Community Collaboration and Enhanced Partnerships Alternative Response Journey…

Who is responsible for Child Safety? Child Protection System Family / Kinship Community

Assess Agency Readiness “All Kids Count” to “Protecting Children by Strengthening Families” Guiding Principles We Are Child Welfare Professionals We Value Every Child We Honor Families We Value Partnerships

Partnerships with Community Invited Community Partners to Agency for AR overviews Mandated Reporter trainings include AR Traveled to schools, prosecutor’s office, hospitals, mental health providers to “share the good news” Media opportunities to spread message to community Informal opportunities- churches/friends etc. Included community partners in unit meetings to encourage peer relationships between staff Community Partners’ willingness to model services based upon needs

Interagency Partnerships/Practice Shift Formed internal Leadership Council for AR including all areas of agency and external partners Identified service gaps Identified internal practices that create barriers toward continuum of care Front loading services at Intake Assessed resources and re-directed resources to front door- (staff and contracted services)

Interagency Partnerships/Practice Shift continued… Self selection into AR- managers and workers Increased partnership between Intake and Ongoing service teams- paperwork to people process Warm hand off of family/case Team Decision Making/Clinical Consult

Partnership with Families Practice shift - agency as expert vs. collaborative partnership between family and agency Service needs identified first by family Solution focused More rapid engagement

Partnerships and Engagement are Key

Creative Partnerships Partner with family to identify service needs Families are the expert of their own experience and are not defined by an incident Engagement is key to assessment and needs identification- “safer sooner” Strengthening partnerships with community providers to build trust and resources for families-reduce barriers to service provision

Housing Initiatives AR provided a framework to: Develop new partnerships Ensure child safety and family stability via an individualized response with no punitive barriers Timelines that afford workers the opportunity to establish family driven responses to family challenges

New Partnerships Local Landlord & Mobile Home Companies: Workers have established personal relationships with 5 local landlords and 2 mobile home companies. As a result, AR Workers have facilitated: The purchase of a mobile home Waiving of application fees Rental agreements for families who no one would rent to due to their credit and rental histories Reduced rental rates The service of a local moving company who moved an AR Family for a reduced fee.

New Partnerships Expanded views of potential community partners: Lowes: Waived fees for estimates on repairs Offered AR Families in store incentives for home repair supplies Extermination Services: Reduced rates

Ross County AR Family Day To validate the importance of community collaboration to ensure child safety and family stability we decided it was important to bring AR Families and community partners together.  RCCD hosted AR Family Day in a local park where AR Families and community partners came together and enjoyed food, games and informational booths.

Ross County AR Family Day Donations: Cristy’s Pizza - 75 pizzas McDonalds - coolers and beverages Chillicothe Music Center - free initial music lessons and discounted rates for continued lessons Danbury Cinema – bags of popcorn and free movie passes   Partner Booths: YMCA National City Bank Western & Southern Life Westmoreland Nursing Home

Ross County AR Family Day Agency booths: Face Painting Tattoos Picture Frame Decorating The Chillicothe Gazette and WKKJ Radio Station covered this event. It was attended by over 100 children and families. Community partners enjoyed interacting with families and agency staff. AR Family Day reinforced the importance of agency and community partnerships to provide child safety and family stability which not only ensures child well being but also community wellness.

Outcomes of Community Collaboration and Enhanced Partnerships AR has: Helped us to strengthen our relationships with established partners; Provided a strategy and a belief system upon which to build new partnerships; Renewed partners’ confidence in children’s services; and Front loaded services for families, making children safer sooner.

Sustaining AR through Partnerships Promoting change at macro level -CHIPS,ODJFS,IPV,SACWIS County to county partnerships Family voice to help guide further reform Community partnership with child welfare must be sustained through continued efforts by Child Protection Practice change over time measured against philosophical shift Traditional response is valued approach

And the journey continues……