CHILD WELFARE REFORM PLAN

IMPLEMENTATION STEPS

PROMISE

DEADLINE

E - enforceable

SAFETY: INTAKE/INVESTIGATIONS

 NE - not enforceable

Open new centralized screening hotline, publicize and address language barriers in reporting suspected child abuse/neglect.

Sep. 2004

E

Adopt policies to redefine child abuse and neglect and to refer only cases that meet these criteria.

Sep. 2004

E

Develop comprehensive investigative standards

Dec. 2004

E

Eliminate the “unsubstantiated” category. Investigation findings must be either substantiated or unfounded.

Dec. 2004

E

Routinely have protective and permanency workers use safety and risk assessments of children living in their own homes.

Dec. 2004

E

Separate investigation from permanency functions, assigning trained investigators to investigate allegations of abuse/neglect

Mar. 2005

E

Produce a statewide final plan that describes New Jersey’s model for forensic investigations and addresses major implementation issues, including funding, training and staffing.

Jul. 2005

NE

Intake/investigation practice will conform with policies.

Dec. 2005

E

Submit county plans for forensic investigations to the state, with timeframes for implementation and resource needs for FY ’06 and FY ‘07, including development of county child advocacy centers.

By Jul. 2006

NE

SAFETY: FOSTER CARE

Routinely have permanency and resource family support workers use safety assessments to assess risk of children in foster care. Note: Enforceables call for hiring of resource family support workers in June 2005.

Dec. 2004

E

Assign resource family support workers the responsibility of using the tool to assess safety and risk in resource family homes when they add the home to their caseload. Note: Enforceables call for hiring of resource family support workers in June 2005.

Dec. 2004

E

Develop a plan, subject to panel approval, to strengthen the Institutional Abuse Investigations Unit.

Mar. 2005

E

Locate IAIU within Office of Children’s Services

June 2005

E

Develop, execute and monitor a corrective action plan when a safety or risk factor is identified.

Jun. 2005

E

PERMANENCY: CASE PRACTICE

Develop a plan to make timely, appropriate placements for children who need out-of-home care.

Sep. 2004

E

Provide an active caseworker, continuing case management coverage during personal/medical leaves, through case transfers and following attrition.

Sep. 2005

E

Deploy a common tool and procedure to use in assessing children and matching them to the appropriate placement.

Dec. 2004

E

Revise and adopt policies regarding frequency of visits, standards for visitation supervision and use of visits in achieving reunification.

Dec. 2004

Revise and adopt policies to reduce trauma during removals.

Dec. 2004

E

Practice will conform to new removal policies.

Dec. 2005

E

Deploy system to monitor the scheduling, participation, completion and results of family team meetings.

Mar. 2005

E

Deploy a database of resource families for use in matching, with records for resource families managed by the public and private agencies.

Jun. 2005

E

PERMANENCY: RELATIVE PLACEMENTS

Revise and adopt policies for working with relatives.

Dec. 2004

E

Reduce barriers to emergency placement with relatives by streamlining and clarifying emergency clearance/presumptive eligibility procedures and providing emergency and ongoing support services.

Jun. 2005

E

Relative practice will conform to policies.

Dec. 2005

E

PERMANENCY: ADOPTION

Develop a plan, subject to panel approval, to provide timely, high quality adoption services.

Dec. 2004

E

Cease transferring cases to Adoption Resource Centers when a child’s goal becomes adoption. Cases will remain with existing permanency worker.

Dec. 2004

E

Expand post-adoption services to include respite for families who adopt adolescents and children with special needs.

Sep. 2005

E

Terminate operation of Adoption Resource Centers

Dec. 2005

E

Assign an adoption specialist to support the permanency worker for 95 percent of children with a case goal of adoption.

Jun. 2006

E

PERMANENCY: RESOURCE FAMILIES

Equalize payment rates to kin and non-kin caregivers

Jun. 2004

E

Develop a FY 05 recruitment plan subject to panel review to license 1,000 new resource families by June 2005. These plans will be developed annually.

Sep. 2004

E

Expand existing contracts to allow resource families to access an existing array of services. *

Sep. 2004

E

Raise foster care support rates.

Dec. 2004 - Jun. 2008

E

Develop a plan to enhance support for resource families, and then implement the plan.

Dec. 2004

E

Provide potential resource families with one point of contact for entire licensing process.

Dec. 2004

E

Reduce the length of time between initial recruitment and licensure to 120 days for 95 percent of resource families.

Jun. 2005

E

Train new, incoming resource families with new, 24-hour curriculum.

Jun. 2005

E

Create a reporting system to learn why resource families leave the system, and adjust retention strategies accordingly.

Jun. 2005

NE*

Provide resource families with access to a 24-hour crisis support.

Jun. 2005

E

Require 10 hours of in-service training to licensed resource families during FY 06. By June 2005, requires 15 hours of in-service annually.

Jun. 2005 - Jun. 2006

E

Revise and adopt uniform licensing standards for adoptive, foster and kinship homes.

Dec. 2005

E

Decrease the attrition rate of families.

Dec. 2006

E

STAFFING: HIRING

Hire 68 staff to adequately respond to calls to the central hotline.

Sep. 2004

E

Hire 12 additional staff for Office of Licensing children’s residential inspection unit.

 Sep. 2004

E

Hire sufficient IAIU field investigators so that 95 percent of investigators have no more than 8 new cases per month and 12 open cases at a time.

Jun. 2005

E

Hire at least 95 percent of 260 new front-line positions planned for July 2004-October 2004.

Dec. 2004

E

Assign 50 staff to participate in intensive training, becoming leaders of the state’s transition to family team meetings.

Dec. 2004

E

Hire or assign sufficient protective workers so they receive, on average, no more than 9 new cases per month, have an average of no more than 18 open cases and 95 percent will have no more than 14 new cases per month and no more than 21 open cases.

Dec. 2004

E

Assign sufficient trained personnel to facilitate family team meetings for 85 percent of placement decisions made in Phase I Area Offices.

Mar. 2005

E

Assign adoption specialists to every district office.

Mar. 2005

E

Hire at least 95 percent of 48 new supervisory positions planned for this period.

Jun. 2005

E

Hire 95 percent of 162 new case aide positions planned for this period.

Jun. 2005

E

Hire, assign or contract for the services of 130 resource family support workers.

Jun. 2005

E

Hire or contract for services of 136 adolescent specialists.

Dec. 2005

E

Maintain final caseload standards that 95 percent of resource family support workers statewide have no more than 35 families, including no more than five new families to home study each month.

Jun. 2006

E

STAFFING: CIVIL SERVICE REFORM

Revise hiring procedures and promotional requirements for caseload-carrying staff and supervisors, including preference for front-line staff to have social work degree or related experience.

Sep. 2004

E

Develop new or revised job descriptions and civil service examinations and schedules to select candidates with appropriate skills.

Jun. 2005

E

Implement competency testing at end of pre-service training.

Jun. 2005

E

Link performance on post-training competency testing to continued employment with the agency.

Dec. 2005

E

Front-line staff hired will hold a social work degree or have experience.

Jun. 2007

E

Supervisors hired or promoted since July 1, 2005 will hold an MSW or related advanced degree.

Dec. 2009

E

STAFFING: TRAINING

Develop new specialized training modules to supplement existing training for practices like structured-decision making, family team meetings and investigations.

Dec. 2004

E

Deliver new training to existing staff.

Mar. 2005

E

Deliver new pre-service training to incoming staff.

Jun. 2005

E

Develop and deliver curricula for staff with specialized roles.

Dec. 2005

E

Develop a plan, subject to panel approval, to create a training academy.

Dec. 2004

E

SERVICES: CASE PRACTICE

Identify funding process for implementing community collaboratives.

Sep. 2004

E

Define an assessment process and deploy related tools and policies to support functional assessments.

Dec. 2004

E

Deploy a revised individual service plan format to facilitate families’ and children’s involvement in service planning.

Dec.2004

E

Adopt new policies regarding practice with families who have experienced domestic violence.

Dec. 2004

E

Adopt policies regarding access to and use of flexible funds and conform policies to practice.

Dec. 2004 - Jun. 2005

E

Develop a plan, subject to panel approval, to resolve the problem of low salaries and benefits for private providers that contract with the state to provide services to families. Implement plan.

Mar. 2005

E

Incorporate findings and recommendations from the functional assessments in 95 percent of case plans.

Jun. 2005

E

New Jersey’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect to develop a plan to provide services and supports to families at risk and then take reasonable steps to implement the plan.

Jun. 2005

E

Establish community collaboratives, phased in throughout the state. Within 6 months of establishing community collaborative, identify service resources, gaps and needs.

Mar. 2005 - Mar. 2006

E

Practice will conform to new domestic violence policies.

Dec. 2005

E

Use a single case plan for families involved with multiple systems and service providers.

Jun. 2006

E

SERVICES: FAMILIES/PREVENTION

Provide funds for an additional 250 child care slots during FY 05.

Jun. 2004

E

Begin expanding in-home and emergency support services available to children and families. Develop a process to inform staff of community services.

Jul. 2004

NE

Expand Home Visitation Program by 1,000 slots to reach 25 percent of households who receive public assistance and have a child under age one.

Sep. 2005

E

Expand School-Based Youth Services Program to an additional 32 schools/26,000 more students.

Jan. 2006

E

Create sufficient capacity for case management by private, non-profit community agencies for high-risk families.

Dec. 2005

E

Identify sufficient case managers within the Division of Family Development to work with at-risk families who receive TANF.

Dec. 2005

E

SERVICES: HEALTH

Hire a consultant pediatric physician as a Medical Director to develop a plan to meet children’s health needs, including annual physicals and EPSTD screenings.

Jul. 2004

NE

Each DYFS office will have a minimum of one registered nurse.

Jul. 2004

 NE

Develop a comprehensive plan for the Office of Children’s Service, subject to panel approval, to provide high-quality emergency and routine healthcare for children in out-of-home placement.

Mar. 2005

E

SERVICES: MENTAL HEALTH

Increase the number of Youth Case Managers to 167, providing capacity to serve 10,000 children per year.

Sep. 2004

E

Develop protocols and capacity to provide adult mental health services via the Division of Family Development to 150 individuals whose families are involved with the child welfare system. Continue to expand to meet needs.

Dec. 2004

E

Complete a needs assessment of children’s behavioral health services for FY ’06 and each year thereafter.

Mar.2005

E

Create 75 additional treatment homes and 40 emergency treatment homes.

Jun. 2005

E

Take all reasonable steps to fund and expand children’s behavioral health services to fill needs, as assessed.

Jun. 2005

E

Expand Care Management Organization and Family Support Organizations to four additional areas, providing capacity to serve 2,000 children per year.

Sep. 2005

E

Expand Mobile Response and Stabilization Services to provide services to 6,000 children and their families per year.

Sep. 2005

E

Expand the capacity of community-based behavioral health services to support 3,000 children and their families per year.

Dec. 2005

E

Provide behavioral health services and supports to 95 percent of children identified through assessment.

Jun. 2006

E

SERVICES: SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Increase substance abuse services to families who need them to include 40 short-term residential slots, 135 outpatient/partial care slots, 100 regular outpatient slots and 150 methadone treatment slots.

Jun. 2005

E

Create 40 residential treatment slots and 200 outpatient treatment slots for adolescents abusing substances.

Jun. 2005

E

Create 2,302 additional slots across the various treatment modalities using a total of $28.3 million.

Over three years

NE

Create 750 slots for adolescent substance abuse services over 5 years.

125 slots in first year Remainder over next 4 years 

NE

SERVICES: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Replicate “Peace: A Learned Solution” starting in 3 high-risk counties, expanding to 3 additional high-risk counties and maintain or expand as needed.

FY 06-FY07

E

Use DCA Homeless Prevention funds and federal rental assistance to provide housing assistance to about 400 women transitioning from domestic violence shelters to safer, more stable living arrangements for a total of $6.3 million.

Over 5 years

NE

SERVICES: ADOLESCENTS

Develop a Request for Proposal to select community- and faith-based organizations to recruit, hire and supervise 500 adult mentors statewide.

Aug. 2004 - Dec.2005

NE

Eliminate long-term foster care as a permanency goal.

Sep. 2004

E

Capture data specific to adolescents.

Oct. 2004

 NE

Cease the widespread practice of automatically closing cases when children turn 18.

Dec. 2004

E

Enroll eligible children in the Chafee Medicaid Extension program when they turn 18 and maintain enrollment until age 21.

Dec. 2004

E

Develop an office within the Division of Prevention and Community Partnerships dedicated to planning for the needs of adolescents and youth transitioning out of the system.

Dec. 2004

E

Sign a Memorandum of Agreement with the Dept. of Labor and Juvenile Justice Commission to provide job training and other employment services to youth exiting the child welfare system without legal permanency.

Jun. 2005

E

Develop a high-quality mentoring system, ages 13 and older.

Dec. 2005

E

Contract with community organizations to provide an array of aftercare services to 200 youth annually, ages 18-21

Dec. 2005

E

Develop a Request for Proposals to create 40 new transitional living beds for approximately 55 DYFS youth aging out of the system. Each year thereafter add 30 to 40 additional transitional housing beds, as needed

Dec. 2005

E

Provide youth in out-of-home care with an adolescent specialist.

Dec. 2006

E

PERMANENCY: CONGREGATE CARE

Identify children placed by the child welfare system into congregate care settings and assign 95 percent a case manager from CBH to help transition them back to the family/community.

Dec. 2004

E

Assign a case manager to children waiting for treatment in detention, JJC facilities or shelters to transition them to community-based placements.

 Dec. 2004

E

Provide in-patient treatment services and alternative less-restrictive community-based services for children and youth who need psychiatric care.

Jun. 2005

E

Incorporate performance-based outcomes and no eject/no reject policy into all providers’ contracts and hold providers accountable for meeting those outcomes.

Jan.2005 - Dec. 2005

NE

Close Brisbane

Dec. 2005

E

SERVICES: HOUSING

Increase the availability of DCA funds ($1 million annually) to rehabilitate homes for resource families. 250 homes over five years.

Starts May 2004 with 50 participants

NE

 DCA will make $2 million in federal HOME Production Investment funding available in the first year and $800,000 annually for the next four years, to create up to 40 affordable rental housing units for low-income DYFS families.

Start Jul. 2004

NE

Create up to 160 affordable rental housing units for eligible low-income DYFS families.                                             

Over  5 years

 NE

Department of Community Affairs will develop a Section 8 program for low- income DYFS families, using $4.8 million.

Over 5 years

 NE

Increase the availability of the Home Ownership Permanency Program operated by HMFA to assist families who are in the final stages of adopting a child or becoming the child’s legal guardian. 250 families receiving $5 million in loans over 5 years.

Begin 2005

NE

Amend regulations on emergency assistance to make assistance available to approximately 100 DYFS families at cost of $4.3 million.

Dec. 2005 

 NE

ACCOUNTABILITY

Develop database and reporting system for supervisors to track each worker.

Jul. 2004 - Jun. 2005

 NE

Develop a plan, subject to panel approval, to implement “Continuous Quality Improvement” in the Office of Children’s Services.

Dec. 2004

E

Produce baseline measures for the benchmarks to be monitored.

Dec. 2004

E

Develop a plan, subject to panel approval, to develop performance-based contracting. Thereafter, implement plan.

Dec. 2004

E

Deploy an automated system to transmit and track reports and investigations, including timeliness of responses and results.

Dec. 2004

E

Publish quarterly and annual data reports at the state level and for each area and district office, reporting on outcome indicators and benchmarks.

Mar. 2005

E

Revise and adopt polices and contracts to make private agency staff and services available on weekday evenings and weekends, set appropriate staffing levels and educational requirements and include flexibility to allow nontraditional providers and informal community supports to be funded.

Jun. 2005

E

Incorporate performance-based outcomes and a no-eject/no reject policy into provider contracts.

Sep. 2006

E