Preparing for Transformation

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2006-2007 PLANNING UPDATE
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Vision of the Ministry of Children and Youth
Services

• Vision An Ontario where all children and youth
  have the best opportunity to succeed and reach
  their full potential

3
Ministry of Children and Youth Services

• Focused on achieving the following out-comes for
  children and youth in general
• Ontarios Children and Youth are
• Safe from harm
• Valued, involved responsible
• Healthy active
• Economically secure.
• Ready to learn at all ages

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Child Welfare Secretariat Transformation Agenda

• Differential Response
• Permanency Strategy
• Court Processes

• Accountability Research/Outcomes
• Single Information System
• Multi-year Funding Approach

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Whats New?
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Implementing TransformationProvincial Activities

• Bill 210 at Committee Royal Assent by the end of
  March, Proclamation October 2006
• Regulations to support the legislation now under
  development
• Field Implementation of new legislation scheduled
  for the Fall 2006

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Bill 210 What is different?

• Overall purpose is to make the legislative
  changes necessary to enable transformation
• Measures enabling Kinship Care
• place of safety definition
• Supervisory terms can apply to a family or
  community member
• Custody Orders
• Measures relating to Adoption
• Openness orders
• Complaints Procedure

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Provincial ActivitiesDifferential Response

• Test Drive of new Safety Assessment, Risk
  Assessment, Family Reunification Assessment
  completed in December 2005
• New Family Strength and Needs Assessment being
  developed
• Changes to Eligibility Spectrum Family Violence
• Implementation with new legislation and
  regulations

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Provincial ActivitiesPillars of Permanence

• SAFE
• Structured Analysis Family Evaluation
• January 2006 for Adoption home studies
• Standardizes assessment for private/public
• Use for Adoption/Foster Care Resources
• Full implementation by April 2007

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Provincial ActivitiesPillars of Permanence

• PRIDE Implement by April 07
• Parent Resources for Information Development
  Education
• Competency based model for the development/support
  of foster and adoptive families
• Structured Framework for recruitment, selection,
  training of resource families

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Provincial ActivitiesPillars of Permanence

• OnLAC Looking After Children
• Assessment for all children in care gt1yr.
• Assesses childs progress across 7 dimensions.
  Annual AAR.
• Digital Pen Pilot.

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Pillars of Permanence

• SAFE
• A common approach to
• Assessment and training of caregivers and
• a model for case planning for children and youth
• OnLAC PRIDE

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Pillars of Permanence
Kinship and Customary Care

• Kinship Care Regulations underway
• ANCFSAO Customary Care Project with chiefs of
  Ontario and MCYS
• PRIDE pre-service and SAFE home study tools to be
  adapted for Kin families
• Kinship Care Symposium will be held April 06.

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Provincial Initiatives

• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Bill 210 provides for use of ADR before and
  during court proceedings
• Legal representation for the child would be
  provided as soon as ADR is proposed
• Mediation Reference Group now working on policy
  for all aspects of mediation

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Provincial Initiatives

• Alternative Dispute Resolution Contd
• Agencies encouraged to develop other forms of ADR
  locally Family Centred Conferencing, Talking
  Circles etc.
• FCS developing comprehensive conferencing model
  supported by Block 2 Funding

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Provincial Activities

• Single Information System
• SIS Contract with IBM signed
• 10 Working Groups established for Business
  Process Review
• Working Groups meet January - May 2006
• Design phase of new SIS June - December 2006
• Timiskaming, Simcoe and Renfrew agencies will
  pilot SIS from January-June 2007

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Provincial Activities

• Accountability/Research
• Accountability Framework by Spring 2006.
• Linking Child Welfare and the Childrens Service
  System in Ontario
• Increasing access to services for child welfare
  clients in the community
• Community capacity building Consultation in
  February
• Development of Research and Outcomes Measurement
  Branch
• Provincial Grant-In Aid Funding
• Agency funded to develop 3 proposals

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Provincial ActivitiesMulti Year Funding Approach

• 2005/06 Year-end ForecastsChild Welfare

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2005/06 Year End ForecastsChild Welfare

• Service Volumes - Change from 2003/04 Baseline
  Year

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Looking Ahead to 2006/07

• Ministry has approved multi-year financial
  service planning for Child Welfare.
• Child Welfare transformation policies, Bill 210
  and related regulations will be rolled out by
  Ministry during 2006/07.
• Funding Model and Multi year Results Based
  Planning process will evolve as transformation
  unfolds.

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Looking Ahead to 2006/07 contd

• Senior Management now developing service volume
  and financial forecasts for 2006/07, and planning
  amounts for 2 years thereafter.
• Service Volume declines since 2003/04 could
  reduce Waterloo FCS funding in 06/07 by 3.7
  Million.
• Savings actioned already would reduce this impact
  to 2.2 Million.

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Looking Ahead to 2006/07 contd

• Ministry will be providing 32.8 Million for
  implementation of Transformation province wide in
  2006/07 targeted to specific policy areas.
• Transformation allocations to agencies likely to
  happen in two phases during April and October

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How Provincial Transformationfits with Agency
Directions

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FCS Guiding Principles under-lying Model of
Service Directions

• To increase availability and accessibility of
  programs which strengthen the capacity of parents
  to care well for their children and which enhance
  the development of children,
• To increase service to families by agreement and
  reduce court ordered intervention,
• To enable children in the care of the agency to
  reach their full potential.

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FCS Guiding Principles under-lying Model of
Service Directions

• Balancing Child Safety with Community Based
  Service Provision
• Range of Responses/Services for Children and
  Families with family, community, other service
  providers, in care, adoption
• Focus on Permanence across the spectrum

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Model of Service

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Community-Based Services

• Program Description
• designed to increase the availability and
  accessibility of programs and supports to
  children families
• Services include a range of evidence-based
  parenting programs, evidence-based childrens
  programs, workshops and community resources
• delivered in collaboration with community
  partners including Ontario Early Years Centres,
  Childrens Mental Health Services, Childrens
  Developmental Services and local Community
  Centres

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Community-Based Services

• Current Locations
• Kitchener Cambridge Early Years Centres
• 3 Cambridge Community Centres
• Langs Farm,
• Christopher Champlain and
• Greenway Chaplin
• 3 Kitchener Community Centres
• Chandler Mowat,
• Centreville Chicopee and
• Courtland-Shelley

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Community-Based Services

• Target Clientele
• At risk community clients reside in the
  catchment area of the community centre in which
  the program is being offered.
• Referred clients open to protection at the
  Intake level.
• Child Welfare clients open to protection at the
  Ongoing/Family Service level.

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Core Features of Service

• Offered in community hubs such as Ontario Early
  Years Centres and various Community Centres
  across the Region.
• To increase service to families by agreement and
  reduce court ordered intervention.

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Core Features of Service

• Rationale (Contd)
• Support families in a non-stigmatizing,
  community-based setting.
• Families will have increased exposure/access to a
  broad range of supports and services, i.e., NCB
  outreach workers, food security programs,
  clothing exchanges, counselling, public health,
  mental health services, addiction services, etc.

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Core Features of Service

• Rationale (Contd)
• Engaging families with the broader community and
  increasing their social support network
  contributes to a more comprehensive and
  sustainable intervention
• This is particularly important when working with
  families who present with more chronic and
  multi-layered problems associated with neglect,
  exposure to domestic violence and socio-economic
  disadvantage.
• Children more visible in the community.

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Core Features of Service

• Delivered in collaboration with community
  partners including staff from Ontario Early Years
  Centre, Childrens Mental Health services,
  Childrens Developmental Services, House of
  Friendship and local community centres etc.

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Core Features of Service

• Rationale
• Collaborative relationships with community
  partners will provide a more integrated service
  for families, develop stronger interagency
  networks and foster a collective responsibility
  and involvement in child protection.

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Core Features of Service

• Rationale (Contd)
• Personalized group pre-screening process by group
  facilitators will help to promote relationship
  building with participants and provide an
  opportunity to identify each clients unique
  challenges strengths thereby increasing
  clients ability to engage and benefit from
  services and programs.
• Shared costs/resources/staffing contributes to
  sustainability of programs.

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Core Features of Service

• Evidence-based Programs
• Rationale
• Offering interventions based on program models
  that are grounded in research and have been
  evaluated with proven/known outcomes with similar
  populations significantly improves our ability
  to achieve positive outcomes with families.

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COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS 2006 WINTER SCHEDULE
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Adolescent Team

• Chris Reitzel Supervisor
• Karen Walker Intake
• Sandra Ordiway Intake
• Chris Hoffer Family Service
• Chrissy Foley Family Service
• Kelly Soto Family Service
• Steve Dick Childrens Service

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Mandate

• Responding to 42A and 42B referrals
• Caregiver/Child Conflict
• Other related referrals

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Adolescent Team Response

• Response Time
• Access to Service(s) and Supports
• Common Philosophy and Response
• Expertise
• Communication and Co-ordination

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Links

• Outreach Workers
• Going Beyond Group
• Langford Treatment Home
• Youth Services
• QA and Information Services

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Future Plans

• Group for Parents
• Group for Adolescents
• Drug Information Session

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Family Violence TeamMembers

• Lisa Leiher Supervisor
• Chris Leslie Intake Worker
• Alice Mazere Intake Worker
• Duane Boles Family Service Worker
• Marilyn Curry Family Service Worker
• Patti Moses Family Service Worker
• Cindy King Clinical Worker
• Michelle Smith Clinical Worker

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Additional Members

• Erin Schreiter Supervisor
• Neta Gear Family Service Worker

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Screeners
Screeners
Family Violence Intake
General Intake Kitchener/ Cambridge
Clinical Programs
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Role of Intake Worker

• Investigation and assessment of family violence
  cases.
• Focus is on two types of referrals
• Families where there have been a number of
  previous openings. However, the issues remain.
• Referrals from community partners shelter,
  counselling agencies, etc.

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Role of Family Service Worker

• Carry a caseload of primarily family violence
  cases.
• Provide services to families working closely with
  VAW service providers.

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Role of Clinical Staff

• Individual, family and group counselling.
• Primary focus will be on providing services to
  men, children and women who have barriers to
  attending local agencies for service.

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Role of Clinical Staff contd.

• More and more emphasis will be placed on group
  work facilitated jointly with community partners.
• Clinical staff to actively seek out these
  opportunities.

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Current Projects

• Women Moving Forward
• For women no longer in crisis.
• Have left abusive partner.
• Goals Assist women to understand dynamics of
  abuse, understand the impact of domestic violence
  on children, recognize their own unhealthy coping
  strategies.

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• Partners for Healthy Relationships
• Couples have completed individual work and wish
  to reconcile.
• Assist couples to integrate skills they have
  learned individually.
• Improve communication skills.
• Develop strategies for conflict management.

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Partners for Healthy Relationships contd.

• Develop and practice assertive behaviour.
• Assist the couple to develop family/partnership
  goals.
• Build respect for individual needs.
• Develop and practice safety strategies.

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Psycho-educational Groups

• Beginning stages.
• First step audit of low-level risk files.

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Steering Committee

• Advisory committee continues to meet.
• Membership Alison Scott, Joan Allison, Monica
  Heide, Lisa Leiher, Cindy King.
• Additions Cambridge Family Service Supervisor,
  Intake Worker, Intake Supervisor, Family Service
  Worker.

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Steering Committee contd.

• Community Shelter, Domestic Violence/Sexual
  Assault Treatment Centre, John Howard Society,
  K-W Counselling, Family Counselling Centre of
  Cambridge and North Dumfries, Catholic Family
  Counselling Services.

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Expected Outcomes

• A reduction in the risk of harm to children in
  the home where family violence has been the
  primary reason for service to the family.
• Family will receive services that are perceived
  as helpful and that are provided in a timely
  manner.

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Expected Outcomes contd.

• Families receive services that are not
  piece-meal. There is a communication and
  coordination among service providers.
• All members of the family served by FCS will be
  offered services that will address family
  violence.

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Expected Outcomes contd.

• An increase in collaborative work between FCS
  staff and community partners so as to best meet
  the needs of children, men and women.
• An increase in services to men with the goal that
  all men are met with, assessed and referred to
  services.

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Kinship Care Research Initiative

• Foundation Grant

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Kinship Care Advisory Committee

• Joan Allison,
• Pam Baldwin,
• Marie Beattie,
• Robin Bouck,
• Cheryl Buehler,
• Heather Chandler,
• Anita Diebel,
• Pat Gilles,
• Brenda Griecken,

• Mike Letts,
• Sue Maciaczyk,
• Margot MacKenzie,
• Nancy Murdoch,
• Anne ODonoghue,
• Erin Penney,
• Jennifer Watson,
• Kelly Witteveen

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The purpose of the research

• To investigate kinship care within the Agency as
  the result of
• recommendations made by the Provincial Kinship
  Care Committee in the document Ontario Kinship
  Model (OACAS 2004)
• proposed changes to the Child and Family
  Services Act as the result of these
  recommendations
• the recent media coverage in Toronto as it
  relates to kinship care.

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The goal of the research

• to undertake an analysis of the service needs for
  kinship placements based on agency experience and
  feedback from staff, kinship care providers and
  youth living in kinship care
• To design and develop an agency wide Kinship Care
  Program for the Agency
•  

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The Research

• The research took place from September 2005 to
  January 2006 and included
• focus groups with staff
• conversations and consultation with kinship care
  providers, children living in kinship placements,
  and birth parents
• consultation with other child welfare agencies
• a review of the literature
• Agency data collection and consultation with the
  Kinship Care Advisory Committee.  

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Next Steps

• A Kinship Care Report will be presented to Senior
  Management in February 2006
• Report includes 18 recommendations for enhanced
  Kinship Services within the Agency.
• Implementation of the enhanced Kinship Care
  Services will also be determined by the
  anticipated changes to the Child and Family
  Services Act and the subsequent directives from
  the Ministry of Community and Social Services,
  the Ministry of Children and Youth, and the
  Ontario Association of Childrens Aid Societies.

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Overview of Other Model of Service Initiatives

• Supports to Children in Care
• Outreach Treatment Program
• Going Beyond
• Foster Care Support/School Support
• Educational Strategies
• Reading Incentive Program
• Tutoring
• Educational Consultants
• Scholarships

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Overview of Other Model of Service Initiatives

• Diversity Initiatives
• Integration of Cultural Competence Committee and
  SOTF Committee to Diversity Committee
• Diversity Initiatives
• Foster Care Recruitment
• LGBTQ Initiative

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Planning Process for 2006-2007

• Applications for Block 2 Funding
• Things to Consider for MYRBP

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Block 2 Initiatives

• Continue with Community Capacity Building
  Initiatives
• Co-Delivery of Services in Neighbourhoods and
  with other counselling and service agencies
• Community Based Services Explore opportunities
  for co-location with other community service
  providers

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Block 2 Initiatives

• Develop a comprehensive model for family
  conferencing/family involvement in Planning
• Range of collaborative strategies
• Examine use of Family Group Conferencing
• Develop Range of Family Based Supports
• In Home supports for families, kinship families,
  foster families, adoptive families
• Integration of 40 Assets Model

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Block 2 Initiatives

• Kinship Care Service
• Pillars Of Permanence
• Implementation of SAFE
• Implementation of PRIDE
• Continued Implementation of OnLAC
• Continue Adoption Initiatives/Subsidies

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Accountability/Research

• Increase Agencys capacity for Quality
  Assurance/ Outcome Measurement
• 3 Child Welfare Grant-In-Aid Applications
  approved. Successful candidates known by June
  2006
• Diversity Initiative
• Family Group Conferencing/Decision Making
• Building Collaboration with Families

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Implications for Service

• Need to examine current programs what is working
  well, how do new initiatives fit
• Need to examine agency structure
• The developing model may lead to some agency
  restructuring
• Early Intervention Initiatives
• Differential Response Initiatives
• Family Based Supports
• Supports to Children
• Permanency Strategies
• ADR/Legal Services
• Outcome Measurement

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Next Steps Implementing Transformation

• Model of Service Committee to become Agency
  Transformation Team
• Develop Implementation Plan for Transformation
  Initiatives
• Training Curriculum developed by OACAS.

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Transformation Curricula

• Manager/Supervisor Orientation on March 2 and 9,
  2006
• Staff Orientation by June 2006
• Resource Family Orientation
• Community Partners Orientation
• Training on new tools
• Training on technology changes