ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR ADOPTION STUDIES AT THE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK CHRISTINA M. GOSTELI, MSW ASSISTANT MANAGER, PERMANENCY ENHANCEMENT PROJECT DR. DORIS HOUSTON PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR AND FACULTY PROJECT MANAGER Central Region Action Teams: An Insider’s Look

Action Team Technical Assistance Conference calls with the 16 area Action Teams to offer assistance.  Review Action Plans  What were former goals?  Are goals still the same?  Is what you’re doing addressing the goals?  Current data trends/data needs  Barriers/Challenges they are currently experiencing  Action Team Outcomes - “Soft Changes”  Relationship development/enhancement  Changes of opinions  Changes in actions/policies

Action Team Outcomes/“Soft Changes” What relationship changes have been changed due to the action teams?  Better/stronger working relationships  More collaboration  Open communication  Changes of opinions/views  Different perception of DCFS

Galesburg – Greg Hixon Stronger relationships with court system and judges Courts are taking leadership with the team Development of relationships and rapport is an ongoing process.  New judges are elected  Individuals from DCFS or other agencies relocate “We’re strong in the fact that we all know we can’t do it alone. It’s a small group of us and we need each other. We need to be aware and educate. If there’s a problem, we work together to solve it and have a conversation about it.” - Greg Hixon, Galesburg Chair

Bloomington – Jamie Ralph In McLean County, the team is being co-led.  Co-Chair from DCFS  Co-Chair from The Baby Fold, a POS agency Court Personnel Involved Candid and Honest discussions between Action Team Members  The Action Team discussion are very open about delays in permanence; sometimes it’s an issue with the department, other times a service provider, and sometimes the court, but individuals are able to sit down and discuss it. “We have a juvenile judge[Judge Fitzgerald] that attends every one of our meetings, which has increased the collaboration more- so than ever in past.” - Jamie Ralph, Bloomington Co-Chair “We aren’t afraid to give constructive criticism and people are open to being able to accept that in order to get kids home quicker.” - Jamie Ralph, Bloomington Co-Chair

Rock Island (Esperanza) – Hector Vargas Action Team has adopted a focus of locating and assisting Latino clients access resources.  Has been able to help other agencies make referrals to Spanish-speaking therapists/counselors. Working towards finding more Spanish-speaking foster families for the Latino Children within the community.  Channel 8 will assist recruitment of Spanish- speaking foster parents through their programming “The relationship has been strengthened between DCFS and community organizations – we’ve been able to understand each other, help them understand who we are and what we do. We’ve been able to connect with them and capitalize on the services they offer to our Spanish-speaking community.” - Hector Vargas, Rock Island Co- Chair

Danville – Lynda L. Morgan Developed a Family Treatment Drug Court Weekly meetings with:  Judge  States Attorney  GAL  Parents attorney(s)  Case Worker,  Substance Abuse Providers  DCFS representative Utilizing resources that individuals who have worked in DCFS for year have never seen utilized.  Sending parents to inpatient treatment centers  i.e. Haymarket in Chicago  Treatment Centers are both long-term and dual diagnosis.” “We meet on a weekly basis and the sharing of information has really increased the communication. They [individuals at weekly meeting] have become more comfortable with each other, and there is a more informed relationship. Everyone is more on the same page, working towards the same goal.” - Lynda L. Morgan, Danville Co- Chair

Central Region – Robert Blackwell “We weren’t really having open conversations about over representation until we gave license to it. Now with the symposiums and the local action teams, it can be discussed among colleagues. Before we didn’t talk about race because it was uncomfortable. But now folks are talking across specialties and having very frank discussions about race, outcomes, and problem solving.” - Robert Blackwell, Central Region Administrator We can now openly talk about race and racism. Establishment of Advocacy Centers Director and deputy directors are reinforcing specific policies.  Diligent searches for kin placements, EACH TIME a child is placed. DCFS legal involved with action teams  Seeing things in a new light and processing cases differently.