Transcript Collaboration Works

Collaboration Works
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
Model Courts
Laboratories for Systems Change
Pennsylvania Roundtable Summit
Hon. Stephen M. Rubin
Pima County Juvenile Court
Tucson, Arizona
Past President
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
History of the Model Courts Project
Cincinnati
RESOURCE GUIDELINES
OJJDP
ASFA
RESOURCE GUIDELINES and
ADOPTION AND PERMANENCY GUIDELINES
Best
Practices
• Timely Permanency for the Child
– Oversight and Authority of Judge
– One Family-One Judge
• Substantive and Timely Hearings
– Front-Loading
• Effective Case Load Management
–
–
–
–
Time-Certain Calendaring
No Continuance Policy
Distribution of Orders After Hearings
Data Collection and Analysis
Best Practices
Cont’d.
• Access to Competent
Representation
– Child
– Parent
– Agency
• Centrally Located and
Accessible Court Facility
– Child-Friendly
– Secure
– Access to Resources
Best Practices
Cont’d.
• State and National
Interface
– ASFA
– Pew Commission
Recommendations
– Child and Family Service
Reviews
– Program Improvement Plans
– Court Improvement Projects
– State Action Plans
Fundamentals of
Implementing System
Reform
• Strategic Planning
–Critical Analysis and Feedback
–Training Development and
Implementation
–Technical Assistance
–Research
–Evaluation
National Council of
Juvenile And Family
Court Judges
•
•
•
•
Family Violence Department
Juvenile and Family Law Department
Alcohol and Other Drugs Division
National Center for Juvenile Justice
• National Collaborations
– National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare
– National Center for State Courts
– American Bar Association Center for Children and the
Law
– ~ among many others
Current Model
Courts
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Alexandria, Virginia
Austin, Texas
Baltimore, Maryland
Buffalo, New York
Charlotte, North Carolina
Chicago, Illinois
Colorado Statewide
Concord, New Hampshire
Dallas, Georgia
Des Moines, Iowa
El Paso, Texas
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Honolulu, Hawaii
Indianapolis, Indiana
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Las Vegas, Nevada
Livingston County, Michigan
Los Angeles, California
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Louisville, Kentucky
Miami, Florida
Nashville, Tennessee
Newark, New Jersey
New Orleans, Louisiana
New York City, New York
New York, Statewide
Omaha, Nebraska
Portland, Oregon
San Jose California
Seattle, Washington
Toledo, Ohio
Washington, D.C.
Senior Model Courts
•
•
•
•
Cincinnati, Ohio
Reno, Nevada
Salt Lake City, Utah
Tucson, Arizona
Systems Change
Programs and
Initiatives
• Filling best practice needs
–
–
–
–
Front-Loading
Reasonable Efforts
Timely Permanency
Well-Being
• Program and Initiative
Development Components
– Lead Judge
– Multidisciplinary Collaborative Team
– Model Court Liaison
Child Health
Front-Loading, Reasonable Efforts,
Timely Permanency, Well-Being
• Early Intervention Services
– Miami, Des Moines, Omaha, Honolulu, Tucson
• Mental Health
– Cincinnati, San Jose, Tucson
• Publications:
– “Questions Every Judge and Lawyer Should As About
Infants and Toddlers in the Child Welfare System”
Technical Assistance Brief
– Juvenile and Family Court Journal, Spring 2004 – Infants
and Toddlers in Court
Child Health Cont.
Front-Loading, Reasonable Efforts,
Timely Permanency, Well-Being
• Needs of Older Youth
– Alexandria, Chicago, Honolulu, New Orleans, New
York, Tucson
• Publications
– “The Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 and the
John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program,”
Technical Assistance Brief
• Dually-Involved Youth
Visitation and
Education
Front-Loading, Reasonable Efforts,
Timely Permanency, Well-Being
• Visitation Protocols and Guidelines
– Des Moines, Los Angeles, Portland, Georgia
• Education Initiatives
• Chicago, Los Angeles, Newark, Portland, San Jose, Tucson
• Publications:
– “Asking the Right Questions: A Judicial Checklist to Ensure that the
Educational Needs of Children and Youth in Foster Care are Being
Addressed,” Technical Assistance Brief
– “Improving Educational Outcomes for Youth in Foster Care:
Perspectives from Judges and Program Specialists,” Technical
Assistance Brief
– Juvenile and Family Court Journal, Summer 2003 “Judicial
Oversight of Parental Visitation in Family Reunification Cases”
Substance Abuse
Front-Loading, Reasonable Efforts,
Timely Permanency, Well-Being
• Substance Abusing Parents
– Cleveland, Los Angeles, Portland, San Jose,
Tucson
• Meth Action Planning
– San Jose, Tucson
• Foster Youth Abusing Drugs
– Los Angeles
Substance Abuse
Cont.
• Publications
– “Development of the Miami-Dade County Dependency Drug
Court,” Technical Assistance Brief
– Juvenile and Family Court Journal, Summer 2006 “Reclaiming
Futures: A Model for Judicial Leadership in Community
Responses to Juvenile Substance Abuse”
– Juvenile and Family Court Journal, Summer 2005 “Judicial
Perspectives on Family Drug Treatment Courts”
– Juvenile and Family Court Journal, Fall 2004 “Treating Substance
Abusing Parents: A Study of the Pima County Family Drug Court
Approach
Model Court
Strategic Planning
• Other initiatives
– Alternative Dispute Resolution
– Expedited Appeals
– Family Violence Initiatives
– Foster Care Recruitment
– Statewide Outreach
– Specialized Dockets
• Truancy, Therapeutic Justice
Pima County, Arizona
Model Court
Established in 1996
14 years of system reforms
MODEL
DEPENDENCY
COURT – 1996
• One of the first ten courts in the country
• Implementing the NCJFCJ “Resource
Guidelines for Child Abuse and Neglect
Proceedings”
• Expedite cases and services to achieve early
permanency
• Reforms enacted into law and implemented
statewide
• Ongoing collaboration to continue to
improve outcomes
Six Foundational
Principles
•
•
•
•
•
•
Leadership
Timely Decision-Making
Accountability
Due Process
Problem-Solving Culture
Monitoring Systems Effectiveness/Court
Performance
DEPENDENCY:
STATISTICS AND TRENDS
• 1,694
Cases Pending
• 3,043 Children
• In 2008, 1,076 new petitions were filed
• Dependency petitions 36% between
2000 and 2009
Dependency Petitions
2000 - 2009
1200
1,076
1000
800
986
892
861
862
859
600
400
200
0
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
DEPENDENCY:
STATISTICS AND TRENDS
January 2008 – December 2008
• 40% returned to parent
• 31% adopted
• 8% placed in permanent guardianship
DEPENDENCY:
STATISTICS AND TRENDS
January 2008 – December 2008
40.00%
Returned to Parent
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
Adopted
20.00%
15.00%
Placed in Permanent
Guardianship
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
Other
Case Closure
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Adoption
Guardianship
Reunification
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
* 2009 Data is Current as of 11/13/09
All Adoptions in
Pima County
700
600
500
400
Calendar Year
300
200
100
0
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
*2009 Data is Current to November 13, 2009
2009
Court Improvement
Project (CIP)
Dependency Unit positions:
Three part-time Pre-Hearing Conference Facilitators
Three Data Specialists (extract & enter data from minute
entries, run reports, analyze data)
Two Intake Specialists (immediate communication with
CPS upon child’s removal; set Preliminary Protective
Hearings and Pre-Hearing Conferences 5-7 days after
removal; assign attorneys for children and parents)
One Dependency Specialist: arranges CLE Brown Bag
trainings, liaison with CPS, attorneys, AG’s office
Court Improvement
Project (CIP)
Cont’d.
JOLTSaz: CIP funds a full-time I.T.
programmer
All Dependency Unit staff work hand-in-hand
with I.T. as the dependency module of new
statewide data system is designed and
implemented
Goals and
Objectives
• Model Court requires the setting of
measurable goals
• The Model Court Working Committee
establishes the goals each year
• Some goals are not achieved in the year
they are originally set
1997 - 1998
• Formation of a multi-disciplinary inter-agency work
group
• Implementation of the “one-judge/one-family” system
• Implementation of the Preliminary Protective Hearing
and Pre-Hearing Conference
• Implementation of a new calendar system
• Attorney training
• Mediation program
• Mandatory settlement conference
1998 - 1999
• Full implementation of the mediation program
• Full implementation and evaluation of Data Collection &
Management System
• Multi-disciplinary training
• Collaborate with agency to enhance services
– Expand availability of visitation services
– Increased urinalysis testing
– Facilitate quicker substance abuse evaluations
– Develop a Resource Information Center for parents in
dependency cases at the Juvenile Court
– Provide calendar to all parents
1999 - 2000
• Develop a better collaborative case management
process for dually referred/adjudicated minors to
ensure safe placement and timely delivery of
appropriate services
• Collaborate with CPS and behavioral health
services to enhance the timely assessment of and
delivery of appropriate service to substance
abusing parents
• Continue collaboration with CPS:
– Expand visitation resources
– Implement Family Group Conferencing (funding and
training)
– Implement parent calendar program
1999 – 2000
cont’d
• Collaborate with CPS and behavioral health
providers to develop and implement processes
for early, comprehensive assessment of children
brought into care
• Continue work with NCJFCJ and NCJJ to
evaluate impact of Model Court reforms on the
goal of early, safe permanency for children:
– Collect relevant data
– Develop relevant reports in Data Collection and
Management System
– Utilize outside evaluator
1999 – 2000
cont’d.
• Collaborate with criminal bench, county attorney,
law enforcement, adult probation and parole to
facilitate delivery of services to child victims of
physical and sexual abuse and their families
• Celebrate children and families by holding special
events to recognize and honor those who work
with them and for them
• Beginning in January 2000, use our new juvenile
court facility to enhance dependency court
proceedings and services
2000 - 2001
• Implementation of Family Drug Court Pilot Program
• Improve collaboration through development of
Community Advisory Committee to enhance
delivery of services to children and families
• Improve dependency data collection systems to
streamline case management and monitor ASFA
compliance
2001 - 2002
• “Back to Basics:” Look at where we have come
from and recognize past accomplishments.
From there, build on what we have and work
from the bottom up to strengthen what is in place
• Continue to assess and enhance data collection
and reporting to increase reliability, improve
access, expand reporting capabilities and stress
the importance of good data to funding and
accountability
• Continue to review, monitor and evaluate the
Family Drug Court Pilot Project and the Court
Assisted Treatment Services (CATS) Project
2002 - 2003
• Develop a written protocol, approved by the
bench and the stakeholders, to improve the
quality and reduce the quantity of disclosure, in
order to focus court hearings on the well-being
of children
• Improve data collection and retrieval to monitor
ASFA compliance
• Seek out and apply for funding sources to
sustain the Family Drug Court
2003 - 2004
• Restructure the Dependency Court calendar to
accommodate the increased number of petitions
to ensure compliance with Arizona statutory time
frames and promote efficient scheduling of
hearings
• Improve the quality and quantity of parent-child
visitation
• Increase the use of alternative dispute resolution
2005 - 2006
•
Develop and implement cross-systems strategies
for addressing the impact of methamphetamine
abuse on children and families
–
–
–
Identify and collect data on methamphetamine use as a
factor in dependency cases
Identify services currently available for
methamphetamine abusers, evidence-based best
practices, and gaps in available services
Convene a public forum/training with other community
organizations on the local impact of methamphetamine
abuse, data collected, services currently available and
evidence-based best practices
2005 – 2006
cont’d.
• Develop and implement strategies to achieve
permanency for children in care more than two
years
– Develop a report identifying this group of children
by age, gender, placement, current plan, prior
plans, barriers to permanency, relatives, parental
involvement, assigned judge or other relevant
factors
– Identify and review current strategies, compare
with strategies successfully utilized in other
jurisdictions, and brainstorm new strategies
2005-2006
cont’d.
• Involve parents, extended family and other community and
natural support persons in the development, expedited
implementation and ongoing monitoring of case plans for
parents and children
– Modify the Pre-Hearing Conference to incorporate and build on
the results of the CPS Team Decision-Making process and the
Child and Family Team process
– Utilize the same core group of family and other constituents
(whether developed through TDM, CFT, ART or the PHC) to
develop, implement and monitor case plans for parents and
children
– In cooperation with the DMC/JDAI Initiative, develop a matrix of
child/family-centered ADR/decision-making processes; train
stakeholders
2006-2007
• Educational Committee- Improve educational
outcomes for dependent children
– Education Summit
– Organize a stakeholder’s forum. Goal is to collaborate with
schools to improve educational outcomes for courtinvolved youth
– Career Day
– Early Childhood Education
– Work on Resource Guide for daycare option
– Endless Dreams
– Create a video on educational needs of foster children.
– Alternatives to suspension and expulsion
– Education consultants
– DMC/JDAI
– Model Delinquency Court
2006 – 2007
cont’d.
• Adult Substance Abuse Committee- Increase
the successful provision of timely and effective
substance abuse services to parents.
– Adult Network Sub-committee
– Immediate Engagement Sub-Committee
– Sustainability
– Community Involvement
2006 -2007
cont’d.
• Children’s Voice Committee- Provide better and
more effective ways for the child’s voice to be heard
in all aspects of dependency proceedings.
2007 - 2008
• Reactivated Cases Subcommittee: Charged
with collecting data on reactivated dependency cases
and implement changes that may reduce the number
of cases that result in reactivated petitions by
– Refining data collection, analyzing data, compare with
national statistics, and develop a profile of reactivated
cases
– Enhance the current “Adult Recovery Team” pilot on
Judge Wagener’s caseload, adding a Community
Recovery Staffing to ensure continued support to families
beyond the dependency process
– Develop, conduct and disseminate the results of a survey
of parents whose cases have reactivated, as well as
parents on closed dependency cases
2007 – 2008
cont’d.
• Data Collaborative Subcommittee: Charged with
reviewing, developing, analyzing, and sharing data across
multi-systems to improve the outcomes of dependent children
and their families and make recommendations to facilitate
system change by comparing, reconciling and correcting data
across agency databases ( including race, name, John Doe,
DOB, placement)
• Family Law Workgroup Subcommittee: Charged
with developing and implementing a system for identification
of issues and cases common to juvenile, family and probate
courts, so that appropriate orders can be entered regarding
paternity, child support, custody and parenting.
2007 – 2008
cont’d.
• Permanency Subcommittee: Charged with
identifying and characterizing the number of dependent
children who have no permanent plan after two years or
more in out-of-home care. Committee will implement a
pilot program for permanency collaborative reviews.
• Children’s Voice Subcommittee: This committee
will develop better and more effective ways for the
child’s voice to be heard in all aspects of dependency
proceedings.
2008 - 2009
• Courts Catalyzing Change: Charged with identifying,
analyzing and improving race data and making
recommendations to improve any disproportionality
found.
• Passport to Adulthood: Charged with assisting judges
and agencies in their efforts to focus on all areas of an
adolescent’s life to ensure that needs are met,
resources are garnered and young adults are prepared
to leave foster care.
2008 – 2009
cont’d.
• Senior Model Court: Charged with developing and
implementing – in collaboration with NCJFCJ, a process
to mentor other court jurisdictions; embracing proven
best practices beginning with stakeholder collaboration
and including the principles in the Resource Guidelines.
• Severance Trial and Calendar: Charged with
developing a protocol for timely completion of
severance trials and permanency hearings for children
three and under.
2008 – 2009
cont’d.
• Community Outreach: Charged with launching
proactive, formal and collaborative efforts toward
educating the larger Tucson community on
dependency issues, the role of Model Court
stakeholders, Model Court initiatives and best
practices, the effects of child abuse and neglect, and
the role the community and individuals can play in
prevention and support.
Family Drug Court
works!
• A total of 418 parents have joined FDC
• 159 parents have graduated
• There have been 25 drug-free babies born to
FDC parents
• 90% have had their children returned to them
• 249 children went home
Education
Committee
HISTORY
Original focus: Model Dependency Court subcommittee
exploring ways to improve educational outcomes of children
in foster care.
Original goals:
Develop an awareness of educational issues of youth in
foster care.
Put education on the radar screens in the courts and in CPS.
Improve information sharing between school districts and CPS.
Education
Committee
ORIGINAL ACTIONS TAKEN
Collaborated with Casey Family Programs and Teen Child to
sponsor a “brown bag” seminar on the special educational
needs of minors in foster care - for judges, attorneys, court
personnel and Child Protective Services.
Core group meetings with Casey and Teen Child regarding the
development of an education advocacy
manual and initial goals for a Pima County committee.
Education
Committee
CURRENT GOALS: MODEL DEPENDENCY COURT
Expand education consultants: recruitment and training.
Early Childhood Education Subcommittee: quality
childcare and coordination of care.
Initiate workgroup to develop and implement strategies for
alternatives to suspension and expulsion.
Launch on-line version of Endless Dreams curriculum.
Support development of the PCJCC Community Advisory
Board volunteer tutoring program.
Hold an education summit.
Education
Committee
UMBRELLA COMMITTEE
Current committee has over 100 members
Membership includes school districts, Pima
County Superintendent of Schools Office, Pima
Community College, County Attorney’s Office, Public
Defender’s Office, Foster Care providers, group care
facilities’ representatives, contract attorneys, Child
Protective Services, the CASA program, AZ Attorney
General’s Office, Juvenile Probation Dept., Juvenile
Detention representatives and a Judicial Officer.
Meets 4-5 times a year.
Collaborative
Permanency
Review
•
•
•
•
•
Pilot Program
Two Judges
Extensive examination of Data
Judges review all children in care over two years
Child and Family Team meets just prior to the
hearing
• Parties all come to court to intensively explore
permanency options.
PERMANENCY
CHECKLIST
There are More People Who Love and Care for the
Child Than We Know About
•
Have all the relationships been discovered?
• Have all the relatives been identified?
• Have all the important persons been identified?
• Has the child been asked about people important to him or
her?
•
•
•
Are relationships and connections being maintained?
Are we all in a team?
•Has everyone been invited to the CFT?
Are we looking for solutions to the barriers?
• Housing Subsidy? In-Home Services Program?
PERMANENCY
CHECKLIST
There Are More People Who Will Love and Care for
the Child When a Relationship is Formed
• Are we still inviting people to be in the team?
•
Are we letting other people know about the child?
• Are we allowing new relationships to form?
• Have we made referrals for home studies?
•
Are we letting the older teenager take the lead?
BROWN BAG
TOPICS
• Infant Mental Health
• The Kinship Home-study Process
• Bonding and Attachment Issues for Court-Involved
Children
• Family Visiting: Planning visitation to meet the
needs of children and families
• Special Immigrant Juvenile Visas and Immigrant
Impacts of Juvenile Court Dispositions
• Foster Child Panel: What do I expect from the court
process?
• Family Law Issues in Dependency Cases
• Children and Psychotropic Drugs
Brown Bag
Topics cont’d.
• Basic Information about the Trans-gendered Community
• SSI/SSDI and Foster children
• Education Advocacy and Resources for Court-Involved
Youth
• Interactive interviewing of kids
• The Effects of Domestic Violence on Children
• Crimes against Children Syndrome: Battered Baby
Syndrome and Munchausen’s Syndrome by Proxy
• Shaken Baby Syndrome
• CASA – Court Appointed Special Advocate Program
Adoption Day
What Can You Do?
– RESOURCE GUIDELINES and ADOPTION AND
PERMANENCY GUIDELINES
– Regular, multidisciplinary collaborative meetings
– Gather data, identify areas for improvement, set
goals:
• CFSR, PIP, State Action Plan, CIP 5-Year Strategic
Plan
• SMART Goals*
– Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-Bound
Adapted from Jutkins, Ray (1999). Power Direct Marketing: How to Make it Work for You. Kingbooks
Thank you!
For More Information
Contact
Hon. Stephen M. Rubin
Pima County Juvenile Court Center
[email protected]
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
www.ncjfcj.org