1. Dr. Venessa A. Brown Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Southern Region African American Advisory Institute April 23-24, 2009 Permanency Enhancement Project Southern Region: Progress Report

2. Permanency Enhancement Project Goals &Outcomes Service Provider Domain Community Domain Agency Domain Court Domain Improve Remain Home Outcomes Improve Return Home Outcomes Improve Adoption and Guardianship Outcome s Improve Cultural Responsiveness

3. DCFS – Building Relationships & Community Networking Caseworkers Investigators Church leaders Point-of-Service Providers Judges State’s Attorneys School Social Workers Parents Foster Care Youth

4. Southern Region Illinois Counties Belleville Team Monroe Randolph St. Clair Washington E. St. Louis Team St. Clair (Alorton, Cahokia, Centreville, Dupo, East Carondolet, E. St. Louis) Carbondale Team Franklin Jackson Perry Williamson Cairo Team Alexander, Gallatin Johnson, Pulaski Saline Effingham Team Effingham, Fayette, Jasper Madison/Bond Team Bond Madison Mt. Vernon Team Clay, Clinton, Gallatin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Marion, Wayne, White Olney Team Crawford, Edwards, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash

5. Community Action Teams Implementation Progress Report Community Action TeamsEngagement Strategies Belleville Action TeamQuarterly meetings with Judge Brandon Development of a parent resource brochure PowerPoint presentation explaining action team’s purpose Establishment of a interdisciplinary team for case reviews Cairo Action TeamPartnering services with local organizations Identifying service gaps within the agency Establishment of a Juvenile Justice Council Addressing environmental barriers with city council leaders Carbondale Action TeamTo establish a user-friendly resource guide for parents To engage former wards in the community action team process To build relationships with SIU-Carbondale E. St. Louis Action TeamQuarterly meetings with Judge Brandon Discussions on child mandating with school social workers Networking with Community Advocacy House

6. Community Action Teams Implementation Progress Report cont.. Community Action TeamsEngagement Strategies Effingham Action TeamTeam discussions regarding barriers Review of services to determine utilization Networking within the community Madison/Bond Action TeamDevelopment of a parent resource brochure Linking services with established parent groups Building relationships with court systems Mt. Vernon Action TeamEstablishment of a parenting group Established relationship with Southtown Youth Center Completed focus groups with parents to address community-specific needs Olney Action TeamDiscussion around service gaps Relationship-building with the local judge Project planning with LANS groups

7. Southern Region Action Team Successes The action teams have demonstrated an ongoing commitment toward improving the permanency outcomes for all children and families. With a stronger than ever determination, the teams recognize that it will take unified approaches to ensure long-lasting successes. Diverse action teams (e.g. disciplines, race, ethnicity) Collaborating with community partners Identifying internal barriers Improved relations from within – increased communication between caseworkers, investigators, intact workers, and supervisors Lifting every voice – engaging foster care youth in the permanency process Establishing prevention-focused approaches: parenting groups, juvenile councils, and interdisciplinary teams for case reviews

8. Highlighting Innovation Cairo’s Juvenile Justice Council The Cairo Action Team is determined and focused on proactive efforts with its recent establishment of a Juvenile Justice Council to address the pattern of incoming reports which specified “lack of supervision” as the reason for initial contact with DCFS. Identify juveniles at risk before they become DCFS involved To provide referral, prevention, and intervention linkages Program Purpose Reduce % of juveniles that become involved with DCFS Reduce % of unsupervised youth Program Goals Children remain home Family self-sufficiency is improved Benefits to Permanency

9. Cairo's Juvenile Justice Council Impact on Permanency The action team’s Juvenile Justice Council’s potential impact will shed light on the critical needs in Alexander and Pulaski Counties as identified by the action team’s moderator. The absence of youth programs in the community increases the likelihood that juveniles will engage in high-risk behaviors that lead to DCFS and Court intervention. This permanency initiative hopes to improve remain home and return home outcomes. Future Needs and Goals To advocate for funding and programs specific to the needs of the Cairo region. To support and work toward increases in child care programs in Alexander and Pulaski counties

10. Highlighting Innovation Mt. Vernon’s Parent Group The Mt. Vernon Action Team initiated a parent group in the spring of 2008. The parent group meets monthly to address the specific needs of parents in Jefferson county. Empowering parents to connect with each other and address the needs of their communities Program Purpose Develop prevention strategies Identify community-specific needs Connect parents to community stakeholders Program Goals Children will remain home Children will return home Child safety increases Benefits to Permanency

11. Mt. Vernon’s Parent Group Impact on permanency Parents have established connections among each other and have begun collectively identifying and addressing the problems in their community. As parents become more aware of resources and establish their own support systems remain home outcomes will continue to improve. Future Needs and Goals Provide parents with linkages to community stakeholders and other resources. The Mt. Vernon action team expects the parent group to be self-sufficient by the fall 2009.

12. Ongoing Challenges: Barriers to Permanency Barriers to PermanencyContributing Factors Geographic Barriers Fewer services in rural regions Lack of specialized services in rural areas Limited to no public transportation Urban and oppressed communities battle stigmatization Funding Barriers Lack of funding hinders program implementation Funding cuts resulted in termination of programs and fewer employees Agency Barriers (DCFS) Competing values between departments concerning “best interest” of children (e.g. intact vs. placement) Worker hopelessness (burnout) Disconnection from community Inside agency politics/bias among workers Court Barriers Lack of court liaisons Inconsistencies in court reports to judges Misconceptions about the court process (e.g. testimony, documentation) Action Team Specific Barriers Lack of diversity on all teams Low community involvement (e.g. parents, foster parents) Intervention versus prevention approaches

13. Southern Region Action Teams Next Steps Revise Action Plans based on lessons learned Continue to work on diversifying Action Teams Encourage Teams to take ownership of one challenge (barrier) and work to eliminate/minimize the barrier Encourage Action Teams to celebrate their current Permanency Victories in their regions Encourage Action Teams to create a PowerPoint presentation about permanency that they can present to their community partners

14. GOALS FOR FY10 Encourage Each Action Team to build their programming around three initiatives for FY10 Parent Training Fair Health Fair Employment Fair The goals of these initiatives is to engage the community around three of the major issues facing families in the southern region. Our ultimate goal is to build relationships and increase our action teams membership to ensure community involvement in PERMANENCY FOR ILLINOIS CHILDREN

15. Thank You! Any Suggestions or work you know we can do in the Southern Region contact: Dr. Venessa A. Brown or Janell Smart, Graduate Assistant Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Permanency Enhancement Project Director, Southern Region 618-650-5867 vbrown@siue.edu janellelainesmart@yahoo.com