CHILD CARE ASSOCIATION OF ILLINOIS

       MONDAY REPORT

July 31, 2000

SPECIAL NOTE:  Copyright 2000. The Monday Report is produced each week as a benefit to the member agencies of the Child Care Association. Please protect this membership benefit - DO NOT copy and distribute this report to agencies/staff that are not members of CCA.  Thank you for your cooperation.

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CHILD WELFARE

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DCFS ISSUES GUIDELINES FOR ITS FY 2000 LAPSE PERIOD

The State FY 2000 ended on June 30, 2000. The State has a two-month lapse period (July/August) to address costs incurred prior to that date.  DCFS� goal is to pay all vendors for valid FY 2000 obligations by the August 23, 2000 lapse deadline established by the State Comptroller.  To enable this to happen they are asking all vendors to submit all invoices and billings for goods and services to their respective business office within the Department on or before August 4, 2000.  For board payments, all 906�s must be called in no later than August 4, 2000.  The last board run will be August 17, 2000.

Please note:  vendor invoices and billings submitted to DCFS after August 4 run the risk of not having their processing complete by the end of the lapse period.  Failure to complete final processing not only will add further delays but will end up requiring Court of Claims action.  This could result in payment delays of up to a year or more.

Summary:  failure of a vendor to submit a FY 2000 bill by August 4, 2000 may cause payment delays.  Please address this issue IMMEDIATELY!

(RHM)

TITLE IV-E TRAINING DOLLARS FOR PRIVATE AGENCIES BEGINS ITS MOVE THROUGH CONGRESS

Close but no cigar!!  An amendment to allow the utilization of Title IV-E training dollars for the training of private agencies providing child welfare services has begun its way through Congress.  An amendment to that effect has been attached to HR 4678--a rather broad piece of legislation dealing with a number of issues related to parental responsibility.  For a brief period last week it looked like the bill would come up for a vote in the House.  However, some questions were raised about other provisions of the bill and as a result a vote was not taken before Congress adjourned for its summer break.  They will not be back in Washington until September so this issue is temporarily on hold.  This will give us an opportunity to work with our federal legislators during their recess.  As soon as we get the language of the amendment and other details, we will be sending them out to the membership along with the request that they contact their local legislators and elicit their support for this critical piece of legislation.  More details to follow!  (RHM)

STATUS OF IV-E WAIVER ON AODA
The Advisory Committee on the AODA IV-E Waiver met in Chicago on July 28, 2000.  Enrollment of DCFS clients is slow so far, with only 22 families in the project.  The group questioned whether cases which would normally have been eligible were actually staying in Intact Services with the children not going into care. The recovery coaches are in place with TASC for the first set of expected clients. The project director will be meeting with various groups including the Cook Performance Based work group over the next few weeks to escalate the enrollment of clients.

The Inspector General presented initial statistics on the Intact Family Recovery Project. To date the project has served 167 full clients who have signed the Memorandum of Agreement which stipulates the responsibility of the client for full cooperation. Most of the families are substance affected with high percentages of heroine and cocaine use. Of those enrolled, 52% have successfully completed treatment, and 64% had 90 days or more of treatment. Thirty eight percent of the families are court involved, some with unique temporary custody orders of 30 days is they are intensively involved with treatment. Of those families, which ended up with children in care, there is a l5.5% reunification rate that is more than twice the usual rate.  Statistics show the effectiveness of the personal responsibility plan and intensive services in work with families.

Representatives from DHS and various Housing programs addressed the need for joint service planning and cooperative agreements. Finding safe and drug free housing remains a critical concern for DCFS-involved families. DHS intake formats allow assessment of multiple needs and linkage with existing programs, and workers are being trained on the necessity of addressing substance abuse and housing issues when clients seek financial assistance from DHS.  The Advisory Committee will next address recommendations for the set of services to be included in the enhanced service package component of the waiver.  (MB)

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SPECIAL EDUCATION

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PERSONNEL CHANGES IN EDUCATION

There have been several changes in the position of Education Director in our member agencies.  Steve Simard has replaced Larry Smith at the Mill, Debbie Reed is the Acting Principal at Chaddock, replacing Lori Arisman-Roskamp; and Laura Mielzynski has replaced Marcy Canel at Victor Neumann East.  We welcome all of you to your new positions!  (BRH)

CCA NAMED TO OSEP MONITORING COMMITTEE

CCA has been named to serve on the state Steering Committee that will play a key role in working with ISBE to implement the OSEP monitoring procedure.  This new procedure will include 5 steps:  1) State self-assessment; 2) Public input and Steering Committee planning; 3) Data collection; 4) Improvement planning; and 5) Implementation of improvement strategies.  The Committee will work for a period of one year and will provide oversight as Illinois is monitored by the federal Office of Special Education Programs. (BRH)

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GENERAL

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SACWIS USER REQUIREMENTS VALIDATION PROCESS

The Requirements Validation phase which occurred in June 2000 was the first opportunity with the contractor - American Management Systems (AMS) � to discuss in detail the basic requirements on which the Illinois SACWIS system will be designed and constructed.  The validation process was constructed with the recognition that a few years have passed since the original requirements were determined and that changes might have occurred since then that could impact these requirements.  The purpose of the meetings held during June were to: 1.) Confirm existing requirements; 2.) Clarify existing requirements; 3.) Identify new requirements; 4.) Identify obsolete requirements; 5.) and Identify major follow-up actions required.  Little advance notice was given to the private agencies as to the dates of these meetings, but efforts were made by members of the SACWIS Advisory Committee to have POS individuals attend that worked in the program areas identified � intake management, case management, eligibility, court processing, resource management, financial management, administration, interfaces and quality assurance.  Recommendations were made to DCFS SACWIS project that a schedule of meeting dates for the application design were needed with some lead in time.

The result of the June meetings was a User Requirements Assessment Report which will be used as an �input� to the design related activities and help define the technical environment and the implementation effort required to implement Illinois SACWIS.  Also the issues identified from the requirement sessions will be used in the development of the Change Management Plan.  (JMS)

MAJOR ISSUES FOR SACWIS FROM USER REQUIREMENTS

From the SACWIS requirements sessions five major issues were identified by the contractor � American Management Systems � that affect many of the requirements and the overall scope of the Illinois SACWIS implementation.  Those that were identified as significant were:  1.) Variations of business practices between Cook County and �Downstate� Field Offices.  2.) Differences between DCFS and Purchase of Service Agencies.  An example of a concern raised in this area during the user requirements session was where private agencies are themselves licensed by DCFS and then perform licensing activities for their own foster homes.  A concern was whether POS activities such as licensing homes, renewing licenses, investigating complaints, making foster home payments mirror DCFS processes; or will SACWIS need to support additional functionality so POS business practices are supported as well;  3.) Implementing automation across service systems.  The feasibility of synchronizing and streamlining activities such as document submissions, data exchange, and coordinated scheduling is dependent upon effective coordination between these organizations that may prove impossible to achieve and require modification of existing requirements.  4.) Distinguishing between recording data and automating business processes; and 5.) Financial requirements.  (JMS)

SACWIS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING

The SACWIS Advisory Committee met in Chicago on July 25, 2000.  Documents were presented that would affect the development of planning for funding of private agency equipment for SACWIS.  Each agency would receive a matrix which would identify the caseload size and the number of seats on which funding will be distributed to agencies.  Once an agency had completed this information and agreement has been reached on the numbers for each agency, agencies will be required to submit a plan to outline how they will get their sites ready for SACWIS utilizing these funds.  What equipment and support will be purchased?  The current funding strategy involves 2.5 million each year for three years.  Agencies will also be provided a list of items on which SACWIS funding can be used and process for submission of reimbursement requests.  A guideline of what the specific requirements for hardware will be has also been developed and will be included in the information.  It is the intent that regional meetings will be held prior to the mailing of caseload information to distribute the SACWIS equipment material to agencies and answer questions that agencies may have.  It is recommended that agencies would have financial and information systems staff available to attend these meetings.  Agencies will also have the opportunity to have technical assistance available to their agency in the development of their SACWIS equipment plans that will be provided by the quality assurance vendor for the project.  Time frames will also be presented as to when SACWIS application will be completed, when agencies need to be SACWIS ready, when training would be available and when the application would be implemented with private agencies.  (JMS)

SACWIS DESIGN APPLICATION MEETINGS BEGIN

Last week on July 25^th and July 26^th the first two meetings in a series of meetings took place in Springfield related to the actual design of the system for SACWIS.  Those sessions related to intake and investigations and case management.  In those meetings participants are asked to identify high-level use cases.  For example this could include taking a hot line call.  Who are all the actors involved in this process and in broad terms provide a description of the use case.  Information is provided on neglect and abuse and a case is opened for investigation.  There is a beginning and ending point for each use case. This will be done for each of the specific areas identified: ACR, resources, court processing, financial, reporting, staff maintenance, interfaces, and eligibility. Phase I of the SACWIS project will be the development and implementation of the investigation portion of the system.  Dates for remaining meetings can be found at the end of the Monday Report.  The only change in the schedule at this point is that the Staff Maintenance session has been rescheduled from July 27, 2000 to August 23, 2000.  POS members of the Advisory Committee have been identifying those staff within their agencies that have responsibilities related to these activities to participate in these meetings.  Efforts are being made to identify on a long-term basis how much of a time commitment is needed from private agencies throughout all phases of the project.  (JMS)

RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION DRAFT LANGUAGE FROM CWLA

We wanted to update those agencies that submitted comments regarding the draft language for the federal restraint and seclusion issue.  We were contacted by  Lloyd Bullard who is the Director for Residential Services at CWLA and he indicated that they had received many comments around the issue of a third party observer being required.  CWLA agrees and this language is being removed from the proposed draft.  We will continue to keep agencies updated on the status of the federal issue on restraint and seclusion and request your review and comment on material that is developed.  (JMS)

WEBSITES WE LIKE will be a regular feature in the Monday Report. If you have a website you are using for policy research, media information, or other purposes, please send it on to CCA so that we can share it with other members in the Monday Report and consider it for addition to the CCA Link Library online. Send submissions via e-mail to: [email protected].

Tell us what you think of the WEBSITES WE LIKE. Were they helpful? Were they easy to find? E-mail Linda Lenzini at [email protected] with comments, suggestions, and questions.

For CCA members interested in Juvenile Justice issues, here are a few additional sites that might be of interest:

The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority can be accessed at http://www.icjia.org and provides timely information in Illinois issues.

The Juvenile Justice Center home page, which is sponsored by the American Bar Association, can be visited at http://www.abanet.org/crimjust/juvjus/home.html. The site also gives visitors the opportunity to subscribe to a listserv.

The National Center for Juvenile Justice is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to reduce society's reliance on the use of incarceration as a solution to social problems. Its website can be visited at http://www.cjcj.org/  (LLL)

CCA SURVEY UPDATES

The CCA FY2000 Membership Survey has been piloted and completed and will mailed within the week. This information will be used by CCA to work on behalf of the membership with state Departments, the legislature, media representatives, and other parties whose participation is critical to children�s issues in Illinois. 

Full membership participation is critical to the success of this survey, so watch for it in your mailboxes and on the CCA website in the next couple of weeks. Please direct questions regarding to this survey to Linda Lenzini at CCA.  (LLL)

If your agency is one of the very few who has not yet returned their E-Communications Survey to CCA, please do so as soon as possible.  Those who have already responded have indicated that it took them less than 5 minutes to fill out. If you need assistance, or would like another copy of the survey, contact Linda Lenzini at CCA. You can also obtain a copy of the survey by visiting the Library on the CCA website and downloading the survey as a Microsoft Word document. (LLL)

ASK CCA

Looking for information on a particular facet of legislation, association management, program or service? Chances are, if you want to know, other member agencies do, too.

Send e-mail to [email protected], and we�ll publish your question and the answer in the Monday Report.

(LLL)

LINK TO THE CCA WEBSITE

If your agency has a website, you can be linked to the CCA website. This will enable visitors to the CCA website to simply click on your agency�s name and access your website. Send requests for linkage via e-mail to Linda Lenzini at CCA, e-mail address [email protected].

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UPCOMING EVENTS/MEETINGS

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TEACHING-FAMILY ASSOCIATION TO HOST CONFERENCE IN CHICAGO

The national Teaching-Family Association will hold its Annual Conference in Chicago this year and all are welcome.  This event will be held at the Westin Hotel from November 17-20.  The theme of the conference is the �Circle of Courage�--a theme derived from the folklore of the Lakota Sioux which depicts the four Spirits essential to all life:  Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity.  Dr. Larry Brendtro will be the keynote speaker, and will be expanding on these themes in his remarks. They have also issued a Call for Presentations--presentations which are built around the theme.  For more information about the conference and the specifics of the Call for Presentation, please contact the Teaching-Family Association--#540-370-4439 or e-mail www.teaching-family.org.  (RHM)

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR CCA�s FALL MEMBERSHIP RETREAT

The date is set and the location chosen for CCA�s Fall Retreat.  The Retreat will be held on October 5-6 at The Lodge, a Hyatt hotel at McDonald�s Office Campus in Oak Brook.  For the past 15 or more years the Association has gone to Starved Rock Lodge in Utica, Illinois, and while we had our hopes on going there again this year, Starved Rock could not accommodate us for the dates we scheduled and the Board approved for October.  However, we think you will be very pleased with The Lodge.  The Lodge has extended to us a sleeping room rate of $115 for a single room, their rack rate is $159.  Like Starved Rock, The Lodge has miles of trails, with streams and forests.  Also, two natural lakes are on the 88-acre property.  Among the amenities are: state of the art health facilities, indoor swimming pool, three whirlpools, steamroom and sauna, paddle boats, five nature trails, and four-mile jogging trail.  Although the agenda is in the developing stages, please mark your calendar and plan on joining us for an educational and relaxing two days in October.  Additional information on the two-day retreat will be forthcoming in future Monday Reports.  (SKA)

THE INTERNATIONAL ADOLESCENT CONFERENCE

The International Adolescent Conference is November 1-4,2000, Portland Oregon.  Co-sponsored by Correctional Education Association, Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders, Federation of Families for Children�s Mental Health, National Association of School Psychologists, The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.  Call (651) 484-5510 for more information.

Calendar:

Aug.  1� SACWIS Assignment/Caseload/Workload Management � Springfield

Aug.  2� SACWIS Staff Maintenance/Training/Personnel - Springfield

Aug.  3 � SACWIS Tickler/Other - Springfield

Aug.  8 � SACWIS Education/Placement/Adoption - Springfield

Aug.  8 � SACY Training/Introductory: Developmentally Disabled Youth, Springfield

Aug.  9 � SACWIS Court Processing - Springfield

Aug. 10 � SACWIS Interfaces (other than business practices) - Springfield

Aug. 15 � SACWIS Resource Directory/Contract/Licensing/Intake - Springfield

Aug. 15 � SACY Training/Advanced: Effective Group Treatment Modalities, Chicago/Lisle

Aug. 16 � SACWIS Payments/Children�s Accounts/Reimbursement - Springfield

Aug. 17 � SACWIS Eligibility/Claiming - Springfield

Aug. 17 - SACY Training/Advanced: Effective Group Treatment Modalities, Springfield

Sept. 27-29 - Practical Strategies 2000: Help Along the Way: A Continuum of Support for Youth and Families, Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center, Urbana, IL.  More information:  217-355-5990.

Oct. 5-6 � CCA�s Fall Retreat, The Lodge, Oak Brook

Oct. 6-7 - The 10^th Annual Retreat for Educators of Students with Behavioral Disorders sponsored by ICCBD, Monticello, IL.

Nov. 1-4 - The International Adolescent Conference, Portland Oregon; Call (651) 484-5510

Nov. 17-20 - The Teaching-Family Association Conference: �Circle of Courage� �Call: 540-370-4439 or e-mail www.teaching-family.org

For further information on any of the above, contact the staff member noted in parentheses at the end of the text: