Alaska’s Citizen Review Panel

1. Alaska’s Citizen Review Panel

2. Presentation Outline • Citizen Review Panel - Brief overview • Panel’s activities since 2002 • This year’s goals • Your participation • A short survey

3. Citizen Review Panel • Federally Mandated – CAPTA 1996 • State funds the Panel “The CRP shall examine the policies, procedures, and practices of State and local agencies and where appropriate, specific cases, to evaluate the extent to which State and local child protection system agencies are effectively discharging their protection responsibilities.”

4. Vision To enable the Office of Children’s Services to implement its policies and procedures in a culturally sensitive and consistent manner across the state.

5. CRP Mission • Review and evaluate the practices and procedures of OCS • Recommend changes and improvements

6. Activities of the Panel • Examine policies and procedures of OCS • Travel and meet with OCS and partnering agency staff • Examining, where appropriate, specific cases; • preparing and making available to the public an annual report.

7. Who are we? • Volunteer members • Broadly representative of the state • Diverse personal and professional background • All parts of the state • Some experience and familiarity with child protection The Panel’s members are chosen through a formal interview process

8. Every year… • The Panel pursues a set of goals • Travel to at least two locations in the state • Meet with local OCS staff and partners • Review relevant policies and procedures • Meet monthly with OCS senior leadership • Report to the State Legislature • Produce an annual report with recommendations

9. Past recommendations… • 2008 & 2009 - That OCS continue to work toward having a fifth service region headquartered in Bethel

10. Past recommendations… • 2009 - Supporting and developing the relationship between OCS & ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act) workers

11. Past recommendations… • 2011 - Work to improve the culture within the agency (Wasilla site visit)

12. Past recommendations… • 2012 - Establish deadlines that require non‐emergency petitions to be filed allowing for supervision of the family by the continuum of legal parties without necessitating the removal of the child.

13. This year’s goals • Guidelines for screening PSRs • Practice model for in-home services • Initial Assessments backlog • Assess need for OCS services in Unalaska

14. When we travel… • The purpose is to get a ground-level view of OCS relationships and practices • We meet with partner agencies and OCS staff • Village travel is most important

15. Some of the sites visited… • Barrow • Bethel • Cantwell • Chitina • Copper Center • Delta Junction • Fairbanks • Gakona • Glennallen • Selavik • Healy • Juneau • Kenny Lake • Ketchikan • Kodiak • Northway • Tok • Valdez • Kotzebue • Noorvik

16. We’ve met with… • Coast Guard personnel • Counseling center staff • District attorneys • Foster parents • Health aides & public health nurses • ICWA workers • Local police departments • OCS staff • School principals, nurses & counselors • State troopers • Tribal representatives • WIC workers

17. We need to hear from you • About • Your concerns with child protection in your community • Your interaction with OCS • Your observation on how things are going with OCS • Your feedback on CRP work You can remain anonymous. Your comments will be confidential.

18. Current members • DiwakarVadapalli, Anchorage (Chair) • Dana Hallett, Haines (Vice-Chair) • Susan Heuer, Anchorage • Kristin Hull, Palmer • Margaret McWilliams, Juneau • Ben Creasey, Juneau Coordinator – Sylvan Robb

19. Interested in joining us? • CRP needs members from other parts of the state • Voluntary • May involve travel • May take up special projects • Formal selection process • Contact us for an application

20. Alaska’s Citizen Review Panel For more information www.crpalaska.org Contact Sylvan Robb 907-450-2456 sylvan@iialaska.com