Maltreatment Prevention Programs and Policies in Georgia

Transcription

1 Maltreatment Prevention Programs and Policies in Georgia In a 2011 survey on state prevention policies, child welfare agency staff were asked about eligibility requirements, funding, program descriptions, and demand ( lists) for the following prevention-related activities: Home Visiting Programs In-Home Services (aside from the more formal home visiting programs) Parent Education & Training Respite Care/Crisis Nurseries Parent Support (e.g., mentors, support groups) Concrete/Financial supports Counseling/Mental Health Services Substance Abuse Assessment & Treatment Services for Families Affected by Domestic Violence Overall eligibility for the prevention-related services in Georgia: Any child or family referred to the child welfare agency for abuse or neglect. Georgia s Vulnerable Children: AT-A-GLANCE In Child population: 2,583,792 Total referrals to child protective services (CPS): 39,835 (15.4 referrals per 1,000 children in the state) # of children receiving an investigation/assessment: 62,997 # of children who were victims of abuse or neglect: 23,249 # of children in foster care (on last day of fiscal year): 8,020 # of children reunified with parents: 3,209 (41% of all exits from foster care) # of children in guardianships/living with other relatives: 2,291 (29% of all exits from foster care) # children adopted from foster care: 1,357 (17% of all exits from foster care) Data Sources: The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), and the KIDS COUNT Data Center (

2 Programs and Services to Prevent Maltreatment in Georgia Service/ Program

3 Home Visiting Programs Public child welfare agency Using Fee-forservice Whether or not there is an agreement to grant child welfare referrals priority when making agency(ies): Department of Mental Health, Division of Youth Services, Local Boards of Education, Department of Public Health by the child welfare agency: Prevention collaborate such as First Steps, Health Families -- Who is eligible? Home-based services begin at the point of intake, when an assessment response strategy is developed. All families who are referred for services based on alleged child maltreatment are eligible for the provision of homebased services. Service/Program Description: The most basic form of home based services are contacts between the family members and assessing case manager, who serves to provide in-home services specifically tailored to the unique needs of the family. While the case manager is the primary provider of services, additional services and supports can be applied to the family's needs through completion of a family team meeting to engage the family and key community stakeholders in the identification of family strengths and needs which led to the development of a plan and identification of services and supports available within the family, DFCS and the community at large. No

4 In-Home Services Public child welfare agency Using fee for service (established by Memorandum of Understanding) allowable costs and lump sum grants -- Who is eligible? Eligibility for in-home services is based on notification of family No need via CPS or alternative response intake, and investigation or assessment of child vulnerability, parental protective capacities and exploration of family, community and agency resources to address the need. Service/Program Description: In home services are identified via collaboration between the family members, DFCS staff, key extended family members and community agencies and other formal/informal sources of support who assist the family in exploring child vulnerability, parental protective capacities and the presence of impending dangers. Parent Education & Training agency(ies): Mental Health, Public Health, Local Boards of Education Public child welfare agency Using fee-for-service, allowable costs and through the state Preserving Safe and Stable Families mini-grants. -- Who is eligible? Eligibility for services is conditional upon the department receiving and assigning for investigation/assessment a report meeting the criteria for CPS investigation or assignment for a differential response. A finding of substantiated is not required, but unsubstantiated and differential response findings require that the family is willing to voluntary participate in services. Service/Program Description: Parent education programs are geared toward addressing the specific gaps in the protective capacities of parents/caregivers and the child vulnerabilities of the children for whom they provide care. Traditional parent education services are focused on increasing parent knowledge and competencies in assessing and addressing the needs of the children. Other models focus on parent/child engagement related to a specific child vulnerability such as the inability to read or speak English, address characteristics of a physical, mental or behavioral need of a child or to access resources for a child in need of services. No

5 Respite Care/Crisis Nurseries Parent Support agency(ies): Mental Health, Public Health, Department of Education, Local boards of Education, Community Action Agencies Public child welfare agency b Using fee-for-service and allowable costs agency(ies): DPW s Office of Developmental Programs by the child welfare agency: Church based child care. agency(ies): Mental Health, Public Health, Local Boards of Education, Babies Can t Wait/Children 1 st agencies not contracted by the child welfare agency c -- Who is eligible? Families receiving services through Child Protective Services, foster care or public assistance (TANF) are eligible for child care and emergency respite care. Service/Program Description: Respite services are available to foster parents needing support in order to participate in training or to attend to personal needs. Families receiving CPS or Differential Response services can request voluntary foster care services to address the safety and protection of the children during a time-limited (up to 180 days) event. Families can utilize family/fictive kinship resources to provide temporary care to their children (up to 45 days) while retaining custody and decision-making responsibility

6 Selected Concrete/Financial Support: Child Care Using fee-for-service -- Who is eligible? To be eligible for child care services you must either be a recipient -- of ongoing child welfare services (CPS, foster care, adoptions) or a recipient of public assistance benefits (TANF) and subject to a compulsory work requirement. Service/Program Description: Child care services are provided for children ages The services are contracted with individuals and child care facilities that are licensed by the Office of Child Care.. Counseling/ Mental Health Services by the child welfare agency Using fee-for-service and allowable costs -- Who is eligible? All in the state may seek mental health services through the Department of Mental Health or through a private provider. Access to services is based on availability of insurance or ability to pay. Customers receiving CPS, Foster care or Differential response are eligible for services based on ability to access through insurance or ability to pay. Children in foster care receive services regardless of ability to pay. Service/Program Description: Services include both in-patient and out-patient services, crisis management services, emergency, in-home services and assessment as well as traditional mental health services No Substance Abuse Assessment and Treatment d agency(ies): Department of Mental Health Using fee-for-service and allowable costs an agreement to grant child welfare referrals priority when making intake decisions is -- Who is eligible? Families receiving services and support through CPS, foster care or differential response are eligible for DFCS assistance and support in accessing needed services. Service/Program Description: In-patient services include detoxification as well as individual and group counseling and participation in support groups to assist in achieving and maintaining sobriety and developing the competencies and skilled needed to remain drug-free. Outpatient programs provide all of the above with the exception of detoxification in a controlled environment. --

7 agency(ies): Department of Mental Health Services for Families Affected by Domestic Violence by the child welfare agency: many communities have private facilities that offer both in and outpatient treatment Public child welfare agency by the child welfare agency -- Who is eligible? DFCS works in collaboration with the private DV shelters and programs to assure that victims of DV are linked with community based services and supports. With the consent of the family, DV staff participate in family team meetings to assure that issues and needs related to DV are sufficiently addressed. Service/Program Description: DV programs include the provision of safe shelter for the victim and her children, group sessions to address issues of victimization and strengthening the caregiver protective capacities in assuring the safety of the adult and children victims. Services are also provided in assisting the protective caregiver to secure resources that include but are not limited to accessing public benefits, housing, medical care, treatment and other supports. -- Notes: (a) -- indicates that the information was not available or the respondent was instructed to skip the questions. To increase the likelihood that the child welfare agency staff member could report accurately about the specific features of a program or service, respondents were only asked follow-up questions about the activities if they indicated that either the public child welfare agency itself and/or a purchased service provider contracted to the public child welfare agency actually provided the service. (b) Through partnership with the Department of Defense, some counties have entered into Memorandums of Understanding where military social services maintains a bank of resource families to provide respite care or temporary shelter to military families experiencing a need that is not related to child safety (c) The Department will assist any person requesting assistance in accessing community-based support groups and most counties maintain a listing of such in their community resource directories. Most referrals are managed as Information and Referral, but for families formally referred for CPS or differential response investigation/assessment, referrals may be formalized in the development of a family plan. (d) Agency refers to (or collaborates with) Family Drug Treatment court. Referrals are made and upon securing client consent, DFCS will participate in meetings and planning geared toward assuring the success of the patient.

8 ABOUT THE SURVEY In 2011, Child Trends, with support from Casey Family Programs, conducted a national survey to gather information about state policies that guide child welfare agencies work in preventing child maltreatment from occurring or reoccurring. Specifically, the survey asked about the child welfare agency s policies, programs, and services for families who are considered at-risk for the occurrence or reoccurrence of child maltreatment. Defining Prevention : In completing the survey, states were asked specifically to consider activities designed for children and families who have already come to the attention of the child welfare agency, such as through a referral of abuse or neglect, or a family self-referral, to prevent maltreatment from occurring or reoccurring. The services and programs addressed in the survey might fall under what is more typically known in some states as family support or family preservation activities. The target population for these services could include children who had experienced one or more incidences of abuse and/or neglect, or who have not yet experienced maltreatment but are determined to be at-risk for an occurrence.