Transcript REGION IV CITIZEN REVIEW PANEL CONFERENCE

CITIZEN REVIEW PANEL
Theresa Costello, MA
Director
National Resource Center for Child
Protective Services
AGENDA
 Overview
 Resources
and Reference Materials
 Training and Technical Assistance
– www.nrccps.org
– [email protected]
– 505-301-3105
CRP HISTORY
 1996
CAPTA (Child Abuse Prevention
and Treatment Act) Reauthorization
– CAPTA established in 1974
– Established requirement for state plan
detailing compliance with CAPTA
requirements in order to receive CAPTA
grant
CRP requirements
3 panels per state by July 1999 (some
states only 1 required)
 Panels must review compliance of state
and local CPS with respect to:

– State CAPTA plan (CA/N reporting system, CPS
system, confidentiality)
– Other criteria panel considers important, which
may include coordination with foster care and
adoption programs and review of child
fatalities and near fatalities.
CRP Requirements
 Membership:
Composed of volunteer members:
– Broadly representative of the
community in which they are operating
– Include individuals with expertise in the
prevention and treatment of child abuse
and neglect
CRP Requirements
 Meetings
– Must meet at least quarterly
 Functions
– Examine policies, procedures and
practices (2003 amendment) of State and
local agencies and, where appropriate,
specific cases
– Evaluate extent to which State or local
agency is meeting child protection
responsibilities
CRP Requirements
 Confidentiality
– Critical to maintain confidentiality of
individual case information; cannot be
made public unless authorized by State
statute
 Public
Outreach
– Panels must get public comment to
assess impact of procedures and
practices on children and families in the
community (2003 amendment)
CRP Requirements

Report
– Panel produces annual report
 Summary
of the activities of the panel
 Recommendations to improve the child protective
services system at the State and local level
 Key product of panel; distribute widely (Governor,
legislature)
– State agency response (2003 amendment)
 Within
6 months of receipt of report
 Describes whether or how the State will incorporate
the recommendations of the panel
CRP Requirements
 State
Assistance
– Provide access to information on cases
the panel desires to review
– Provide the panel staff assistance for
the performance of the duties of the
panel
CPS System
 Panels
can examine any of the
following
– Intake (screening)
– Investigation (assessment)
– Differential response
– Safety decision making
– Case findings (substantiated, not
substantiated)
CPS System, continued
– Family assessment (ongoing)
– Case planning
– Ongoing safety decision making
– Case closure
– Placement; placement stability
– Service array and coordination
– Staff training, qualifications, workload
Basic CAPTA requirements

See CAPTA manual page 28-34
– Reporting procedures for CA/N
– Policies and procedures for substance exposed
newborns
– Plan of safe care for substance exposed
newborns
– Procedures for screening, risk and safety
assessment
– Triage procedures for children not at risk of
imminent harm
– Procedures to assure safety of all kids in a
home
CAPTA requirements continued
 See
CAPTA manual pgs. 28-34
– Immunity for good faith reporting
– Confidentiality of records
– Provisions for public disclosure
– Public disclosure in fatality and near
fatality
– Cooperation of law enforcement, courts
and state CPS agencies
CAPTA requirements, continued
 See
CAPTA manual pgs.28-34
– Expungement of records available to
public
– Appointment of guardian ad litem
– Establishment of citizen review panels
– Provisions for expedited TPR
– Provisions not requiring reunification in
certain cases
– TPR for surviving children
CAPTA requirements, continued

See CAPTA manual pgs. 28-34
– Parental notification at first contact
– Training for those with legal responsibilities
– Procedures to improve training, retention and
supervision of caseworkers
– Procedures for referral of children under 3 to
IDEA Part C
– Criminal background checks for prospective
adoptive, foster, relative and non-relatives
living in the home
How do panels review CPS
policies, practices and procedures?
Case reviews
 Statewide data
 Policy review
 Procedure review
 Surveys
 Quality Assurance reviews
 Community forums
 Focus groups or interviews

Identified Technical Assistance and
Training needs of CRP’s
 NRCCPS
Survey of State CRP
coordinators
– Scope of work (see page 6)
– Annual report (page 8)
– Retention of CRP members (page 5)
– Orientation and training of CRP
members (page 4)
– Recruitment of members (page 2)
Big Picture

National effectiveness study in 2006
– Blake Jones


National Citizens Review Panel Virtual
Community
www.uky.edu/socialwork/crp
Fifth annual Citizens Review Panel
Conference May 25-26, 2006 Louisville,
Kentucky