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Illinois Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program

Illinois Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program. Executive Staff - Control Group DR Training. 1.

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Illinois Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program

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  1. Illinois Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program Executive Staff - Control Group DR Training Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 1

  2. The National Quality Improvement Center on Differential Response in Child Protective Services (QIC-DR), following a competitive process selected three national demonstration sites to implement and rigorously evaluate DR.The sites selected are:1) 5 counties in Colorado2) 6 counties in Ohio3) The State of Illinois Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development

  3. What is the QIC-DR? • The National Quality Improvement Center on Differential Response in Child Protective Services (QIC-DR) is funded by the federal government to: • Improve child welfare outcomes by implementing DR and build cutting edge, innovative and replicable knowledge about DR • Enhance capacity at the local level to improve outcomes for children and families identified for suspected abuse and neglect • Provide guidance on best practices in DR • American Humane Association operates the QIC-DR • Walter R. McDonald & Associates is responsible for overseeing the national evaluation • The American Bar Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Institute of Applied Research are partners Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development

  4. What does the QIC-DR expect to learn from this? This project has three fundamental questions: • Are children whose families participate in Differential Response (DR) as safe as or safer then children whose families receive a traditional investigation? • What are the differences between DR and the traditional investigation pathways in terms of family engagement, caseworker practice, services provided, and other factors that may affect child and family outcomes? • What are the cost and funding implications for child protection agencies that implement and maintain a differential response approach that includes both DR and traditional investigations? Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development

  5. Background in Illinois • Majority of reports to the hotline are “unfounded” • Low to moderate risk families better served using strength-based, family-centered assessment • Illinois enacted the “Differential Response Program Act” (Public Act 096-0760) into law on August 25, 2009 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development

  6. Why did Illinois want to be a Differential Response national demonstration site? • The most recent child protective system reform in Illinois occurred over 15 years ago with the implementation of the Child Endangerment Risk Assessment Protocol (CERAP) • The DR approach is consistent with the goals of the Illinois child welfare system because it is family centered and strengths-based • Despite significant drops in both short term (60 days) and 6 month maltreatment recurrence rates since 1995, the most recent federal Child and Family Service Review (CFSR) results show some disturbing trends Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development

  7. Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development

  8. Who is responsible for evaluating DR in Illinois? • The Children and Family Research Center (CFRC) has been in existence since 1996 and is located at the School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign • CFRC is an independent research organization dedicated conducting research that contributes to keeping children safe, assuring permanent homes for them, and supporting child and family well-being • CFRC is responsible for reporting annually to the federal court on the status of children in foster care or at risk of foster care • The Center conducts the annual CERAP evaluation and evaluates the other Illinois QIC project on performance based contracting Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development

  9. What does Illinois want to learn from this? In addition to the QIC-DR research questions, the CFRC evaluation will look at contextual factors which could impact DR implementation and outcomes such as differences in: • The culture and climate of agencies implementing DR (e.g. norms, values, expectations and attitudes) • The organizational structure or agencies implementing DR (e.g. staff selection, supervision, internal resources and supports) • Worker characteristics (e.g. educational background, experience) • Worker resources and conditions (e.g. job satisfaction, burnout) The CFRC is also looking more closely at the interaction between caseworkers and families in both the DR and the traditional investigation pathways to identify specific factors or strategies which lead to family engagement Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development

  10. Is Differential Response an “Evidenced-Based” Practice? • A recent review of the literature shows that 17 states or jurisdictions have completed or are conducting formal evaluations of their DR programs • Only 2 of these jurisdictions used an experimental design with random assignment to different pathways (Minnesota & Ohio) • The California Evidence Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare gave DR a scientific rating of “3” (promising research evidence) on a scale of 1 (well supported research evidence) to 5 (concerning practice) Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development

  11. What is a randomized control trial (RTC)? It is a planned field experiment based on well-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria, that: • Has a “treatment” group (the people who receive the new service/treatment/intervention) and a “control” group (the people who either receive the existing service/treatment/ no treatment or nothing); • Randomly assigns participants to either the treatment or control groups; and • Takes relevant measurements of both groups when the service/treatment/intervention is complete Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development

  12. Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development

  13. What is the criteria to qualify for DR? • The identifying information for the family including their current address, has to be known at the time of the report; and • The alleged perpetrators must be parents, birth or adoptive, legal guardians or responsible relatives; and • The family must have no prior “indicated” reports of abuse and/or neglect; or Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development

  14. What is the criteria to qualify for DR? • Prior “indicated” reports have been expunged within the timeframe established by the Department for the indicated allegation(s); and • The alleged victims, or other siblings or household members, are not currently in the care and custody of the Department or wards of the court; and • Protective custody of the children has not been taken or required in the current or any previous case; Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development

  15. DR Allegations The report allegations shall only include: • Mental and Emotional Impairment (neglect only) • Inadequate Supervision • Inadequate Food • Inadequate Shelter • Inadequate Clothing • Medical Neglect • Environmental Neglect • Lockout Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development March 15, 2010 15

  16. Practice Shift Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development March 15, 2010 16

  17. DR is not… • A Child Protection investigation; • No investigation • A Child Welfare Intake report; • Report has been accepted by SCR • An Intact Families case; • No I/U finding Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development March 15, 2010 17

  18. Who are the families meeting the criteria for differential response? • Identified from current case information families that met criteria for Differential Response • Mapped these as “cases per mile” • Identified potential high volume areas • Added a layer to maps for existing community provider locations Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development March 15, 2010 18

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  26. 50 Cases Per Square Mile Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development March 15, 2010 26

  27. What are the implications of the Pathways Program for practice? How is this different from traditional Child Welfare/Child Protection practice? Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development March 15, 2010 27

  28. Core Practices of the Illinois DR Program • Family Centered; • Time Limited Services; • Trauma-informed Practice; • Strength-based; • Application of the Protective Factors • Voluntary Services that are based on the assessment of the family needs to strengthen and support their protective capacity; and • Solution-focused Services that the family has defined to solve their immediate problems. Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development March 15, 2010 28

  29. DR Core Principles Example Mr. And Mrs. Smith volunteer to receive DR services for a report of Inadequate Food. Mr. Smith was recently laid off his job. Mrs. Smith has been in and out of the hospital lately. They have a network of friends and relatives. All are willing to help them and their children. Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development March 15, 2010 29

  30. Example of a track change from DR to Traditional Investigation Mr. And Mrs. Smith are receiving DR services for a report of Inadequate Food. They have a network of friends and relatives. All are willing to help them and their children. The SSF Worker observed loop marks on 8 year old, Armand Smith during his home visit today. The child stated he was “whooped” last night. Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development March 15, 2010 30

  31. Sending a DR Case Back to Investigations Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development March 15, 2010 31

  32. Sending a DR Case Back to Investigations (Cont’d) Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development March 15, 2010 32

  33. Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development “What types of information and data will be collected and analyzed for the DR evaluation?”

  34. Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 34

  35. Evaluation Data Sources These data collection methods will be used for both the DR and the traditional investigation pathways: • Differential Response Case Specific Report on each case • Surveys and Focus Groups of Investigators, DCFS DR Specialists, and PSSF Caseworkers and Supervisors • Surveys of Family Caregivers at the close of the investigation or DR services • Individual Interviews with Family Caregivers after the close of the investigation or DR services • Naturalistic Observation by evaluation team • Administrative Data from SACWIS Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development

  36. Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development “What is my role in collecting or providing data for the evaluation?”

  37. You play a critical and essential role! Frontline staff who have cases in the Randomized Control Trial in either the control group or the experimental group have the responsibility for the following: • Filling out the Case Specific Report on each case • Proving the family caregiver with the Family Exit Surveyand information about it • Telling us about your own experiences and opinions in filling out a caseworkervoluntary survey Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development

  38. Differential Response Case Specific Report • Required by the QIC-DR Cross Site evaluation team • The same type of data and information is being collected in Ohio and Colorado • Designed to gather detailed information about the families, your involvement with them and the services (if any) needed and provided • Will be filled out by you at the time the investigation (for Control Group) or the case (for Experimental Group) is closed Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development

  39. DR Case Specific Report • At case closure you will be prompted to fill it out as part of your closure protocol in SACWIS • The data recorded by you will be given to the Children & Family Research Center as critical administrative data for their analysis • It is vitally important to accurately record your answers to the items on the Case Specific Report • The time needed to fill out the report will be dependent upon what occurred during the case, but it will not take you long to fill out Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development

  40. Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development “How will the evaluators get information from families?”

  41. The Family Exit Survey Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development • What is this survey about? It will collect information from families about their engagement and satisfaction with child protection • Who gets this survey? The primary caregiver should be given a survey packet for every case in the RTC in both the Control and Experimental groups. • Who gives the survey to caregivers? Investigators (for Control Group) and DR Caseworkers (for Experimental Group) give a survey packet directly to the primary caregiver. • When do they get this survey? The packet should be handed to the primary caregiver at the last face-to-face contact before case closure

  42. The Family Exit Survey Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development • What is in the packet? A cover letter explaining the survey, an informed consent form, the survey, and the return envelope • How do I get these packets? A large supply of survey packets will be provided to a designated person at each DCFS field office and DR agency. You should have some with you at all times. • I’ve got a packet. Now what? Before your last face-to-face contact with the family, take the survey from a packet and fill in the family SCR or CYCIS number in the space provided on the first page, and put survey back in envelop. Hand the packet to caregiver.

  43. Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development “Will data be collected from me about my experience and opinion?”

  44. All Investigators/Supervisors and all DR Caseworkers/Supervisors will be offered the opportunity to complete a survey. The survey will be offered immediately following training and again in approximately 12-18 months. Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development

  45. “How do I get the survey?” Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development • You will receive an e-mail telling you about the survey and asking if you want to participate after you complete training. • If you do, you can click on the link included in the e-mail and it will take you directly to the CFRC server. • Only the CFRC evaluators will have access to this server and the data pertaining to the survey.

  46. “Who do I contact if I have questions about the evaluationor want to learn more about it? Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Dr. Tamara Fuller, Director Children and Family Research Center t-fuller@illinois.edu (217) 333-5837

  47. “Who do I contact if I have questions about the implementation or want to learn more about it? Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Womazetta Jones Project Director, Differential Response Illinois Department of Children & Family Services 312-814-6800 Womazetta.Jones@illinois.gov

  48. Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development Thank you Keep the focus on protecting children by strengthening and supporting families

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