ACT 264 Interagency Process Overview

1. ACT 264 Interagency Process Overview PowerPoint used for trainings in Chittenden County Jessica Coleman LCMHC Howard Center/NFI-VT

2. Why ACT 264 was created; philosophy and spirit behind the law • Created in 1988 • Process is child centered and family focused. • It is an entitlement to a PLAN, not services or funding. • This process provides an opportunity for agencies to communicate, identify strengths and gaps in services and to plan services cohesively.

3. What is ACT 264? • Created an interagency definition of severe emotional disturbance • Created a coordinated services plan (CSP) • Created one Local Interagency Team (LIT) in each of the State’s 12 districts • Created a State Interagency Team (SIT) • Created a governor appointed advisory board • Emphasizes parent involvement

4. What does ACT 264 mandate?Components of the Law: • Requires collaboration of multiple agencies to develop a coordinated services plan (CSP) • Mandated agencies include: Education, Mental Health, and Child Welfare (DCF) • Parent/guardian MUST give written permission for meeting to take place • Parents are entitled to a CSP (use 2009 version) • Required to complete a CSP prior to beginning residential placement process • Access to LIT and SIT • ACT 264 Advisory Board and ACCESS team • Goal: Interagency planning, budgeting, and service development

5. When to have an Act 264 meeting who is eligible? • If a child with a severe emotional disturbance or who meets the eligibility requirements for Emotional Disturbance under special education AND • he/she needs the services of several providers/agencies • and their service needs are not being met. • Another reason to initiate a CSP is if the team is recommending a residential level of care. • NOTE: CSP is a proactive planning tool, not crisis response.

6. Children and adolescents experiencing a severe emotional disturbance and their families – Criteria • Vermont Act 264 establishes the following criteria for children and adolescents experiencing a severe emotional disturbance: • Exhibits a behavioral, emotional, or social impairment that disrupts his or her academic or developmental progress or family interpersonal relationships. • Has impaired functioning that has continued for at least one year or has an impairment of short duration and high severity. • Is under eighteen years of age or is under twenty-two years of age and eligible for special education under state or federal law.

7. Who can request the meeting and who is the lead agency? • Parent/Guardian, Education, Mental Heath, DCF, Parent Rep. (this is expanding as more people are aware of the process, e.g., post-adoption agencies). • Interagency Agreement (June 2005) ensures all required services are coordinated and provided to students with disabilities. • What does this mean in best practice? • Consider the following: • What specific agency has the most expertise to understand the primary concerns of the child? • Which case manager has the strongest relationship with the family? • Who does the family prefer to lead the meeting?

8. Who should be invited to attend an ACT 264 meeting? • Parents/caregivers (other family members if appropriate) • Education (usually Special Ed representative or other appropriate school staff, i.e. guidance counselor, principal, teacher) • DCF (either assigned worker or representative from the partnership list) Reference Chittenden County Partnership list to invite DCF and complete DCF Referral Questions • Mental Health (Howard Center clinician or NFI clinician) • Parent representative, if the parents choose • Also consider anyone else who can support the development of a plan (e.g., post adopt advocate, other mental health providers, support people whom the family identifies, economic services representative, department of corrections representative, etc.) • Invite the child if appropriate. Some teens can participate in part or all of the meeting or sometimes they provide their input to a trusted team member before the meeting. *Youth engagement is valuable*

9. Role of Regional Partnership • In Chittenden County, we have assigned consultants from DCF, Mental Health and Education to serve as representatives if needed. • Can provide technical assistance before, during, or after a meeting. • Their role is NOT to facilitate meetings. • The parent representative can be called to support the parents at any time in the process. She also often attends meetings to support the parents.

10. What are the lead agency’s responsibilities? • Schedules and facilitates CSP meeting • Ensures CSP is written and distributed • Ensures plan is regularly reviewed • Serves as contact person for follow-up if questions arise or adjustments are needed • The lead agency is NOT automatically responsible for providing or funding the services identified in the CSP. • Often team members work together to make sure the process moves along.

11. How is an ACT 264 meeting different from a Treatment Team meeting? • They may have similar members, but an ACT 264 team is writing and reviewing a comprehensive service plan; a treatment team is ongoing and regular. • Once the CSP is written, process goes back to the treatment team to implement the plan. • The ACT 264 team is different from other teams such as: IEP team, care conference, or case review meeting. Others?

12. What does the CSP look like and what do I need to fill out? • See handout and samples. Online copies can be found at: Vermont Family Network website (Resources-Mental Health tab) Vermont Department of Mental Health website (Forms-Children, Adolescent, and Family tab) For Howard Center staff, a blank CSP can be found in SharedData/CYFS/CYFSPublic/ACT264Information/ BlankCoordinatedServicesPlanv2009

13. Before the Meeting • Consent for Eligibility Determination & Coordinated Services Planning Page 2 • This form is used to get parent permission to START the process of determining if the child is eligible. • It is to allow the lead agency to share info with the CSP team and gather records needed for the meeting, & to hold an ACT 264 meeting and write a CSP. • It should be signed prior to the meeting. • The purpose of the meeting and the forms can be reviewed with the parent(s) so they come prepared to participate and know what to expect. • Consent for Release of Information Page 3 • The parent(s) signs this form to consent to the sharing of information about the child to the CSP team • Lead Agency/Background Info and CSP Team Participants Page 4 • This page has sections that can be filled out prior to the meeting -- some with the parent and some by the lead agency. • Make sure to have parent(s) check boxes (pages 2 and 3) indicating whether they would like to speak with parent representative.

14. Meeting Format • The purpose of the meeting is to share information in order to develop a CSP. It is not a team meeting. • Assign people to facilitate, keep time, take notes • The paperwork provides the agenda and outline for the meeting. • Elicit information from the parents/caregivers first, then other team members • The team should discuss the main topics on the form, such as the child’s goals, strengths and resources, needs and areas of concern, current supports and services, and proposed services. • A proactive crisis plan can be filled out if needed or a team may already have one drafted and in place. • ACT 264 Agenda (see handout)

15. Common Pitfalls • Keeping the meeting on task • Working to keep the meeting agenda on the CSP. This is not an IEP meeting or treatment team meeting, etc.. • Trying to phrase hopes and goals positively • Not signing the paperwork or discussing purpose of meeting ahead of time • Not inviting appropriate team members or those with needed information • Suggestion: Have a “parking lot” sheet of paper to table items to be discussed at a later time • Question of sibling or family ACT 264 meetings?

16. Next Steps • The paperwork stops here, unless the team is considering a referral to a residential placement (see next section). • If there is no referral to residential placement, then the team works to implement the plan and moves into a treatment team process, with a review of the plan annually. • Follow-up ACT 264 vs. Team meeting

17. What do you do with the paperwork? • Copy given to all team members. Can be compiled and/or typed up and given to members at a later date. • Include signature pages in copies sent out • Ensure all team members receive copies (including DCF) • Have parent fill out evaluation (see handout). Goes to Betsy Cain, Howard Center. • Use tracking form or provide copy of Page 4 to Betsy Cain for county-wide tracking of meetings. • Review plan annually or as needed.

18. Role of LIT and SIT • When there are problems/barriers/disagreement in implementing a CSP that cannot be resolved through consultation with your ACT 264 Partnership, the Partnership may choose to refer the case to LIT. • Issues come to LIT usually involve funding, lack of a needed service, or a complicated cross systems case. • Referrals to LIT require a separate parental/guardian permission form and parent involvement. • Referral to SIT when issues cannot be resolved at LIT level.

19. Intensive Services Coordinator Jessica Coleman, LCMHC jcoleman@howardcenter.org (802) 324-6951 • HC and NFI staff, Liaison with Dept. of Mental Health • Clinical consultant and centralized intake for higher level mental health services for Chittenden county children/youthNOTin DCF custody • Intensive community services (wraparound or assessment services, therapeutic foster care) • Residential assessment or long term treatment beds • Consult when questions arise related to appropriate level of care or services • Ongoing treatment utilization review for children/youth in intensive mental health services

20. Residential Referral Process • For mental health clients, make sure you discuss the case with your supervisor before any residential action is sought. • For any child not in custody, the Intensive Services Coordinator is consulted and must attend a meeting. • For youth in DCF custody, DCF takes lead and follows their own agency process.

21. Residential Referral Process • Once it is clear consideration for a residential placement is appropriate, the team should move onto: • Release of Information for Interagency Team Review of Coordinated Services Plan • Reason for Referral and the following pages outlining information on the youth • Team questions for Residential • Interagency Referral Checklist • Residential Referral Signature Page. Betsy Cain signs from HowardCenter as well as administrators from Education and DCF. • The lead agency should forward these forms along with the items on the Interagency Referral Checklist to their appropriate agency person.

22. Thank you for attending! • Case Examples • Questions?