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

2. 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, , fax and walk-in
Nearly 18,000 reports/year – 15 workers and 3 supervisors

3. 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%

5. History of Intake Originally…Intake a duty of each field office.
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%.  

6. 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

7. 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 addresses, and three different answering services.
One phone number and one easy to remember address.
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.

8. 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.

9. 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

10. Phone: 1-800-478-4444 reportchildabuse@alaska.gov
Fax:

11.
Online reporting form, under development!

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

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

18. 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.

19. Questions, Comments, Ideas, Kudos, or Concerns?
Lindsay Bothe Protective Services Manager I Centralized Intake and the Travel Team