Placement & Licensing

1. California’s Fostering Connections to Success ActPlacement & LicensingLos Angeles, CANovember 9, 2011

2. Placement & Licensing • Supervised Placement Settings • THP-Plus FC • SILP • Group Homes • THPP • Placement Topics • Shared Living Agreement • Placement of NMDs who reenter • Visitations • Placement Agreement • Relative Approval Standards • Fingerprinting • Grievance Process • Licensing Interim Standards

3. Where are Older Youth in Placed in Foster Care? 2,985 18 year-olds as of April 1, 2011

4. Supervised Placement Settings • Traditional placement options still available to youth including: • Approved home of relative or NREFM • Certified home of an FFA (includes ITFC) • Foster Family Home • Group Home (with limitations) • Home of a Nonrelated Legal Guardian • Small Family Home/Dual Agency Regional Center Homes • THPP (with limitations) • 2 NEW Placement Options: • THP-Plus Foster Care • Supervised Independent Living (SILP)

5. Supervised Independent Living Settings THP-Plus Foster Care Supervised Independent Living Placement

6. THP-Plus Foster Care • Modeled after existing THP-Plus program • WHY? • Measurable youth outcomes • 9,188 youth served in last five years • Experienced network of 60 providers in 51 counties • THP-Plus will continue to serve three categories: • Youth between ages of 21 and 24; • Youth under age 21 who do not want to participate in extended care; • Youth who do not meet one of five participation conditions For more information, visit www.thpplus.org

7. THP-Plus vs. THP-Plus FC • HOW THEY ARE DIFFERENT • THP-Plus FC is a IV-E eligible placement • Court supervision • Child welfare or probation oversight • Providers will pay fees to county for approval process • More comprehensive criminal background clearance for providers • Will use different data systems • Different program durations • Serve different ages • THP-Plus: 18 to 24 • THP-Plus FC 18 to 20 HOW THEY ARE THE SAME • Provide youth a comprehensive range of supportive services, including educational, vocational & social support. • Affordable housing in three settings: • Scattered site (62%) • Single-site (25%) • Host home (13%) • Intensive case management: • 1 to 12 for non-parents • 1 to 8 for parents • Similar monthly rates (~ $2,500/mo) • Neither licensed by Community Care Licensing • Both will have flat rate

8. Status of THP-Plus Foster Care • THP-Plus FC ACL on County Plan Requirements is final • Future ACLs to cover statewide approval standards and rates. • Two rates proposed: one for site-based and one for host family • Parenting NMD’s receive the infant Supplement and if in host family model, may be eligible for the WFFH Shared Responsibility Plan rate in addition • Unclear how 70/30 provision will operate under realignment

9. Supervised Independent Living Placement • Intended for NMDs who are developmentally ready to live independently • No service provider/no caregiver/least restrictive placement • Settings may include, but are not limited to: • Apartment living (alone or with roommates) • Single room occupancies • Renting a room • Dorms/university housing

10. SILP Rate Limited to basic rate (currently $776.00/month) NMD may receive the foster care benefit directly Clothing allowance available Parenting NMDs receive the Infant Supplement. Specialized care increment not available

11. Two-Part SILP Process Readiness Assessment SILP Inspection: Checklist of Facility Health and Safety Standards

12. SILP Readiness Assessment Readiness assessment is required; no standard tool Assesses whether or not the NMD is developmentally ready to handle daily tasks on their own, such as: Preparing meals Budgeting Managing money Paying bills If assessment determines NMD is not ready for a SILP, areas of improvement should be turned into goals in their TILP Reason for denial should be documented on the assessment and provided to NMD If NMD disagrees, he/she has the right grievance process.

13. SILP Readiness Assessment Examples of reasons for denial: Rent and utilities exceed income Unstable income No knowledge of how to manage money Unable to care for self without assistance due to a medical or mental health condition

14. Approval of SILP Unit • 10-item SILP inspection checklist is completed by SW/PO • Two kinds of deficiencies: • Immediate denial: Running water, heat, electricity, fire escapes, and be free from hazards such as exposed electrical wires, black mold, and insect or rodent infestations. • Issues that need repair: Neglect of maintenance of the building and grounds, cracked window(s), peeling wallpaper, or stained walls or flooring, Inoperable sink or shower University/College Approved Housing is exempted from the checklist

15. Other SILP Information • Denied unit does not mean a NMD may not be placed in a SILP, just not that SILP • Copy of completed checklist should be provided to NMD • NMDs allowed to live in an unapproved SILP temporarily • SILP unit must be re-inspected annually • County must inspect new SILP within 10 calendar days • SILP Approval and Placement Agreement sent to FC EW • SILP may not include living with biological parent

16. SILP Roommate Selection Given SILP rate, likely that NMD will require a roommate Roommates and landlords do not need to be assessed (no background check required) Important for discussions between the NMD and the supervising agency and/or case managers to help the youth reach a responsible decision

17. Group Homes for NMDs • Decision on group home placement is to be a youth-driven, team-based case planning process • Youth can remain in group home if under age 19 AND continuing in group home is in NMDs best interest in order to complete high school or equivalent • Once NMD completes high school or turns 19, whichever is first, continuing in a group home is prohibited UNLESS • NMD has a medical or mental health condition (participation condition #5) and continuing in group home functions as a short-term placement; • Treatment services to alleviate the medical condition cannot be sole basis for disqualification from group home (Ex: youth is seriously emotional disturbed and is in therapeutic day treatment); • Treatment strategies should prepare NMD for discharge to a less restrictive and more family-like setting.

18. Transitional Housing Placement Program • Youth can continue to participate in THPP after age 18 and up to age 19: • In order to complete high school or equivalency prior to age 19; OR • In order to complete the high school year prior to age 19

19. Shared Living Agreement • Shared Living Agreements are a best practice • SLA be negotiated between the NMD and provider/caregiver/roommate • Examples of what to include in SLAs • Curfews (up to caregiver and NMD). • Overnight guests (caregiver could restrict it or allow it). • Using kitchen and utensils.(caregiver can’t restrict it as off limits but could have “no cooking past midnight” rules.) • Allowances or passing along money for personal spending – it is not required but should be addressed in the Shared Living Agreement.

20. Placement of NMDs Who Re-Enter • Placement in a licensed foster home where minors reside is allowed • Pre-placement appraisal conducted • County may elect background check for NMDs placed in homes with minors • Placing agency has discretion to place prior to receipt of results based on results of appraisal • Criminal record does not disqualify them from re-entry

21. Visitations • Monthly face-to-face visits with Social Worker/PO • Federal regulations require a majority of supervision to be in the residence of the child • Efforts should be made to respect the NMD’s privacy

22. Placement Agreements • If a NMD remains in his or her current placement no new placement agreement is required • For any change in placement by the NMD, each new placement requires a new placement agreement. • Placement agreements are being updated to be appropriate for the NMD rights a adults.

23. Relative Approval Standards for NMDs • Now that we have the draft of Article 3 of the CCL regulations, the process for relative approval for NMD’s needs to be correspondingly modified to meet the new Article 3 standards.

24. Fingerprinting • Youth remaining in care in the same placement attaining age 18 – no fingerprints. • Youth who exit and re-enter – they may be fingerprinted only for the purpose of assessing the safety and appropriateness of placement in a facility that has minor dependents

25. County Grievance Procedures • Grievance process currently exists for relative approvals (not placement); defined in Division 31 • Disputes arising around placement decisions – resolved through social worker, NMD and ultimately by the court • Other grievance processes around placements will be locally determined

26. Assembly Bill (AB) 12 Licensing Interim Standards

27. Identified “Big Ticket” Sections • Definitions • Plan of Operation • Safeguards for Cash Resources, Personal Property, and Valuables • Reporting Requirements • Admission/Intake Procedures • Criminal Record Clearance

28. Identified “Big Ticket” Sections, cont’d. • Removal or Discharge Procedures • Nonminor Dependents’ Records • Personal Rights • Expectations, Alternatives, and Consequences • Health-Related Services • Food Service • Responsibility for Providing Care and Supervision • Activities • Buildings and Grounds

29. Definitions, Plan of Operation & Records

30. Safeguards, Reporting & Criminal Record Clearance

31. Admission/Intake Procedures • Process for the caregiver and a NMD regarding admission into a licensed children’s residential community care facility. • Appraisal of a NMD to address needs of a NMD, ability to meet needs, and compatibility of the NMD with the facility or home.

32. Removal or Discharge Procedures • Reasons and procedures for removal or discharge of a NMD from a children’s residential community care facility in an emergency or non-emergency situation.

33. Personal Rights • Personal Rights that apply to a NMD, e.g., allow NMD to acquire and maintain as well as possess and use personal items.

34. Expectations, Alternatives, and Consequences • Reasonable expectations for living in the facility or home with emphasis on reasonable alternatives and consequences for noncompliance with expectations. • A NMD is to participate in review based on needs. • May use Shared Living Agreement as a Model

35. Responsibility for Providing Care and Supervision • Caregiver to assist a NMD in developing skills necessary for self-sufficiency.

36. Activities, Food & Health-Related Services

37. Buildings and Grounds • Permits a NMD to share a bedroom with a child or another NMD • Permits a NMD to have access to household items needed for cooking or cleaning.

38. QUESTIONS?