Exploring Opportunities for Addressing Children s Mental Health and Child Welfare Issues

Transcription

1 WELFARE REFORM Exploring Opportunities for Addressing Children s Mental Health and Child Welfare Issues PREPARED BY: Maria Woolverton, Jan McCarthy, Sara Schibanoff and Rhoda Schulzinger National Technical Assistance Center for Children s Mental Health Center for Child Health and Mental Health Policy Georgetown University Child Development Center FUNDED BY: Center for Mental Health Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Child Adolescent and Family Branch U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Administration for Children and Families U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2000

2 DOCUMENT AVAILABLE FROM: National Technical Assistance Center for Children s Mental Health Georgetown University Child Development Center 3307 M Street, NW, Suite 401 Washington, DC (202) voice (202) fax Attention: Mary Deacon deaconm@georgetown.edu Funding for this document was provided by the Office of Policy, Planning, and Administration (Center for Mental Health Services) through a cooperative agreement among the Child, Adolescent, and Family Branch, Center for Mental Health Services of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Children s Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families of the Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The document reflects intensive study of welfare reform issues, legislation, and practices and the thinking of the authors, practitioners and other researchers. The views do not necessarily represent official policy or positions of the funding sources. In accordance with the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and implementing regulations promulgated under each of these federal statutes, Georgetown University does not discriminate in its programs, activities, or employment practices on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. The states and regulations are supervised by Rosemary Kilkenny-Diaw, Special Assistant to the president for Affirmative Action Programs. Her office is located in Room G-10, Darnall Hall, and her telephone number is 202/

3 WELFARE REFORM Exploring Opportunities for Addressing Children s Mental Health and Child Welfare Issues PREPARED BY: Maria Woolverton, Jan McCarthy, Sara Schibanoff and Rhoda Schulzinger National Technical Assistance Center for Children s Mental Health Center for Child Health and Mental Health Policy Georgetown University Child Development Center FUNDED BY: Center for Mental Health Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Child Adolescent and Family Branch U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Administration for Children and Families U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2000

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5 Acknowledgments This document was produced under the guidance of Judith Katz-Leavy of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). The authors are indebted to her, and to the many individuals throughout the country who provided information about approaches to serving children and families affected by welfare reform. We would also like to thank members of the Federation of Families for Children s Mental Health who offered valuable input from the perspective of families of children with mental health needs, as well as Gary Cyphers and Betsey Rosenbaum of the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) and Eileen Sweeny of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) who offered feedback on earlier drafts of this document. iii

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7 Table of Contents Acknowledgments...iii Introduction...1 Chapter 1: Making Welfare Reform Work for...3 Parents of Children with Mental Health Needs Objectives...3 Key Issues...3 Overview...4 TANF Time Limits and Work Requirements...5 Child Care Issues...8 Children s Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Program Changes...12 Access to Medicaid...16 References...23 Chapter 2: Exploring the Child Welfare...25 System Connection Objectives...25 Key Issues...25 Overview...26 Children Living with Relatives...29 Children Absent from the Home...31 Drug and Alcohol Issues...32 Domestic Violence Issues...34 Teen Parents...37 Research...40 Fiscal Issues...40 Further Implications and Observations...44 References...47 Appendix A: Studies Tracking the Impact...51 of Changes to the Children s SSI Program Appendix B: Glossary of Terms...57 v

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