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CCFA HYBRID“A More Sustainable

Approach” Serving Our Children & Families with

Respect & Dignity While Utilizing Non-Traditional Funding Sources

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In 2009, the state DFACS Director, Mary Dean Harvey asked Hugo Mullins (Family Ties Director) to assemble a group of providers to come up with ideas on how DFACS could streamline and improve their services. The provider group presented having CCFA assessments done under Medicaid, and doing away with having psychological’s automatically on all kids. The plans were shelved in the transition from Ms. Harvey to Mark Washington as State DFACS Director.

In January 2011 Family Ties developed and implemental its CCFA hybrid in Cobb County. We have expanded to Douglas and Cherokee Counties.

Family Ties and the CCFA hybrid

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It is the name Family Ties has given for doing a CCFA assessment which is paid for through Medicaid. Children must be ages 4 to 18, and have an Axis I diagnosis. At minimum all kids entering foster care have an adjustment disorder and therefore qualify for an assessment.

What is a CCFA Hybrid?

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In addition to the cost savings to DFACS, doing a CCFA Hybrid offers a number of benefits:

1. The information about the child tends to be more comprehensive than a traditional CCFA.

2. Treatment goals for the children tend to be more behaviorally specific and measurable since that is a requirement of Medicaid.

3. Clinical counseling to both the child and family can start sooner and when focused on the child’s behavior or emotional issues are paid for by Medicaid.

4. The sooner clinical services start, the sooner a child can be reunified, if that is the plan.

5. The State of Georgia’s new trauma assessment requirement can/will be integrated into the CCFA assessment.

Benefits of a CCFA Hybrid

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Do all kids coming into foster care qualify for CCFA/Hybrid? No. Children ages 1 to 3 will need to have their CCFA assessment

paid for in the traditional DFACS way and rates. Children whose primary insurance is a CMO/Medicaid will be

charged the CCFA rate. Care Management Organization (CMO’s) only pay for 1 hour

or 2 hours for an assessment. DFACS will need to supplement the rate paid for these kids at $600.00 for the first child and $150.00 for an additional child. Please note some kids will have both CMO and foster care Medicaid. In that case, we must bill under the CMO Medicaid. This generally happens when a child comes into DFACS custody near the end of a month, and the parent has already paid their premium for the following month.

CCFA Hybrid 5Facts

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Questions