CWB Update - October 2017

Key Highlights This Month:  

• Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI) kick-off event is scheduled for Oct. 24 (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) and 25 (9 a.m.-3 p.m.)at the Wellstone Center in St. Paul.  Invitation attached
• Upcoming forum regarding foster care recruitment/ barriers and challenges for licensing relatives and impact on permanency being planned for November MACSSA meeting.
• DHS is hiring for the Project Director for the SAMHSA SOC Grant, with a hiring decision anticipated in early November.  The grant officially began on 10-1-17.  The new Behavioral Health Director at DHS will be the Principal Investigator.  All other positions and contracts for the grant are in place.  DHS anticipates pulling together the different groups to work on the grant in late November/early December.  The SAMHSA Contact for this grant is Liz Sweeter who was the contact for the three previous regional grants in MN and is familiar with our system. 
• New CFSR process in MN will begin December 1.  This will be discussed at the November 16 Supervisor Forum.

The Public Disclosure Work Group related to child fatalities has met twice and has a draft process that should be available soon.  DHS will help craft the information for counties to have available for release should there be a request for information as allowable in statute.  This will provide consistency across the state.  

Requested Actions Needed From MACSSA:  

New Trends in This Area:  

• PRTF (Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities):  DHS has completed contracts with three agencies to develop PRTFs.  The three will be rolled out between January 2018 and January 2019. They are:  The Hills Youth & Family Services (Woodland Hills) developing in the metro area, Northwoods developing in the Duluth area, and Clinicare developing in the NW region.  The entities may be contacting counties to seek information on specific needs and trends.  Medical necessity will be required for admission as this is an MA funding service.  A page on the DHS website should be active soon regarding the PRTFs.  An offer has been made to host a forum at a MACSSA meeting in early 2018 to allow the opportunity for open dialogue and input from the counties. 

Issues/Concerns Regarding This Topic:  

• ESSA and Transportation for Children in Foster Care:  No information has been sent out yet on how the state is going to administer the pilot funds allocated in the last legislative session to help cover the costs of transportation of children in foster care previously covered under homeless youth funds through ESSA.  A request was made to DHS for revision of a workgroup to look at this and how this can be implemented by schools/counties.  Hennepin County has shared their documents related to development of MOUs with the school districts in their county.  Please see attached documents. 
• Legislative Task Force on Child Protection met on October 3, 2017.  The highlights included review by Jim Koppel and Jamie Sorenson on progress on the previous child protection recommendations, testimony regarding HF 2621 regarding female genital mutilation, testimony on the increase in assessments/placements and impact on the workforce, and testimony related to the impact of legislative changes on increasing racial disparities within the child protection system.    The task force ran over time and there was a promise of sufficient time at the next meeting for continued testimony of parents and members of the community regarding their concerns.  Please see attached information from Muddi Kpohraror, from Goff, who attended the meeting.

Legislative Impacts:  

• Position Template re: Public Disclosure on Child Fatality/Near Fatalities
• Position Template re:  Educational Stability

Supporting Materials:  

• SAMHSA System of Care training institute training
• QPI Invitation: 
• Legislative Task Force on Child Protection 10-3-17 meeting summary. 
• Transportation of Children in Foster Care documents from Hennepin County.

Contacts(s):