JOINT TASK FORCE ON CHILDREN’S JUSTICE/CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

ELLINGTON AGRICULTURAL CENTER, 440 HOGAN – NASHVILLE TN

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 – 9:00 AM, CDT

RETREAT MINUTES

Members Present Affiliation Beneke, Bonnie TN CAC Miner, Thomas 31st Judicial District/ADA Aaron, Carla TDCS Allen, Sandra LeBonheur CCP Barber, Susan Department of Health Boshears, Marlene Boshears Attorney/Owner Beehan, Eileen Catholic Charities Brady, Rebecca Brady Attorney at Law Buchanan, Irma TDCS Cecil, Emily TN CAC Cobb, Dana TCCY – NW Region Conway, Harry Tullahoma Police Dept. Cowan, Frankie TDCS Covington, Judy Montgomery County CAC Dickey, Pamela Children Help USA, TN Hart, Marjahna TDCS Hultman, Cheryl CASA Karnes, Lanis Karnes Legal Leach, Kristy Dept. Mental Health Murphy, William UT Health Science Center Newcomb, Elvira Administrative Office of Courts Page, Jacque UT Health Science Center Post, Anne Montgomery County CAC Ruffin, Delora TDCS Seeman, Larry Volunteer Behavioral Seay, Rae Anne Legal Aid Society of Middle TN Snodgrass, Carla Prevent Child Abuse Thompson, Jim ADA, 26th Judicial District Turner, June Nashville Children’s Alliance Wade, Pat TCCY Williams, Jennifer TDCS Williams, Nancy Memphis Child Advocacy Alley, Rory UT SWORPS Lawal, Toni UT SWORPS

Next Meeting: Thursday, December 6, 2012 at Rd., 193 Polk Avenue, Nashville

Welcome/Roll Call/Ice Breaker Activity

1 President Bonnie Beneke called the meeting to order at 9:30 am. Afterward, Beneke talked briefly about the purpose of the retreat, and the Task Force charge regarding the state plan.

Also, Sandra Allen led the members in a team building ice breaker exercise.

Social Workers as Witnesses in Court PPT Presentation Rae Anne Seay (Court Improvement Chair) provided an overview of the curriculum, “Social Workers as Witnesses in Court.” Seay also reported the curriculum was recently piloted with an audience of social workers, who are members of the NASW Tennessee chapter and was well received. Seay asked the Task Force members to provide feedback and share ways to improve the curriculum. Seay also told the members upon completion of the curriculum, it will be available on the Task Force website.

“ Setting the Groundwork” Carla Aaron shared TDCS strategic plan included the new vision, mission, goals. Aaron stated it focus on 4 key areas (partnerships; safety, permanency and well being; customer service and high performing workforce) and suggested the Task Force consider TDCS strategies and action steps for developing new concerns to address in the 2013 state plan. The strategic plan for TDCS consists of the following:  Decrease repeat maltreatment and fatalities  Increase timely permanency and improve well being for children and families, improve the Child Protective Services (CPS) program  Create and enhance effectiveness of customer care organization (doing customer surveys) implement and utilize call center technologies to strengthen decision making and implement efficiency (getting new phone system in central intake)  Establish and organize human resources, CQI and information systems to support improved safety and performance, workforce development and DCS business functions, reengineer workforce process and communication to increase efficiency, performance and adherence with compliance  Develop strategies to attract and retain qualified staff in CPS  Improve supports and supervision for CPS staff by reinforcing the role at the supervisory level re: child safety and strengthening stress management opportunities  Conduct a needs assessment to identify service gaps in the provider network and implement strategies to ensure an adequate array of geographically based services  Cultivate effective relationships with courts, law enforcement professionals, DAs, teachers and health care professionals by implementing a consistent model for community engagement incorporating the CAB’s and YDC advisory groups  Improve communication: strengthen relationship with Foster Care Review Boards (FCRBs) and other community members by expanding the pool of QSR reviewers to include as many partners in the system as feasible  Develop and strengthen provider and community partnership through network development  Cultivate relationship with FCRB’s to create better community connections, provide support and develop a system for collecting data on quality  Create monthly communication with partners and community

2  Implement in-home TN project, in partnership with ACWIC to keep children safely in their families and communities  Develop improved joint and collaborative training for all child abuse investigation stakeholders  Strengthen supervisions of the CPS assessor/investigator and the Family Service Worker (FSW) for children in foster care. Create a designated team of experienced DCS employees (Child Safety Consultation Team) to help frontline staff when needed in the decision making process (e.g. when there is a second or third referral/report on a child under the age of 5, designate someone such as the MSSW to pull the records)  Increase the public knowledge regarding the statutory obligation to report child abuse  A higher level of scrutiny should be assigned to cases that have received multiple referrals, especially when they are from multiple referrals and/or professionals

2013 Concerns, Strategies and Actions Steps The Children’s Justice Task Force developed the following concerns, strategies and action steps during the retreat to address in the 2013 state plan:

Concern 1: There is a need to improve training for all Child Protective Investigative Teams.

Strategy: Develop uniformity in case presentations, and review CPIT protocols as well as foster relationship between CPS, law enforcement, CACs, DA’s, mental health, medical, etc.

Action Steps: 1. Review findings from CPIT survey 2010 data. 2. Contact TDCS representative Frankie Cowan about reviewing the recommendations from the CPIT site reviews. 3. Establish joint/state-wide training that reflects development of best practices. 4. Review statewide and regional level data regarding classification, repeat maltreatment/reports and services provided to children and families. 5. Invite representatives from the Chief of Police and Sheriff’s Association to serve on the CJTF CPIT Committee. 6. Develop a memorandum of agreement or understanding among child protective investigative teams regarding agencies roles, coordination of services and joint/state-wide training.

3 Concern 2: There is a need to attract, train and retain qualified staff in CPS.

Strategies: Recommend TDCS recruit CPS candidates with educational backgrounds in social work, psychology, sociology and/or other related human relations type degrees, and with the skills set and attitudes necessary to provide comprehensive services to children and families.

Provide CPS workers with high quality and relevant training, strong supervision and other support systems (internal and external).

Action Steps : 1. Consult with TDCS Human Resource division about how they are addressing attracting and retaining CPS workers. 2. Review best practices literature regarding retaining CPS workers 3. Invite staff from TDCS Training division to serve on CJTF Training & Education Committee. 4. Observe new hire training, pre-service CPS specialty training and Child Family Team Meetings (CFTMs) in all 3 grand regions. 5. Engage new CPS workers (less than 2 years) and experienced workers (2 to 10 years) from all 3 grand regions in focus group discussion regarding caseload, morale, support systems, job satisfaction, etc.

Concern3: There is a need to strengthen communication and relationships between TDCS and its’ partners/stakeholders regarding CPS issues.

Strategy: Create opportunities for partners and stakeholders to become better informed about CPS issues via sharing of information (e.g., annual reports, new initiatives, policy and procedure revisions, legislative champion/other success stories for children/youth, etc.).

Action Steps : 1. Examine some of the barriers or factors that hinder collaboration and communication. 2. Conduct a comprehensive review of boards/committees/groups purposes and membership. 3. Offer opportunities for partners to participate in Quality Service Review (QSR) process and review policies and procedures. 4. Make recommendation to TDCS to require child abuse/neglect mandated reported training for all of their contracted providers. 5. Develop a listserv to communicate TDCS and CJTF work to other partners and audiences (e.g., schools, law enforcement, courts, etc.).

4 6. Identify someone from TDCS who will be responsible for providing CPS communication/notices to CJTF for dissemination to its members as well as child welfare partners. Additional Strategy: Create opportunities for TDCS workers and supervisors to attend/participate in training related to child sexual abuse treatment.

Action Steps: 1. Connect Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (TDCS) workers to resources (e.g., Connecting for Children’s Justice Conference, webinars, etc.) on evidence based practice in the treatment of sexually abused children. 2. Collaborate with TDCS and other community partners on ways to implement and evaluate guidelines on effective uses of mental health resources. 3. Monitor the intervention process and follow up. Concern 4: There is a need to provide child/youth serving agencies and other critical representatives with state laws regarding the statutory obligation to report child abuse.

Strategy: Work more effectively with schools, child/youth serving agencies and the general public to increase their knowledge regarding the statutory obligation to report child abuse/neglect.

Action Steps: 1. Collaborate with TDCS and other committees (e.g., Citizen Review Panels, Community Advisory Boards, Prevent Child Abuse, etc.) to educate targeted audiences regarding their obligation to report and how to report. 2. Continue to promote the computer based child abuse mandatory reported training to schools, medical, TDCS contracted providers, state agencies such as departments of education, health, human services, and mental health. 3. Develop a PSA or other marketing resource to promote the child abuse mandatory training to the general public. 4. Review data captured by UT SWORPS regarding the number of visitors and source to the website (s) that host the child abuse mandatory training. Concern 5: There is a need to ensure that the collective wisdom and experience of the Joint Task Force are considered as the General Assembly considers legislation related to child sexual abuse.

Strategy: Advance concerns and recommendations of the Joint Task Force regarding any proposed laws relating to child sexual abuse, child welfare law, and related topics.

Action Steps: 1. Identify proposed legislation that relates to the focus of the Joint Task Force.

5 2. Develop recommendations regarding any proposed law. 3. Offer to share concerns, recommendations, and expertise with legislature.

Concern 6: There is a need to continue to promote an awareness and knowledge of child sexual abuse in the community.

Strategy: Increase the community’s knowledge of child sexual abuse prevention and intervention strategies.

Action Steps: 1. Maintain funding levels for child sexual abuse prevention programs. 2. Support community-based prevention programs such as Darkness to Light Stewards of Children. 3. Expand exiting knowledge about effectiveness of prevention. 4. Continue to promote trainings for school (public and private) and early childhood personnel. Concern 7: There is a need to address the long-standing issues surrounding the collection and analyses of relevant and timely quantitative child data pertaining to safety and well-being.

Strategy: Utilize data to make better decisions about child sexual abuse practice and policy.

Action Steps: 1. Create a committee to meet and discuss the issues concerning quantitative data. 2. Engage TDCS staff in discussion on ways to improve the collection and analyses of data, as well as the sharing of data to required child welfare partners. 3. Review and analyze data annually or on as needed basis to measure the performance of safety, well-being and permanence. Concern 8: There is a need to address the pro se forms used in some counties for dependent and neglected cases, which are insufficient and/or difficult for low-literacy readers to understand.

Strategy: Make legally sufficient and easy-to-understand model dependent/neglected petition and related forms available to the public through the courts.

Action Steps : 1. Complete development of the model d/n petition and related forms. 2. Seek input from Legal Aid Society’s community education staff regarding literacy level of forms. 3. Distribute final petition and other forms to court.

6 4. Seek approval of the forms from the Access to Justice Commission. Concern 9: There is a need to provide professionals across many disciplines with training to better prepare them for testifying in court proceedings involving the safety of children.

Strategies: Deliver the “Social Workers as Witnesses in Court” curriculum to at least 3 audiences during 2013 and 2014. Support the adaptation of the curriculum for other groups. Make the curriculum widely available to groups across the state.

Action Steps: 1. Make final edits to the curriculum. 2. Post curriculum on the CJTF website. 3. Distribute the curriculum through appropriate listservs. 4. Identify committee members and other volunteers who will deliver the workshop in requested locations.

Concern 10: The Foster Care Review Boards are not consistently effective and efficient across the state. Strategies: Encourage guardian ad litem attorneys to comply with the rule that they be present at FCRB meetings.

Develop model protocol based on effective and efficient FCRBs, and encourage courts to adopt it.

Action Steps : 1. Communicate reminder of GAL rule regarding FCRB participation via Tennessee Bar Association’s Juvenile and Children’s Law Section listserv and through the AOC attorney listserv. 2. Determine which counties have effective and efficient FCRBs via survey. 3. Develop model protocol for FCRB and distribute it to DCS offices, FCRBs, volunteers and courts. Concern 11: The current DCS administrative appeals process for indicated cases is not available to all indicated perpetrators, notice of the right to the appeals process is communicated consistently, and other problems have been raised by the private bar.

Strategy: Develop and share recommendations regarding changes to the rules, policies, and procedures related to the DCS administrative appeals process.

Action Steps: 1. Schedule a meeting with interested attorneys to discuss the process.

2. Investigate the concerns raised.

7 3. Develop recommendations for changes to the process.

Concern 12: Youth Service Officers (YSOs) need to better understand the roles, responsibilities and processes involved in child sex abuse laws.

Strategy: Develop and distribute a training curriculum concerning the roles, responsibilities and processes involved in child sex abuse cases.

Action Steps : 1. Create list of key points and /or an outline of the information that needs to be included in the curriculum.

2. Determine what curriculum currently exists that can be adapted for the YSOs.

3. Develop the curriculum.

4. Provide the training at the YSO annual conference.

5. Make the curriculum available to the AOC, courts and other groups.

Concern 13: There is a need for more effective communication and partnering to support accurate assessment and appropriate treatment for children who have suffered trauma from sexual abuse.

Strategy 1: Determine ways to improve communication between DCS staff and mental health professionals, and within DCS.

Action Steps: 1. Review data from mental health survey administered to DCS workers and supervisors in October/November 2012.

2. Review data from mental health providers, furnished by TAMHO.

3. Develop and provide tip sheets for front line staff, to aid in “asking the right questions” of providers.

4. Utilize data and input from additional sources to identify barriers to communication as well as exemplary practices where good communication is happening.

5. Add additional committee members from various disciplines (e.g. DCS psychologists, nurses, CANS consultant, CMHO staff, COE).

Strategy 2: Explore ways to increase the involvement of mental health personnel in DCS case planning.

Action Steps: 1. Identify barriers to involvement of MH personnel in DCS case planning, and ways to remove them.

8 2. Examine reimbursement practices to support increased involvement of MH professionals

Concern 14: There is concern for how to deal effectively with situations where the parent of a child has a mental illness.

Strategy: Determine how to help DCS staff and other stakeholders (e.g., courts) assess risk to child and provide support in situations where the parent of a child has a mental illness.

Action Steps: 1. Assess information needed by workers and other stakeholders and how best to provide this to them.

2. Identify ways to facilitate communication with mental health professionals who are familiar with the parent’s mental health status.

3. Obtain input from DCS Regional Psychologists regarding current practices in situations where the parent has a mental illness.

4. Obtain input from CANS consultants on the availability of CANS data in situations where the parent has a mental illness.

Concern 15: There is extensive information on trauma-informed systems that is not usable by front-line workers.

Strategy: Determine ways to adapt the comprehensive manual on trauma-informed systems (Chadwick Trauma Informed System Project) for streamlined presentation.

Action Steps: 1. Review existing document on creating trauma-informed child welfare. system.

2. Develop streamlined presentation and dissemination strategy.

Summary/Closing Remarks

Bonnie Beneke summarized the highlights of the meeting, and reminded everyone of the next meeting date and location.

Retreat Meeting adjourned at 3:30 pm.

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