1. Building a System of Care in Child Welfare: North Carolina
Candice

2. MRS/SOC is System Reform
-From intake to permanency.
-3 key components to this reform:
Policy reform
Philosophy reform
Shift in Focus

3. “It takes a village---”
Families are unique and distinctive
One size still does not fit all
Families are more likely to engage and carry out a plan that they have truly taken part in planning-child and family teams
We won’t be involved forever, we need to build a support network of extended family and community partners

4. North Carolina’s Family Support and Child Welfare System
Permanency
Well-Being
Safety
MRS
Self-Sufficiency
Foster Care
Work First
CPS
Adoption
Community Based Programs
Family-centered practice and system of care
principles are our foundation -

5. System of Care Supports
MRS Implementation
A proven framework for:
Organizing and coordinating services and resources into a comprehensive and interconnected network by:
developing PARTNERSHIPS between individuals, families, and agencies
building on individual and community STRENGTHS and making the most of
existing resources.
Improving the skills, knowledge, and attitudes of frontline service providers toward more FAMILY- CENTERED practices.

6. System of Care History
In NC, began in 1994 with national mental health System of Care grants through SAMHSA (Pen-Pal, NC FACES, SOC NET, Mecklenburg CARES)
2003 NCDSS received System of Care Grant from the Children’s Bureau to expand SOC to other target populations including families in the child welfare system
System of Care
90 minute Pen PAL 1994, FACES 1997, SOC_NET 2000, CARES 2005

7. System of Care Guiding Principles/Values
Interagency Collaboration
Child and Family Partnership
Individualized Strengths-based Care
Cultural Competence
Community-based Services & supports
Accountability to results

8. MRS/SOC Success = Successful Partnering
Three critical levels of partnership:
State
Community
Family

9. Strategic Planning At both the state and local level
Plan based on SOC principles
Continuous evaluation
Yearly planning retreats with TA
Parallel process

10. State Level Contributions
NCDSS merging MRS/SOC more completely- SOC values part of NCDSS mission-vision/ SOC incorporated into child welfare policy/ MRS/SOC regional meetings
SOC principles driving the PIP: child, youth, and family involvement, interagency collaboration, cultural competency, court involvement, accountability to results
Mandatory child and family team training for all child welfare staff
Mandatory Cultural Competency training
Guidance around engaging service providers using regional CPR
Policy requires that family members are involved in and compensated for attending meetings, training, etc. and use of family co-trainers
All sections of NCDSS are involved in family centered practice training and in the development of the section’s strategic planning
TA from National Resource Centers to strategically plan with CW supervisors to strengthen child welfare supervision at the local DSS
Special projects coordinator position
Presentations at conferences/ Poverty Simulation
Strong ties to State Collaborative for Children, Youth, and Families

11. State Collaborative for Children, Youth, and Families
NCDSS stakeholder group with family representation
Consensus of child and family team definition
Cross system child and family team curriculum with blended funds
Website with blended funds
Charter and strategic plan
Cross agency Committees including technical assistance and membership
System of Care Conferences/Training Events
Statewide SOC Conference with 350+

12. Community and Family Partnerships
Local County Collaborative groups

13. Community Collaboratives
Integrating Resources & Response*
One Unified Approach
Child Serving Agencies , Community Resources and Families
Local
Collaborative
Better outcomes for families and communities $
Add the family visual link to values 60/90examples of creative/well functioning collaboratives
Maximizing Resources for a Comprehensive System of Services/Supports:
Braided Funding & Blended Services
Family, Neighborhood & Community Involvement
* John Franz, 1999

14. Local SOC Efforts SOC coordinators at DSS Family partners
Relationships with MH SOC regional coordinators
Cross training
Community building events
Building local collaborative groups and structures such as care review teams
Coordinating services and service planning through child and family teams

15. SOC in NC: A Work in Progress