REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 20, 2019
FROM
MARLENE HAGEN, Director, Children and Family Services
MICHELLE SCRAY BROWN, Chief Probation Officer, Probation Department
SUBJECT
Title
San Bernardino County 2018-2023 System Improvement Plan
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve and authorize the submission of the San Bernardino County 2018-2023 System Improvement Plan to the California Department of Social Services regarding Child Welfare Services, for the period of April 1, 2018 through January 31, 2023.
(Presenter: Marlene Hagen, Director, 388-0242)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of the System Improvement Plan (SIP) is non-financial in nature and will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost).
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In 2001, as a result of the passage of the California Assembly Bill (AB) 636, the California Child and Family Services Review (C-CFSR) System was formed to improve outcomes for children in the child welfare system, focused on measuring outcomes in child Safety, Permanency, and Child and Family Well-Being. The C-CFSR was developed in accordance with the provisions of Welfare and Institutions Code section 10601.2, and aligns with the Federal - Child and Family Services Review, which mandates a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) process where counties re-assess and adjust services and practices to improve outcomes for children and families.
Children and Family Services (CFS) and the Probation Department (Probation) are the County’s lead agencies for the C-CFSR process and collaborate with the Children’s Services Outcomes and Accountability Bureau under the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) in developing and implementing the SIP. The SIP is the operational agreement between CDSS, CFS and Probation to provide an outline for improving the County’s system of care for children and families. CFS is responsible for outcomes in all areas related to children receiving child welfare Title IV-B and IV-E funded services, and Probation is responsible for outcomes related to foster children under its direct supervision receiving Child Welfare Services (CWS).
Each year, the County investigates allegations of abuse and neglect of more than 30,000 children. The major goal of the CWS system is to protect and promote the welfare of all children by preventing and/or remedying neglect, abuse, or exploitation of children and families unable to protect their own interest, or preserving, rehabilitating, or reuniting families.
The C-CFSR operates on a five-year cycle, beginning with a County Self-Assessment (CSA). CDSS approved the CSA on November 2, 2017, which is a comprehensive assessment of the full array of child welfare and probation placement services, from prevention and protection through permanency and after care. The CSA serves as the foundation of the SIP, although the SIP itself underwent extensive review and revisions in collaboration with CDSS after being submitted in January 2018. Incorporated into the CSA was a Peer Review, held from June 12, 2017 through June 15, 2017, involving case reviews and focus groups concentrating on specific outcome areas. Annual updates to CDSS allowed for the monitoring of progress and facilitation of the CQI process. The recommended SIP covers the period of April 1, 2018 through January 31, 2023.
The CSA serves as the needs assessment for the Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) funding under Title IV-B and the state funded Child Abuse Prevention, Intervention and Treatment (CAPIT) programs. The Office of Child Abuse Prevention (OCAP) under CDSS oversees these programs. The SIP includes the PSSF/CAPIT plan for San Bernardino County.
The 2018-23 SIP was developed by the lead agencies, CFS and Probation, in collaboration with the C-CSFR team. The SIP focus areas selected for improvement were based on identified needs, and includes the following focus areas and strategies in meeting goals:
CFS Focus Areas
• Reduce maltreatment in out-of-home care.
• Improve permanency in 12 months for children entering foster care.
• Improve staff, caregiver and service provider training and development.
Probation Focus Areas
• Reduce re-entry into foster care.
• Improve the service array and delivery.
CFS Strategies
• Integrate Structured Decision Making into CFS policies, procedures and practices.
• Improve placement practices in order to reduce the incidents of maltreatment for children in out-of-home care.
• Increase the number of children and families with Child and Family Teams and enhance early engagement of children and parents.
• Ensure Safety Organized Practice will be an integral part of social work practice.
• Provide Cultural Responsiveness Academy training for CFS staff.
Probation Strategies
• Engage youth and their families from the onset of formal probation by instituting Child and Family Teams to assist in creating and updating a living case plan throughout the continuum of care.
• Develop, augment and increase baseline services to youth, families and Group Homes/Short-term Residential Therapeutic Programs before, during and after out-of-home congregate care.
• Train staff, care and service providers on the System Improvement Plan and best practice models fostering understanding regarding the interconnectivity of each and how individual actions affect youth outcomes.
Although CDSS requires the submission of a SIP, the funding is not contingent upon the components of that Plan; therefore, the changes outlined in the SIP will not affect future funding. However, a plan for the programs overseen by OCAP is required in order to access PSSF and CAPIT funding.
The first draft of the 2018-2023 SIP was submitted to CDSS on January 5, 2018. Through an extensive process of review and revision, CDSS approved the SIP on June 18, 2019. The Children’s Policy Council reviewed and approved the SIP on July 31, 2019.
This item is being presented at this time as this is the first date available following CDSS approval of the draft SIP and the required administrative, operational and legal reviews. Approval by the Board of Supervisors at this time will not impact CFS and Probation services or activities.
PROCUREMENT
N/A
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Michael Markel, Principal Assistant County Counsel and Carol Greene, Supervising Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on July 30, 2019; Finance (John Hallen, Administrative Analyst, 388-0208 and Carolina Mendoza, Administrative Analyst, 387-0294) on July 30, 2019; County Finance and Administration (Kelly Welty, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-4342) on July 31, 2019; and County Finance and Administration (Tanya Bratton, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0332) on July 30, 2019.