Division of Family Services Update on Children’s Services Transformation August 18, 2010
Key Areas of Progress Division Reorganization -Adoption Unit and Foster Care Unit were collapsed to create a Permanency Unit -Increased focus on prevention through a Family Support Team -Tamara Temoney is the Interim Resource Family Manager -DFS has contracted with B2B Solutions to help revise the child welfare manuals across all DFS program areas Reengineering of Training -Competency review meetings began with LDSS staff to establish core competencies for child welfare supervisors and managers -6 module, 12 day core training pilot series for child welfare supervisors and managers – September through December 2010 Managing by Data -AFCARS review conducted in July -Issuing a Critical Outcomes Report that will illustrate LDSS performance on Transformation, CFSR, and CPS Outcome Measures -Conducting Advanced Data Trainings in each region Family Engagement -Conducting Family Engagement Roundtables regionally in September and October -Retreat was held for regional consultant teams to identify roles regarding the implementation and sustainability of family engagement practices
Key Areas of Progress Resource Families -Issued Resource Family Guidance -Finishing the final round of Regional Peer Collaboratives & conducting evaluation Permanency -Final revisions to the Foster Care Guidance Manual are being made for September issuance -DFS has contracted with B2B Solutions to help revise the child welfare manuals across all DFS program areas -Achieving Permanency through Adoptions Initiative continues – training with adoption contractors and designated LDSS is planned for August -Applied for federal grant to address permanency issues Child Protection -Three regulations are scheduled for periodic review by State Board -Conducting policy/guidance training in all five regions in August Prevention -Developing Prevention guidance through workgroup -Site visit is planned for September to Allegheny County, PA around kinship practices Continuous Quality Improvement -Planning continues for the Quality Service Reviews -Accepting Reviewer applications from staff at VDSS and LDSS – form located on the Transformation website
Key Areas of Progress Program Improvement Plan -Final version submitted to the Feds on Wednesday, August 11 th -Planning to meet with the Children’s Bureau to set measurements IV-E Review -Compliments -Concerns Adult Services -Conducting a poster campaign to long-term care facilities in Southwest Virginia -ASAPS usage reviews have been completed for LDSS in Easter, Piedmont, and Western regions -Vacant consultant position for the Eastern Region has been approved and advertised -Revised Auxiliary Grant regulation will go before the State Board
Shaken Baby Syndrome