MONDAY REPORT

December 9, 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.

CHILD WELFARE.. 1

GOVERNOR-ELECT BLAGOJEVICH TRANSITION SUB-COMMITTEES BEGIN WORK.. 1

BEST PRACTICES TRAINING DISCUSSIONS BEGIN FOR DOWNSTATE AGENCIES.. 1

FAMILY CENTERED SERVICES STEERING COMMITTEE MEETS.. 2

SACWIS UPDATE.. 3

EDUCATION.. 4

ISBE LOSES NEARLY 100 STAFF IN LATEST HEADCOUNT. 4

GENERAL.. 4

"THERAPUTIC CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING OF TRAINERS". 4

UPCOMING EVENTS.. 4

MARK YOUR 2003 CALENDAR.. 4

CALENDAR.. 4

GOVERNOR-ELECT BLAGOJEVICH TRANSITION SUB-COMMITTEES BEGIN WORK

Several of the Governor-elect�s transition committees for human services began meeting last week. The groups include a number of CCAI member agency executives as well as various advocates, physicians and attorneys interested in the social service system. The child welfare sub-committee is being co-chaired by Erwin McEwen of Lakeside. Groups were provided with the charge from the Governor-elect: identify several succinct policy strategies that will significantly impact the current system. The timeline is also very short, with position papers being needed within 2 weeks. We will keep you posted on the progress. (MB)

BEST PRACTICES TRAINING DISCUSSIONS BEGIN FOR DOWNSTATE AGENCIES

Representatives of downstate providers met with DCFS training and best practices staff on December 4 in Bloomington. Members of the newly formed Training Advisory Group participated and were introduced. The Advisory group will work with DCFS on helping plan and implement the next phase of training. The Advisory Group is co-chaired by Dave McClure of CCAI member agency Youth Services Bureau of Illinois Valley.

Downstate agencies will be the first participants in the Phase II of Best Practices training�an expanded training after the foundation that will work with child welfare direct service workers and supervisors on enhancing skills related to permanency issues. This will link into SACWIS training for voluntary agency staff. The expanded training will cover integrated assessments, knitting the CERAP and risk assessment processes, social histories, interviewing skills, concurrent planning and family meetings. This part of training will be rolled out first for downstate agencies because Cook area agencies are involved in the enhanced training for the federal training waiver already.  All staff involved in permanency work are involved: intact workers, foster care workers, permanency workers, licensing workers, case managers and supervisors. Supervisors will be an intricate part of the success of the best practices implementation, so there will be expectations that they participate fully in the training process.  The rollout plan for training should look like this:

1. Orientation/Awareness Sessions for Supervisors: 1-day session with same content as staff orientation plus emphasis on leadership role and what can be expected for their own training/preparation in the months ahead.
2. Orientation/Awareness Sessions: � day sessions that reintroduce best practices, provide opportunity for feedback that will be used in case management planning, addresses what staff can expect in months ahead.
3. Fundamentals for Supervisors: 5 day sessions include concurrent planning, assessment and service planning, group work/family meetings.
4. Fundamentals for Staff: 5 day sessions include concurrent planning, assessment and service planning, group work/family meetings.
5. Advanced Skills and Preparation for Supervisors: � day � 2 days per month through implementation while staff are completing fundamentals. Focuses on helping supervisors with the application of best practices principles when their staff come back to the office (how does concurrent planning apply to specific case situations; how to address common problems faced in family meetings, etc.)
6. SACWIS Training: 5 day session, supports the best practices model.

Orientation sessions will start the week of January 13. As soon as we have a more definitive schedule of events, we will post this in the Monday Report and on the CCA web site.

SACWIS training will be a challenge for agencies. At DCFS, SACWIS training first involved basic computer skills including learning how to turn a computer on or off and learning a Microsoft Word and windows environment. DCFS workers were then trained on the SACWIS data in place for the protective services piece. Now that progress is being made on the permanency piece of the SACWIS system that will impact our agencies more, decisions need to be made about the level of computer skills of individual agencies. Agencies must begin an internal assessment of their staff now, and should be looking at which staff will need that basic computer training, and which staff have mastered these skills and need to take only the SACWIS data training. SACWIS staff will develop an assessment tool for agencies to use in this process.  We will see this phase of training begin for agencies towards the end of 2003.

Currently, DCFS does offer templates of most of its required forms that agencies can use in preparing reports. If agencies are not already using this format it will provide a good start to getting used to operating in an automated environment. Agencies that would like specific templates can contact Steve Bradshaw by e-mail at [email protected]. Agencies must request a specific form by name and DCFS form number.

Best practices materials are on the CCAI and DCFS training web sites. We encourage all members to review these materials. Go to the library section of the CCAI web site and go to the Best Practices materials. (MB)

FAMILY CENTERED SERVICES STEERING COMMITTEE MEETS

The Family Centered Services Steering Committee met on Thursday, December 5, 2002 through conference video.  A report distributed noted that the Illinois Dept. of Children and Family Services awarded $5 million in grants statewide to child abuse prevention programs serving approximately 2000 Illinois families and 3500 children.  The Family Centered Services funds were distributed to programs according to the need for such programs in each community.  The determination of need was based on the number of victims of child abuse and neglect and the number of children entering substitute care from each community.  Approximately 110 programs were chosen by providers and community leaders involved in Local Area Networks to receive this year�s grants.  Categories of programs funded include: individual and family counseling; intensive case management; parent education; family mentoring; respite; assessment, referral and linkage; home visitation; advocacy; crisis intervention; bi-lingual service capacity; transportation; and after-school programs.

The committee also discussed the ongoing role of the committee.  How do we determine that FCS is really effective?  The committee agreed that it would review the new programs funded according to the performance areas that each program was required to address.  Data would be collected from the funded programs prior to the next scheduled meeting of the committee in March 2003.

Ron Stevens with the Administration for Children and Families discussed a new funding initiative under �Healthy Marriages�.  Five to six million would be available in April 2003 for discretionary grants related to family formation and community efforts.  Small amounts of funds will be available thorough various federal programs for this initiative � Headstart, Faith Based, ACF, Native Americans, TANF, Refugees, Community Action Programs and Child Support.  Funding will go to already established programs versus not being used to develop new programs.  (JMS)

SACWIS UPDATE

At the meeting on Dec. 4, 2002 regarding Best Practice Training implementation, an update was provided on the implementation of Phase II for SACWIS and a general time line provided on when training is being planned for the private agencies.  As a result of the implementation for Phase I of Best Practice and SACWIS (intake and investigation) which began in Oct. 2001 and concluded with SACWIS start up in May 2002, it was determined that during Phase I not enough time was allowed for the training needed for SACWIS.  For Phase II it will be rolled out in two sections.  Phase II-A will deal with integrated assessment, concurrent planning and family meetings.  Phase II-B will deal with ACR, eligibility, resources, placement, and court functionality in addition to other administrative functions.  DCFS staff will be trained first for SACWIS beginning in the summer of 2003.  POS training on SACWIS will begin at the end of 2003 or in February or March of 2004 and continue through the remainder of 2004.  It is projected that the SACWIS training will be 3 � days to 5 days in addition to office automation training.  Prior to the SACWIS training being completed agencies will receive training prior to that on best practice.

It was also reported at the meeting that residential programs will not have access to SACWIS.  This had been an issue under discussion earlier this year with several proposals made by the private agencies on how it might be implemented.  In response to a question about a bridge for private agencies, it was reported that a common download to transfer data from SACWIS to the private agencies is still part of the contract for development with American Management Systems.  With AMS reporting that the design for Phase II was completed, it was noted that discussions need to be pursued in the development of the bridge or data transfer for private agencies.  Suggestions were made to reconvene the SACWIS Advisory Committee to move this issue forward.

For Phase II of SACWIS there will be no prototype for demonstration purposes as had been developed for Phase I.  A multi media approach will be used regarding the key functions of SACWIS.  The Steering Committee that was formed to implement training for Best Practice and SACWIS will hold its first meeting on January 6, 2002.   If agencies have not completed the changes needed regarding the implementation of their equipment for SACWIS, they should move forward and complete those activities in preparation for the training that is planned.  (JMS)

ISBE LOSES NEARLY 100 STAFF IN LATEST HEADCOUNT

The number of staff at the Illinois State Board of Education went from 732 in August 2001 to 638 in October 2002.  As announced earlier, the ISBE is going through a �crisis analysis� to identify which responsibilities can be eliminated in its various divisions.  We are already aware that staff shortages will affect nonpublic special education approval, monitoring, rate-setting and reimbursement processing.  No official determination has been made in these areas, however, and no formal actions were taken in the General Assembly during the veto session (BRH)

"THERAPUTIC CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING OF TRAINERS"

The Allendale Association will host The Residential Child Care Project of Cornell University for a week long "Train the Trainers" certification.  February 17-21, 2003, 9:00am-5:00pm.  Participants will be certified to conduct T.C.I. trainings for their agency staff.   Cornell University has a standard fee of $1,075, which includes all training material.  Additional fees for food, beverages, etc., will be minimal.  Seating is limited.  For more information regarding the training and hotel accommodations in the area please contact Dave McKenna at Allendale (847) 245-6393 or [email protected]

MARK YOUR 2003 CALENDAR

Mark your new year�s calendar for CCAI�s Spring Membership Meeting on March 20, 2003.  The location is the Marriott Hickory Ridge Conference Center, Lisle, Illinois.  Hickory Ridge is located 30 minutes west of downtown Chicago, on 26 wooded acres easily accessible to both I-88 and I-55.  Look in future Monday Reports for additional information.  (SKA)

CALENDAR

Jan. 15    Downstate Performance Based Work Group, 1-3, Springfield

Jan. 21    CWAC Finance and Administration Committee, Bloomington

Feb. 20    Cook Agencies Meeting with Presiding Judge, Juvenile Court, Chicago

Feb. 26-March 1: Learning Disabilities Association 2003 National Conference, Palmer House

                            Hilton, Chicago.  For information, call Learning Disabilities Association of

                            Illinois (708) 430-7532