ALASKA CITIZEN REVIEW PANEL CRP’s work and how you can help

BIA Providers’ Conference Anchorage, AK December 2, 2014

P RESENTATION O UTLINE • What is the CRP, and what does it do?

• Panel’s activities since 2002 • This year’s goals • Your participation • A short survey

W HAT DOES CRP DO ?

Federal Mandate: –

Review and evaluate

practice as well as policy and procedure – Collect

public comment

and – prepare and present

an annual report

which details their activities and recommendations (CRP Annual Report) State Mandate: “The CRP shall examine the policies, procedures, and practices of State and local agencies and where appropriate, specific cases,

to evaluate

the extent to which State and local child protection system agencies are effectively discharging their protection responsibilities.”

V ISION AND M ISSION Vision: To

enable

the Office of Children’s Services to implement its policies and procedures in a culturally sensitive and consistent manner across the state.

Mission: •

Review and evaluate

the practices and procedures of OCS •

Recommend

changes and improvements

CRP S CAN REVIEW , EVALUATE , OR EXAMINE • • • • • • • • Intake and screening Investigation or assessment Family Services (in-home or out-of-home) Practice behaviors Coordination of services Staff qualifications, training, and workload Utilization of technology Review of individual cases

CRP RECOMMENDATIONS Can address… Should be… • • • Policy-practice gaps Inadequate policy Issues not addressed in policy • • Systemic issues • • • Focused and specific Should deal with issues within OCS control Based on meaningful and real information Be based on the work done through the year

P ANEL M EMBERSHIP • Volunteers • Broadly representative of the state – Diverse personal and professional background – All parts of the state – Some experience and familiarity with child protection The Panel’s members are chosen through a formal interview process

T HIS IS HOW IT WORKS … Alaska’s Child Protection Policy Practice Needs of children and families CRP’s job is to check if these wheels are turning as we expect them to – smooth.

T HIS IS HOW IT WORKS … Alaska’s Child Protection What is supposed to be done?

Policy Practice Needs of children and families What is needed?

What is actually done?

CRP tries to know the answers to these

questions

.

T HIS IS HOW IT WORKS … Every year the Panel starts with a

WORK PLAN

Goal 1 • Tasks….

Blah blah blah …..

Goal 2 • Tasks… Blah blah blah …..

Goal 3 • Tasks… Blah blah blah …..

T HIS IS HOW IT WORKS … • • • • CRP pursues these goals through: Monthly meetings – Panel meetings – Meetings with OCS senior leadership Site visits – Meet with OCS staff – Meet with local partner agencies including

tribal leaders and ICWA workers

Present to the legislature every February Release an annual report

C OVERED ALMOST ALL OF THE STATE …

R ECOMMENDATIONS FROM 2013-2014 • Recommendation 1: OCS make several changes to its intake policy – Create and support several methods for people to make a report – Change the intake procedures so reporters have to opt-out of receiving follow up on the case – Uniformly implement the current pilot project of having a supervisor reviewing cases after 10 screened-out PSRs – Periodically send a list of screened out PSRs to the local field office

S CREENED OUT BECAUSE … Screen Out - Does not Meet IA Criteria 3500,00 3000,00 2500,00 2000,00 1500,00 1000,00 500,00 0,00 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Anchorage Northern Southcentral Southeast Western

R ECOMMENDATIONS FROM 2013-2014 • OCS develop a model for serving in-home cases in rural Alaska and improve its data collection on in-home cases 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% In-home Out-of-home Statewide 777 2003 OCS Caseload as of January 28, 2014 Anchorage 162 833 Northern 103 354 Out-of-home Southcentral In-home 65 499 Southeast 84 154 Western 363 163

R ECOMMENDATIONS FROM 2013-2014 0,60 0,50 0,40 0,30 0,20 0,10 0,00 • Recommendation 3: OCS address the root of Initial Assessment (IA) backlog problem Percentage of IAs open for more than 90 days 0,70

R ECOMMENDATIONS FROM 2013-2014 • Recommendation 4: OCS make improved relationships with community partners a priority – Focus on relationships has been part of CRPs work for several years – There is no consistent practice in building and sustaining good relationships – No institutional structure guiding relationships

P AST RECOMMENDATIONS • 2008 & 2009 - That OCS continue to work toward having a fifth service region headquartered in Bethel • 2009 - Supporting and developing the relationship between OCS & ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act) workers

P AST RECOMMENDATIONS • 2011 - Work to improve the culture within the agency (Wasilla site visit) • 2012 - Establish deadlines that require non‐emergency petitions to be filed allowing for supervision of the family by the continuum of legal parties without necessitating the removal of the child.

G OALS FOR 2014-2015 Retained all four goals from last year • And added: Learn more about ORCA and its capabilities • Understand and assess OCS’ foster care recruitment efforts

C OME JOIN HANDS … OCS cannot resolve all the issues alone CRPs are set up for us to participate

W E JUST NEED TO FIND A COMMON LANGUAGE • • Child protection is very complex OCS is a complex system – $ 300 million annual budget – 500 workers – 5 regional offices – 21 field offices • Governed by Federal laws, state laws, codes of ethics, professional values, rules and regulations, legal cases and opinions, etc.

W E JUST NEED TO FIND COMMON LANGUAGE OCS says… – Not enough money – Not enough people – Higher ups will not let us do that… – We have to do things one at a time… – We are following a set process Citizens say… – Needs are important – I know things are not right… – Why don’t you do something now… – You don’t understand my community… – We have no idea what you do…everything is a secret!

W E JUST NEED TO FIND A COMMON LANGUAGE CRP is trying to translate between these parties Alaska’s Child Protection What is supposed to be done?

Policy Practice Needs of children and families What is needed?

What is actually done?

CRP NEEDS TO HEAR FROM YOU About… – Your concerns with child protection in your community – Your interaction with OCS – Your observation on how things are going with OCS – Your feedback on CRP work You can remain anonymous. Your comments will be confidential.

C ONSIDER JOINING CRP • CRP needs members from all parts of the state – Voluntary – May involve travel – Flexible and limited involvement possible • Formal selection process – Application – Interview – References

THANK YOU!

For an application or more information www.crpalaska.org

Contact Sylvan Robb 907-450-2456 [email protected]