical Oppression and Genocide

40. Polk County Minority Youth and Families Initiative (MYFI)for African American children and families Iowa State Legislative funded two pilot projects in Des Moines and Sioux City to address service delivery to African-American and Native-American families in the child welfare system. Visiting Nurse Services (VNS) provides family team meeting facilitation to African American families involved in child protective services and serves as contract agency

41. Racial Equity Scorecard Polk County - Baseline

42. Racial Equity Scorecard Polk County - Implementation

43. Community Partners for protecting Children (CPPC) CPPC – Community Partnership for Protecting Children: • CPPC is an approach to blend the work and expertise of families, professionals, and residents to bolster supports for vulnerable families and children. • It incorporates prevention strategies • Utilizes Family Teams for non-system involved families, Parent Partners and Fatherhood Initiatives, various Casey Family Programs Initiatives and other community activities and events.

44. Essentials of MYFI? • Focus on the needs of African American families who come to the attention of the child welfare system. • Focus attention on African American children with highest risk, especially children under age 6. • Engage communities in strengthening African American families. • Focus on results, such as lowering rates of re-abuse, increasing rate of speedy reunification of African American families. • Engage African American families in plan for improvement, especially via family team meetings.

46. 2 early intervention MYFI processes • Pre-removal conference • Family Team Meeting – all families are eligible

47. Pre/Post-removal Conference • PRC is an meeting to identify a family’s team & problem solve in the interest of diminishing trauma to children experiencing an out of home placement • safety, • mental, • physical, • education needs, • hope for reunification.

48. Pre/Post Removal Conference (PRC) • The CPA, supervisor and the County Attorney’s office consult about the request to remove a child(ren) from the home. • A Pre-Removal Conference is scheduled to occur prior to the child(ren) are removed from the home or, in the case of emergency removals, within 48 hours (2 business days) after the removal. • The CPA assesses if the family is ready, willing, and able to participate in the PRC process • The family is asked to meet with the facilitator 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting to prepare for the meeting • The meeting is attended by the family and their informal supports, the CPW assigned to the case, SW2 assigned to the, a Parent Partner, a nurse from Visiting Nurses Services, and the facilitator. • The format of the meeting is to • address the safety concerns • list Family Strengths • make a placement plan • discuss and set up a visitation plan • list the needs of the child(ren) • list the caretakers needs • develop a crisis plan • and discuss the next step of the case

49. Next step… Family Team Meeting (FTM) • Family team Meeting is a follow-up to a PRC • Family team Meetings are available for any open DHS case • Family Team meetings are also open to any family in the community.

50. Family Team Decision Making • A philosophy and practice strategy for delivering child welfare services. • Building teams at the time of crisisto support families where there is a risk of serious harm (focus on safety, permanency and well being). • Enhances family engagement, assessment, service planning, monitoring and coordination. • Allows for a unity of effort and a shared understanding of the family’s situation when attended by family supports, DHS workers, family members and other community supports. • Facilitated by a trained coordinator that is formally recognized as a FTM facilitator.