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AGENDA

AGENDA. Performance Measures/ Customer Service Standards Follow-up Items Topic: Youth Aging Out of the Child Welfare System. 4/1/2014. Public Safety

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AGENDA

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  1. AGENDA • Performance Measures/ Customer Service Standards • Follow-up Items • Topic: Youth Aging Out of the Child Welfare System 4/1/2014

  2. Public Safety Reduce recidivism rates for young offenders (we want to reduce the number and percent of children who are rearrested within six month after they are discharged from placement for a previous offense) 2005 = 15.5% and 2006 = 15.2% Customer Service & High-Performing Government Increase response rate to community and stakeholders who provide feedback to the Commissioner’s Action Response Office (CARO) Department of Human Services: Headline Performance Measures

  3. Department of Human Services: Headline Performance Measures Healthy and Sustainable Communities • Increase permanency rates (we want more children who enter out of home placement to return home, be adopted or live with a caregiver who obtains legal custody in a more timely manner) • Increase placement stability (we want to reduce the number of placements a child may have while in out of home placement) • Reduce the repeat maltreatment of children (we want to reduce the number of children who are re-abused and/or neglected)

  4. Commissioner’s Action Response Office (CARO) Jan 1, 2008 to May 9, 2008 Response time to complaint/concerns Target: Response to complaints within 2 working days Performance Indicator: % of all complaints responded to within 2 working days Baseline: 92% of complaints responded to within 2 working days since January 2008 *Source CARO Report Log 4/1/2014

  5. Percent of Children Exiting to Permanency During Calendar Years 2003-2007

  6. Children Exiting to Reunification: Length of Stay Comparison by Quarter

  7. Discussion on Repeat Maltreatment Rates Within 6 Months in Philadelphia Presently in Pennsylvania, repeat maltreatment rates within 6 months are limited to “true” subsequent child abuse reports also known as Child Protective Services (CPS) Reports This method expands on the current federal measure by connecting subsequent “true” child abuse AND child neglect reports also known as General Protective Services (GPS) Reports within 6 months of a prior “true” child abuse or child neglect report. Keep in mind the threshold for determining the finding in a child abuse report is very different than it is for a child neglect report. It is important to understand the differences in repeat report trajectories (CPS to CPS; CPS to GPS, GPS to CPS and GPS to GPS) and not only be focused on the total number of “true” reports within 6 months of a prior “true” report. This approach will allow Philadelphia to establish a baseline for subsequent years following the major change in a paradigm switch to a safety model of practice

  8. Quarterly Repeat Maltreatment Rates Within 6 Months; FY 2005 to Present day Target – 8% *Source DHS Data warehouse 5/15/08

  9. YouthAging Out of the Child Welfare System Definition of Aging Out Youth: Youth who are unable to return home to their biological families or find another permanent home through adoption or guardianship and who thus remain in foster care until they are discharged from care at age 18 or 21. DHS has broadened the definition to include youth as young as age 16. Background : Nationally approximately 24,000 of the approximate 500,000 youth in foster care “age out” out each year. For most young people the transition to adulthood is a gradual process. Youth leaving foster care are expected to make it on their own long before the vast majority of their peers who reside or are known to return home to either one or both parents until 24 years old. 4/1/2014

  10. YouthAging Out of the Child Welfare SystemThe National Perspective According to a national study by the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago (2007) Young adults were less likely to have a high school diploma, less likely to pursue higher education, less likely to be earning a living wage, more likely to have experienced economic hardships and more likely to become involved in the criminal justice system. Youth are more likely to pursue higher education if they were still in foster care at age 19. There is evidence that foster youth are not acquiring the life skills they will need during the transition to adulthood. There is need for child welfare practice and policy to pay closer attention to the family connections of foster youth. 4/1/2014

  11. Cross-system interaction Youth aged 16-21 discharged from DHS placement between 1/1/2000 and 12/31/2005 (total 4299 dependent) who engaged in services after discharge CARES data and DHS data used for Behavioral Health, Shelter and Prisons. Police data and DHS data used for Arrested. (Data obtained 5/08)

  12. Anticipated Outcomes for Youth Aging Out of the Child Welfare System Achieve positive outcomes for youth by: Reducing the number of adolescents from entering the system unnecessarily. (Teen Diversion Program) Supporting economic success through connection to education and employment programs. (Achieving Independence Center) Utilize evidence-based life skill assessment tools and curricula with youth 12 and older so that they might better navigate the adult world when they leave care. 4/1/2014

  13. Teen Placement Diversion • In August of 2006, the Department implemented a placement diversion program for youth between the ages of 13 and 17. • Core components of the program include: • A crisis intervention response. • An Intensive intervention at the family’s home with a focus on preserving the family and engaging the parents/caregivers in the services. • Dedicated clinicians, experienced in therapeutic interventions available 24 hours a day- seven days a week.  Case loads (5-6 cases).   • Staff will address the emergency (material, physical, emotional) needs of the family as well as therapeutic issues.   • A “60 day” intervention period which includes crisis intervention, assessment and transition to traditional services (such as SCOH, Community Based Prevention Services). 4/1/2014

  14. Teen Placement Diversion

  15. Promising Practice in Philadelphia • In December 2002, DHS initiated the Achieving Independence Center (AI Center), a “one-stop” center designed to help young people transition from foster care to achieve their future goals of self sufficiency. • The AI Center is supported by funding made available through The Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 expanded capacity to better serve older youth transitioning from foster care to independence. • Eligible youth must be between 16 – 21 years old and have been in out of home placement at the age of 16 or older. • Members have rights and responsibilities. • Membership promotes “ownership.” 4/1/2014

  16. On site service providers Arbor, E&T – provides management for the Center, assessment [ACLSA], case management, Job Readiness Training, Member Development Plan, and life skills training Temple University – educational and career counseling and supports. Community College Philadelphia– computer literacy, academic support, and career counseling Planned Parenthood – Healthy relationships, wellness, peer education training and co-facilitation, on-site testing. Action AIDS – Reduction in risk behavior On-Site, HIV/AIDS Testing Philadelphia Youth Network - Linkages to summer employment and job shadowing. Valley Youth House – transitional housing and housing education and counseling. PathwaysPA – mentoring (male/female)

  17. Supportive Housing Program Three Organizations: Valley Youth House - 50 units Carson Valley Schools – 24 units Methodist Children Village – 12 units Provides: Supportive “Transitional Housing” for members who have aged out of system and who are now homeless, ages 16-21.

  18. Outcomes Enrollment, from December 2002 through April 30, 2008, totals 2585 members. Since 2006, 110 members received financial assistance thru the Chaffee Education grant, and were awarded local, state or national scholarship. In FY2008, 70 members were connected with employment through the AI Center. The average wage is $7.63 an hour. Since FY2003, over 800 members have obtained employment though the AI Center. Since FY2006, 94 members have moved into their own apartment through the Supportive Housing Program. In FY 2008, AI Center Housing staff have assisted 203 members in locating permanent housing and referred 85 members seeking emergency housing to a shelter.

  19. Unduplicated count (New Enrollees + Carryover members) *December 2002 thru June 30, 2003 **July 1, 2007 thru March 31, 2008

  20. *FY03 members completed LS in FY04 **July 1, 2007 thru March 31, 2008

  21. AI Center Members’ Educational Achievement 12/1/02 through 3/31/08

  22. Mastery of Life Skills / Casey Comparisons January 2005-July 2007 *Achieving Independence Center ACLSA Analysis, July 5, 2007, Casey Family Programs

  23. Promising Practice in Philadelphia – Older Youth Initiative Improved practice of Group Home providers by: Instituting a No-Eject/No Reject Policy for the purposes of increasing stability of placement Standardizing admissions process into GH facilities by use of a Admissions Checklist which promotes youth and family involvement and full disclosure of youth rights. Implementing the use of the Youth Resource List, a tool designed to help youth identify adults who may serve as a support network, become visitation resources, or help identify permanency options. Implementing the Ansell- Casey Life Skill Assessment & Curriculum for youth 12 and older. Requiring the opportunity to practice life skills in the home and community. Implementing the use of a Discharge Checklist to provide guidance to workers on how to prepare youth at the time of discharge. This tool is used during planning meetings prior to the final court hearing. Promoting educational advocacy by requiring providers to include copies of standardized tests and documentation of efforts to secure special education or education support services for youth. 4/1/2014

  24. Promising Practice in Philadelphia – Older Youth Initiative Improved practice of Group Home providers by: (cont’d) Increasing family visits from every other week to weekly to offer families more time to work together toward reunification (unless otherwise court ordered) Improved practice of Teen Mother/baby providers by: Implementing the use of the Child-Proofing Checklist to increase monitoring of teens ability to maintain a safe environment for the child Screening for post-partum depression using an evidence based tool and streamlining access to behavioral health services Implementing the use of the Pregnancy Prevention and Options Counseling Form to reduce the incidence of secondary pregnancy and STD’s for teen mothers Requiring the use of the DHS Parenting Collaborative to offer a standardized, evidence-based training for teen parents

  25. Promising Practice in Philadelphia – Older Youth Initiative Improve practice of Supervised Independent Living providers by: Clarifying the rules and expectations for youth placed in independent living apartments through use of a standard youth placement agreement. Tracking employment history and job retention for youth. Implementing the use of the Academic and Training Progress Improvement Plan to promote academic achievement and address performance concerns. Implementing the Independence Outcomes Checklist to document outcomes for youth when they are discharged from care at ages 18 -21. DHS established a formal partnership with Casey Family Programs to design a web based tool to collect life skill assessments completed by youth 12 and older. The database allows DHS to monitor data and determine the patterns of strengths or weakness among youth foster youth.

  26. Challenges to Attaining Successful Outcomes DHS has limited ability to collect or gain access to the data needed to evaluate outcomes for youth who discharge from care. The Chafee funds which subsidize the Achieving Independence Center are insufficient to serve all youth requiring life skills training prior to discharge from care. The number of youth in higher levels of care that must be placed out of county or out state creates additional challenges when youth return to Philadelphia. They often have limited opportunities to practice life skills and require more intensive support in their transition to adulthood. 4/1/2014

  27. Recommendations & Request for Assistance Request assistance in use of CARES & access to other systems to establish baseline outcome data for aging out youth by tracking youth who enter other systems after having aged out of the child welfare system. (School District of Philadelphia, County Assistance Offices, Housing Authority, DHS to work collaboratively with Department of Behavioral Health to develop contracts with residential treatment providers within the state and county of Philadelphia. Request assistance to secure a computer training lab in Philadelphia with a minimum of 16 terminals and internet access to train providers on the use of the web-based life skill tools and the new database that will collect local life skill assessment data. 4/1/2014

  28. Resource links for further information Time for Reform: Aging Out and On their Own More Teens Leaving Foster Care without a Permanent Family, The Pew Charitable Trust, 2007. http://kidsarewaiting.org/tools/reports/files/0006.pdf Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth: Outcomes at Age 21, Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago, 2007, http://www.chapinhall.org/article_abstract.aspx?ar=1355

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