Service Overview and Practice Model Travis Erickson, Children s Services Manager Department of Health Social Servic

1. Service Overview and Practice Model Travis Erickson, Children’s Services Manager Department of Health & Social Services Office of Children’s Services, Anchorage Alaska December 10, 2010

2. Pop Quiz

3. 26 Field Offices Statewide

4. Office of Children’s ServicesMission To work in partnership with families and communities to support the well being of Alaska’s Children. Our services attempt to enhance a family’s capacity to give their children a healthy start, to provide them with safe, permanent homes, and to maintain cultural connections so that all may realize their potential.

5. Three Broad Goal Areas to Accomplish Mission Safety timely investigation in-home and out-of-home services to manage safety and risk no additional maltreatment incidents Permanency placement with relatives preserving family and cultural connections minimal placement changes timely reunification or alternative permanent placement Well-Being ongoing assessment of needs self-determination/involvement in service planning medical/dental/mental health/educational needs met

6. Five Core Components Intake Initial Assessment Family Services Resource Families Service Array

7. Where We’ve Been Incident Driven Isolated Decision Making All or Nothing Response Few In-Home Services Compliance Focused Planning High Repeat Maltreatment High Number of Children in Out-of-Home Placement

8. Where We’re Going:Building a State of the Art Child Welfare System Develop Understanding of Family Functioning and Patterns Include Family and Members of Support Network in Decision Making Provide Precise Interventions Based Upon Unique Strengths and Needs of the Family In-Home Service Provision as the Natural Choice Behavioral Change as the Marker of Success Low Repeat Maltreatment The Right Number of Children in Out-of-Home Placement

9. Guiding Principles A child’s safety is paramount A determination that safety threats are present within a family does not equate with removal. It directs staff to make informed decisions about safety planning that will control the threats. These actions may be in- home, out-of-home or a combination of the two. Collaboration with Alaska Native Tribes is fundamental to best practice. Families are treated respectfully, thoughtfully and as genuine partners. A person’s right to self determination should be valued and supported. A safety intervention system is congruent with strengths based and family centered practice. Safety is what we do; family centered practice is how we do it.

10. Guiding Principles Continued… Needed interventions are based on family engagement, using the family’s perspective about what their needs and strengths are. By engaging in a collaborative problem solving process with the family, case plans will be specific to the uniqueness of each family served. Building parent/caregiver protective capacities are essential for the ability of families to protect their children. Relevant services will be sought with respect for and understanding of the families’ culture. OCS needs partnerships within the community and stakeholders to achieve strong outcomes for children and families.

11. Safety Based Practice Model: Who Does OCS Serve? OCS serves families in which a child is unsafe or at high risk of maltreatment

12. Danger Present Danger: Immediate, significant and clearly observable severe harm or threat of severe harm is occurring to a child in the present requiring an immediate protective action. Impending Danger: A family circumstance where a child is living in a state of danger, a position of continual danger. Danger may not exist at a particular moment or be an immediate concern (like in present danger), but a state of danger exists. Risk: The likelihood/probability of future maltreatment (based upon actuarial model).

13. Where’s The Bear?Present Danger

14. Where’s The Bear?Impending Danger

15. Where’s The Bear? Risk

16. Initial Family Assessment Nature and Extent of Maltreatment Surrounding Circumstances Child Functioning Adult Functioning General Parenting Practices Disciplinary Parenting Practices

17. Impending Danger Safety Threats No adult in the home is performing parenting duties and responsibilities that assure child safety. One or both caregivers are violent and/or acting dangerously. One or both caregivers are not/will not/cannot control their behavior. A child is perceived in extremely negative terms by one or both parents/caregivers. The family does not have or use resources necessary to assure a child’s safety. One or both caregivers are threatening to severely harm a child or are fearful they will maltreat the child and/or request placement. One or both caregivers intend(ed) to seriously hurt the child. One or both caregivers lack parenting knowledge, skills, and motivation necessary to assure a child’s safety. A child has exceptional needs that affect his/her safety which the parents/caregivers are not meeting, cannot meet or will not meet. Living arrangements seriously endanger the child’s physical health.

18. Protective Capacities Personal and parenting behavioral, cognitive and emotional characteristics that specifically and directly can be associated with being protective of one’s young.

19. Safety Threshold Criteria A family condition is out of control A family condition is likely to result in a severe effect The severe effect is imminent: it reasonably could happen very soon The family condition is observable and can be clearly described and articulated There is a vulnerable child

20. Safe Child Children are considered safe where there are no present danger or impending danger threats to which s/he is vulnerable, or the caregivers’ protective capacities control existing threats. Safety Threat +/- Vulnerable Child +/- Caregiver Protective Capacities

21. Unsafe Child Children are considered unsafe when they are vulnerable to present or impending danger and caregivers are unable or unwilling to provide protection or lack the protective capacities to ensure the child will be safe. Safety Threat +/- Vulnerable Child +/- Caregiver Protective Capacities

22. Where We’re Going:Building a State of the Art Child Welfare System Develop Understanding of Family Functioning and Patterns Include Family and Members of Support Network in Decision Making Provide Precise Interventions Based Upon Unique Strengths and Needs of the Family In-Home Service Provision as the Natural Choice Behavioral Change as the Marker of Success Low Repeat Maltreatment The Right Number of Children in Out-of-Home Placement

23. Children in Custody

25. Attendance at Removal TDMby Community Representatives, Friends and Family, and Service Providers

26. Progress and Challenges Improved community partnerships GAAP, Multi-disciplinary Center, RFKC Informal relationships Reduced workloads Expansion of In-Home Services OCS, ANFP Unit Foundation Support Rasmuson, A.E. Casey, Casey Family Programs Improved quantity and quality of data Improved Placement Selection Team Decision Making Stipend increase for foster parents No shelter care for young children Transitional living support for youth exiting care Pro-activity Family Engagement/Quality Visits Psychiatric Nurse Consultation

27. Office of Children’s Services Safe Children, Strong Families Service Overview and Practice Model Travis.Erickson@alaska.gov 907-269-3903 Department of Health & Social Services Office of Children’s Services, Anchorage Alaska December 10, 2010