Child Wellbeing Update - September 2018

Key Highlights This Month:  

• Foster Care Sibling Bill of Right:  The Bill of Rights was passed by the legislature.  Social Workers are to provide to children in foster care effective 8-1-18.  Bulletin has been released.  See attached bulletin at the end of this document.  MACSSA CWB has requested the forms be added to eDocs and/or SSIS.  The legislation did not include an age for providing the form to children.  DHS suggests age 10 and up.   
• Wilder Center has been awarded the contract to work on the CMH Intensive Needs Study.  MACSSA is asking this include data on expenditures from counties.  A forum is being developed for September.  A template for capturing the county expenditures has been developed by Hennepin County and will be offered to counties as a way to gather the data. 
• Family First Prevention and Services Act (FFPSA).  An initial MACSSA forum on FFPSA will be held in September to provide MACSSA membership with understanding of potential implications of this legislation.  A MACSSA workgroup will be engaging with Casey Family Programs on developing vision for this work.  Rep. Kresha met with several MACSSA representatives to discuss this legislation and potential implications and opportunities for MN. 
• SOC (System of Care)
  • DHS SOC local grant award decisions are nearly finalized.  SOC team is bringing finalized recommendations to Maisha Giles on 9/17/18.  Grant awards are expected to counties within the next two weeks.
  • Counties will not need finalized contracts by the end of September.  DHS believes the award notice will satisfy request for first year encumbrances of dollars.
  • Received almost double the request for funds
  • SOC Policy committee will be getting some facilitation at the next meeting to help with focusing on prioritizing inter-agency efforts.  Better define the role of the group and what will bring the group together. 
  • Thus far limited engagement across systems to focus on system reform
  • DHS will be seeking MACSSA representatives to be on data integration project related to SOC initiative. 
  • Intensive MH study will be a forum at next MACSSA meeting
• FFPSA (Family First Prevention and Services Act) Update (DHS/MACSSA)
  • Feds approved PIP to obtain background studies for all staff in congregate care facilities.  This should enable continued IVE reimbursement
  • MACSSA is engaging Casey Family Program to help develop vision and a planning process for how FFPSA can help reshape the current system.  Broader partnerships will need to be developed.
  • MACSSA forum scheduled for next MACSSA meeting to share broader information with membership
  • Ann Ahlstrom will be providing an update on FFPSA at the upcoming MCAA conference to help prepare County Attorneys
  • MACSSA rep met with Rep. Kresha regarding FFPSA. 
    • Follow up meeting scheduled 10/16/18
    • Rep. Kresha will ate nd November MACSSA meeting for a follow up FFPSA forum.
• 626.556 Recodification-DHS is engaged with the Senate and House about this moving forward this next session.  Rep. Kresha will likely be asked to carry this forward.  MACSSA’s support will be important in helping move this forward.
• 24 hour Response for CP Investigations and possible legislation
  • MACSSA wants to bring position statement forward regarding exceptions to 24 hour response.
  • Rebecca Wilcox, Autumn Baum, Jennifer Sommerfeldt, and Jamie Sorenson would be resources to share proposed language MACSSA may develop
  • DHS is not bringing forward any significant changes in the CP response framework.  Some potential changes to substantial endangerment include:
    • Moving POR out of sexual abuse to threatened injury

Requested Actions Needed From MACSSA:  

New Trends in This Area:  Families First Act continues to be a concern at the county and state level as we work through the potential impacts and opportunities.  Most states are waiting for the release from the feds of the list of services that will be included for potential funding under prevention services before determining whether to ask for the two year extension for compliance with the act.  There are many variables.  For instance, to qualify for IV-E, congregate care facilities must qualify as QRTPs.  To do so would require a licensing body to complete the accreditation and states feel this may overload current licensing bodies.  In addition, QRTPs must meet other requirements such as 24 hour nursing staff availability.  DHS wants to create a forum/process to regularly meet with and collaborate with counties on the Act.  MACSSA is working on a forum for September related to the Families First Act to assure all counties have information and for discussion of potential direction. 

Issues/Concerns Regarding This Topic:  Families First Act:  The Act requires background checks on ALL employees in congregate care institutes, including those not having direct child contact (janitor, cook).  This required legislative changes in the next session after the Act passed on Feb. 1. MN Legislative Session started later in Feb and this did not occur.  DHS has asked for a PIP to allow time to have legislative action in the 2019 session.  If the PIP is not approved, IV-E funding for any facility other than foster care would end 10/1/18.  DHS estimates a $7 million impact.  DHS has received notice the PIP will be approved. 

Legislative Impacts:  

August MACSSA meetings included some preliminary legislative planning.  Key legislative areas include: 

• System of Care (including IMD/PRTF/QRTPs, Medicaid funding for evidence-based programming)-Jamie Halpern (Hennepin County) volunteered to develop a position statement on this work.
• 24 hour CP Response:  focus would be to carve out exceptions to the 24 hour response timeframe.  This concept will be discussed on Sept. 12 with MACSSA CWB and DHS. Jodi Heurung (Sherburne County) volunteered to draft a position statement. 
• School Transportation Funding for Children in Foster Care-Jamie Halpern (Hennepine County) volunteered to update position statement
• Comprehensive Child Welfare Financing.  This would include a broad range of key topics including CP withholds, training academy, infrastructure costs, etc. 

Recodification of MN Statute 626.556:  MCAA and DHS are working to reintroduce the changes to the Child Maltreatment Act brought forward last year.  MACSSA should be prepared for possible requests to offer support to the legislation as was requested last year. 

Supporting Materials:  Foster Care Sibling Bill of Rights

Contact(s):  Suzanne Arntson/Brenda Mahoney