Executive Summary
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Background:
This Grant represents a collaborative effort between the Illinois State
Court Improvement Project Steering and Advisory Committee and the Child Care
Association of Illinois. It grew out of a call-for-proposals by the Advisory
Committee to promote efforts to specifically reform and improve the handling
of child protection cases by the juvenile court system throughout the State
of Illinois. In granting this award, the Administrative Office of the
Illinois Courts State Court Improvement Program recognized the unique role
the Child Care Association of Illinois plays in the child protection system
in Illinois. The statewide scope of the Association and the experience of
its 89 not-for-profit member agencies in working with the Juvenile Courts in
all parts of the state have placed the Association in an ideal position to
conduct this endeavor.
This effort focused on convening a series of forums between representatives
of voluntary child welfare agencies in Illinois and court personnel. Private
agencies provide 85% of the child welfare services in Illinois through
contractual agreements with the State Code Departments and, given their role
and responsibilities, are a key element in the child protective service
system in the State. Scope of the project entailed the organizing,
coordinating, and facilitating of 4 forums in 5 circuits. Court personnel
included judges, public defenders, States Attorneys, Guardians Ad Litem, and
Department of Children and Family Services representatives. The five
circuits selected—1st Circuit (Southern Illinois), 8th Circuit (West
/Central Illinois), 10th Circuit (Peoria), 18th Circuit (DuPage County) and
Court 4-D (Cook County)—were chosen to reflect the geographic, cultural,
and ethnic diversity of the State of Illinois. They were also chosen because
those circuits had the support of the presiding Judge, had an adequate
number of juvenile cases annually, had court personnel willing to
participate in this effort, and had a sufficient number of child welfare
agencies within their geography who were committed to this effort.
Project Goals Met:
Following are the goals established for the Project and how they were met:
GOAL 1. To improve coordination and communication between the child welfare
system and the Juvenile Court
MET: Each of the four Circuits outside Cook County indicated this was the
first time stakeholders of the Court had met and evaluations indicated
participants recommend the stakeholder meetings continue.
GOAL 2. To enhance the representation of children and families in child
protection proceedings by improving the knowledge and skills of child
welfare workers about court proceedings and by improving the knowledge and
skills of juvenile court personnel about child welfare issues
MET: Participant evaluations indicated an increased knowledge of the roles
of the participants.
GOAL 3. To gather data and information through the Forum processes which
will aid in the development of effective strategies and approaches to
improve communications and operations in the Juvenile Courts of Illinois
MET: Forums developed lists of how the Private Agencies and Court personnel
wish to interrelate and detailed recommendations and action plans to
overcome barriers to success.
GOAL 4. To identify successful practices and principles for enhanced
collaboration and understanding between court personnel and private child
welfare agencies
MET: Each forum identified Circuit specific practices and principles.
GOAL 5. To identify any specific or systemic barriers that impeded effective
communication and collaboration between the various actors in the Juvenile
Court System
MET: The Addendum contains specific and systemic barriers and a statewide
list developed and synthesized from all the Circuits.
GOAL 6. To make recommendations as to how to eliminate those barriers and
enhance both the operations and the communications of the Juvenile Courts in
the Circuits participating in the Project
MET: Each Circuit developed a list of recommendations and action steps
designed to reduce or eliminate identified barriers. A statewide list was
synthesized from all forums.
These project goals are closely aligned with the goals specifically set by
the Illinois State Court Improvement Project Steering and Advisory Committee
for its work in reforming and improving the Juvenile Court systems
throughout the State of Illinois.
Project Organization and Activities:
To accomplish the goals a series of four forums were organized in each of
the five court circuits aligned with the Project. A multiple forum format
was chosen in order to insure the involvement of a wide variety of impacted
individuals, to offer adequate time for networking and to provide a sense of
continuity to the process. In order to enhance attendance, these forums were
held over the lunch hour with groups of up to 50 individuals. Each forum was
moderated by an expert experienced in the child welfare practices of
Juvenile Court and proficient in the dynamics of group process.
The first two sessions in each of the five Circuits were organized to elicit
input into the identification of the key concepts underlying the Project.
The key concepts, which emerged from these sessions, were:
· Communication
· Accountability and Quality Improvement
· Child and Family Centered Services
· Training
· Policy and Procedures
The remaining two sessions were spent in examining each of those concepts in
detail using the following format for each section:
· Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work
· How Private Agencies and Court Personnel should Interrelate
· Barriers to Success
· Solutions and Recommendations
· Action Plans
The detailed results of this process for each participating Circuit are
included in this report.
Process and Participation
The participants in each of the five Circuits demonstrated a great deal of
commitment to and enthusiasm for the Project. Attendance by all parties in
all five Circuits was exceptionally high and consistent. This included
participation by the Juvenile Court Judges in these Circuits—a fact that
greatly enhanced the benefits and outcomes of the Project. In the evaluation
of the Project participants rated the process of the Project very positively
feeling that the format, the number of meetings, the time of day, and the
length of the meetings all greatly contributed to the successful outcomes of
the Project.
Issue Identification, Problem Solving, and Action Planning
The forums in each district spent a considerable amount of time identifying
barriers to success in the areas of: communication, accountability and
quality improvement, child and family centered services, training, and
policy and procedures. The identified barriers that were Circuit specific
are detailed in the report for each Circuit. A number of barriers, as well
as suggested solutions and recommendations were of a statewide nature and
are presented in the body of the report. Each forum completed the process by
identifying action plans and resource requirements. These Circuit specific
plans are listed under each Circuit.
Project Outcomes as Measured by Evaluation
The outcomes as demonstrated by the Evaluation administered to the
participants in each of the five Circuits indicate a clear consensus that
this process effectively addressed the goals as outlined for the Project.
Specifically:
· 97% of participants strongly agree or agree, that this process should be
on-going between the participants
· 93% strongly agree/agree that this process should be used statewide to
improve the judiciary-private agency relationship
· 85% of the individuals strongly agree/agree that the process contributed
significantly to a better understanding among the participants
· 73% strongly agree/agree, that it increased the participants knowledge of
the roles of the other participants in the Judiciary process
Summary
The stated overall goals of the Project to promote optimum sharing and
collaboration between the Juvenile Court and the child welfare system and to
enhance the representation of children and families in child protection
proceedings by improving the knowledge and skills of both child welfare and
juvenile court personnel appear to have been met. There was enthusiastic and
energetic involvement by all invited parties in each participating Circuit.
Evaluations of the pilot project were overwhelmingly positive. The
participants of each involved Circuit expressed their strong support both
for the format and the content of the process. They also felt that it should
be an on-going process in their Circuits and that it should, in fact, be
replicated on a statewide basis. These indicators suggest that the goals of
the pilot project were met.
Statewide Issue Identification and Problem Solving
The forums in each district spent a considerable amount of time identifying
barriers to the successful addressing of the key concepts of: communication,
accountability and quality improvement, child and family centered services,
training, and policy and procedures. Some of the identified barriers were
Circuit specific and these are detailed in the report for each Circuit.
A number of barriers were of a statewide nature including (but not limited
to) the following:
Communication
· Lack of any regular meetings between the juvenile court and other
stakeholders in the process
· Lack of knowledge of and mutual respect and appreciation for the varying
roles of participants
· Lack of mechanisms by which to share information across organizations
Accountability and Quality Assurance
· Failure to know and understanding the nature of the Title IV-E Compliance
Process, including timelines and reasonable efforts criteria
· Lack of a coordinated “team approach” to case planning
· Staff turnover in both public and private agencies
· Increased complexity of cases coming into the system
Child and Family Centered Services
· Shrinking resources including the lack of funding for residential
placements
· Seek resources for parent representation at Administrative Case Reviews
Training
· Lack of training on court processes
· Lack of understanding of the limitations in available resources
· The sheer size of the system, caseload volume, and the number of people
involved
· Conflict and misunderstanding between the social work role and the role
of the court system
Policy and Procedures
· On-going legal issues relative to delinquency and abuse and neglect
· Inconsistency from court to court relative to protocol and expectations
A number of suggested solutions and recommendations of a statewide nature
were also made. These include (but are not limited to):
Communication
· Implement regularly scheduled meetings of juvenile court stakeholders to:
o Discuss case issues
o Educate on court processes and caseworker realities
o Utilize speakers on timely topics
o Update all involved on policy changes affecting the court
· Establish a readily updated information system in each Circuit to include
such things as accurate lists of court personnel, lists of provider agencies
including lists of supervisors and organizational charts
· Utilize automated technology to dispatch information quickly and
accurately across the system including such things as the utilization of
e-mail to provide information to the court and e-mail issues forums to
address questions and provide answers
· Establish websites at both the state and Circuit level for access to and
distribution of information
Accountability and Quality Assurance
· Address quality and cross-system accountability issues by creating
internal systems which cross review and audit critical functions
· Create a uniform statewide quality assurance tool for stakeholders
Child and Family Centered Services
· Level the playing field between the child welfare and legal systems
· Seek collaborative funding for the establishment of integrated community
based service continuums
· Provide County Boards with service need information to assist them in
their funding and advocacy efforts
Training
· Provide training for court personnel on the caseworker role and the
policies and procedures which frame that role
· Create a statewide orientation manual for the juvenile court
· Develop a mechanism to share training opportunities on both the local and
state level
· Make DCFS Foundation Training available on a regional basis to juvenile
justice and DHS staff
· Provide basic training on Best Interest Factors vs. Permanency Factors
· Develop an internet listing of organizations, specialists, consultants,
and accessible services
· Develop a mentor program among private agencies
· Establish minimum training certification for handling termination cases
· Reorient individuals to the Federal guidelines for permanency
Policy and Procedures
· Develop a universal release of information form and a uniform court order
form, which could be used by all Circuits in the state.
· Establish a tracking system coordinated from within the court
· Retain judges in Juvenile Court a minimum of one term or provide judges
an option to continue service
· Improve transition planning when staff turn over
· Establish a policy to implement a quality assurance audit on cases in the
system two years or longer
· Provide judges access to clinical or mental health liaisons or
consultants
· Utilize the Juvenile Justice Planning Councils to apply for grants to
support these reform/enhancement efforts
1st Circuit (Southern Illinois)
Chief Judge: Michael J. Henshaw
Key Concepts
Five key concepts emerged from the work of each of the first two Court
Improvement forums:
Ø Communication
Ø Accountability and Quality Improvement
Ø Child and Family Centered Services
Ø Training
Ø Policy and Procedures
COMMUNICATION
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ Monthly multi-disciplinary meetings: with Judges, states attorneys,
school, sheriff, DCFS, DMH, private agencies, and sometimes clients and
families
§ Utilization of SCAN Teams: Suspected Child and Adolescent Neglect team.
Held in Jackson and Union counties attended by DCFS, providers, DHS, with
the local Hospital hosting the meetings
§ Court personnel willing to listen to caseworkers
§ Judges supportive of the process and individuals involved in the process
§ Prior notice given to all affected individuals and organizations
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ By the utilization of open, direct communication
§ Through teamwork
§ By the utilization of pre-meetings
§ By respecting each other’s perspective
§ By meeting each other half way
Barriers to Success:
§ Lack of a service resource guide for the region
Solutions, Recommendations, Action Planning:
1. Establish a central hub for sharing information
a. Training offerings
b. Programs and service information
c. Forms
2. Providers should make personal calls with service packets
3. Create a “Notice” system and identify the “who”, “what”, and
“when”
a. E-mail system subject to HIPPA regulations
b. Resolve the central hub issue
ACCOUNTIBILITY and QUALITY ASSURANCE
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ In a timely manner in reference to: reports, court orders, and
information
§ By holding self, each other, and the system accountable
Barriers to Success:
§ Children not moving to permanency, compliance with Title IV-E timelines
for hearings, permanency hearings, and reasonable effort requirements
§ Staff turnover
§ Lack of a method or system to hold each other accountable
Solutions, Recommendations, Action Planning:
1. Utilize a multidisciplinary application for quality assurance
a. Utilize Title IV-E standards and Juvenile Court Act
b. Develop case specific standards
c. Agency compliance on reporting, attendance, reasonable effort
d. Develop longitudinal study criteria
2. Identify and collect 1st Circuit specific statistics regarding quality
assurance
CHILD AND FAMILY CENTERED SERVICES
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ Individualized services for clients
§ Inclusion of families
§ SHOWCAP: Serious Habitual Offenders Community Action Planning.
This national model, with multi organization attendance, meets regularly.
Agency agreements developed through this process permit the sharing of
information and the development of resources. A point system for children is
utilized.
§ School based program: Jackson County has a four-year federal grant
program for meetings in school
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ By collaborating on the development of resources
§ By demonstrating a willingness to be creative with resources
§ By coordinating efforts and services
§ By developing a full regional community continuum of care system with
zero rejects
Barriers to Success:
§ Lack of funding for residential placements through the courts
§ Lack of psychiatric services, and no secure, affordable, psychiatric
hospital
§ Transportation: Geography of a rural region creates transportation
problems
§ Lack of short term, emergency placement as an alternative to detention
§ Lack of a fully developed community based services system
§ Absence of private funding through United Way and/or private foundations
in the region
§ Reluctance of families to be involved or participate
§ Parents with drug/alcohol problems, domestic violence, poverty
Solutions and Recommendations:
1. Seek collaborative funding for the establishment of an integrated
community based service continuum
2. Create a service resource guide for Probation and Juvenile Court with
internet accessibility including the capability for individuals and
organizations to change and/or modify information
3. Utilize the court as a central hub for the distribution of service
packets
4. Utilize the Juvenile Justice Planning Councils to apply for grants in
multiple counties
5. Provide County Boards with service need information to assist in funding
and advocacy
TRAINING
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ Judges thoroughly understanding DCFS service planning and permanency
hearings.
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ By understanding the limitations of each organization
§ By understanding each other’s roles and responsibilities
§ By establishing education and training as priorities
§ By defining caregivers’ responsibilities
Barriers to Success:
§ Misunderstanding of each organization’s roles and limitations
§ Lack of training, specifically:
1) Legal training for private agencies
2) Social service issues for Judiciary
3) Adoption training for private agencies
4) Information of available service resources
5) For dealing with the drug/meth problems
§ Philosophic difference between social services and juvenile justice about
what works (punitive vs. social service approach)
Solutions, Recommendations, Action Planning:
1. Provide training on Title IV-E to all juvenile court actors and
organizations
2. Review the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts pilot training on
Title IV-E for implementation statewide
3. Make DCFS foundation training available on a regional basis to juvenile
justice and DHS staff
4. Create a listing and description of training in the area which can be
open to other groups
5. Create an orientation manual for the juvenile court (see the Child
Advocacy Center for example). This should include information on:
1) Organizations
2) Roles
3) Responsibilities
6. Hold a Southern Illinois service “Field Fair”
POLICY AND PROCEDURES
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ Establishing children as a priority
§ Utilization of established protocols for handling abuse cases for
counties (John Bringer)
§ Utilization of legal leverage or the status of the court to help
family’s motivation
§ By judges working with local WRAP teams
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ By sharing client evaluation and assessment information
Barriers to Success:
§ Inconsistency from court to court relative to with court protocol and
expectations
§ Lack of a uniform process to obtain necessary confidentiality releases
§ Process Issues:
1) Lack of timely and complete notice of meetings and continuances: the
system relies too much on word-of-mouth
2) Lack of clarity on who is responsible for setting permanency hearings
3) Lack of a uniform report distribution system
4) Lack of a uniform format and notification process relative to court
orders
5) The fact that twenty-one judges are serving nine counties and they are
all responsible for juvenile cases.
6) Over reliance on solely dealing only with the states attorney
Solutions, Recommendations, Action Planning:
1. Create and use a uniform court order form for all counties in the Circuit
2. Establish a work group to recommend changes and improvements
3. Establish a quarterly meeting between Judges, Private Agency Executives,
Code Departments
8th Circuit (West / Central Illinois)
Chief Judge: Thomas L. Brownfield
Key Concepts
Five key concepts emerged from the work of each of the first two Court
Improvement forums:
Ø Communication
Ø Accountability and Quality Improvement
Ø Child and Family Centered Services
Ø Training
Ø Policy and Procedures
COMMUNICATION
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ Smaller communities know each other and have years of experience working
together
§ LAN structure offers networking structure for communication and problem
solving
§ Network Panel: The group meets every two weeks, develops discussion of
particular ideas, and builds knowledge, relationships, programs and family
dynamics. The meeting is hosted by a local agency with multi-disciplinary
attendance.
§ DCFS liaison has regular contact with Adams County judges to discuss
major issues
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ With expedited communication: submission of updated reports to judges
ahead court dates
§ With direct cross-communication to facilitate problem solving
§ Utilization of forums to establish protocols for improving communication
§ With agreement to disagree
§ When unsure, simply ask
Barriers to Success:
§ The use of anachronisms because judges don’t know the jargon
§ Duplication of information on reports makes the process unclear and
burdensome
Solutions, Recommendations, Action Planning:
1. Development of a listing of common anachronisms
a) DCFS Supervisor to collect and update existing list
b) Other participants to provide information
2. Provision of an e-mail issues forum to address questions and answers
3. Development of a mechanism to share information across organizations
a) Develop e-mail lists
ACCOUNTIBILITY and QUALITY ASSURANCE
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ With mutual accountability: everyone, including the family, needs to be
held accountable for their actions
Barriers to Success:
§ Staff turnover: The high rates of turnover by case workers from DCFS and
private agencies means less skilled, experienced workers and resulting in a
series of ever changing faces for the children in care
§ No time to problem solve and implement
Solutions, Recommendations, Action Planning:
1. Create a mechanism to e-mail information to the court
2. Develop and maintain a punctuality report
3. Create a check list for reports to be provided to judges
4. Recommend the minimum time necessary for submission of reports (5 work
days) with uniform distribution coordinated by DCFS
5. Require states attorneys and workers to review hearings in court
CHILD AND FAMILY CENTERED SERVICES
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ Seeking out and utilizing the input of all key actors when developing
case plans
Barriers to Success:
§ Lack of a common funding pool of resources. The categorical funding of
resources makes for a fragmented system of services.
§ Shrinking resources particularly those provided by DHS
§ Lack of some specialty services.
§ No safe locked residential care as an alternative to the Department of
Corrections
Solutions and Recommendations:
1. Develop an internet listing of organizations, specialists, consultants
and accessible services
2. Pool funding for services and provide funds to the Local Area Networks
TRAINING
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ Joint training: Changes in the law are accepted by judges in rural areas
when they are presented with tact and decorum.
§ The utilization of the experience and knowledge that exists in the
collective of organizations involved in the process
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ With knowledge of the limitations of the various organizations involved
in the process
§ Through clarification of the organizational structure of DCFS
§ With knowledge of the different organizations and their program
limitations: limits over planning of services, not necessary the “best
plan” but the best plan that those limitations will allow
§ Private agencies need to learn court restrictions
Barriers to Success:
§ Title IV-E Compliance: participants are not adequately prepared for
compliance. This leads to reduced funding.
§ The DCFS organization is constantly changing.
§ Consistent training is not being provided for private agency workers and
supervisors.
§ There is currently no system for the provision of cross training and
orientation between systems.
Solutions, Recommendations, Action Planning:
1. Determine if fines work with juveniles
2. Organize an 8th Circuit and statewide forum of public and private
agencies to set training topics
3. Create a mechanism to distribute policy changes to other organizations
a) See the DCFS web-site for policy and rule
4. Create mechanism within DCFS to identify training needs from the field
and supply local offices decentralized training funds
a) Provide testimony training
5. Develop a mentor program among private agencies
a) Begin with a pilot project
POLICY AND PROCEDURES
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ The Juvenile Assessment pilot system in Menard County
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ Move from individualized job related approaches to coordinated teamwork
Barriers to Success:
§ No mechanism currently exists for the sharing of information across
organizations, resulting in the duplication of information and multiple
repetitions in reports.
§ Currently it is necessary to acquire multiple releases of information. No
standard release form exists.
§ The Probation release authorization process needs to be accelerated.
(This problem was addressed and solved by the DCFS supervisors at the
forum.)
§ The DCFS state statute barring 13 year olds and older from entering the
child welfare system as wards creates significant conflicts among systems
Solutions and Recommendations:
1. Allow juvenile judges the ability to handle all cases processes involving
any one youth, including criminal cases
2. Develop (by statue) a universal release of information form
3. Review the Youth Assessment program in Menard County for possible
adoption statewide
4. Through administrative order or by an amendment to the Juvenile Court Act
change the two week deadline for court reports to seven working days
10th Circuit (Peoria)
Chief Judge: John A. Barra
Key Concepts: Five key concepts emerge from the work of each of the first
two Court Improvement forums:
Ø Communication
Ø Accountability and Quality Improvement
Ø Child and Family Centered Services
Ø Training
Ø Policy and Procedures
COMMUNICATION
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ States Attorneys and court personnel are responsive
§ Pekin DCFS hosts quarterly team meetings with POS providers for issue
development and clarification
§ Judges are Involved, supportive, and active
§ Several networking opportunities exist in the community: Local Area
Network (LAN) and many others bring organizations together
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ By identifying leaders or go-to persons at the court
§ By placing a high priority on communication
§ By holding team meetings on cases
§ By treating all involved parties with mutual respect
Barriers to Success:
§ Lack of regular meetings between the juvenile court and the other
stakeholders in the process
§ Incomplete and undocumented reporting
§ Lack of pre-court conferences--witness conferences and staffing
conferences-- to help promote better understanding
§ Lack of needed support prior to court hearings particularly when opinions
differ and private agencies are intimated by and fearful of the process
Solutions, Recommendations, Action Planning:
1. Organize and hold quarterly meetings of the Juvenile Court stakeholders:
a. Rotate the location of meetings
b. Set quarterly meetings for the first Friday beginning November 1, 2002
c. Agenda: General information, training, orientation,
d. Establish a Steering Group made up of the following:
Juvenile Judge, Public Defender, Probation, DCFS, States Attorney, Court
Services, and Two Private Agencies
2. Develop and use E-mail to communicate
a. Establish the hub at the Juvenile Court
3. Establish a web-site for access to and distribution of information
4. Create a central listing of organizations and individuals
a. See the Green Book and LAN web-site for examples
5. Identify a central administrative site for posting new and updated
information
6. Create an on-going stakeholders steering committee for organizing and
coordinating circuit-wide solutions and recommendations
ACCOUNTIBILITY and QUALITY ASSURANCE
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ Knowledge of requirements and subsequent implementation of them:
understanding of the need for timely permanency hearings and permanency
goals
§ Thorough understanding of DCFS rules and regulations
§ Well written, timely, court reports
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ With accountability for all based on and defined by clear expectations
§ By creating a system for self-evaluation
§ By establishing a system of periodic progress checks
Barriers to Success:
§ Inaccuracies in the LEADS information system
§ The increased volume and complexity of cases
§ Desensitivity caused by the sheer volume of cases
§ GAL’s not meeting with children before court
§ Staff turnover in both the private agency and public sector
§ Lack of accountability by DCFS case workers for implementing services
§ Difficulty dealing effectively with poor performance from union employees
§ Late reports from out-of-district service providers
§ Excessive waiting created when the parents attorney or GAL is in another
court
Solutions, Recommendations, Action Planning:
1. Develop a process to track the movement of cases, with exceptions and
documentation noted
a. Assemble an ad hoc work group to develop indicators
2. Formulate a tool for continuous quality improvement, quality assurance,
and process review for the 10th Circuit
3. Create a uniform statewide quality assurance tool for stakeholders
CHILD AND FAMILY CENTERED SERVICES
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ The Children’s Advocacy Center works well.
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ By coordinating services and eliminating service duplication
§ By acknowledging families and by providing needed services to them
Barriers to Success:
§ Lack of or reduced resources for required services, maintenance of
existing services, and access to services
§ Lack of special services such as psychiatric and psychological services
as well as the lack of an approval process for those services
§ Affordability of medication
§ Inability to access parents’ resources for court appointed services or
activities
§ Lack of Information systems by which to identify and explain new services
Solutions, Recommendations, Action Planning:
1. Implement creative financing by:
a. Seeking collaborative grants
b. Quarterly stakeholders Steering Group to incorporate this agenda into
meetings to pursue such funding
2. Develop a web-site for sharing information:
a. Newsletter
b. Consumer involvement
c. “Keeping families together”
TRAINING
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ Pekin judges currently hold orientation sessions to explain court
procedures
Barriers to Success:
§ Unclear understanding of roles
§ Lack of education and training on changes in law, policy and practice
§ Lack of a mechanism to communicate standards for continuing education
§ Lack of understanding of the contract limitations on private agencies
Solutions, Recommendations, Action Planning:
1. Pool in-service training using all available local knowledge and
resources
2. Collaboration of local service providers in order to provide better
services and capture economies of scale
3. Identify service specialists for the community and share specialty
service resources
4. Develop a mechanism to share training opportunities on both the local and
state level
5. Use of an ad hoc committee reporting to the Steering Group to identify
existing local training: organized by training staff from Private Agencies
with DCFS and Court representation, one solution—the creation of a
syllabus for common training
POLICY AND PROCEDURES
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ Immediate service referrals after court orders
§ Pre-set court dates
§ Availability of paralegal services
§ Written addendums to reports containing new information
§ Periodic visits to clients in residential placements
§ Recognition of school truancy as a problem
§ Recognition of the great benefit of having private agency staff in the
court
§ Understanding of drug and alcohol problems and the need for appropriate
treatment
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ Utilization of a teamwork approach whenever possible
Barriers to Success:
§ Lack of specificity on what testing is required in each case
§ Lack of a clear statement on the manner in which services are recommended
§ Failure to provide an attorney for parents in the administrative case
review process
Solutions and Recommendations:
1. Seek resources for parent representation at Administrative Case Reviews
2. Evaluate for relevancy the type and number of tests administered to
clients/children
3. Develop a screening tool to aid in the selection of required tests
4. Provide a clinical mental health liaison or consultant to judges
18th Circuit (DuPage County)
Chief Judge: Robert K. Kilander
Key Concepts
Five key concepts emerged from the work of each of the first two Court
Improvement forums:
Ø Communication
Ø Accountability and Quality Improvement
Ø Child and Family Centered Services
Ø Training
Ø Policy and Procedures
COMMUNICATION
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ Judges who are open and accessible
§ People who care
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ Open frank communication between individuals, groups, and organizations=
success
§ With Teamwork across the system
§ With better understanding: assumptions based on facts
§ With advocacy for the client
§ By establishment of relationships built on trust
§ By understanding the “Big Picture” and time constraints
Barriers to Success:
§ Size of the system and the number of people and organizations involved
§ More work with less time available to complete it
Solutions, Recommendations, Action Planning:
1. Appoint a planning/steering committee to implementation of regularly
scheduled meetings of juvenile court stakeholders in order to facilitate:
a. Discussion of case issues
b. Education on policies and issues
c. Utilization of Speakers
d. Distribution and explanation of policy changes
2. Creation of a tracking system coordinated from within the court
a. System to Cook County
b. Track worker performance
c. Aggregate data from each judges check list for accountability record
3. Development of written materials to describe participant roles-- a bench
book
4. Organization and maintenance of an e-mail or internet list of private
agencies and DCFS including workers and supervisors
a. Court Administrator as central hub
b. See Lake County web-site for example
5. Development of an up-to-date phone list coordinated by the court
administrator
6. Development of a system to notify participants, in a timely way, of case
any pending case changes
ACCOUNTABILITY and QUALITY ASSURANCE
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ On-site DCFS supervisors at the court
§ A strong commitment to the process by the States Attorneys
§ Parties that practice exclusively in juvenile court
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ With accountability to each other
§ With control of the quality of work
§ With knowledge of individual roles and commitment to quality performance
Barriers to Success:
§ Supervision of private agencies is with a different division of DCFS than
the local DCFS offices.
§ No DCFS tracking system exists in DuPage county
§ Timing of report submission precludes review and preparation at the 11th
hour
§ High turnover of case workers
§ No on-site supervision for private agencies
Solutions, Recommendations, Action Planning:
1. Retention of judges in Juvenile Court for a term or provision of the
option to continue serving
2. Establishment of a certification process for Juvenile Court personnel
a. Complete a National and State data search for existing standards
3. Design and implementation of a DuPage County outcome tracking system for
critical factors
4. Improvement of transition planning when staff turnover occurs
a. Agencies should submit transition plans and make notification for planned
staff turnover
5. Design and implementation of a process review for Juvenile Court
6. Establishment of uniform timeframes for reporting to the Court
a. Workers to report to court at 9:00 a.m., 8:45 a.m. for networking
b. Status reports one week in advance
c. Other reports by state statute
CHILD AND FAMILY CENTERED SERVICES
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ Systemic knowledge of community resources
§ A 611 telephone line to assist parents in locating needed resources and
services is being explored
§ LAN service list
§ LAN access with web page
§ Web page for DuPage County services
§ The prevailing sense of community and the awareness of community services
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ With a system that will insure the delivery of coordinated services
§ With a seamless system of care, consistency of services to children and
families, and continuity of workers whenever possible
Barriers to Success:
§ Too many “masters”—too few workers and resources
§ Funding realities negatively impact service provision
Solutions and Recommendations:
1. Utilization of the internet and technology to list providers and services
TRAINING
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ CASA training sessions open to interested others
§ Cross training by Chicago legal group (Forensic Forum)
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ By sharing of skilled trained staff
§ By education on processes and systems as well as roles and
responsibilities
§ By provision of improved orientation and training
Barriers to Success:
§ The lack of orientation and training
Solutions, Recommendations, Action Planning:
1. Establishment of minimum training certification for handling termination
cases
2. Establish worker orientation quarterly with Juvenile Judges
3. Provision of proactive training on issues leading to staff burnout
4. Development of training on clarification of individual roles
5. Provision of cross training among organizations using the DCFS format
6. Provision of updated DCFS foundation training as part of the
certification process
7. Development of an internet mechanism to distribute changes from
organizations to others in the juvenile court system
8. Reorientation of individuals to the Federal guidelines for permanency
POLICY AND PROCEDURES
Barriers to Success:
§ The Juvenile Court Act is inconsistent, disjointed, outdated, and needs
to reformed and rewritten
§ The sheer volume of cases (200 cases) creates serious time factor
problems for the States Attorney and GAL relative to case visits before
hearings and permanency hearings that occur more than once a year
§ The issue of delinquency and its correlation to abuse and neglect
continues to create problems between DCFS and others. The DCFS 13 year old
and older rule needs to be changed.
§ There is a difference of purpose and philosophy between DCFS and other
parties in the system.
§ The practice of using the Juvenile Court as a training ground for court
personnel needs to be addressed.
Solutions and Recommendations:
1. Provision of a mechanism for others to assist GALs and Attorneys in
handling visitation requirements
2. Establishment of a policy to implement a quality assurance audit on cases
in the system 2 years or longer
Court 4-D (Cook County)
Chief Judge: Patricia Martin Bishop
Court 4-D: Sandra R. Otaka
Key Concepts
Five key concepts emerged from the work of each of the first two Court
Improvement forums:
Ø Communication
Ø Accountability and Quality Assurance
Ø Child and Family Centered Services
Ø Training
Ø Policy and Procedures
Forum Note: Participants wish to convey that the work presented is not
necessarily a group consensus.
COMMUNICATION
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ Pre-courtroom discussions
§ Courteous communication between all parties
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ With respect
§ In a collaborative manner
§ By bringing the best of all perspectives
§ By utilizing a team approach
§ By keeping the child’s interest first
§ In a non-adversarial manner, finding common ground to effectively
advocate for client needs
§ By utilizing communication which is:
a. Open and civil
b. Allows difference of opinion
c. Elicits proper questioning of workers
d. Is in the family’s interest
§ With an awareness of the “Big Picture”
§ By understanding that professions influence perspectives
§ In a “child centered and family focused” manner
§ By getting rid of the baggage
§ By minimizing assumptions
§ By better preparing caseworkers in their role as witnesses
§ By having realistic demands
§ By gathering information that imparts knowledge
Barriers to Success:
§ Failure to recognize and validate caseworkers as advocates
§ Lack of follow-up and failure to return phone calls
Solutions, Recommendations, Action Planning:
1. Establish a monthly or quarterly “informational” forum
a. Topics that draw from all disciplines
b. Use discussion groups rather than training
2. Create a system for communication with a frequent update capability; this
system should include:
a. Lists of court personnel with phone numbers
b. Lists of provider agencies
c. Lists of supervisors / Organizational Chart with phone numbers
3. Implement a rapid/brief positive feedback mechanism such as a flash
feedback card
4. Publicly recognize a “Court Worker of the Month”
a. Focus of recognition must meet the intent of the award
5. Utilize automated technology to dispatch information quickly, including
the utilization of the court room phone and voice mail systems
6. Acquire E-mail capability for Cook County Juvenile Court personnel
7. Establish a notification system for calendar calls on cases
a. Concurrent calendars
b. Worker sign-in with notice
c. Consistent application on all calendars
8. Build a relationship with the court facilitator (DCFS) and court
coordinator (Court) in order to be able to update the status of cases and
the flow of case movement
ACCOUNTABILITY and QUALITY ASSURANCE
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ The presence of senior social workers at the court
§ Advance preparation by all involved parties
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ By seeking to insure, whenever possible, the stability of staff
§ With punctuality -- starting on time
§ By assuring mutual accountability
§ With an assumption of competency
Barriers to Success:
§ Lack of preparation
§ Staff turnover
§ Lack of systems analysis; disciplines are not looking inwardly for
correction of behaviors/performance
§ Actions, plans, and services sometimes fail to support family
reunification or preservation
§ Lack of accurate, quality feedback to supervisors about workers’
participation (feedback reports)
§ Lack of a fundamental buy-in to the “team concept”
§ Supervisors that don’t accompany new workers to court to provide
introductions and orientation
§ GALs who do not visit families or spend enough time in the field
§ Failure to provide adequate visitation for families and children
Solutions, Recommendations, Action Planning:
1. Access the DCFS legal department office space in order to create a work
area while waiting for hearings and to provide access to telephones, desks,
meeting rooms
a. Connect paging system to DCFS legal to notify workers
b. Have tables available by court rooms for work space
2. Return to utilizing written court reports; these need to include a
summary of administered tests and need to be provided at least a week before
court hearings
a. Creates additional paperwork
b. Can improve testimony
c. Identify required reports
3. Address quality and accountability issues directly with the private
agencies
4. Provide internal communication to insure quality assurance for GALs
5. Follow up to ensure two-way cross system accountability
6. Build in a system that rewards punctuality
7. Review the application of the Resource Help Unit
8. Build internal accountability systems which cross review and audit
critical functions
9. Implement a paging system for private bar attorneys
10. Level the playing field in the child welfare system between the legal
and social work components
a. Private Agency Workers may need separate legal representation
11. If possible, require judges to attend the monthly or quarterly
communication forums along with upper management of agencies
12. Contact the Chief Judge of Cook County for support of and advocacy for
the Court Improvement Model to solutions and recommendations
13. Build/gain support form the Judges for the Court Improvement Model to
improve relationships
14. Seek positive press coverage to highlight the improvements in the system
CHILD AND FAMILY CENTERED SERVICES
Barriers to Success:
§ The lack of adequate resources
§ Shrinking resources
§ Inaccessibility of DCFS/ court personnel
Solutions and Recommendations:
(Due to time constraints, the group skipped this section.)
TRAINING
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ With understanding of the roles of all players on the team
§ By utilizing cross-training between systems
§ By knowing the expectations of all parties
Barriers to Success:
§ Lack of testimony training
§ Lack of understanding of the limitations in available resources
§ Lack of understanding of DCFS policy
§ No model exists for defining the differences of roles of participants:
court, child welfare system, etc.
Solutions, Recommendation, Action Planning:
1. Establish a quarterly training forum which will allow communication about
legal protocols
a. Build on existing resources (Long Range Planning Committee)
b. Integration required
2. In order to build bridges and clarify the intersection of systems,
provide a historical review of Juvenile Court including the Juvenile Court
Act and other pertinent documents
3. Provide training for court personnel on the role of the case worker as
well as pertinent procedures, and policies
4. Provide a basic training on best interest factors vs. permanency factors
5. Establish a training rotation among different offices:
a. DCFS, GAL, PD, POS
6. Design and implement a “Train the Trainer” model for cornerstone
issues
POLICY AND PROCEDURES
Specific Processes, Practices, Policies That Work:
§ The holding of regularly scheduled staffings
§ A process by which case workers can sign in
§ Caseworkers who write out their notes in preparation for providing
testimony
§ Agreement by the players utilizing the court family conference process
§ Mutual acceptance of how the judicial system for juveniles is designed to
work
How Private Agencies and Court Personnel Should Interrelate:
§ By the provision of heads-up advance notice on court appearances
§ By advance scheduling of court calendars
§ By thoughtful organization of the various court processes
Barriers to Success:
§ Differing views and interests create friction between the social work
system and the juvenile court
§ Differing decision making trees for each discipline (Is there a way to
improve these processes?)
§ Ineffective use of resolution methods
§ Failure to provide the same legal standing and/or support for social
workers as for other disciplines places social workers at a decided
disadvantage in court.
§ The lack of a team or cooperative partnership approach
§ Unreasonable expectations following case transfer from agency-to-agency;
more time is required
Solutions, Recommendations, Action Planning:
1. Establish mandatory monthly court workshops within juvenile court
2. Implement a cross discipline review of the current Juvenile Court system
3. Provide sensitivity training on how to communicate with all the players
a. Understand the roles and responsibilities but relate to each other with
respect
b. Demonstrate/model the same treatment with all parties including client
and families
4. Acknowledge the individual roles of all the players
a. Address problems before they get to the bench
b. Understand that friction occurs at the “intersection of Social Work
with the Law”
5. Provide thoughtful, honest, advance notice when at all possible
6. Articulate the real underlining issues relative to cases being heard.
This is a critical factor.
Evaluation Results and Comments
1st Circuit Southern Illinois
8th Circuit West / Central Illinois
10th Circuit Peoria
18th Circuit DuPage County
Cook County Court Room 4-D
CONTENT:
This process contributed to a better understanding among participants.
Strongly Agree Agee Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
1st Circuit 8 17 6 0 0
8th Circuit 11 11 0 0 0
10th Circuit 6 13 1 0 1
18th Circuit 5 12 3 0 0
Cook 4-D 7 10 4 3 0
TOTAL 37 63 14 3 1
Percent 31% 54% 12% 2% 1%
These forums increased your knowledge of the roles of other participants in
the Judiciary process.
Strongly Agree Agee Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
1st Circuit 6 18 6 1 0
8th Circuit 8 11 3 0 0
10th Circuit 5 10 4 1 1
18th Circuit 2 10 6 1 0
Cook 4-D 6 9 6 3 0
TOTAL 27 58 25 6 1
Percent 23% 50% 21% 5% 1%
There should be an ongoing process of dialog between the Private Agencies
and Court personnel in this circuit.
Strongly Agree Agee Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
1st Circuit 19 12 0 0 0
8th Circuit 15 7 0 0 0
10th Circuit 16 5 0 0 0
18th Circuit 18 1 1 0 0
Cook 4-D 16 6 0 2 0
TOTAL 84 31 1 2 0
Percent 71% 26% 1% 2% 0%
This process should be used statewide to improve the Judiciary-Private
Agency relationships.
Strongly Agree Agee Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree
1st Circuit 17 13 1 0 0
8th Circuit 17 5 0 0 0
10th Circuit 10 10 0 1 0
18th Circuit 12 5 2 1 0
Cook 4-D 14 7 2 0 1
TOTAL 70 40 5 2 1
Percent 59% 34% 4% 2% 1%
PROCESS:
Rate the following:
1. Number of meetings
Just Right Too few Too many
1st Circuit 28 2 1
8th Circuit 18 0 4
10th Circuit 18 1 2
18th Circuit 13 1 3
Cook 4-D 18 6 0
TOTAL 95 10 10
Percent 84% 8% 8%
2. Length of meetings
Just Right Too short Too long
1st Circuit 30 1 0
8th Circuit 20 1 1
10th Circuit 19 0 2
18th Circuit 19 1 0
Cook 4-D 17 7 0
TOTAL 105 10 3
Percent 89% 8% 3%
3. Time of day
Just Right Too early Too late
1st Circuit 30 0 1
8th Circuit * 21 1 0 *The 9am meeting too early
10th Circuit 21 0 0
18th Circuit 20 0 0
Cook 4-D 24 0 0
TOTAL 116 1 1
Percent 98% 1% 1%
How important was the opportunity to network over lunch?
VeryImportant Important Neutral SomewhatImportant Not Important
1st Circuit 11 18 1 1 0
8th Circuit * 7 10 5 0 0 *variety 9am and 11am
10th Circuit 7 8 5 1 0
18th Circuit 12 4 2 1 1
Cook 4-D 9 10 5 0 0
TOTAL 46 50 18 3 1
Percent 39% 42% 15% 3% 1%
What did you like most about the forums?
Circuit # 1
Identifying educational issues about the juvenile court system.
Use of a solution based style and format.
The presentation and open discussion over lunch made learning information
comfortable.
Compilation of data from session to session was very helpful.
Learning about all the different agencies and placing faces and names.
Much like friends getting together and chatting after lunch.
Networking and improved communications.
The presenter made each person feel welcome!
The possibility of creating a resource directory with links to agencies
throughout the circuit.
Sharing ideas, experiences, and changes going on in the field.
Great method of getting various people involved, good format.
Focused, organized brain storming.
Circuit # 8
Opportunity to share concerns, problems and information and brainstorm
solutions.
Variety of time and locations enabled our circuit to participate.
Networking and meeting other professionals within the juvenile justice
system.
Exchange of ideas and openness.
Looking at the juvenile Court process.
The process put problems in perspective with the entire system.
Identification of key ideas.
Forced to take time to dialog would not happen otherwise.
Circuit # 10
Dialog between the parties and lunch format.
The opportunity for people in different roles to share and communicate their
perceptions to each other toward a common goal of improving the juvenile
court system.
Liked learning from, and getting to know judges and other court personnel.
Ability to network.
The sense of focus during the forums was good facilitator did a good job of
keeping things moving.
Open sharing of ideas.
Receptivity of participants to the process.
Enough time was allowed to process issues.
The topics were excellent and needed.
Meeting others and working on concerns and learning more.
Relaxed atmosphere and collaboration among public sector.
Circuit #18
Multidisciplinary, problem resolution, comfortable atmosphere,
non-defensive.
Examples of what is working.
Seeing other stakeholders in a setting other than their traditional roles.
Opportunity to learn issues of all system players.
The ability to network and make the system better for our kids.
The participation of judges.
Openness of the discussions was great.
Provided a better sense of community.
I enjoyed the moderator’s style, approach, and ability to facilitate, this
is a difficult group.
Cook 4-D
It gave a chance for participants to express ideas for improvement, their
roles, clear up misconceptions in a method that was presided over by a
neutral party.
Casual, friendly atmosphere and open forum and a chance for all to be heard
and express concerns and positions.
Discussing issues with a variant people I would not otherwise meet.
Facilitator helped calm down differing points of view.
I thought the mediators/moderators did a very good job directing the
discussion and organizing the topics. I felt that we remained very focused
and did not get too far off course.
The chance to hear what others think.
Networking with others in a different setting.
Good participation with good ideas.
The presence of Judge Otaka and court personnel.
Lunch helped break the ice.
All parties got to hear what the other side thinks, it was important for the
court to hear what the workers think and feel about their treatment.
Frank dialog among all parties.
The clear and candid views and opinions.
Began a needed dialog which should continue.
Your suggestions for change or modifications to the format of these forums.
Circuit # 1
Might be done in two session 9-12 but you loose the relationship building.
Split up the divisions between probation and child welfare.
States Attorney’s need to be encouraged to attend all sessions.
Chief Judges should mandate Juvenile Judges to attend.
Add media coverage of the forums.
Circuit # 8
Would support fewer meetings with longer sessions.
Should be a reunion or follow-up every 6 months.
None I can think of at this time.
Circuit # 10
Make sure contract attorneys are invited.
In my opinion this process was a complete sham as it now appears that the
end result – steering committees were foreordained.
More participation, feedback from S.A.O. and DCFS.
Not enough diet soda available with lunch.
This was just right for me.
Circuit #18
Winter session so more might attend.
Need a couple more sessions.
Assign tasks and force people to meet new people.
Too much time between meetings could be done in one long day.
Continue meetings on a quarterly basis and open meetings to line staff.
Cook 4-D
Increase the number and variety of courtrooms.
Need some more open-mindedness and flexibility, as opinions of workers by
court is terrible and there is an unwillingness to alter this.
As the topic is so expansive, the forum may benefit form a dialog not only
individual comments.
Invite more caseworkers
Get the Agency Performance Team (APT) involved.
Participants should be at the same organizational level (upper management)
to bring about change with the people who can facilitate the change need to
be present.
Strongly believe we should have ongoing collaboration meetings every other
month.
Consult with programs such as Loyola Social Work/Law for ideas on cross
discipline understanding
We must stop worrying about who is at fault and start opening up
communications to make improvements.
Court Improvement Forum Pre-Forum Survey Results
N= Understanding judiciary process Relationship Quality of work: Judicial
Quality of work: Private Agency Understanding Child/Welfare Understanding
Judiciary Know your role Know role of others Average Experience in Years
1st Circuit:
Agency 13 4.9 4.6 3.3 4.9 5.3 4.6 5.2 4.5 5.2
Judiciary 17 5.8 4.1 5.3 4.4 4.4 5.4 6 5.1 6.2
Other 11 4.6 4.1 4.3 4.6 5.3 4.7 5.6 4.4 5.3
8th Circuit:
Agency 5 5.4 5.4 5.4 6 6.2 5.4 6 5.4 5.4
Judiciary 12 6.1 5.1 5.5 4.6 4.9 6 6.3 5.4 8.5
Other 8 5.5 4.8 4.8 4.7 5.5 5.1 5.2 5 6.5
10th Circuit:
Agency 18 5.1 4.7 5.1 4.8 5.2 4.8 5.1 4.7 6.6
Judiciary 9 5.7 4.9 5.3 5.6 5.4 6.1 6.3 5.8 5.4
Other 6 4.7 4.5 4.7 4.5 4.8 4.7 5 4.3 6.8
18th Circuit:
Agency 7 5.1 4 3.9 4.9 5.7 4.9 5.6 5 8.3
Judiciary 9 5.7 5 5.8 4.3 5.1 5.9 6.4 5.7 6.2
Other 6 5.5 3.3 4.7 3.1 5.5 5.7 6 5.3 6.3
Cook County 4-D:
Agency 20 4.9 3.8 4.2 5 6.1 5.5 5.9 5.6 7.2
Judiciary 11 6.1 3.8 4.6 3.8 5.5 6.1 5.9 5.7 4.5
Other 3 3.7 3 3.3 3 5 3.7 4 4.3 4.3
Scale 7 Excellent / Complete understanding
6 Very Good
5 Adequate / Good
4 Neutral / No opinion
3 Poor /Limited understanding
2 Very Poor / Very limited understanding
1 Extremely Poor / No understanding