CONNECTICUTS RESPONSE TO FAMILY FIRST PREVENTION SERVICES ACT

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CONNECTICUT’S RESPONSE TO FAMILY FIRST PREVENTION SERVICES ACT November 18, 2019 Courtyard Hartford Cromwell,

CONNECTICUT’S RESPONSE TO FAMILY FIRST PREVENTION SERVICES ACT November 18, 2019 Courtyard Hartford Cromwell, CT

FAMILY FIRST PLANNING CYCLE Workgroups Launch Monthly Meetings (1 to 2 X month) Workgroup

FAMILY FIRST PLANNING CYCLE Workgroups Launch Monthly Meetings (1 to 2 X month) Workgroup Recommendations Due to the Governance Committee Drafting and Completion of State Level Prevention Plan Governor’s Office Review of CTs Prevention Plan Federal Submission of CTs Prevention Plan to ACF Official Kick-off Nov 2019 Feb Mar Dec Jan 2019 2020 Mar 2020 Apr 2020 May 2020 June 2020

ANTICIPATED IMPLEMENTATION DATE… Pending Administration for Children and Families Approval

ANTICIPATED IMPLEMENTATION DATE… Pending Administration for Children and Families Approval

WORKGROUPS TO BE ESTABLISHED Candidacy Programs & Service Array Fiscal & Revenue Enhancement Kinship

WORKGROUPS TO BE ESTABLISHED Candidacy Programs & Service Array Fiscal & Revenue Enhancement Kinship & Foster Care Community Partnerships & Family and Child Engagement

CANDIDACY Goal: Strategically define “candidate for foster care, ” for the state of Connecticut

CANDIDACY Goal: Strategically define “candidate for foster care, ” for the state of Connecticut which will be the eligible population(s) of children that maximizes the greatest level of federal reimbursement that maintains children in the least restrictive environment Considerations: • Broad vs. Narrow • Potential fiscal impact to other state systems Member Characteristics: • Extensive child welfare and/or children’s behavioral health experience • Understanding of child welfare and/or Medicaid • Practice experts Deliverable: Tangible document containing the written definition of candidacy specifying the eligible population(s) in which Family First funding is to benefit

PROGRAMS &SERVICE ARRAY Goal: Align Connecticut’s vast array of services and programs to the

PROGRAMS &SERVICE ARRAY Goal: Align Connecticut’s vast array of services and programs to the identified needs of the children and families served, while ensuring a focus on quality services and interventions Considerations: • Need vs. Availability • Cost vs. Reimbursement • EBP status vs. Family First Clearinghouse Rating Member Characteristics: • Knowledge of Evidence Based Practices and the California Clearinghouse Eligibility Criteria • Placement continuum expertise from in-home supports to Residential Treatment programming • Prevention expertise - Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Deliverable: A written description of Connecticut’s realigned Service Array

KINSHIP &FOSTER CARE Goal: Identify barriers to Kinship Care, mitigate such barriers, and expand

KINSHIP &FOSTER CARE Goal: Identify barriers to Kinship Care, mitigate such barriers, and expand strategies to ensure relative engagement at the onset of a case, while building a culture that supports relatives and kin as “real” supports to children and families engaged in the child welfare system Considerations: Understanding the dynamics of Kin as resources vs. Core Families Member Characteristics: • Knowledge of Kinship, Foster Care and Therapeutic Foster Care Practices statewide • Knowledge of CT Regulations for Foster Care • Understanding of Subsidies and Placement payments • Knowledge of the Probate Court process • Expertise in Child Welfare Training Deliverable: Written plan to implement a kinship and relative care strategy to enhance Connecticut’s performance of relative kinship placements and supports

FISCAL &REVENUE ENHANCEMENT Goal: Enhance and maximize Connecticut’s federal reimbursement claiming Considerations: Colors of

FISCAL &REVENUE ENHANCEMENT Goal: Enhance and maximize Connecticut’s federal reimbursement claiming Considerations: Colors of Money: Family First vs. Medicaid vs. other funding sources Member Characteristics: • Expert knowledge of all Federal Funding streams • Knowledge of Connecticut’s state level budgets across state agencies • Ability to analyze impact of candidacy definition across systems Deliverable: Concrete revenue strategies to support efforts based on the identification of the candidacy population and the service delivery system

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP & FAMILY AND CHILD ENGAGEMENT Goal: Support full participation of parents, youth,

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP & FAMILY AND CHILD ENGAGEMENT Goal: Support full participation of parents, youth, legislative officials, community providers, and other state agencies in the planning, development and communication of Connecticut’s plan Considerations: Common goal vs. competing priorities within systems and services Member Characteristics: • Individuals with lived experience • Providers of child specific interventions and knowledge of child welfare • Professionals understanding child and family interaction within the current system • Leaders having multi-system relationships to help integrate and connect systems Deliverable: Further refinement of Connecticut’s Child and Family Services Plan, particular to Family First approval

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS TO DATE Lessons learned: • Overwhelming support for the philosophy of Family

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS TO DATE Lessons learned: • Overwhelming support for the philosophy of Family First • Recognize keeping children home and in the least restrictive environment is best for children and families • Solid infrastructure and base to build upon • Immense eagerness within the stakeholder community to get involved • Consistency in believing Connecticut has a strong array of services, and once coordinated, the state will be postured to deploy the optimal system

ANTICIPATED CHALLENGES Risk Aversive Tendency • We must shift to a Safety Culture Collective

ANTICIPATED CHALLENGES Risk Aversive Tendency • We must shift to a Safety Culture Collective Impact Child Protection Services • Embed work across agencies to align all systems and services Service Model Changes • Positions available services to match assessed need Communication and the Speed of Change

WHY IT’S WORTH IT? • Parents are better equipped, supported and trained to raise

WHY IT’S WORTH IT? • Parents are better equipped, supported and trained to raise their own children, resulting in overall better outcomes for children and families • Children maintain their culture, connection to community ties, and access to their extended families • Workers gain access to tools, resources and services to assist in their efforts to better serve children and families • Connecticut continues to build upon its prior efforts to ensure the delivery of quality services to include evidence based practices • Overall cost savings to the system of care

WHO’S IN? To sign up for a workgroup: • Send an email expressing interest

WHO’S IN? To sign up for a workgroup: • Send an email expressing interest to: dcfctfamilyfirst@ct. gov • Deadline for Submission – November 21, 2019 • Group Leads Selected - November 22, 2019 • Notice of Participation and Details regarding First Workgroup Meeting Issued November 25, 2019 • Dates for anticipated first Workgroup Meetings – Week of December 2

GETTING TO THE FINISH LINE…

GETTING TO THE FINISH LINE…

FEEDBACK LOOP AND COMMUNICATION FLOW Governance Committee Review of Workgroup Recommendations Additional information needed:

FEEDBACK LOOP AND COMMUNICATION FLOW Governance Committee Review of Workgroup Recommendations Additional information needed: Workgroup Lead contacted Response Time: 5 business days Workgroup Review of Final State Level Prevention Plan Draft: Electronic Copy to be sent to each Workgroup Lead for larger dissemination, coordination of group review, reconciliation of group comments, and one singular response back to the Governance Committee Draft, Development and Finalization of State Level Prevention Plan Anticipated Timeframe: 2 weeks Share Finalized Version of State’s Prevention Plan submitted for Governor’s Office approval with Workgroup Leads Share Final Version of Plan Submitted to ACF

THANK YOU! Reminders: To sign-up for a Workgroup email: dcfctfamilyfirst@ct. gov Resources: National Family

THANK YOU! Reminders: To sign-up for a Workgroup email: dcfctfamilyfirst@ct. gov Resources: National Family First Information: www. familyfirstact. org Connecticut Family First Website: CTFamily. First. ct. gov Contact Information for Co-Leads External Community Internal to DCF Ken Mysogland, DCF Ken. Mysogland@ct. gov Jo. Shonda Guerrier Jo. Shonda. Guerrier@ct. gov