Foster Care Redesign: Region 3bGretchen Fehrm, TDFPS

Bill Lund, Covenant Kids

Gary Buff, Our Community Our Kids/ACH

Wayne Carson, Our Community Our Kids/ACH

Palo PintoTarrant

Hood

Somervell

Johnson

Erath

Parker

Region 3b

The network.

Foster Care Redesign

• Single Source Continuum Contractor (SSCC)

• Performance Based Contract

• Greater flexibility and local decision-making

• Greater financial risk to SSCC

• First Urban Implementation in Texas

Foster Care RedesignSelected Contract Details:

• SSCC takes custody within 4 hours

• Placement within 50 miles of home

• No more than 2 moves per placement

• Siblings placed together

• 2,400 youth annually (system capacity about 1,400)

• No eject/No reject referrals

our research

KANSAS NEBRASKAFLORIDA

Our approach.

•Strong Network Of Providers

•Engaged Partnership With DFPS

•Focus On Contract Outcomes

•Data Driven Decisions And Accountability

•Strong Financial Management

•Adaptability

•Community Engagement

•Robust Information Technology Systems

Our case timeline.

4 HRS 21 90

Utilization Management

Child is removed from home.SSCC takes custody of child.

Trauma Informed Care initial assessmentData entered in to ECAP

Child is placed with best matchPlan of service created

Reunification, adoption or SIL

Plan of service review CANS Assessment

What’s Different?

ECAP

Our technology.

Every Child A Priority

•System change model

•Improves quality of foster homes

•Proven results

•Leadership engaged

Quality Parenting initiative.

Quality CommitteeMEMBERSHIP•Operations•Outcomes•Influence Decisions

LIKELY TOPICS•Intake/Matching•Quality Parenting Initiative•Contract Monitoring•Assist with Quality Improvement

processes

Community Engagement.

Community Engagement-presentations

The network: development

• 323rd District Court

• Alliance for Children

• Children’s Alliance Center of Palo Pinto

• Cook Children’s doctors and staff

• DFW Alliance for Foster Care

• Johnson County CASA

• Johnson Co. Children’s Advocacy Center

• Mental Health Connection of Tarrant Co

• National Council for Adoption (NCFA)

• Palo Pinto and Parker CASA

• Paluxy River Children’s Advocacy Center

• Tarrant County CASA

• TDFPS program directors

• Johnson County Judges

• Parker County Judges

• Palo Pinto County Judge

• Children’s Medical Rees Jones clinic

• All Region 3b State Representatives and Senators

Contract Timelines CONTRACT TERM• 3 years with additional 2 year renewal

START DATE•January 1, 2014

LEGACY TRANSFER•Began July 1, 2014•Complete by Q1, 2015

NEW REFERRALS•Began September 1, 2014

• 44 providers have signed contracts

• 1,200 foster homes in ECAP

• 550+ Legacy youth transferred

• 150+ new admissions

• Disruption mitigation groups active

• Quality Parenting Initiative phase 1

• Information Exchange is live

• CANS Training completed

• Over 80% of sibling groups placed together

• 11 adoptions completed

100 Day Milestones

Challenges

• Everything is new and different

• Capacity

• Data integrity

• Funding

More on Funding-PCG Report

• DFPS and SSCC’s have different understandings of what should be included in the resource transfer. (pg. 12)

• Several tasks required of a SSCC were not funded. (pg. 13)

• Some resources for required tasks were not transferred to the SSCC’s or funded by DFPS (pg. 14)

• Additional financial resources are necessary to build and maintain operations of a SSCC (pg. 28)

• Coordinated Care

• Innovation

• Accountability

• Leveraged Resources

• Local Decisions

=

Improved Outcomes for Children

Opportunities

Our Vision

The Future of Foster

Care

• First placement best placement

• Faster permanency/shorter lengths of stay

• Collaborative focus on outcomes

• Payment focused on services, not behaviors

• Training and support needed for foster parents to deliver quality care

• Greater support for success in families

QUESTIONS?

STRONG

WELL

ADJUSTED

STABLE

HAPPY

SUCCESSFUL

www.OurCommunity-OurKids.org