Fy 2014-2015 Annual Report
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FY 2014-2015 ANNUAL REPORT Submitted to: Governor Rick Scott Senate President, Andy Gardiner House Speaker, Steve Crisafulli Incoming House Speaker, Richard Corcoran OCTOBER 1, 2015 College of Social Work Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida MISSION The Florida Institute for Child Welfare seeks to promote safety, permanency, and well-being among the children and families of Florida that are involved with the child welfare system. To accomplish this mission, the Institute will sponsor and support interdisciplinary research projects and program evaluation initiatives that will contribute to a dynamic knowledge base relevant for enhancing Florida’s child welfare outcomes. The Institute will collaborate with community agencies across all sectors and other important organizations in order to translate relevant knowledge generated through ecologically-valid research, policy analysis, and program evaluation. This will be best achieved through the design and implementation of developmentally-targeted and trauma-informed strategies for children and families involved in the child welfare system. The Honorable Rick Scott Governor PL-05 The Capitol Tallahassee, Florida 32399 Dear Governor Scott, The Florida State University College of Social Work is honored to house the Florida Institute for Child Welfare. On behalf of the Institute, we submit the Annual Report for your consideration. On February 1, 2015, the Institute submitted an Interim Report with thirty recommendations. This Annual Report will update the status of those recommendations as well as provide additional recommendations for improving the child welfare system in our state. Any additional recommendations are meant to complement those that were made in the Interim Report, not replace them. We want to thank the many stakeholders around the state for providing insight into how the child welfare system throughout Florida is currently functioning and inviting us to work with them to improve child welfare outcomes. The child welfare legislation you signed into law has already made changes in the way we conduct the business of child welfare service delivery in Florida. There is no doubt that there will be continued collaboration and improvement at the state and local level. The Institute is grateful for the opportunity to be at the forefront of ensuring that Florida’s children are safe and thriving in homes that support their life-long well-being. Sincerely, James J. Clark, Ph.D., LCSW Patricia Babcock, Ph.D., LCSW Dean and Professor Interim Director College of Social Work Florida Institute for Child Welfare cc: The Honorable Andy Gardiner, Senate President The Honorable Steve Crisafulli, Speaker of the House The Honorable Richard Corcoran, Incoming Speaker of the House This Page Intentionally Left Blank. Contents MISSION ............................................................................................................................................................................... 2 SECTION I - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................... 7 REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS............................................................................................................................................. 8 SECTION II - FLORIDA INSTITUTE FOR CHILD WELFARE ..................................................................................................... 11 Background .................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Yearly Activities /Information Sources ....................................................................................................................... 11 Budget Allocation Plan ............................................................................................................................................... 11 Staffing Plan ................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Research Priorities ...................................................................................................................................................... 13 Strategic Plan.................................................................................................................................................................. 13 SECTION III - NEED FOR A CHILD WELFARE STRATEGIC PLAN ........................................................................................... 15 Recommendation ...................................................................................................................................................... 15 SECTION IV - DATA DRIVEN DECISION-MAKING ................................................................................................................ 16 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................................... 16 SECTION V - SAFETY, PERMANENCY, AND WELL-BEING .................................................................................................... 17 Florida’s Practice Model ................................................................................................................................................. 17 Recommendation ...................................................................................................................................................... 17 Evidence-based and Innovative/Promising Practices ........................................................................................................ 17 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................................... 18 Importance of Well-being and Trauma-informed Care ................................................................................................. 18 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................................... 19 SECTION VI – SPECIAL POPULATIONS ................................................................................................................................ 21 Children Birth to Three ................................................................................................................................................... 21 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................................... 22 Pregnant and Parenting Teens ...................................................................................................................................... 22 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................................... 23 Commercially Sexually Exploited Children..................................................................................................................... 24 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................................... 26 DJJ-DCF Crossover Youth ............................................................................................................................................... 26 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................................... 27 SECTION VII – RESIDENTIAL GROUP CARE ......................................................................................................................... 28 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................................... 28 SECTION VIII – WORKFORCE ISSUES .................................................................................................................................. 29 Recruitment and Retention ........................................................................................................................................... 29 Training .......................................................................................................................................................................... 29 Supervisory Models and Case Consultation .................................................................................................................. 29 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................................... 30 SECTION IX - CRITICAL INCIDENT RAPID RESPONSE TEAM (CIRRT) ................................................................................... 31 Recommendations ..................................................................................................................................................... 31 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................................................... 32 Appendix A: FICW Interim Report ....................................................................................................................................