CWAC met in Chicago on November 21, 2000. The SED Committee presented current recommendations relating to Rule 384 as well as restraints. A sub-committee is examining Rule 384. Recommendations presented to CWAC include: 1) Peer restraints to be prohibited, 2) Agency Behavior Treatment Plan requires agency to describe appropriateness of selected model to population served, 3) Agency Behavior Treatment Plan must include agency specific response to behavior intentional or unintentional that results in a child or staff being prone on any surface, 4) DCFS process of acceptance of Agency Behavior Treatment plan is shortened to 14 days with process of review by licensing staff and individuals appointed by DCFS Director who are knowledgeable in behavior management/restraint, 5) Carpeting/padding is option in seclusion rooms as long as it meets local fire and health code standards, and 6) 30 minute limit before physician or nurse involvement. The most critical implications of these rule changes when ratified will be for those agencies that use any type of peer restraints and for those agencies that use any type of model that involves taking the child to the floor. Additionally, all models of restraints as identified by CCAI agencies were reviewed by the committee. Since the MAPS model did not choose to make a presentation, that model will not be recommended as an accepted model of restraint. Any CCAI agency that uses that model should be alerted to this potential regulation. Additional information on SED proceedings were previously reported in detail in the November 6 Monday Report.

Finance and Administration report is reported in greater detail in this issue of the Monday Report.

The Specialized Foster Care program status was previously reported in the November 6 Monday Report. At the CWAC meeting, DCFS presented slight modifications to the upcoming plan for review of specialized cases. Cases that are currently in specialized/treatment foster care should be re-reviewed before July using the revised level of care forms. DCFS is in the process of determining the most effective manner to conduct these re-reviews. Cases that do not meet the criteria for spec/treatment foster care will have their administrative rate stepped down immediately. A clinical staffing will be held by the monitoring agency with the foster parent when it is determined to step a case down from spec/treatment foster care. During this staffing, the monitoring agency should discuss the services that need to stay in place in order to keep the child stabilized. A transition plan for stepping down the board rate will be developed during the clinical transition plan for stepping down the board rate will e developed during the clinical review. Agencies will conduct their own reviews from February through June. Beginning in July, the plan is for DCFS to take over these reviews.

DCFS also defined professional foster care programs by 2 indicators: 1) mandatory requirement for one of the foster parents to stay at home full time and 2) foster parents are considered to be employees of the agency. Step-downs at agencies that currently have a professional foster care program will be handled on an individual basis. DCFS will be in contact with such agencies to discuss future plans.

The sub-committee is forming that will develop a method to evaluate clinical outcomes for specialized/treatment foster care programs. Staff who are interested in volunteering for this committee should contact Melinda Woods-Lis of DCFS at 312-814-6861.

Director McDonald stressed that there will be major changes in specialized foster care. He anticipates this expenditure being a major source of budget review during the spring legislative session. Agencies can expect to see decreases in specialized caseloads and contract levels. Agencies that do not choose to re-review existing cases and actively step down children whose level of care indicates only a need for traditional level care can expect some consequences. The department would be prone to contract only with those agencies that had indicated understanding of the specialized process.

DCFS again distributed their proposal for a Private Agency Foster Home Review system. They plan to create a special unit of Agency Performance Team to conduct routine and special reviews of private agency foster care programs, reviewing 10% of an agency's home each year. DCFS feels this will offset efforts from the Public Guardian and legislators to have DCFS take over the licensing of all foster homes. This proposal was previously shared with CCAI staff and several executive directors. CCAI submitted detailed objections and suggested alternative strategies for addressing the problems DCFS feels it will resolve in this system. DCFS is still pursuing this model over our objections. The POS Monitoring Committee is to review this proposal and develop a suggested implementation plan for this process.

Foundation Training plans were shared. DCFS revised timelines for implementation of the core training in response to concerns from the Training Committee (see last week's Monday Report.) All new staff who are required to be licensed will need to complete the foundation training once it is ready for implementation. This should occur with a May projected date, after review of the full curriculum and training tools by the committee, training of trainers from the universities, presentations of the model to agencies and training of supervisors. The foundation training will be a 20 consecutive day model, with 4 days of classroom style training with one day a week as "in-agency" training. There will be specific assignments for supervisors to assure workers engage in authorized training activities (observing court, ACR, accompanying other workers on home visits, etc.) in concurrence with their training schedule. From January through May, DCFS will continue to offer the licensing exam and 2 � day pre-exam training, as well as CERAP. The exam preparation and CERAP will probably be rolled into one 5-day session to assure all new workers meet all requirements as quickly as possible.

Director McDonald expressed his continued concern that from all data reports he is getting, it would appear at least 30% of private agency staff are receiving case assignments but are not CERAP certified. We remind all agencies that in compliance with previous legislation and DCFS procedures, all staff who perform specific case functions, including case management, must be CERAP certified. DCFS interprets this very narrowly-meaning that no case should ever be put in a worker's name without that worker being CERAP certified. This includes new staff. Indeed, as referenced in the Finance and Administration report, agencies that reported cases assigned to staff without CERAP are losing the credit for that caseworker slot on their agency's caseload penalty calculations. We have asked our agencies to review CERAP status for the last year. We now strongly encourage all our agencies to review CERAP requirements and review the CERAP status of all case carrying staff in all programs to assure compliance.

DCFS proposed a system for sharing training funds with agencies. About $2 million is available for the entire system to use for training. DCFS proposes a capitated system of funds allocated to agencies according to total caseload seats. There would be approved uses of the funds, but uses could include offset of salaries for staff involved in the 20 day training, as well as use for further enhanced training for existing staff. Agencies would only receive the capitation once-if an agency had high turnover they would not get additional funds for every staff who goes through training but would be limited to the capitated amount. DCFS did not yet have anything in writing about this proposed format but should be getting this out to the CWAC group before the next meeting. (MB)

The CWAC Finance and Administration Committee met in Chicago on November 21, 2000. Excess revenue issues were again addressed. Since DCFS did not re-submit their revised rule on excess revenue, the current rule still stands. This includes that programs with rates set by audited costs are not subject to excess revenue unless they were in the hold harmless category for last fiscal year. If the agency was in the hold harmless category-then theoretically the program's rate for that fiscal year was not set based on their audited costs. Performance contracts are also subject to the excess revenue provision. Private agency members again advanced the idea that there should be an agreed upon cushion of excess within programs so that proper comparisons across fiscal years can be used to avoid recapture. The concept is that agencies should be able to be more flexible in how funds are used provided there is no negative impact on direct services. DCFS agreed to continue to work on this issue with the committee. It will be revisited in the next meeting.

DCFS responded to previous requests from the committee to develop a system of reimbursement for agencies when we must carry closed cases for extensive periods of time. This was originally advanced for ILO cases but also applies to some foster care situations. A revision of AP 9 procedures is underway that will establish clear timelines and expectations for case transitions. It would then be possible to create some reimbursement ability when the transition extends beyond the established timeframes. This would vary according to type of program. DCFS did not feel there should be any inclusion of case transition reimbursement ability for programs with comprehensive rates since they felt the agencies were already paid the full rate for some days when the agencies had not provided extensive services. The private agencies attempted to correct this information. The issue of any reimbursement system for excessive transition periods will continue to be worked on with the committee.

Bed hold issues were addressed (See SED Report in November 6 Monday Report for full description.) DCFS has sampled agencies. Most runaway incidents are resolved in less than the maximum 14-day bed hold. DCFS plans to pursue a new procedure that would shorten runaway bed hold time periods and then require a clinical review procedure in order to extend the bed hold under an exception to policy. For agencies with comprehensive rates, the bed hold and home pass procedures pose a problem. When there is no documentation that any service was provided for each day of a home pass or bed hold, then the comprehensive rate cannot be billed. Medicaid auditors would view this as a fraudulent practice. Right now, if it is an incident, DCFS will readjust their Medicaid claim for the year. In the future, there will be increased expectations for documentation of services during any day the client is not in the facility.

Agencies shared developing problems in use of DCFS clothing and furniture vouchers. It is getting difficult to find stores willing to accept them. DCFS staff reported on their discussions with various major department stores and some banks to set up some type of "credit" account to take the place of the current voucher system. These are not going well since most want high fees or want to simply open credit card accounts for the clients/foster parents. DCFS will continue to pursue these discussions. Regional Administrative Services managers each have the current list of stores in the region that will accept the vouchers. Agencies can call them for current information.

Caseload penalties in performance contracts were addressed. DCFS has compiled a list of all performance contract agencies required to submit a Performance Foster Care Staffing Compliance report. Baseline report packets went out to all agencies in July and were due back at DCFS in October. We reported on this requirement as well as due dates in several Monday Reports this summer. There are a number of agencies that DCFS claims have not submitted any report at all-these agencies are subject to the "super-penalty" for non-reporting. Some agencies will be required to re-submit their reports with corrections. Agencies that show staffing levels at less than 80% are subject to the caseload penalty. There are a number of agencies on this list. DCFS reminded all agencies that only those staff who have been CERAP certified can be considered as authorized case management staff in foster care. DCFS surveys indicate up to 30% of staff in agencies are assigned cases without being CERAP certified. This includes newly hired staff. Other agencies fell under the 80% mark upon DCFS review because they included supervisor and case aides in the staffing mix. These positions are not authorized to carry cases. Letters will go out to all agencies in early December that will indicate to the agency what penalty may have been assessed for each contract. CCAI will be calling those agencies listed on the "No Report Received" category to alert them to their status. We will be sending faxes to those agencies needing to submit corrections and those on the penalty list for being under the 80% mark to alert them to the status. Agencies may want to double check the accuracy of DCFS information and be prepared for the appeals process as soon as the letter arrive in December.

Delays in Rate Appeals and Rate Enhancement processing were discussed. CCAI staff and committee members have previously discussed the delays with DCFS staff. Financial staff of DCFS tracked all pending appeals and enhancements and have assembled a list. They are aware that they have not met their own timelines in responding to the enhancement requests. Financial staff will be pursuing this with DCFS executive staff. We will continue to address this with DCFS, as well. If any CCAI agency would like to know if their pending appeal or enhancement is on the list, contact Marge Berglind at 312-819-1950 or [email protected]. (MB)

Glynne Gervais of Jane Addams SSW asked us to share this information with CCA members. She notes that the Community and Administrative Practice concentration could be a good resource for possible future administrative staff, as well as the contributions students can make as interns.

Want to scout new social work talent and advance the profession at the same time? The University of Illinois at Chicago- Jane Addams College of Social Work is looking for field instructors for the foundational year and second year concentrations in: Child and Family Services, Health, Mental Health, School Social Work, and Community and Administrative Practice (CAP) formerly known as Management and Policy.

Field instructors are expected to hold an accredited MSW degree and to have at least three years of post-MSW practice. Those interested in becoming a field instructor or offering their organization as a field placement for the 2001-2002 academic year, please contact Ms. Chris Alvarado at (312) 355-0037 for an application. We are currently composing a book of placements from which incoming students will choose. Don't miss this opportunity to advertise the innovative programs within your organization.

The student you supervise today could be the employee you hire tomorrow. Take control of your hiring pool. Become a field instructor. (MB)

Early Intervention Program was established in 1991 as a comprehensive coordinated system of services for families who have children from birth to three years of age with disabilities or developmental delay. The Illinois Department of Human Services which manages all aspects of the program, projects a shortfall for the current year at approximately $63 million. The shortfall is due to three factors: 1.) The program is reaching more children and families than ever before due to increased outreach efforts. 2.) There has been a substantial increase in the frequency and intensity of services, causing the average amount spent per child to increase by thousands of dollars. 3.) The program has been operating without universal quality assurance to ensure that all eligible children receive appropriate services. Through the Early Intervention program, children and families receive 16 different services including speech, physical, or developmental therapies, nutritional or psychological services and service coordination. Children may receive these services in their home or in the community.

Early Intervention receives funding from several sources including federal funds through Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Medicaid, and KidCare and the Illinois Department of Human Services. The combination of funding could be expended by the third quarter of this fiscal year (January � March 2001). This could have a tremendous impact on the program for the remainder of this funding period in addition to the revenue surplus that is being predicted for Illinois. If you would like additional information about the Early Intervention program and the advocacy efforts that are being organized, contact Kim Fitzgerald with Voices for Illinois Children at 312-516-5557. (JMS)

It was reported in previous Monday Reports that CCA was in the process of scheduling a focus group meeting for SACWIS in order to obtain additional input from member agencies. A date has been finalized for the meeting of January 26, 2001 at the Hyatt Lisle in Lisle, Illinois. Registration forms will be mailed out this week to all agencies. We will be asking for a small fee of $20 to cover the cost of lunch and breaks. A small block of rooms is being held for the Child Care Association meeting at $85 per night. Participants needing overnight accommodations should contact the hotel directly. The focus group sessions will be organized around the following areas: Case management, case assignment, eligibility, ACR, court processing, financial, interfaces, reporting, resource and licensing, archive, technical, staff maintenance, and health tracking. In addition to a discussion of issues related to these components, there will be a presentation of a prototype for a client information system to which participants can respond. We strongly recommend that agencies send representatives to participate in these sessions that are knowledgeable how these processes work in their agency and would be using such a system. In addition to members of the SACWIS Advisory Committee we want to get as broad an input as possible to insure that the POS issues are included in the design and development of this statewide client information system. If you have any questions regarding this meeting, please contact Jan Schoening or Rommel Sangalang at the CCA office. (JMS)

Many of you will remember Coyd Taggert--one of the early pioneers in child welfare here in Illinois. We are saddened to report that Coyd died on Monday, November 20 in Sonoma, California following a hospitalization for a blood clot. If any one should wish to send messages or cards to the Coyd Taggert Family, the address is 303 La Serena Way, Sonoma, California 95476.

Coyd was the former Executive Director of the Lake Bluff Children�s Home which subsequently became the current ChildServ. His focus in the �60s and �70s was support for a child welfare system that would emphasize prevention and early intervention. He provided aggressive leadership to the then Children�s Home to move it toward a more community-based approach of serving children through such services. He was also quite active in linking up church resources with agencies to make them integral partners and collaborators in this community-based approach. Churches were linked to provide volunteer, spiritual, and financial support for these efforts.

Coyd also was a founder of the Northern Illinois Methodist Conference�s United Voices for Children. This conference formed a link between agencies in the Northern Illinois Conference and child advocates from local congregations. This organization continues to provide financial support to those agencies as well as helping congregations become more sensitive to the public policy issues affecting children. It also supplies consultation as to how these congregations can minister to the needs of children in their communities.

Coyd has left behind him a legacy of caring and commitment that is a true example to us all. While he will be missed, his energy, creativity, and dedication have created a living legacy that will always be a reminder of his life of service. (Our thanks to Mason Scholl for sharing this information with us!) (RHM)

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 on-line. 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.

(LLL)

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]. (LLL)

If your agency would like to receive media updates and advisories, template and CCA news releases, and other items of interest, please send name, agency name, title, and e-mail address to [email protected].

Does your agency have an innovative program or recent success story that you�d like to share? CCA is interested in sharing your recent success story or innovative program with the rest of the membership. If you would like to be featured on the CCA website with your success story, contact Linda Lenzini at CCA with the details. (LLL)

Voluntary, not-for-profit foster agencies and CCA as an association were publicly recognized on Monday, November 20 at a press conference held by Governor George Ryan at Ada S. McKinley Center�s South Wabash location. Both the governor and DCFS Director Jess McDonald were quick to acknowledge the contribution of private agencies in Illinois to the successes realized in moving children toward permanent homes. For the details on adoption successes and the press event, visit the front page of the CCA Website to read the entire press release.

Also recognized at the press conference was the Sanchez Family, who won an award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as an exemplary adoptive family. Nydia Sanchez, who is an employee of AICI, and her husband have adopted four foster children and are currently pursuing adoption with a fifth, were there to accept the award with their family.

Central Baptist Family Services was featured on the show Chicagoing hosted by Bill Campbell. The show provided an overview on Central Baptist�s adoption services and details on the policy issues surrounding adoption and subsidized guardianship. In addition, two clients who adopted children through the agency will be featured on the show. If you missed the scheduled airing on Sunday November 26 on Sunday, November 26, on WLS-TV, Channel 7 in Chicago, a videotape will also be available for loan from CCA. TO reserve your loan, contact Linda Lenzini at [email protected] or by phone at 217-528-4409.

Counseling and Family Services was mentioned prominently in a Peoria Journal Star article on November 21 entitled, "Drawing from a Well of Love". The article featured the Dewitt Family, who won the Counseling and Family Services Family of the Year award after fostering as many as 140 children over the past 25 years. The Dewitts were honored as the 2000 Family of the year at a reception on that date.

Theresa Mayberry-Dunn, Former Chief Operating Officer of Centers for New Horizons, and a former CCA Board Member was recently named to the 2001 Children and Family Fellows. The program is an Annie E. Casey Foundation program. Ten individuals were selected this year, each demonstrating skill, passion, commitment and creativity in finding and implementing solutions for some of the toughest challenges that face communities across the country.

For publication names, addresses, phone numbers and editorial names for publications in your locale, contact CCA at [email protected], or call Linda Lenzini at 217-528-4409. Or..if you have a media contact that you would like added to CCA�s media list, send it to [email protected].

Mark your calendars for January 30 and 31, 2001 for two of the best days of Quality Improvement Training featuring Dr. Fotena Zirps. The QI training will be held at the Hilton in Lisle/Naperville IL. You will recall that Dr. Zirps, one of the most widely respected experts in the field of quality improvement, was featured at the CCA Membership meeting in October. This training will build on the Quality and Credibility foundation set in October. The two days will be designed for QI staff and managers who lead a QI effort, and cover both the basics of QI for the beginner, and those wishing a refresher, as well as, advanced training on day two with a focus on problem solving which will be more interactive.

Registration materials will be arriving at your agency soon.

The calendar for the Spring legislative session has been published, and a date will be set shortly for Child Welfare Day at the Capitol. If you would like to reserve exhibit space for that event, please send the name of your agency and the contact person for the event to CCA by e-mailing to [email protected] or calling the Child Care Association at 217-528-4409. You may also fax information to 217-528-6498, att�n: Linda Lenzini.

For more information, e-mail [email protected], or call CCA at 217-528-4409.

Calendar:

Dec. 5 � SACWIS Advisory Committee, River Forest

Jan. 17 � CCA Board of Directors Meeting, Chicago suburbs

Jan. 26 � POS SACWIS Focus Group Meeting, Hyatt Lisle, Lisle, IL

Jan. 30-31 � Quality Improvement Training, Hilton Lisle/Naperville

Feb. 25-28 � 14^th Annual Conference, A System of Care for Children�s Mental Health: Expanding the

Research Base, Tampa Hyatt Regency, Tampa, Fl. Call Lyn Bryan at 813/974-4649 for information.

March 22-23 � CCA�s Spring Membership Meeting, Hyatt Regency Woodfield, Schaumburg, IL

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