Office of Children's Services Centralized Intake Office of Children's Services

Intake The first critical safety decision to be made – will OCS open an initial assessment? Key terms: Screen in: The report meets criteria for OCS to assess. Screen out: The report did not meet criteria at this time. Receives reports through phone, email, fax and walk-in Nearly 18,000 reports/year – 15 workers and 3 supervisors

Who We Serve Families whose children have been determined to be unsafe or at high risk of maltreatment by their parent or caregiver. 18,949 Reports 9,962 Initial Assessments 2,005 Substantiations 1,390 Removals Data from September 2016-August 2017 3, 099 Children in Out of Home Care in August 2017 Screen in rate of approx 55% http://dhss.alaska.gov/ocs/Pages/statistics/default.aspx

History of Intake Originally…Intake a duty of each field office. 2011 - Regional Intake Improved consistency… … but still a screen out range of 35% - 69% 26 Field Offices Alaska’s average screen out rate of 58.5% was significantly higher than the national average screen out rate of 38%.  

Changes Occurring in Intake Centralized Intake Started July 2016 – Ongoing over next year(s) = Increased consistency of screening decisions = Improved responsiveness to the community = Develop a system that facilitates real time data collection and monitoring Over half the country has centralized their CPS Intake functions More balanced workload around the state

Looking Forward Old Regional OCS Intake System New Centralized OCS Intake System Five different OCS offices covering Intake from 8 am – 5 pm. One centralized Intake unit located in Anchorage, with 24/7 coverage. Confusion between who to call, with five different numbers and email addresses, and three different answering services. One phone number and one easy to remember email address. reportchildabuse@alaska.gov Overburdened staff in small communities, with responsibilities for field work and taking calls after-hours – leading to higher turnover. Intake workers taking after-hours calls, reducing burden on field staff and resulting in more stable workforce.

Current Regional OCS Intake System Future Centralized OCS Intake System Inconsistent screening decisions and documentation amongst regions. Increase in consistent screening decisions and documentation, with one centralized chain of command. Complaints from reporters in some regions – being left on hold, not getting returned calls, etc. Reporters will receive a more immediate response with less than 5 minute hold time – priority given to law enforcement. Intake staff receive the same training as all frontline staff. Intake staff will receive specialized training, recognizing their unique position as the front door to the agency.

What have we accomplished so far? Lots and lots of analysis… PSR Standardization Committee Increase in screening consistency Increase in P2s Identifying and plugging holes New hotline Expanded hours

Phone: 1-800-478-4444 reportchildabuse@alaska.gov Fax: 907-269-3939 reportchildabuse@alaska.gov

www.reportchildabuse.alaska.gov Online reporting form, under development!

Other updates Streamlined Initial Assessment documentation requirements Began July 21st, 2017 A more clinical approach to safety and risk assessment, dependent upon sufficient information gathering, critical thinking and application of professional standards. Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) May 2017

Safety, Permanency, Well-being CFSR Process Administered by the Children’s Bureau, in partnership with state child welfare staff. Round 1 – completed by 2004 Round 2 – completed by 2010 Round 3 – In progress, to be completed by 2018 Two part process: Statewide assessment Onsite Review – 65 cases Case records and interviews Stakeholder interviews 1994 Amendments to the Social Security Act authorize the US Dept of Health and Human Services to review state child and family service programs to ensure conformity with the requirements in titles IV-B and IV-E. Statewide assessment was submitted in March of 2017 and can be found on the OCS webpage. Safety, Permanency, Well-being

Systemic Factors Statewide Information System Case Review System Quality Assurance System Staff and Provider Training Service Array and Resource Development Agency’s Responsiveness to the Community Foster and Adoptive Parent Licensing, Recruitment, and Retention

Case Review Outcomes Safety Permanency Family and Child Well-Being Children are, first and foremost, protective from abuse and neglect. Children are safely maintained in their homes whenever possible and appropriate. Permanency Children have permanency and stability in their living situations. The continuity of family relationships and connections is preserved for families. Family and Child Well-Being Family’s have enhanced capacity to provide for their children’s needs. Children receive appropriate services to meet their educational needs. Children receive adequate services to meet their physical and mental health needs. 7 Outcome Areas 18 Items

Alaska Strengths Compliance with ICWA Preserving connections for children in foster care Assessing and addressing educational needs Ensuring children in foster care have their cases reviewed regularly via periodic reviews Soliciting, considering, and responding to feedback from partners, stakeholders, and Tribes

No state has been found to be in substantial conformity in all seven outcome areas and in all seven systemic factors.

Next Steps Program Improvement Plan (PIP) Analyze data Explore possible interventions Finalize interventions and submit plan to Children’s Bureau Implement plan over next two years Measure progress At the end of the onsite review, states determined not to have achieved substantial conformity in all the areas assessed must develop and implement Program Improvement Plans addressing the areas of nonconformity. The Children’s Bureau supports the states with technical assistance and monitors implementation of their plans. States must successfully complete their plans to avoid financial penalties for nonconformity.

Questions, Comments, Ideas, Kudos, or Concerns? Lindsay Bothe Protective Services Manager I Centralized Intake and the Travel Team 269-8678 Lindsay.Bothe@alaska.gov