MONDAY REPORT

September 23, 2002

SPECIAL NOTE:  Copyright 2002. 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.

GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE FORUM.. 1

URGENT DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS - AGENCY BEHAVIOR TREATMENT PLANS ABSOLUTELY DUE OCTOBER 1. 2

CHILD WELFARE. 2

CWAC FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION SUBCOMMITTEE. 2

CWAC SED COMMITTEE. 3

Submission of Agency Behavior Treatment Plan.. 3

Runaways. 3

SACY/Children with Sexual Behavior Problems. 4

ILO.. 4

GENERAL. 4

HIPAA SEMINAR (HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT) 4

WELFARE REFORM REAUTHORIZATION UPDATE. 5

CCAI BOARD OF DIRECTORS. 5

EDUCATION. 5

ISBE REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS ON �BEST PRACTICES� IN AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMMING AVAILABLE. 5

�NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND� FEDERAL EDUCATION LAW REQUIRES SWEEPING CHANGES IN ILLINOIS SCHOOLS. 5

EDUCATION FUNDING ADVISORY BOARD ISSUES PRELIMINARY REPORT; CALLS FOR BLOCK GRANT FUNDING IN SPECIAL EDUCATION. 5

PROPORTION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS RISES IN CHICAGO FROM 11.5% TO 16.4% IN 7 YEARS. 6

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS. 6

CHASI EMPLOYEE NAMED SOCIAL WORKER OF THE YEAR. 6

UPCOMING EVENTS. 6

SACY TRAINING FOR SEPTEMBER. 6

Reunification Issues with Sexually Problematic Children                Sept. 26  6

�SUBSIDIZED GUARDIANSHIP-EXPERIENCES� 7

�SYSTEMS OF CARE� 7

Calendar. 7

GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE FORUM

Keep the date of October 4, 3:00-5:00 p.m. in downtown Chicago reserved for a forum between Gubernatorial candidates. As of Friday, September 20, Jim Ryan had confirmed and Rod Blagojevich was 90% certain of participation. Because of the recent confirmation, a specific location has not yet been finalized. The forum will be co-sponsored by Voices for Illinois Children, CCAI and several other organizations. There will be an opportunity for submission of questions during the forum. We encourage all CCAI members, their staff, foster parents, parents, youth in care and board members to attend this important event. More details will follow later this week. (MB)

URGENT DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS - AGENCY BEHAVIOR TREATMENT PLANS ABSOLUTELY DUE OCTOBER 1

Rule 384, effective last April requires submission of the Agency Behavior Treatment Plan by October 1. Later in this Monday Report is a full report on the deadline in the SED Committee report. The deadline for submission is October 1. There will be no requests for extensions granted. New admissions will be suspended if agencies fail to comply with the deadline or submit plans that are incomplete.

We urge all Presidents/CEO�s /Executive Directors/Chief Operating Officers to take a personal interest in this requirement and to assure within your agency that your plan will be ready and submitted by the deadline. Since our communication last week on this issue, we have received calls from programs that are uncertain if they need to submit a plan by virtue of the type of program delivered or based on their licensing status. We have received calls from group home sites of larger agencies that are uncertain about the applicability of the rule to those program sites.  We have received copies of plans sent to CCAI that should have gone to DCFS.  Please don�t think your agency is immune from this confusion. Your staff may need your guidance and assistance in this essential task. CCAI stresses the importance and urgency of all residential programs assuring their complete plan arrives at DCFS by the required deadline. As an association of providers committed to quality residential programming, we must be willing to support and implement this critical function. Failure to do this will also jeopardize intake to your program. (MB)

CWAC FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION SUBCOMMITTEE

CWAC-FAS met on September 17 in Springfield.

�       DCFS distributed the rate setting parameters for FY �03 rates.  There was extensive discussion about affordability and timing. The rate work group was to meet afterwards to suggest possible scenarios under which the methodology could be run and implemented at some point in the year.  They will provide recommendations back to the committee.

�       DCFS staff provided a questions and answers sheet regarding the bed hold policy. They will mail it to all providers on 9/23/02 and asked for committee feedback prior to then. DCFS also clarified that foster care bed holds are being handled as they have been in the past.

�       Providers reviewed the case management only policy.  One question about youth in college and summer break was raised, and DCFS will investigate.

�       The cash assistance proposal developed by providers was reviewed.  DCFS staff asked for a mark-up of the former cash assistance program in the Family First contract that would stipulate provider recommendations for return of the funding and elimination of the caps.  There was also discussion about changing Norman funding to allow for retroactive payment on eligible expenses.

�       There was not yet a response to the letter on SACWIS that CCA sent to the Department.  Providers questioned the re-authorization and timing of FY �03 readiness contracts. DCFS will check into that.

�       Changes in specialized foster care contracts were distributed and discussed.  All spec contracts fall into five categories: 1) intake closed; 2) contract closed at end of FY �03; 3) standardized at rates of $97.34 and $100.98; 4) existing rates and program plans; 5) Medicaid specialized contracts.

�       Vouchers for initial placement clothing and infant equipment will no longer be used for purchase. DCFS will reimburse agencies centrally for their cost of purchasing the goods.  Providers indicated that this would be a positive change.

�       Requests regarding reimbursement of interstate transportation above the contract amount should be directed to Melissa Ludington. (We thank Arlene Happach of Children�s Home Association for this report.) (MB)

CWAC SED COMMITTEE

The CWAC SED Committee met in Chicago on September 19.

Submission of Agency Behavior Treatment Plan

Director McDonald distributed an Action Transmittal specifying the process for DCFS� receipt and approval of Agency Behavior Treatment Plans as required in Rule 384, effective April 2002. There are 3 levels of review:

Level 1 is a basic review of the content to assure it complies with requirements.  The deadline for submission is October 1. There will be no requests for extensions granted. In the action transmittal, DCFS stressed the importance of deadline compliance and the importance of submitting plans that are complete, thorough and follow the parameters of Rule 384. DCFS will suspend new admissions if agencies fail to comply with the October 1 deadline or if agencies submit plans that are incomplete.

Level II review will be conducted by the Rule 384 Implementation Task Force (formerly the Behavior Management Committee) and will review content and quality. 

Level III review consists of quarterly monitoring of programs by the UIC Mental Health Policy Team. The DCFS Director offered to incorporate a peer review component if agencies are interested in adding a peer reviewer to their reviews and is interested in providing a qualified pool of volunteer reviewers. CCAI will work with DCFS directly on this component. Agencies interested in this should e-mail Marge Berglind at [email protected]. Comments regarding this possibility are also welcome.

A Rule 384 Implementation Task Force will be assembled that will review the plans submitted, and eventually review monitoring reports of the UIC team.  This task force will include current DCFS staff who has been working on program plans, standards and outcomes, as well as a few voluntary agency representatives invited by the DCFS Director. Providers asked DCFS to provide overall trend reports as data from monitoring. The action transmittal should arrive at all residential agencies this week. CCAI faxed this transmittal to all agencies on September 20, 2002.

Runaways

Director McDonald stressed the urgency and importance of diligently working to locate runaways and to develop safety/living arrangement plans for kids who are found but living in unlicensable facilities. DCFS wants all cases to be brought to a disposition or closure. They will not accept a case back simply when classified as runaway. The agency must work with DCFS to resolve problems and determine the disposition status of the case.

SACY/Children with Sexual Behavior Problems

The former SACY Committee is now working on writing standards for the populations formerly known as SACY but now referred to as Children with Sexual Behavior Problems. Standards look at children who are sexually reactive, sexually abusive and sexually aggressive. Those DCFS positions formerly known as SACY Liaisons are now called Sexual Abuse Coordinators and report to Gail Hansen. New types of supervision plans for children in this category should also encompass other dangerous behaviors to assure a comprehensive plan. Training of foster parents is targeted for November.

ILO

Training on the new policy is scheduled for October for downstate and November in Cook. DCFS provided data on the step down process. A number of cases identified were duplicates. Fifty-five percent actually were stepped into specialized foster care settings. The reach-in proposal was geared to address transition needs. If an agency is unable to secure a matched home after the first phase of the reach in process, they will receive the first half of the $1500 but will not be eligible for the second half since it is based on a placement. DCFS acknowledged that the original communications to residential programs about the identified children for step down was not presented as an opportunity for joint assessment. Future step down processes should approach the function as such a combined effort.

Sub-committee reports were also presented on the PPN, Waiver and System of Care. These full reports are available in the Monday Report of 9/3/02. Next full meeting of SED is scheduled for November 14. (MB)

HIPAA SEMINAR (HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT)

CCAI presented the HIPAA Seminar Sept. 17, 2002 in Naperville.  It provided a wide range of information regarding the issues surrounding the definition of a covered entity under this rule and who should be filing for the extension, which is due October 15, 2002.  In reviewing the various guidelines of a covered entity, it would appear that most CCAI agencies fell in the category of a hybrid provider.  This means that some of the functions of the agency would not be applicable to HIPAA but other functions would.  The recommendation from the presenter was for agencies to determine as a first step which functions within their organization would most likely be considered under HIPAA.  It appeared from the review of the requirements that the determining factor is whether an agency does certain standard transactions electronically which are related to billing.  This would mean that even if an agency does not do Medicaid but would bill third party insurance for health related services they would be a covered entity or that program for that agency would be covered by HIPAA.

Standard transactions that were reviewed included: enrollment and disenrollment in a health plan, eligibility for a health plan, health care payment and remittance advice, health plan premium payments, health claim status, referral certification and authorization, health claims attachments and first report of injury.  If it is determined that an agency is covered by the HIPAA regulations, in addition to the uniform code sets that will be used by providers there is an extensive section on privacy regulations that agencies must meet also.

As next steps in the process CCAI will be looking at the possibility of using consultants in the development of some standard guidelines and some sample forms that child welfare agencies could use in order to meet compliance requirements for these federal regulations.  (JMS)

WELFARE REFORM REAUTHORIZATION UPDATE

Senate Majority Leader Daschle�s staff is now working with most of the Democrats who were planning to offer amendments to the Senate Finance Committee bill in hopes that their concerns can be accommodated as part of a managers amendment to the Senate Finance bill.  The goal is to whittle down the amendments that the Democrats will offer to two or so, and then offer Republicans a time agreement under which the Republicans would also be able to offer two amendments.  (JMS)

CCAI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The CCAI Board of Directors met in Naperville on September 18.  During this meeting the board:

�       Discussed the Ends statements of the organization and developed plans for review and evaluation of the current applicability of the Ends statements

�       Reviewed the board chair�s annual evaluation of the President/CEO

�       Appointed the Audit Committee to work with staff on review of FY�02 audit

�       Volunteered for work groups to review agency membership criteria including the not-for-profit requirement, explore new dues structures and dues amounts for membership, and to develop a new investment policy

�       Reviewed pertinent sections of the Board Policy manual to assure current usefulness and to assure the organization has the proper parameters for operation

�       Reviewed the financial condition and monitoring reports (MB)

ISBE REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS ON �BEST PRACTICES� IN AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMMING AVAILABLE

The Illinois State Board of Education has issued an executive summary of a comprehensive report on after-school programming, including the latest research on �best practices� and how a system of such programs will be developed in Illinois.  This report was required by the General Assembly so ISBE can achieve a goal �of providing after-school services for every school-age child in this State.�  The report notes the 21^st Century Community Learning Centers will have $23 million for such programming this year and that $43 million has been previously distributed through different education funding streams to schools and child care centers.  The full report will be sent to all CCA members when it is published (BRH). 

�NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND� FEDERAL EDUCATION LAW REQUIRES SWEEPING CHANGES IN ILLINOIS SCHOOLS

Questions you may have regarding changes in your local schools due to this federal law can be answered by ISBE staff at [email protected] and you can read about the specific changes at www.isbe.net/nclb (BRH).

EDUCATION FUNDING ADVISORY BOARD ISSUES PRELIMINARY REPORT; CALLS FOR BLOCK GRANT FUNDING IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

This report focuses on improving equity in Illinois education by increasing general state aid for school districts.  However, it also recommends block grant funding in special education and elimination of the �private tuition� line item in the ISBE budget.  This line item ($38 million) earmarks funds to reimburse school districts for students who are placed in nonpublic special education schools.  CCA members have opposed this move in the past, and CCA has worked vigorously on numerous occasions in the past to protect this line item.  All CCA members with such school programs and all CCA Education Committee members were sent a detailed advisory about this proposal.  Others interested in this assessment should e-mail Bridget Helmholz at [email protected] (BRH).

PROPORTION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS RISES IN CHICAGO FROM 11.5% TO 16.4% IN 7 YEARS

Log on to www.consortium-chicago.org for information about how efforts to curb social promotion have led to sharp increases in the number of students enrolled in special education in the City of Chicago.  According to an article in �Special Education Report,� �under the social promotion policy, general education students must pass cut-off scores on state tests to advance to the fourth, seventh, and ninth grades.  Special education students, however, had only to meet the promotion requirements of their individualized education plans, and thus were more likely to make it to high school.� (BRH)

CHASI EMPLOYEE NAMED SOCIAL WORKER OF THE YEAR

Warren Heinke, Vice President of Children's Home & Aid Society's (CHASI) Northern Region was named Social Worker of the Year earlier this summer by the Jane Addams District of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Eileen Leizert, Director of Foster Care for the Northern Region, presented the award to an astounded Warren Heinke who was accompanied by his wife Mariel. In her introduction, Eileen commented "Warren has been an NASW member for almost 30 years and has seen the number of his staff increase at CHASI eight times over from 7 to 55 since 1982."

Warren heads CHASI's Northern Region programs serving children and families in an 11 county area. Under his leadership, CHASI has earned nominations for the Rockford Register Star's prestigious Excelsior Award and has expanded services to Rock Island and Sycamore, Illinois providing additional adoption preservation and parent support programs.

SACY TRAINING FOR SEPTEMBER

Reunification Issues with Sexually Problematic Children    Sept. 26

The necessary skills and prerequisites for family reunification ∙ assessing parental skills and appropriateness of the home environment ∙ apology, reconciliation and reunification ∙ risk assessments for reunification.  Creating a system of external support: Making sure the WRAP stays wrapped.

Location: Catholic Charities of Chicago, St. Vincent Hall, 721 N. LaSalle, Chicago

Time: 9:00 am till 4:00 pm--Lunch on your own

COST:  $85.00 per person per session. For registration simply go to the CCAI Training site www.cca-il.org/training/htm or call Barb Oldani at 217-528-4409, ext. 21.

�SUBSIDIZED GUARDIANSHIP-EXPERIENCES�

The African-American Family Commission will present two dates for �Subsidized Guardianship-Experiences�.  The first date and location is Friday, November 8, 2002 at Ada S. McKinley, 2907 S. Wabash, Chicago, IL from 10 a.m. to NOON.  The second date and location is Thursday, November 14, 2002 at Tri-County Urban League, 317 S. MacArthur Highway, Peoria, IL from 10 a.m. to NOON.  The intended audience is Child Welfare Staff and Foster Parents.  For more information and to RSVP � please contact Wasi Young, African-American Family Commission (312) 326-0368.

�SYSTEMS OF CARE�

The African-American Family Commission will present �Systems of Care� on Thursday, December 5, 2002 at the Juvenile Court Auditorium, 2245 W. Ogden Avenue, Chicago, IL from 10 a.m. to NOON.  The intended audience is Child Welfare Staff and Foster Parents.  For more information and to RSVP � please contact Wasi Young, African-American Family Commission (312) 326-0368.

Calendar

Sept. 23          Retooling with WRAParound Services, Springfield

Sept. 24          Retooling with WRAParound Services, Chicago

Sept. 26          SACY Training � Reunification Issues with Sexually Problematic Children

Oct.  9                    SED Waiver meeting, 2-4 p.m.

Oct. 23-24          CCAI�s Fall Membership Meeting, Starved Rock Lodge and Conference Center