Honoring Emancipated Youth (HEY)Federal Foster Care Policy Updates

Lincoln, Kennedy Introduce Bill for Child Welfare Workforce Study

Justin Slaughter — Tue, 18 May 2010 22:49:28 +0000

On May 6, Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) introduced the Child Welfare Workforce Study Act (S. 3328/H.R. 5246). The legislation is identical to a part of a larger workforce bill (S. 2837) introduced by Lincoln earlier this Congress. It directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a national study on the child welfare workforce.

In conducting the study, the Academy would examine issues such as the makeup of the workforce, their education background, turnover rates, reasons for turnover and the impact that the workforce can have on children and families in the child welfare system. The legislation also calls for recommendations by the National Academy on proper staffing levels, education levels, and directs them to examine data collection practices, results and how such data is or is not related to child well-being outcomes.

CWLA has long argued for a national policy that will encourage a stronger child welfare workforce if children and families are to be effectively helped both in preventing abuse and in helping children in care. A 2003 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report (GAO-03-357) documented problems in the child welfare workforce, finding that the child welfare system is seriously understaffed, undertrained, and undervalued. GAO found that these workforce problems limit states’ ability to meet the goals established in the federally mandated Child and Family Service Reviews (CFSRs), and stated that the analysis of the CFSRs “corroborates caseworkers’ experiences showing that staff shortages, high caseloads, and worker turnover were factors impeding progress toward the achievement of federal safety and permanency outcomes.”
Kennedy has been working to get funding for the study in the FY 2011 appropriations. The combination of an appropriation along with passage of the bill would assure the study is conducted.

SFGH Department of Psychiatry SPECIAL EVENT

Josefina — Tue, 18 May 2010 20:06:59 +0000

Assemblymember Jim Beall
Chair, Human Services Committee
Chair, Select Committee on Drug & Alcohol Abuse

Mental Health Services Funding in California: How you can help

Friday May 21st 11:30-12:30
SFGH CARR AUDITORIUM

Presentation topics include:

State and federal funding process
Politics and issues involved
Medi-Cal waiver
Role of mental health professionals in advancing mental health legislation

Pizza Will Be Served

Download the SFGH Flyer

May is National Foster Care Month…You Can Change a Lifetime!

Josefina — Wed, 05 May 2010 18:21:06 +0000

All children — including the 463,000 American children and youth in foster care — deserve a safe, happy life. Young people in foster care especially need nurturing adults on their side because their own families are in crisis and unable to care for them.

Each May, we salute the compassionate people who make a difference by serving as foster parents, relative caregivers, mentors, advocates, social workers, and volunteers. Thanks to these unsung heroes, many formerly abused or neglected children and teens will safely reunite with their parents, be cared for by relatives, or be adopted by loving families.

But some children in foster care are less fortunate. Most communities across the country are urgently seeking more everyday people to help these youth overcome their troubled childhoods and realize their full potential. No matter what their age, every young person in foster care benefits from a meaningful connection to a caring adult who becomes a supportive and lasting presence in his or her life.

Take a closer look at the number and diversity of people who were once in foster care. It might surprise you. In fact, there are an estimated 12 million foster care alumni in the U.S. representing all walks of life. Behind this statistic are countless stories of children who grew up to be thriving adults while others struggled with life’s challenges all alone. The difference between triumph and tragedy will become very clear as you read about these foster care alumni. Success stories come about when someone takes the time to offer comfort, provide support, give advice, or simply share a milestone moment with a youngster enduring a difficult family situation.

Now is the time to get involved. No matter how much time you have to give, you have the power to do something positive that will Change a Lifetime for a young person in foster care.

New Online Resources

Josefina — Wed, 05 May 2010 18:16:13 +0000

Homeless Resource Center: http://homeless.samhsa.gov/default.aspx

Center for Mental Health Resources: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/

Both funded by SAMHSA

Freed from prison, some juveniles have no place to go

Josefina — Wed, 05 May 2010 18:11:06 +0000

Nearly 10 percent of the inmates in Illinois’ juvenile prisons have essentially completed their sentences – in some cases more than a year ago – but are stuck behind bars because they have no place to go, state records show. Many of the youths are being held longer in one of the state’s eight juvenile prisons because officials cannot find an appropriate placement in a transitional living program or other kind of facility. Others are still in prison because officials found the homes of families or friends to be unacceptable, or because families simply refuse to take them back, according to records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

To read the full article from the Chicago Tribune click on this link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-juvenile-prison-trapped-20100331,0,3782827.story

President Kicks Off Foster Care Month

Josefina — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:23:58 +0000

President Barack Obama kicked off National Foster Care Month by issuing a proclamation recognizing the promise and potential of youth in care. In his statement he highlighted some of the goals and accomplishments of his administration as they pertain to youth in care. The proclamation also celebrates the child welfare workforce and the foster parents who give so much to these youth. In addition to diligently working to implement the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act, President Obama and his Administration provided more than $35 million in 2009 to the Adoption Incentives program in order to increase the number of children adopted from the foster care system, as well as funding for the IV-E adoption and foster care assistance program through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The recent enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will ensure Medicaid coverage for former foster youth beginning in 2014. President Obama ended his statement with a call to celebrate the triumphs of children and youth in care, as well as the commitment to continue to work to remove barriers to permanency.

The Homeless Youth Capacity Building Project Announces upcoming web seminar

Josefina — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:00:30 +0000

Wednesday May 19th from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Runaway and Homeless Youth Act

With the Notice of Funding Availability for RHYA funds due out soon, now is the time to start thinking about your application. This training will provide you with an overview of one of the primary federal resources specifically designated for serving homeless youth. Information will be provided regarding eligible uses for these funds along with important details that you need to know to apply for funds and tips for creating a successful application. Hear also from providers who currently receive RHYA funds and the lessons they’ve learned.

Register today: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/805478288

Report highlights programs shown to reduce crime, restore victims, and preserve families

Josefina — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:21:06 +0000

Texas Insider, Austin, TX – March 26, 2010

A new report by the Texas Public Policy Foundation seeks to help state and local policymakers identify cost-effective approaches to reducing juvenile crime and rehabilitating juvenile offenders. “With Texas entering a difficult budget-cutting cycle, the report is intended as a reference guide for policymakers that helps them to replicate programs proven to be effective and replace those that have not worked,” said the report’s author, Marc Levin, Director of TPPF’s Center for Effective Justice. The report includes a comprehensive review of juvenile justice programs across Texas and the country, measuring their effectiveness based on a range of factors – including cost, recidivism rates, and education and vocational outcomes. The report also makes recommendations for improvements in data collection and analysis.

California Prisons: The mass release that wasn’t

Josefina — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:48:18 +0000

Last year, a panel of federal judges ordered the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDRC) to reduce overcrowding in state prisons. The state has about 170,000 inmates, which is almost double its capacity. So, California had a few options: build more prisons, transfer inmates out of state, or contract with private prisons. But in the midst of a massive budget crisis, the state decided to do something many didn’t expect, something that prison reform advocates have been wanting for years. California decided to implement changes that actually reduce the number of people in prison. You may have heard this program referred to as “early release,” but CDCR spokesman Gordon Hinkle says that’s not quite right:

GORDON HINKLE: That is something that’s kind of a misnomer out there. There’s no blanket release of prisoners or even an actual headcount of prisoners who are being released early whatsoever.

Instead of releasing inmates, CDCR is cutting back on the number coming in. But are they doing it the best way? KALW’s Rina Palta reports.

RINA PALTA: Every morning around 8 o’clock, a van pulls up to the San Rafael Bus Depot with a delivery: ex-prisoners, fresh from San Quentin State Prison. This particular morning, the van is jam-packed. There’s even an inmate in the trunk. Everyone lines up in front of the van to receive $200.

Chad Stevens is getting out after 8 1/2 months and says he’s thrilled.

STEVENS: Absolutely. Wouldn’t you be?

Stevens is headed home to San Francisco.

STEVENS: And I have a job lined up. Basically stay out of trouble.

But his first task is to check in with parole within 24 hours. Parole officers help released inmates transition back into normal life. The officer also checks to make sure the parolee doesn’t fall into bad behavior like drug use or hang out with the wrong people.

STEVENS: Basically, to me a parole officer is like a baby-sitter. You do what they tell you to do and you’re ok. Otherwise, you’re headed back to prison.

That’s the problem with California’s parole system: 66% of parolees return to prison within three years of getting out. Over half of them don’t go back to prison for new crimes, but on technical parole violations that range from failing to report for a parole appointment, to going into a neighborhood they’re not supposed to be in.

As flawed as the parole system is, almost every person coming out of prison has had to deal with it. Until now.

GORDON HINKLE: The hard thing is going back and determining who’s eligible.

That’s CDCR Spokesman Gordon Hinkle. In response to prison overcrowding, Governor Schwarzenegger created what’s called a “non-revocable parolee.” These parolees don’t have to check in with an officer, and won’t be sent back to prison on technical violations. But Hinkle explains that not every inmate is a candidate.

GORDON HINKLE: They can’t be a sex offender, they can’t be a serious or violent predator, they can’t be a gang member.

Hinkle says the state expects that 20-30% of felons leaving prison will be put on non-revocable, unsupervised parole.

HINKLE: Then we do expect to see the populations in our prisons, the overcrowding, go down. That number that we’ve projected is about 6,500 individuals in the first year.

But not everyone’s so sure that taking newly released inmates off of parole supervision will keep them out of prison.

Seventh Step is a halfway house in Hayward. On a sunny day, Brian Condan is watching daytime television. Condan says there’s one major reason he’s at Seventh Step.

BRIAN CONDAN: No place to live, and no address to give to my parole agent. So they sent me here.

Condan served 8 months in San Quentin for 2nd degree burglary in 2006 and has been on parole ever since. He just got out of Santa Rita jail after getting caught on a parole violation.

CONDAN: Absconding. It was because I would get out and start using drugs. I didn’t feel like doing my parole. Didn’t feel like getting help yet.

Everyone here is a parolee, brought here by their parole agent. As is everyone on the waitlist, 30 people long. Like many community-based programs, Seventh Step gets money from the state to treat parolees, but that doesn’t include this new group of non-revocable parolees.

MICHAEL SMITH: Just to let someone out in society and say, oh, you’re off parole, with nothing is just, that’s bad.

Michael Smith got out of prison a year ago. Smith completed the Seventh Step program in September and now works here, answering phones and filling out paperwork. A drug dealer with no disciplinary problems and no history of violence, he probably would have qualified for non-revocable parole if he were let out now. But he’s glad he didn’t.

SMITH: You’ve got years and years of stuff to deal with. So I’m all for letting people off of parole early, but without treatment or resources for them to get housing or the counseling they need for their drug problems, or employment, then I don’t think it’s a good idea.

CDCR spokespeople say that many of the inmates let out on non-revocable parole will have received rehabilitation and vocational training while in prison. But those working inside the state prisons tell a different story.

ALLYSON WEST: There have always been waiting lists. There have always been more prisoners who need programs and want programs than are available to them.

Allyson West has run a non-profit program in San Quentin for ten years. She says that after the state cut $250 million from rehabilitation programs, the waiting lists for programs have gotten longer and the chances that offenders will get help is minimal.

WEST: And then the vocational programs — San Quentin had sheet metal, machine shop, janitorial, sign painting, print shop. There were at least six or seven of them. And we’re down to two. So there were waitlists to get into those programs and now most of them are gone. So even real life job training that they would have has is taken away from them. Not to mention the opportunity to earn the weeks off in credit.

West is talking about another new prison initiative. Inmates can now earn weeks off from their sentences if they complete certain programs or work in prison factories. This is in addition to parole reforms. This is what most know as the ‘early release program.’ Even though CDCR doesn’t expect many early releases to come of it—less than a thousand over the next two years–it’s gotten a lot of media attention. That worries Allyson West.

WEST: When they see crime rates go up and they see an increase in incarceration rates, they’re going to blame early release, without looking at the great loss in programs which were insufficient to begin with, grossly insufficient.

That said, West expects the parole reforms to bring the prison population down slowly over the next couple of years. But what will happen in the long run? At the moment, CDCR seems serious about cutting down the number of people entering prison. But cutting rehabilitation services and reforming parole were both born out of the financial crisis. What happens when the money comes back?

WEST: Which way is the rehabilitation and punishment pendulum going to be swinging at that point? And what are you going to do with a name, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in the intervening time now that you’ve cut all these programs?

West says that there are senior managers in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation who desperately want to keep the ‘R’ in CDCR’s name. They also know that without rehabilitation, even parole reform won’t necessarily keep these inmates from ending up back behind bars

By Rina Palta.
Monday, Mar 29, 2010.

This story was funded in part by Spot.Us

Digital Stories from the Field

Josefina — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:41:02 +0000

The National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections (NRCPFC) at the Hunter College School of Social Work, A Service of the Children’s Bureau, has developed this new web site. This site represents NRCPFC’s on-going work to create digital stories with key stakeholders in the child welfare field. Digital Storytelling takes full advantage of the advent/diffusion of increasingly more accessible technology tools like audio, photo, and video equipment. In their own voices, storytellers present their narratives, combining their voices with images, sounds, and video, to create short, powerful digital movies that can be easily shared with a designated audience. The movies have particular utility for individuals and organizations providing TA to States, Localities, and Tribes, or those in Social Work educational settings, as these stories literally bring the voices and experiences of those most affected by the child welfare system into the room. This new web site currently has over forty stories representing the perspectives of former foster youth, social workers, supervisors, parents, family partners, advocates, judges and CASA workers. As new stories are added, the NRCPFC Weekly Update will notify subscribers of their availability. Current stories cover a wide range of topics including permanency, adoption, reunification, youth development, the importance of parent and youth voice in case planning, and the role of courts and the judicial system in planning for and with families. Each story is accompanied by additional web-based resources on the story topic. We know that you will enjoy watching these and will find that they are powerful examples of what happens when we encourage the voices of those most affected by our systems to emerge and tell their stories.

http://www.nrcpfc.org/digital_stories/