April 2nd Practice Workgroup Notes

Please review the workgroup notes from April 2nd in preparation for our final workgroup meeting on May 7th before the June large group meeting.

APRIL 2, 2008 SAN FRANCISCO 0-6 WORKGROUP ISSUE SUMMARY

Practice/System Work Group

Quicker identification and placement with relatives for children 0-6

Develop protocol for NERFM placements
§ Address delays in fingerprinting process (i.e. mobile or 24/7 fingerprinting access)
§ Take steps to include SF in courtesy/out of county NERFM approval
§ Create system of support for ER workers to do family finding and emergency NERFM placements
§ Develop accountability for NERFM placement outcomes and urgency (outside and supervisor weekly reviews, prioritizing ages)
§ Include ER workers, NERFM unit, mobile fingerprinting, and admin on taskforce. Invite court and law enforcement as needed for support.

Hold front-end TDM (before detention hearing) to identify and discuss potential placement with relatives with parents and other family members
§ Involve parent partners in preparing and supporting parents during TDM (including informing of rights and process)
§ Develop better support for parent partners to work through their own issues
§ Give full disclosure to parent about dept’s obligation to identify family members and give parent opportunity to have individual discussion about concerns with parent partner.

Address ICPC issues so placement can be expedited when necessary
§ Provide workers additional training
§ Identify ICPC experts (courts, city attys.?)


Ongoing training and support for CPS workers on supporting 0-6 children

Develop an ER team to do removals including a parent partner, a child focused support person and an ER worker
§ House parent partners in department so they can go out on removals and work with parents to try to involve them in easing the transition for the child
§ Develop a checklist/cheat sheet for child support staff on removal and transition for young children (comfort items, important info on health, food, explaining the next time parent will visit child, etc.)
§ Evaluate whether CPC and CANS address minimizing trauma of removal.
Provide ER workers mental health support at time of removal and after to debrief
§ Create a consultation line for ER workers in crisis
§ Build in standard MH debrief after removals for ER workers

Offer BAA 3-hr training on transitioning children (specific to 0-6)to all ER workers and build in ongoing case consultation/supervisory support to contract

Systemic process for connecting child, caregiver and bio parents to resources: mental health, head start, regional center, etc.

Refer every child removed to Early Head Start/Head Start
§ Involve Early Head Start/Head Start in TDMs so EHS/HS can offer alternative to removal, home visitation, mental health support.
§ Ensure children have info needed to enroll in EHS/HS (birth certificates, health history)
§ Engage other SF EHS/HS programs to get first priority for foster children in all areas.

Involve public health nurses in getting all relevant information from children’s doctors after removal. (tabled to next meeting)

Improve process for referring to and starting Regional Center services (tabled to next meeting)

Create a resource desk within dept. that takes calls from caregivers seeking services (like 311). (tabled to next meeting).