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DCF HHS Advisory Committee Meeting August 7, 2014, 9 a.m. West Palm Beach

ROUGHLY EDITED REALTIME TRANSCRIPT

This transcript was created in real time by a Certified Realtime/CART Provider for the purpose of communication access. It is not a certified legal transcript and may not be entirely verbatim. It is intended for use as notes of the proceedings.

HRI CART Communication Access Realtime Translation 813.404.2488 (cell/text) www.HRICART.com

P R O C E E D I N G S

>> TERRI SCHISLER: Here. >> Lois, can we go ahead and begin? I want to thank everybody for your patience and coming to help us get it working. We appreciate your help and support. This is a meeting of the Advisory Committee to the Department of Children and Families for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. We are in West Palm Beach, Florida, and this is our August meeting, our August quarterly meeting. So first of all, we do have the phone lines on. If anybody is on the phone lines, since we are having problems with our streaming CART, we cannot use the streaming CART address that was provided earlier. And there is no chat feature in the system we're using now. So if you are online, and would like to connect, you need to go to join.me and the event code is HRICARTEVENT. And the session code is 150-78-952. And if you have you any troubles getting in, you can e-mail one of our participants at [email protected], and we will try our best to get you into the system and you'll be able to join the meeting. I will repeat this information in a little while, in hopes that there's somebody on the line who's listening. >> JEFF MCLAMORE: No, no one on the line yet. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Just talking to myself. Sorry. If we know that you are out there, we will try to make sure we can keep you involved. Lois, did you have a question? >> LOIS MARONEY: Yes. Is there anything more that we can do to make the agenda and post that information on the Web site? I understand that these are technical problems and we have to continue with the meeting. But I am concerned if there was somebody on the phone, of course, who is late-deafened, how would they get that information. So we do have an agenda on the Web site, and so I think we should probably try to get it corrected -- one with the correct information on the bottom with the link to do something for the people that might be following that aren't calling in by phone but trying to follow on the Internet. Thank you. 2

>> TERRI SCHISLER: Jeff, is there anything we can do? >> JEFF MCLAMORE: Not to my knowledge with what we have on the Internet, no. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Unfortunately, the only way we will know is if somebody e-mails us and lets us know, we will try to get them worked in. Unfortunately, we have to work with the technology we have and do the best we can. So to begin our meeting, I want to go around the room and have introductions. If everybody would introduce themselves. Let's start over with Kristi. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Good morning, Kristi Putnam with Department of Children and Families, Child Welfare Services Manager. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Lois? >> LOIS MARONEY: Yes. This is Lois Maroney. I'm from Lakewood Ranch, Florida, I'm a licensed mental health counselor. >> JUDY MARTIN: I'm Judy Martin. Good morning. I'm from Jacksonville, and I represent the Hearing Loss Association of Florida. >> KIM GAUT: My name is Kim Gaut, director of the Deaf Service Center in Charlotte County. >> ALDRIN SANDERS: Aldrin Sanders, Department of Civil Rights, DCF. >> JEFF MCLAMORE: Department of Children and Families Human Resources, and I want to thank the committee for their kind words in my dad's passing. Thank you so you much for your condolences and kind words. >> I'm Paul Rowell with the Department of Children and Families. >> Danielle Porter, support service provider. >> Susan Herring. I'm from Pensacola, Florida. >> Good morning. Michelle Riske-Morris, I'm the independent consultant working with the Department of Children and Families. >> Good morning. Shana Williams, I'm a clinical psychologist. >> Good morning, this is Rick Kottler. I'm the Director of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Services right north of us in Jensen Beach. >> And I'm Terri Schisler and the chair of this committee, and I'm from Pensacola, Florida. And we have interpreters from ACD. That's Don Michelyn, Jodi Raffoul, Brian Gauci, Joel Horne, and we have an intern, Emily Mclaury. We are glad to have you. Sound system, we have Alex with Coda Sound today, and we appreciate everything he's done today. And our fabulous CART provider, Gayl Hardeman, who has always done a fabulous job, and is trying to overcome all the technical issues this morning. So thank you, and I will buy you a drink tonight. >> GAYL: I will take you up on that. >> TERRI SCHISLER: So we had several members who were not able to come today, and I don't think any of them indicated they would be calling in on the phone. So we do have a quorum for the rest of the day. And I am glad that we made quorum. It was very important. Let's go ahead and look at the minutes. Did everybody review the minutes that were sent out? Let me know if you have any changes or comments to the minutes. If there are no changes or comments, do we have a motion approve? 3

>> KIM GAUT: I will move. >> JUDY MARTIN: I will second. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Motion by Kim, seconded by Judy. All those in favor of approving the minutes, aye. All those opposed? The minutes are approved. Thank you. And just before we go on to the next one, I want to say, if we have visitors in the audience who would like to make comments during the public comments section, you need to get one of these cards and fill it out. That comments section will be after lunch at 1:00. I'll just repeat that later. And for the committee, we will be using -- I encourage everyone to use the buffet here at the hotel. It will be from 11:00 to 1:00. Our plan was to break a little before noon, maybe 11:30, 11:45, because there are a lot of meetings going on in the hotel, so the plan is to break at 11:45. And since we got such a late start, we will try to meet that deadline, but I think we can make up time through several of our agenda items. I think we have more than enough time to be able to conduct the business that we have and still be able to make lunch and public comments and everything else. So we will start out with independent consultant report from Michelle. >> MICHELLE RISKE-MORRIS: Good morning. Because we are a little bit rushed on time, I will try to go through background information that I presented before. I usually keep it in my slide presentation just in case there is somebody new to the meeting who is not familiar with the meeting so he so if I am going too quickly let me know. The purpose of our discussion is to talk about some of the site visits I currently do with the Department of Children and Families. The site visits VIP done are with the southern region. You the Miami and Keys area as well as the southeast region. I just finished that and the Fort Lauderdale area. With the site visits, I utilize the monitoring plan and the review tools that were developed with DCF. Briefly, I am sure many of you are aware the kind of reviews that I do, but essentially, I interview the subcontract agencies. Remember, the agencies I'm currently working with now, they are not under a direct contract with the Department of Children and Families. Actually the Department of Children and Families will contract with a managing entity who provides mental health services, substance abuse services who in turn funnel down the money to these subcontractors. They have a contract with an organization in the community that provides child welfare services, such as family presser vague, counseling and family services to try to preserve the family unit as well as foster care adaptive services. When I go to a site visit, I will have an entrance conference with management staff to get an overall view of their organization and what they're doing to ensure compliance with the settlement agreement and relevant ADA laws. I will also review any case files that they may have for individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing that they provided services for or their companions. I will interview staff randomly, and then I will also review their policies and procedures for providing auxiliary aids and services. I also look to make sure that they have the required signs and notices required by the settlement agreement. Another thing that I encourage them to do is to make sure that on those DCF notices they put the name of the SPOC and ADA coordinator for that organization. It's a quick way for individuals coming into the facility, if they want to know who the SPOC is, they just go toe that poster, use their name and number. When feasible, we do focus groups in the particular region so I was able to do a few focus groups. I'll also do in-person interviews if they have clients currently who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. I also do phone interviews. The way I do those is I go to the particular organization, review all the case files, and any clients they have, or companions who are deaf and hard of hearing, I will send letters to them asking them to contact me to discuss whether or not they can effectively communicate with staff and how the services were that they 4

received. Unfortunately, we send out many letters. We don't get many phone calls. Most of the phone calls I get they are very pleased with that particular agency providing the services or auxiliary aids but then usually they have complaints about other organizations and usually I have to forward that information to the office of HHS, Office of Civil Rights. Once I do the site visit, I'll issue a compliance report based on my on-site reviews. So today you get the brief overview of what the reports usually find. Because I had similar findings with agencies that provide mental health services as well as those services that provide community-based care services for children and families, I combined the two. One thing I noticed that I found that I was pleased with is that many of the organizations have improved on their auxiliary aids and service plan. They meet the requirements of the settlement agreement. They provide the instructions for staff on what to do if you have a client who is deaf and hard-of-hearing. I can't stress this enough. One of the things that I find with each of the site visits is that in addition to being a compliance measure, making sure the agency is in compliance, it's also a way to really work with the agencies and be informative and educational. When you have policies and procedures, they put them in place, they train their staff but the practical application of those policies is sometimes a little difficult for them so the entrance interview conference is a way to talk about making sure they maintain compliance and they are providing those services as needed for the clients. They are implementing the requirements of the settlement agreement. All agencies I visited except for one -- there was one this week -- has the auxiliary aids and service plan in place. They are using the DCF training. So every agency that I have been to, all staff, they actually are supposed to be all direct -- staff that have direct contact with clients, the DCF service personnel training. In fact, though, the agencies are actually requiring all their staff to take it. So administrative staff, even down to housekeeping, if it's a residential unit. Actually they are just having all staff take the training. All the three modules they are required to take, as well as the required staff that take that yearly. So it's now being incorporated as a yearly training staff for statement staff are addressing clients who are deaf, their needs, and also those who need a Sign Language interpreter. It is rare for me to see a case file that you have someone who communicates with Sign Language to not have an interpreter there. Some of the highlights from my visits. For deaf clients who communicate by Sign Language, mental health providers are coordinating services to ensure that an interpreter is there during outpatient and inpatient plan needs. Posters are located at each location. Occasionally will make recommendation that they provide them in the lobbies, more so in the main office where clients go or one location where clients go but if it's a very large location or more than one location I suggest they have more posters in more than one office. In those cases where SPOC meets with their staff, you do have a better understanding moon the staff regarding the processes and procedures and do I like to see that, and we encourage that as well with the SPOCs. When they take a more hands' on approach it is I guess what I am trying to get at, they really work with their staff. (I am trying to get at). When you have agencies that actively monitor their staff to make sure paperwork is completed, I found a few agencies that have actually taken the DCF requirements and incorporated them into the quality assurance reviews. With the quality assurance review, most case files are kind of reviewed at least quarterly. What they do is when they review the case files they incorporate the DCF requirements so that if they have a client who is deaf or hard of hearing, they make sure the paperwork has been completed. Agencies do benefit, though, from a site visit. Sometimes I do, you know -- do I find that they need I call it tweaking of their system. I must say, though, that with respect to the agencies, most of my compliance requirements relate to not following the proper procedures. Not completing the paperwork correctly. And so having a site visit, going through everything with them, and what they should be doing, helps to improve their ability to meet the communication needs of their clients. 5

A couple of the highlights of best practices that I found. For example, one agency in the Florida Keys, they have a crisis stabilization detox unit. Every shift -- and they have two shifts a day -- they require the staff to check the DRI to make sure it's working properly and also to check -- they have a TTY machine as well. And they have a log to ensure they are checking it, that it's working properly. In the Florida Keys I was also able to interview two clients who were at a detox unit who were hard of hearing. The DCF paperwork -- this was one of the instances where the SPOC didn't have as much oversight, direct oversight. She didn't even know they had two clients currently in their unit who was hard of hearing. However, the nurse on staff, she was very on point. The DCF paperwork was prepared. She worked with the clients to ensure you the communication needs were met. So even though the SPOC may not have known that they had two clients, the nurse who was in charge of the unit, she had everything taken care of. And they had actually had other clients who had been there a week before, a couple months before, and everything was completed appropriately for those clients. So that was, you know, nice to see that even though the SPOC didn't know, the nurse this charge did. I met with both clients. They were pleased with the unit. They felt that they could communicate. Neither one wanted a Pocketalker®. They had to find those. The one thing that we suggested, though, was that staff maybe work better with the clients to see not like, you know, there was three of us from DCF there working with the client; asking them are you sure you don't want a Pocketalker®? You maybe want to try? It they're like no. But with one client we kind of got the feeling that maybe if it was just the nurse asking them, they might be willing to try it because I don't think they have ever tried anything like that. So we talked to staff about kind of like encouraging them if they are on the unit to say, you know, want to try this, just to see if it works? I think with the three of us in the room, probably not as best form to achieve that. This particular unit, too, they had -- they reported rarely having any clients who are Deaf and hard of hearing. But they are starting to see an influx more. One thing, they did not have a Pocketalker® but in April of this year they actually had two clients within the same month who are hard of hearing so immediately thereafter they purchased a Pocketalker®. Even though the clients declined them, they purchased it just in case. And actually within the six months -- or four or five months prior to our site visit, I think we ended up interviewing -- I think they told us six clients. Another highlight. Some agencies, they are moving to electronic case files, starting to be innovative in tracking clients who are deaf or hard of hearing to ensure that auxiliary aids and services are being provided continually. With the subcontract providers it is a little different from the DCF Access service office. With an Access office a client may come in one time and the agency may not see or hear from that client for six months, and so they have to recertify for their food stamps. With these providers, they will see clients maybe once a week, once a day. They may have clients for years. Clients in a residential unit may be there 24/7 for 7 days, 6 months, 3 years. So with their utilizing electronic case files, they are starting to do more so that they have the ability to pull up to ensure, how many times auxiliary aid was provided. My goal is to make sure every aid-essential communication, those aids were provided and they are monitoring that. Even though they are developing this, some have not utilized a lot because they haven't had any clients but at least they are having that forethought to say, should we have a client, this is what we are going to do. So that was nice to see. One agency even has a tracking system. They provided a keep for me where they'll put a track notice and every time the caseworker goes out to the family home, a notice will pop up and they will have to say, did they provide an auxiliary aid. This isn't every agency, but some agencies are starting to be more pro-active in monitoring. I talked about it at the last committee meeting where they are requiring staff to put in the progress notes if they met with the client, what aid was provided. Some agencies are also incorporating questions in their intake process. We had an agency yesterday, they have, they call it their ADA checklist and incorporated within those checklists, every single client is asked, 6

do you or your family member have a hearing loss? And if so, how do you prefer to communicate? So that's even incorporated -- it was -- this particular agency had it. Another agency had it on their intake form. I had one agency that actually incorporates the DCF paperwork with every single client. So when the client gets a paperwork packet where they have to fill out the consent, the HIPAA forms, the DCF paperwork is there. The only thing I suggested to them that is clients may not understand what those forms are. So they need to make sure that if they give that out in the intake packet, they actually vo walk through the process with the client so the client understands what those are. There was one, Jacksonville legal health -- enthusiasm one actually put their name because they are a center. They have a deaf and hard-of-hearing unit and they service probably 100 clients at any -- I think it's over a year period but actively they probably have between 50 and 60 clients. Wand that, I put it as a highlight and an area of improvement so that's why you see that. The highlights are, for their clients and companions, they have certified Sign Language interpreters there. They also have therapists and doctors who are fluent in Sign Language so they don't need an interpreter, and they work with these clients and provide outpatient mental health services for them. I was very pleased to see that. The only down side to this was that they really weren't completing the paperwork so it was more of a procedural thing. So they would have clients who are hard of hearing and they would indicate that the client didn't want any auxiliary aid but they never completed the request for a services form which is where the client will indicate what they want, so you can't verify that the client didn't want the service. They also, we recommended that they have PockeTalkers; because they didn't have PockeTalkers or CART. So we requested for them that they, you know, purchase those. And then, the only other down side was I think because they had a deaf and hard-of-hearing unit, the other units, they had a detox unit, a crisis stabilization unit, they focused on the national -- well, we have a deaf and hard-of-hearing unit. So the services were continuously provided with that unit, but if they were within one of the other units -- because they weren't completing the paperwork, they weren't keeping track of the clients -- it was difficult to verify where they were providing those services there as well. Once the client got out of the crisis stabilization unit, was referred over to the deaf and hard of hearing, then immediately you could track the services they were continually provided. It was just that the other units, they needed to strengthen the services that they were providing. And at every meeting, there's the good, and now there's the not-so-good; some areas that need improvement, because nothing is perfect -- yet. A couple of the things. Even though there's the DCF training, if staff don't work with many clients who are deaf or hard of hearing, the stuff that they learn from the training, even if they get it yearly, it doesn't really sink in. So you do find that staff are not always knowledgeable about the different levels of hearing loss and how to really assess the communication needs. When they interviewed staff, they "haven't had any clients." They always say, we will get an interpreter, always make sure to get a interpreter. What if they don't know Sign Language? Oh, I would still get an interpreter. You know. What about CART? I have never heard about that. Or they don't know what a Pocketalker® is. If you have a client who is hard of hearing, an interpreter? You know. So sometimes understanding the different types of auxiliary aids that are available, ways to communicate understanding that writing notes back and forth, lip-reading, are not necessarily reliable, effective means of communication -- that still is something that because they haven't worked with anybody, it's still not 7

sinking in. With the training becoming an annual requirement I think that will slowly improve. As they get more slowly acclimated to clients and working with them, it will (acclimated) that will improve. I know with HIPAA requirements they had difficulty understanding what they can talk about, what they can't, the notices. Now when I go into a meeting and say if you have a companion, and they want to sit in, they say no, that is not required unless you get authorization and you get all these forms. So I think with time it becomes integrated in their system and we'll see a change. A lot of times staff will focus on deaf clients and making sure their needs are met. So for the hard of hearing, again, you see whether or not completing the paperwork, they will say we haven't had any clients. But I will interview staff and say have you worked with anybody who has some hearing loss? Oh, yes, have I had some. And then they are not completing paperwork, they are not, I don't think, fully asking them if they want any technical auxiliary aid or service. They are just assuming that because the person says talk louder, talk into my left ear, I read lips, that that's what they are doing. So that still needs to be improved upon. Some agencies -- I'm a very preventive person, I always give guidance on, you may not have had clients but you need to monitor staff to ensure that if you do have clients, I strongly suggest monitoring plans. A SPOC can't just get the completed DCF paperwork each month, look at that, and think that, you know, they are good to go and that the agency is meeting the requirements for the clients who are deaf or hard of hearing. So I strongly suggest that they have monitoring plans. They have to review the case files, they have to contact the clients to ensure that the communication needs are met. If they are long term, they have to have an appropriate communication plan for that client. Are you looking into that? Are you monitor something are you asking your staff periodically, have you worked with you any individuals? You can't just go by, well, staff will tell me. Because a lot of times statff will tell them and then I talk to staff who haven't told them, who have had clients. So those are things that, you know, continually need to be done. When I was in the Keys area, many of the agencies indicated that it's very difficult to find certified Sign Language interpreters close by. There are interpreters in the Miami area that can come down, but traveling in the Keys, it can take several hours before an interpreter can actually be there. These agencies have installed V Ri. Which is great. Although I indicated to them, they still have to engage in searches periodically to find where the close set of Sign Language interpreter is, should that service be needed. They may not be able to meet the emergency time frames required by the settlement agreement for two hours, but they -- they can utilize VRI, but if that person wants an in-person interpreter, have you to find that. I was using engine searches, I found one person who is certified in Key Largo, but they said that person is so busy they can't provide services. They did find a person in Key West. But I am not sure if he if they are certified. And I said you really need to keep searching and trying to find somebody, because it is a difficulty. Staff struggle we completing the DCF paperwork. They complete it, but it's into the -- outside of row viewing it, I can't necessarily say that it was, you know, effective communication, because they're not fully completing the forms. Or they complete one paperwork and not the other. So again, this is where the active monitoring, why I stress they do that. The DCF customer feedback form, not always provided or they are using an older one. So that is something they still need to work on. I constantly reinforce the need to forge relationships with the local deaf service centers or the centers for independent living, and also that they might be able to assist them with additional training, or Sign Language interpreter services or resources for information. So making sure that they start making those connections or advocacy organizations in their areas. I monkeyed this already but for agencies that haven't had any clients, sometimes I don't think they are prepared enough. And they may say, if we had a client coming into our group home, into our shelter, into our crisis stabilization unit, we immediately set up protocols to ensure the communication needs. But what I talk to them about is, you can have that person come in in the middle of the night and it could take you two or three days to weeks to put everything in place, you will be out of compliance in that period of time. So I recommend that they develop preparedness plans so that should they have someone come into their unit, they are 8

addressing their needs. So that was something that I continually try too reinforce with those agencies that he say we haven't had any clients. Briefly, before I get to this, this is mostly what I want to talk about. I forgot to add on the slide -- I was very pleased with it this week -- one agency that provides foster parent training and foster parent licensing. I was happy to see that although they didn't complete the DCF paperwork -- that was one down side -- but they actually had a couple, one of the parents is actually deaf but they provided an interpreter during the entire time they had training. So they had the invoice, even though they didn't complete the paperwork, to show that they provided like 21 hours every interpreting services. So while they were going through the foster parent training classes, they actually provided them with a Sign Language interpreter. Unfortunately, the parents, because of the foster parent licensing requirements and certain background checks that they do, they weren't necessarily wanting to proceed on because of some of their issues. So I don't want go into that. Anyway, they are still looking into the possibility of becoming foster parents. Another thing that wasn't necessarily a site visit finding but just I was at the Fort Lauderdale center for communication and hearing, and one of the staff had noted that the CDC or you the community-based care organization (CBC) in that particular area of child net had been using their services to provide Sign Language classes for foster parents. So I didn't go to Child Net because I had previously been to that agency a year or so ago but they were actually utilizing those services so those were two things I thought were beneficial that wasn't something -- I forgot to put it in the slides. The last thing is something that I am getting more and more findings, or I am suggesting as a result of these site visits. With the DCF subcontract agencies it's not so much that they have adopted the DCF policies and training. They are doing that. I mean, they have an auxiliary aids and service plan. They have the DCF paperwork. Staff are being trained. It is more in terms of compliance in their everyday paragraph. I can't stress enough to them that just because they've adopted the policy, just because they trained the staff, they have to put it into practical use. And so that's where I put the site visit and maybe additional -- to try to walk them through that day-to-day process. What should you be doing if you have a client. Because the percentage of clients of DCF who are deaf or hard of hearing is low; it's not a common occurrence. Some areas it may be but in other areas they may go for years and never have a deaf client. So it's more trying to kind of engrain it in them. Just like when they used to have cultural diversity training, harassment policies. It's something you have to work with your staff, your organization, to put those things in place, so they are picking up on it should it occur, though are properly addressing it. So that is a finding I strongly encourage -- they need to move to the next level. They met those initial levels, now they need to move to the next one. That was it. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Does anyone have any questions. >> SHANA WILLIAMS: What was the name of the foster care training? >> MICHELLE RISKE-MORRIS: Jacko is what I remember. Jewish adoption organization? JACO? That was in the Fort Lauderdale area. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Any other questions or comments? Well, thank you. Jeff, we will go ahead and move on. The next item on the agenda? >> LOIS MARONEY: I'm sorry, I do have a question. This is Lois Maroney. The HIPAA forms, I wonder if we should try to get those on the Web site in sign. Those are really hard to explain. I don't know if we are doing that right now. Are we? >> ALDRIN SANDERS: This is Al with the Office of Civil Rights T. HIPAA privacy notes itself has been 9

translated into Web site and is on the into ASL around otherwise on the Web site. The forms, it is impossible for us to do all the forms.

>> LOIS MARONEY: How do I find that? Is it on the DCF Advisory Committee Web site or different Web site? >> ALDRIN SANDERS: It is on the DCF deaf and hard-of-hearing Web site. We had the -- the finalization was last week, but it's on the Internet. >> LOIS MARONEY: Okay, great. Thank you. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Okay. If there's no other comments or questions, we'll go ahead and go straight to Kristi. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: I just need to disconnect and reconnect. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Good morning, everyone. I'm Kristi Putnam. I'm the child welfare services manager for the Department of Children and Families. I attended the main meeting to help answer some questions from the committee, and appreciated being here then. Some of the questions led to the foster care licensing process, and I was invited to come back this time to present an overview of licensing, foster care licensing. But also, I went a little bit further today. I wanted to give the committee kind of an overview of the foster care licensing program, the different types we have and just a general sense of some changes we've made and also some of the ways that I've been able to try to help inform from this committee in some of the practices we have statewide. I want to -- we are charged by Florida Statute and we also have a licensing rule to establish procedures for licensing family foster homes in the state and have I noted the statutory reference on the screen. There's also a whole Chapter in Florida Administrative Code that is specifically for foster home licensing. Now, this is different from group home licensing, so I want to make sure everyone is clear that this is only for family foster homes I'm talking about today. If the committee would like additional information on the group home process, I'd be glad to provide that, and I will make some comments about some of the changes we've been trying to implement with providing to make sure that training is incorporated into our child welfare pre-service training that everyone has to receive. >> This is what we are covering today. I want to give you an idea of the types of foster homes we have. I will tell you the steps to becoming a licensed foster family. I will talk to you about the home study process because it's something we have worked very hard to implement, and recruitment and support activities that are available for foster homes and community members. The different types of family foster homes we have. We have traditional family foster homes and that is the basic licensure for a foster home. People can also become a medical foster home, and that requires additional training and a certification process through children's medical services. There are also therapeutic foster homes which address behavioral concerns, behavioral needs children have who are in care. Then we also -- this is new -- legislature created a certification process for safe family foster homes, and these homes are going to be for victims of human trafficking and commercial exploitation. I would like to note that we -- until March of this year, we had separate processes for medical foster homes and therapeutic foster homes. They were separate approvals. And we have been working very hard with AHCA and with children's medical services Department of Health. We now have an approved process so that homes can be dually certified to serve children with complex medical needs and also children who have behavioral needs. So we have dual homes, and that's been really exciting for us to be able to serve those children who have multiple needs to be addressed.

>> SHANA WILLIAMS: Should we hold for a question or ask you now? 10

>> KRISTI PUTNAM: No, please ask while we are going through things because ill forget. >> SHANA WILLIAMS: My question is, because the training is actually very different between complex and behavioral, are all the homes dually certified other just those who want. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Good question. Just those homes that want to be dually certified. It is truly up to the foster family. And the licensing process, I kind of supplant as a teacher certification process, being a former classroom teacher. You get your traditional license, and then you can add a medical foster home approval, which is done through Department of Health. And then you could also, at this point, add therapeutic foster care endorsement or approval. So it's kind of a scaffolding. You can build on your licensing or approvals, and now you can have both. So we are very excited about that process, but they do choose that. Yes, ma'am? >> JUDY MARTIN: Sorry, I missed the first two minutes, but are these new programs, or this very been ongoing? >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Well the medical foster care and therapeutic for thor care are not new. The traditional foster care has been of course around for a long time. What is new is the fact that you can have dual approval to medical and therapeutic foster care. Does that answer your question? >> JUDY MARTIN: Yes. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Any other questions about the different types of foster homes we have in this state? No? I will keep going. This is -- I mentioned last meeting our special needs awareness campaign, and this is actually and you page out of our resource guide. Terri has had the opportunity to review it. It is our first iteration of the resource guide so we will be building on it. This is our path to fostering or adopting. This is the path for children who have special needs. (Those who are adopting). These are the steps. There are six basic steps. The steps are, you need to contact your local agency, and those are the community based care agencies. We do have subcontracted agendas who also conduct licensing and training for foster parents. The second step -- and I will go into these in depth with the next few slides. But the second step is you attend an orientation where you get more information, what's involved, what you can expect. They debunk some myths at the orientations because there are a lot of myths to fostering and adopting. You complete application aged background checks. You attend free foster parent training through one of the agencies. You participate in a home study. And you attend -- you can attend -- this is optional -- a local foster parents support meeting. Now step one basically just reach out and tell somebody that you are interested in fostering and adopting and believe me they are excited to have people contact them. We do have a great need across the state for additional family forest homes. I will send this presentation and make sure everyone has these because they are active, so you can click on the links to find out more. 20 agencies around the state, into six different regions. When you click to the county you live, when you get to the live page it will take you directly to your community based care agency. The second step, when you attend an orientation it does a couple things. It does provide information to prospective parents, and this now includes our special needs awareness resource guide. It also allows parents to register for training and it gives the agency to share with you specific needs. So if you have a particular need in an area of the state for homes for teens, which we have across the entire state, the agency can share that with you and you can then decide if you want to specialist specialize in that particular population. So this is the chance for an agency, for example, if they had children who were deaf or hard of hearing, they could share that with prospective foster parents and they could decide if they wanted to you take specialized training or if they wanted to do medical or therapeutic foster care. But it is just an information session, no commitment at this point. But this is the point at which we have asked our agencies to capture the foster parents' interest so we can track the length of time it takes them to go through the entire process. 11

Step three is the application and screening process. And the application, it's a standardized application across the state. We are encouraging our agencies to not add on, change, use anything different, sot a consistent process wherever you go in Florida. You provide demographic information, financial information, any specific needs that could allow the family to foster. The background screening -- and this is what Michelle mentioned a little bit earlier -- it consists of local and state criminal history. It also is an FBI fingerprint check abuse register screening and also defense driving and civil records. It's dependent on a case by case basis. Not the local and state criminal history and not the FBI, but some agencies do go a little bit beyond that and they do look at court records, they do look at law enforcement callout records to get a thorough picture of histories. Step four is the potential parent can attend free training. Most of our CBC's use what is called MAP, models for parent training. Or pride, resources development and education. We do have a couple of CBC's that have developed their own curriculum. The requirements of the curriculum is that it has to meet what is laid out in our licensing Statute, what enables us to license. It is a 21-hour process, no matter which ones they use, and there are specific components listed in Florida law that they have as to come to -- one of the those components is they have to address children with special needs and special needs populations as part of training. I don't think that CBC's or that DCF historically, before the last couple of years, have done a great job of incorporating training regarding special needs. I think that has been an emphasis in the last couple of years, especially; and there are a lot of free trainings that are being made available to foster parents who are currently licensed so they can go ahead and take in-service training and become more educated on many different topics. Courses on foster training are offered at various times so if you have a working parent that can come on Saturdays, sometimes in evenings, and they have daytime classes. Many of the agencies now are offering, if you miss a class, can you come back it up, so it's not delaying the process any longer. It used to be that was one of the criticisms, one of the things we found in our reviews, that if you had an eight-week class and you missed week six, you had to wait until the next eight-week class started. I think we have successfully eliminated a lot of that delay. The courses can also be individualized. So if someone needs to have one on one training, the agencies are required by their contract to provide individualized training where that's necessary. I am going to talk a little bit in depth about our home study process. I think this is one of the opportunities we have where we can identify what services and supports we can provide potential foster families to allow them to foster. The unified home study is simplified but it's improved. As you can see, I will explain that in a little more detail in just a moment. Our licensing specialists -- and I say ours, they are not all DCF, they are mostly the agency licensing specialists -- but they get too knee the family through a -- to know the family ally through a personal interview process. There is a series of 14 questions in the first part of the home study that walk through the caregivers' commitment to nurturing and supporting a child's educational needs, to understanding any cultural background that would be helpful in successfully parenting that child. They have to be committed to whatever that you child's permanency goal is, whether they are supposed to be reunified with their parent and that is what we are working toward, that foster parent has to be committed to work with the birth parent if possible and reunify that child wherever possible. If it's not a possibility and the child's goal becomes adoption, through the home study process they are asked a series of questions that very clearly will allow the foster parent to express their belief to support that child, whatever child they foster in their home. An environmental assessment is completed which checks for safety, health and safety issues, pool safety, the environment that the children will be in. Now, the unified home study, when I joined DCF two years ago, it was a 30 + page monstrosity. Paragraph it was redundant, didn't get to the heart of what was needed to know about the family. With help from foster parents, Q pi, quality initiative in Florida, CBC's regional staff, we have reduced the 30 pages to 15. We have also changed a lot of the questions and made them more in keeping with our new child welfare practice methodology, the safety issues. Focuses on general parent, adult function, when there's a child in 12

the picture, if they have children of their own. It talks about child functioning. So it is really aligned with our entire practice, not this separate, laborious document that has to be filled out. I won't read this to you, but the intent of the home study is meant to assess a potential family's strengths and needs. It is unified because it is one process, it is, now electronic, within our Florida state families network. You launch it electronically, and once you have a home study on file, you can take that home study and if it was used for emergency placement it can be pulled up and copied to a relative or non-relative or licensed home study. And then, if you go down the road and that family decides to adopt, that same home study with all the same information can be copied forward and used as an adoptive home study. Providing a family meets all the other requirements, the purpose of the home study, it used to be viewed as -- we have made a lot of changes. It used to be viewed as kind of the licensing specialist's job to look for downfalls and pitfalls for this foster family. Now it is looked at as an opportunity to have a conversation with autumn the potential families to identify what kind of things can we do to help support this family to foster and adopt. So this is the part where we actually can have that conversation, for example, if we have a deaf family who wants to become a foster family,, that is viewed as now is our chance to find out how can we help you successfully become a foster family? What can we do? What services are needed? And so it should identify how we can support theFamily, and any child placed in that home. Do you have any questions yet? No questions yet? And I just kind of got ahead of myself here, but it goes beyond the yes-or-no answer. It seeks to assess and truly know that family. At the end you have this quality evaluation of the family in the home and you also have a relationship. Because those licensing specialists spend a good deal of time with that family. Step six is an optional step, but it's one that I highly recommend to all foster and adoptive families. Go attend a foster and adoptive parent association meeting. There are foster parents support groups in almost every county, and I must have dropped off my thought there. What I meant to say is, they work on the annual statewide conference, they provide assistance, they provide a venue for people to ask questions if they are not yet foster or adoptive parents. There are many semiannual conferences. There are FaceBook forums and blog pages and all kinds of agency activities that this group fosters, like socials where adoptive parents come in. So I encourage them engaging in those activities. There are also a lot of training and development activities. Foster parents are very, very passionate. They are very compassionate, and they are also very vocal when they identify a need. And have I come to appreciate that about them so much, because what they've done is they've helped us build on places where we have not enough training and not enough information. I do want to point out that CBCs, community based care agencies, have been actively been making changes to the license process. They have been starting the home study earlier. Many times before, they would have the family go through the entire 8-week training and then do the home study at the end and then. Do the background. You are screening at the end only to find out that there was an issue that could have been identified early on and you could have been working on this the whole time. They have been providing more specialist training to staff on placement matching requirements. So staff in the placement units are talking more often and more in depth to the licensing specialists in the licensing units about the forest parents who are coming into the group, and taking a look at children in the foster care system, and possibly matching them with new families, making sure we are paying close attention to those placement needs. The background screens are being done right away. And we have been reducing paperwork right and left, trying to reduce paperwork. I want to point out a couple of recruitment and support areas. We have "Fostering Florida's Future", which we have invited Terri to be a part of. September is our next meeting, and we are hoping Terri can join us for that. The mission is composed of foster parents and a representative from CBC. From each of the 20 13

CBCs we have a CBC rep and an agency Rep. We identify challenges through the fostering process, and we meet special initiatives. Our most recent one is a initiative, Special Need for Your Heart campaign which began in May. I will open up this link. Bear with me, keep your fingers crossed. Cannot locate the Internet server. See, it's not just me. I will try to be glad to open this up but I don't want to hold us up right now. There is an actual Web site that is dedicated to the special needs awareness campaign. As part of that campaign, we have included information on special needs, agencies who are there to support and help families who choose too foster and adopt children with special needs. Terri and I talked on the phone after we sent for the resource guide. There are additional resources in agencies, things we can put in there for families who would like to foster or adopt children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Weigh did manage to get a little bit of information in there. What I would like all of you to do, take a look at it, provide us your feedback. It is not meant to be a staff guidance document. It's meant to be an introduction, just a very basic 101, here's some information, in case you are just thinking about becoming a foster or adoptive parents. We do have a great need for foster homes for children who have special needs. There are approximately 800 children in group home settings, and we would like for them to be in family foster homes, because that's a more nurturing, more normal environment for children. We also have what's called the Quality Parent Initiative, QPI. They serve as our statewide champions for foster care. Composed of DCF parents, agency staff, agency parents. They provide training based on our identified needs. They just did Just in Time training two weeks ago, a Webinar update. Webinars, they can be interviews, videos, but they are 30 minutes to hour-long, and we can do them with a week's notice. And I say "we" -- we partner with USF. QPI is actually a separate, independent initiative. We work and partner with them to make sure we bring on-time training and we are addressing needs as they happen. So if somebody says I need to know more about the new safe foster home certification process, we can research it, find the experts get it done, and post it within about a week's time. So it is a very effective way to keep up with everything that's changing. And that's all I have. I wanted to make sure I can try to pull up these links and I can you take a moment if the group would like me to. But nobody has questions, that's it for me. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Rick? >> RICK KOTTLER: This is fast becoming one of my favorite subjects. This is part of what I wanted to know, is what the process is. But I still have concerns that I am not hearing answers for, which are hour the skills of a deaf parent evaluated. How are the skills of the child signing evaluated. How are we assured that a child is put into a language-appropriate situation. Because what I am hearing there is, you can say well, I would like to be and you foster parent for a disabled child. Well, this one happens to be deaf. Okay, I'll take him. That's not a language-appropriate situation. And I don't see that there's a procedure or a protocol that needs to be there for these type situations. Because they are going to be few and far between, but when they happen, there's got to be a road map. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: When you say parents, how the parents are evaluated, what exactly do you mean by that? >> RICK KOTTLER: I mean, throughout the signing deaf population, all their signing skills are different. Some can be very English. Some can be very ASL. Some signing skills are very rudimentary. Some people only fingerspell, some of the older people. But a child, just because they sign, and this child's sign doesn't mean it's a language-appropriate situation, because they both have maybe two different types of signing skills and signing styles. So an evaluation has to be set up where if a deaf parents want to be foster parents, they have to be evaluated as far as their skills and matched with a child that would have similar skills is what I am saying. So 14

there has to be a procedure there somewhere that if these different groups around the state are doing this and they come into that situation, they have to know what to do. And right now, I don't think that there's anybody out there that knows what to do. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: And I think you are probably right. I think they are doing the best that they can in most circumstances. What I'd like to do is, if there are more appropriate evaluation procedures and processes to evaluate communication, that's something that I would like to be able to include in our -- we have already included in pre-service training, training on dove or hard of hearing, making sure that's more of an awareness than it has been in our overall training. But I think to get to the point you are talking about, the placement matching, and making sure it's an appropriate placement, like we talked about before, that won't necessarily be the only consideration, because there are many different factors that go into making an appropriate placement. Of course, being able to communicate is not an insignificant one. I don't mean to make it that. But there could be considerations where you want to keep the siblings together and you have maybe two siblings who don't have a communication, issue and one who does, then that may be the consideration of keeping the siblings together and providing the right services, interpreting services, and the right foster family for that to happen. >> RICK KOTTLER: I understand that totally. But what I am saying is, there has to be a system in place that somebody can go and say, okay, this is something we have to do, this is something we need to look at. Yeah, I understand there's a lot of things that go into consideration, but what I'm saying is, there's a lot of the groups out there that make these considerations that have no clue about what's going on, and there needs to be some type of a protocol for them to be able to access, to do this properly. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Right. I agree completely. >> RICK KOTTLER: And I think Shana can add a whole lot as far as assessing skills and that sort of thing. That is a little bit beyond me. >> SHANA WILLIAMS: Kristi and I had a VR brief conversation the last meeting about what that might look like, and I think that we need to follow up on that and I appreciate your insight into -- I have done language assessments for the courts and the schools and so on. So it really is all ready; there are protocols and procedures that are standardized and evaluated and so on, and they have to be looked at in terms of the overall level of functioning when you are talking about a family match, because the family functioning and the child functioning as Rick pointed out may be very different. These protocols are already in place, they just have to be implemented by a professional. This is not something you will train staff to do. This is smug will find in each region, a professional, psychologist, so on, who will have that skill set all right, and there are in each region. And contract with them to do those evaluations when a family comes forward and say, I want to be a foster family and I would like to take a child who has a hearing loss. So ... >> KRISTI PUTNAM: And that is what I am talking about. I think we have made some progress to that, and Rick, to your point, certainly, the protocols exist. We just know that they may not need exist -- we don't know the extent of how often it's happening within the CBC's when there is that assessment process that needs to happen. >> SHANA WILLIAMS: I'm not saying that the protocols exist in your system. I am saying in professional literature, in psychology, in evaluation in ESE, those assessment tools exist, but those have to be administered bay professional outside of the realm of just the placement. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Yes. I think we are saying the same thing. I may not be saying it right. I agree with you. I recognize that those exist. That's part of the reason I am glad to be here because I am learning from everyone here how can we -- not we, DCF -- but how can we enable those to happen? They do exist, we need to make sure they are implemented in each of our CBC's. We made steps I talked about last time, about the contract language, with our community based care agencies. We have strengthened the language in the attachment one that requires -- and I know the contract thing can be a sore subject sometimes because what do you do to back it up -- we have talked with our contract manager several times about the -- we have been trying to raise more awareness so that our contract managers are more knowledgeable about the fact that this has to be as Michelle said, has to be engrained in just what we do as part of our daily processes. I think we're working toward it. I certainly think we have a 15

long way to go. This is part of it. I appreciate the community giving us the feedback of what we are doing to fix it. I will still look to you, I will at least, regarding the placement, what protocols, what professionals are out there who can be part of the process to make sure it's a Moore appropriate placement, to your point, and the communication, that there are different levels that are being addressed. The other thing I wanted to mention briefly is, we do have monthly statewide licensing calls, and we have had discussions on, I have provided you updates from the committee meeting and from our internal DCF meetings just about the progress we've made for some of our staff and agency staff out there, you know, letting them know about the contract language and making sure that everybody is aware of the requirement and the contractual requirement but also the -- just the basic need to make sure that we're addressing what we need to address for communication purposes. So I think really making sure that more than just the placement unit knows about this, the licensing unit, certainly during the home study process we've emphasized that licensing specialists, to make sure that if there is a need for an interpreter or whatever other type of service during that home study process, if they weren't already doing it, they need to make sure that they are bringing that in as part of the process. >> SHANA WILLIAMS: So my part is that -- I appreciate everything you are say, I think you guys are moving forward on this. But in the certification component where you do behavioral and special medical, in that component you might want to make a note in there that if a family is willing to take a child with hearing loss, the language assessment happens then so it becomes part of your cert fox for that family to be qualified and leveled and evaluated. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: I have a question. Would it be -- I hesitate to keep it just as part of the medical or therapeutic approval process. I really feel like it needs to be part of the traditional, just part of the basic licensing process, so that there is, at least, a general awareness. And that's certainly not specialized training but moving on to medical and therapeutic I think would be in-depth training. Does that make sense? >> SHANA WILLIAMS: Even better. >> TERRI SCHISLER: I will add a few comments here because I had a few conversations with her here. I looked over this program that they were implementing recently. There's a special need for your heart. I think what I'm hearing is we are really concerned about the identification of the child's needs, and that the needs for the communication, effective communication, and placing in a culturally appropriate setting as well as a linguistically appropriate setting, we are concerned that those are done in the identification of the child but also that we have these placement settings of the families who are interested in being foster families, that we need to make sure that we are actually recruiting families who are qualified to take on a child or several siblings who come from a home where Sign Language may be used or where they have issues of hearing loss and they use other methods. So you one of the things I mentioned to her was that in this brochure that geese along with this nice program for recruiting foster families is that it talks about the variation disabilities but nowhere in this brochure does it mention deaf or hard of hearing so you basically need definitions. There is nothing in here that indicates that I deaf or hard of hearing is even a consideration at all in this program, this outreach to recruit foster parents. So when I found definition to deaf or hard of hearing, I found yes, it is something they know they need covering but it's not there. You the pictures don't show a child with a cochlear implant or hearing aid. There's no Sign Language being used in the pictures. So there's diversity here that they need to actively being recruiting people that can meet the needs of these children, as well as this specific identification of the child's needs. So we have already talked about that. On their Web site, there's a list of community-based care agencies, as well as some other specific disabilities organizations that provide support to this department. And, of course, there's nothing there listed for FAD, FRID, AG Bell, none of those organizations are listed there. So again, that's where we need to provide that information to the department and also to help them to do outreach to those organizations, so that those populations can be targeted to become foster parents, because within the deaf, hard-of-hearing, interpreter communities, and all of these other professionals that work in community, there is certainly appropriate foster placements for these children, but that is not being marketed by the department. So that's 16

what I am seeing, is seeing the greater need, just making sure to you identify you the child's needs, and then do specific marketing outreach and recruitment of appropriate foster family placements. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Yes. >> TERRI SCHISLER: So as Kristi mentioned, they've asked me to participate in this Fostering Florida work group, which I will be glad to do. I also hope that in the long term, that there will be other ways that more of us can be involved in the process, that it wouldn't be just me representing this group or this community. So I will continue working with Kristi and others within DCF to see if we can get some more of this expertise that we have incorporated into the system. I think certainly Shana was mentioning this language assessment process that already exists out there. That needs to be rolled into, what, your tool kit and incorporated into that family recruitment process as well as the child identification process. Are there any other questions or comments? Paul? >> PAUL ROWELL: Well, as I was listening to you talk, what I was going to say is that, kind of the suggestion you made in terms of the resources that are here, the kind of issues that can be taken into account by Assistant Secretary Stewart in terms of defining the continuing but more informal relationship that we've previously discussed so I appreciate all of that. That helps in terms of what we can take back to him. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: And I have a meeting Monday with our community outreach office, Chris Luicey (phn) to follow up on that. The next iteration of it, we can make sure to include information. So if any of you send me the resources that should be added to, then we can go ahead and add it. It's a living document online as well. So it is something that always, if you look at it and notice something else that would be helpful, please let us know. That's why I appreciate all the input. >> TERRI SCHISLER: So you already offered us to send us your PowerPoint, but I want to make sure that the whole committee gets access to the Web site, these documents that are out there on the Web site, but make sure that we all have access to this information, so that everybody can review it, and then submit their comments back to you; so that we can get all of that incorporated in the future. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Yes. >> TERRI SCHISLER: So I appreciate the opportunity to add that to your program. If there's nothing else on this specific topic, it is 11:25. And so, that would get us on track for our agenda. This is the last thing we were going to do before lunch. So we are going to come back after lunch with you public comment, and we have allowed two hours for public comment just because this being our last opportunity for you public comment, I was hoping that we could encourage a large participation in that you opportunity, and right now we have one person sitting out there. I am hoping that others who know what the agendas is will come and be here at 1:00. Maybe they were planning to be on the phone, and that's a problem. But if there is no other public comment, or minimal, we will continue to work through these topics that are here, and we will maybe be able to get out early. Soup I was putting the public comment in the middle of the day, so if we had time-to-we could go through our agenda and finish earlier. Kristi I appreciate you being here and I look forward to working with you. Is there anything anybody would like to discuss before we break for lunch? I just wanted to -- let me find my agenda because I buried it while we were talking about that, there are two things that I want to make sure that we have, that we discuss, and Paul, if you can -- we can either do them now or we can do them later with your report. I wanted to make sure that we have an opportunity to discuss the request for quote that went out. And just be able to give the committee some background on what the plan is there. And then also we had the request to provide feedback on the refresher training, and it might be good if we could take a moment and see how many of us actually reviewed the training and what your comments were on that as well. So you want to do that later with your other report?

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>> PAUL ROWELL: I could go ahead and talk about the RFQ, and I think Jeff will be able to talk about the training issue. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Okay. >> PAUL ROWELL: So let's go ahead. This relates to the workshop, and I think you all are aware of the steps we are taking. There will be some subject-matter experts at the workshop and he will discuss that you probably later this afternoon, but in addition to that, we issued say request for quote to (a request for quote) to retain the consulting services of a subject-matter expert to review what comes out of the workshop and based on that review come back to the department and make a report and recommendations for best practices that would apply to address some of the areas that come up in the workshop which also of course include some of the specific suggestions that are made by the workshop participants in the second half in terms of their suggestions about what the solutions look like. So we put that out. The requirement was that proposals be submitted by August 5th which was what, Tuesday? And we have received three proposals. When we get back, we'll set up the process to review and evaluate proposals, make a determination as to who we'll contract with. That's where we are. >> JEFF MCLAMORE: With regard to the refresher training, I spoke with Ms. Hunter, my counterpart on the leadership team, before coming down. And she commented she has heard from several people on the teams -- some lengthy, some suggestions, and some said it is right where it needs to be. What I have asked her to do is have her staff go ahead and make suggested changes and I have asked her staff to send you another e-mail to say all changes have been made, take one last look at it because we have to get it out, have to have all DCF staff take the training as quickly as possible. I also instructed her to, if she has any specific questions about the feedback she received, to contact the individual committee members directly, and at the point that we left yesterday, they were working on that, and it should be a very quick process on our side. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Very good. Lois? >> LOIS MARONEY: Yes. This is Lois Maroney. When I first got that e-mail from Dennise, I thought, I wish this was a topic we would discuss in the open here, that we each brought our comments to this meeting and we got to see what each other thought and talk about it more, brainstorm a little bit more. But what I understand is that Dennise is going to incorporate all of those corrections into the training and then send it out? Is that right? So it kind of -- I guess we still have a chance to make changes after that, would we? I mean, what if one of us did not agree with another person's suggestion or wanted to change it just a little bit? >> JEFF MCLAMORE: Yes. Well, that is correct. She is going to make all the changes, post them to the training, and then send an e-mail out to you again to says we have incorporated all the changes, I have addressed any questions I have had with individual members, please take one last look at it before we send it to be taken by all the DCF staff. And I believe that from my perspective, it was a time-sensitive issue with regard to discussing all the changes, and Al is shaking his head, because I know civil rights has some deadlines they have to abide by. So if you would, for our sake, when she sends that e-mail out, really take a moment and go through the training, and take one last swipe at it and say, hey, I missed this, I missed that. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Lois? >> LOIS MARONEY: Can she highlight what the changes are? Because I know I spend at least four hours going through it with the captioning and all. It took me a very, very long time. And so I want to know what's different now, so I can tune in on that. So if she wants to send in it a separate e-mail, listing all the changes, or if she wants to make it highlighted, or something, so that it is not as time-consuming to note what exactly has been changed. >> JEFF MCLAMORE: I will be happy to ask her to do that. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Okay. Any other comments? Yes, Susan? 18

>> SUSAN HERRING: If she's willing to highlight it, can she underline it? Because I cannot see highlighting. >> JEFF MCLAMORE: My preference is to do a list in an e-mail of what she's changed. >> TERRI SCHISLER: I think that would be the most expedient for everybody so we know specific changes. Any other comments or discussions before we break for lunch? All right. It's about 11:35. And we are breaking a little early. But we want to beat the rush on the buffet line. We do want to be back and ready to go at 1:00 for public comment. So I would ask everyone to be back and ready to begin at 12:45. And that way we have 15 minutes to make sure all our technology is working and we can start at 1:00. >> JEFF MCLAMORE: Thank you, Madam Chair. I will leave the phone line open, so I won't touch it. >> TERRI SCHISLER: All right. If there is nothing else we will break for lunch and I ask that you be back at 12:45.

(Break for lunch)

(Resuming) >> TERRI SCHISLER: All right, I think everyone is here. We're going to go ahead and begin. This is the quarterly meeting of the Advisory Committee to the Department of Children and Families for the Deaf and hard of hearing. And we are here now to have public comment. So those of you who have come to participate, we welcome you. I will go around the table and let everyone introduce themselves so you will know who is at the table here, and then we will open it up for public comment. If you want to speak, you need to get a card at the back table around fill it out, and bring it up here to me so I can put them in mine. If there's anybody on the even if, I will just let you know, we do have our CART streaming available. It was not working properly this morning, so if you go to the link and the agenda that was submitted for today's meeting, you can view the CART StreamText online as it normally runs. This morning we had difficulties and it was operating properly. We apologize for that. All right. So I will start on the opposite end on the end with Kristi Putnam. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Kristi Putnam, Department of Children and Families, child welfare services manager. >> LOIS MARONEY: I'm from Lakewood Ranch. I'm a licensed mental health counselor. >> JUDY MARTIN: I'm from Jacksonville and I represent the Hearing Loss Association of Florida. >> KIM GAUT: I'm Kim Gaut, and I represent the Deaf Services Center in Charlotte county. >> Aldrin Sanders, Department of Children and Families Office of Civil Rights. Jeff McLamore, Department of Children and Families human resources. >> Paul Rowell, from the office of assistant secretary of administration in the Department of Children and Families. >> SUSAN HERRING: I'm from Pensacola. Susan Herring. >> I'm Michelle Riske-Morris, the independent consultant. >> Shana Williams, clinical psychologist. 19

>> Rick Kottler, director of deaf and hard-of-hearing services of the Treasure Coast. And one thing Ms. Gaut forgot to tell everybody is, she is the president of the new Deaf Services Center Association. [APPLAUSE]. >> TERRI SCHISLER: And I'm Terri Schisler, the chair of the committee at the moment, and I represent the Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. So we are now going to open up the floor to public comment. This is an opportunity for the public to ask questions, or to inform this committee of any concerns that you have regarding the activities of the Department of Children and Families, or any of their contract agencies that work with them. I'm going to go ahead and call the two people that I have received cards for. If you just came in and you want to speak, the cards are in the back of the room. So we don't have a microphone, so -- yes, we do. There it is. All right. So I will ask that you come to the microphone to speak. Okay. So the first public comment is by Tamberynn Kroeck. >> TAMBERYNN KROECK : Yes. It wasn't really a comment. It was a question. I'm a teacher of the deaf and hard-of-hearing and I work for the Palm beach county school district. Program for infants and toddlers, I work with their families. One thing I heard for years and years from teachers of the deaf is we have a kid that's a signer but their parents don't know Sign Language, we should call DCF for neglect. My question is, is that something that DCF would address or not? What would the process be for that? >> TERRI SCHISLER: Mr. Sanders, would you like to respond? >> This is Aldrin Sanders from the Office of Civil Rights. That is not a violation, per se, by definition. What we many do is encourage the parents to take ASL classes and there are normal facilities throughout the state that will provide these if necessary. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Most of the people who -- I'm sorry, Kristi, go ahead. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: That's okay. If I could, I will add a little bit to that also. It is possible to -- you are not calling in an abuse or neglect report but it is possible to call the Hotline number on the Web site for what's called a parents needs assistance request. That doesn't rise to the level of abuse or neglect but it does require somebody to you contact that parent to help put them in touch with resources. >> FROM THE FLOOR: So that's the number? >> KRISTI PUTNAM: It is. The 1-800-96 ABUSE. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Most of the members who are not with DCF, we are all either current or former members of the Florida Coordinating Council. And that might also be a resource for you in get something education for the parent or referring them to an agency that might provide them some support and some training. Alexander Graham Bell Association is very active with parents who have children who are deaf or hard of hearing. There may be some other organizations represented by Florida Coordinating Council that may be helpful to you. >> JUDY MARTIN: Yes. That would be the hands and voices organization. I think you would find them online. >> TERRI SCHISLER: So if you contact the Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, they would be able to provide you with some additional resources. Shana? >> SHANA WILLIAMS: Hi. I think that you are in a very powerful position as the teacher who is getting this infant child who is just now exploring language options. I can't think of anybody else in that child's life who has more influence than you do. So you can advocate for that child's language development. Ultimately it will be the parental decision, whether they decide to use manual communication or other forms. But because can you show that this child is getting everything he needs, you have a full communication class, regardless of 20

what the situation is, your best role now to evaluate where that language is falling and where that child is gravitating, and educate the parents about all their options. I know that is outside your role but your role, at the same time. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Thank you for bringing that to our attention and I hope we can be of assistance by providing those references. >> FROM THE FLOOR: Yes, thank you. >> TERRI SCHISLER: The other comment I have is from Lisa Bruna. >>LISA BRUNA: Hi, everybody. I'm Lisa Bruna, executive director of the Deaf Service Center in Palm Beach County. I know a lot of improvements have been made, thanks in large part to this advisory council. But I want to make sure that DCF recognizes that we are here. I believe it has been probably over a year since we have been called in to do any sort of cultural sensitivity training or education for case workers in the field and I want to remind you that we are here and we do provide that. I believe there's a decent amount of turnover among these case workers in DCF and we can be very valuable in training them on how to work with deaf individuals and families as they encounter them in the field. So please do call upon us. We are coming up on our 30th year and we are very good at this and I want to make sure that you know we are a resource in the community, and we are neighbors. So do call us. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Any comments from the committee? Okay. Kim? >> KIM GAUT: All of the deaf service centers across the state do the same thing. We don't want to replace the training, because training is very good and valuable. But we can work with the training and kind of help explain those things that people don't quite get yet, like differences between hearing losses and the accommodations. We can supplement the training. But I can tell you that my Deaf Service Center has never been called. Into the once. And I am sure a lot of the other deaf service centers have not either. We can help! So ... that's all. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Thank you. Any other comments? All right. Is think anybody else who would like to address the committee? We have a good bit of time here that is yours to use. If you have any questions or concerns, this is a good time to do it. If not, the committee will go ahead and continue with our work but this is the time for public comment and I am hoping you all will take advantage of it. Would somebody like to speak? I don't want to put you on the spot. But this is your opportunity. Okay. If someone walks in and does want to address the committee or the department, then that is the opportunity. We will stop what we are doing and allow them that opportunity. Public comment was from 1 to 3 p.m. so if someone comes a little bit later and would like to address us, we will go ahead and take that attachment. Anybody who is in need of a Sign Language interpreter, they are here for you if you need them. So we will go ahead with our meeting and keep an eye on the door for anyone who wants to come, who comes in. The next item on the agenda is a report from Mr. Rowell. So I will turn the floor over to him. >> PAUL ROWELL: Thank you, Madam Chair. This is Paul Rowell with Department of Administration, assistant secretary of administration. First report would be on the 508 compliance Web site review. I think all of you will recall that we put out a request for quote for a consultant to do a review of our Web sites for compliance, 508 compliance. The consultant has been on board now for a month. And the work has begun. We are meeting with them on a biweekly basis while they continue their work. They are already providing lists that identify areas of 21

non-compliance as well as those areas of compliance. And some of those are actually being corrected as we go. What they will do, once they've identified those areas, they will make recommendations to us for remediation and their work is supposed to be completed in September. So does anybody have any questions about that? All right. Text messaging. As we discussed at the last meeting, text messaging is something that governments don't do because it doesn't immediately generate an archived record that can be searched or retained as a public record. Nonetheless, we have been in a kind of continued pursuit offing a resolution find ago resolution to that problem that would cover the kind of texting needs discussed by this committee. We are still pursuing that. I can't tell you one way or the other whether that is going to succeed or not, but we haven't given up on it. Any questions?

>> SHANA WILLIAMS: I was just -- I think the dilemma is that the text messaging is being likened to a written document rather than a phone conversation. This is a phone conversation. >> PAUL ROWELL: Well, that may be, but the problem is the -- the challenge is the wording of Chapter 1919 of the Florida statutes that defines what a public record is, and (119) and that language is broad enough that based on the opinion of the Attorney General and other lawyers in State Government, as well as the position of the Governor's office, these are regarded as public records. So that is the issue we have to address. I understand your point, and it's a good one, but that's the way we have to go about approaching it. Anybody else? Okay. The phone tree options. That's still an issue that is part of the Access program's reprocurement is for their call centers, and that is a procurement still 234 progress. You are undoubtedly aware that large information technology or communication contracts being procured by any governmental agency take time because they are about a lot of money and a lot of service, and we want to make the right decision. So that's still in progress. And the translations, actually I think Al started to address earlier, and I checked with him, and I think we've had two documents translated since May 1st and put it out. One of them was the HIPAA form you referred to earlier and the other one was services request? That is -- >> ALDRIN SANDERS: The other form was a request for auxiliary aid or service form. >> PAUL ROWELL: Okay. And the only other thing -- let's see. I reported on the -- I think that's it. Unless there's something else that you've got in mind, Madam Chair. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Before we move on, just so you guys -- wasn't to follow-up on this ASL translation. I think I recall the fact that while we talked about the fact that while now we have a good number of forms and documents translated, there isn't anything in Sign Language form on just general information or general procedures, that kind of thing. I think there was discussion that there may be some moneys available to look at doing some other things. Was that looked into? >> ALDRIN SANDERS: I will refer that portion to Jeff, the money portion. But we are considering doing a basic Q and A, questions and answers document, that we will have translated to ASL. But again, as far as the funding for that, I will defer to Jeff. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Do you recall that, Jeff? >> JEFF MCLAMORE: Madam Chair, I don't, but it may have been discussed in the May meeting where I was absent. 22

Currently, in this fiscal year, we do now have budget for ASL translation, so I will work closely with civil rights other any other program office to get those translated and resubmitted. >> ALDRIN SANDERS: And the document I am referring to as needing to be translated into ASL is a basic journal of questions and answer, not any particular programs. How to navigate the DCF Web site, as opposed to concentrating on any particular program. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Shana? Oh. Rick? >> TERRI SCHISLER: Paul, can we go back to the Web site for one second (this is Rick Kottler. >> RICK KOTTLER: Michelle and I were talking about this earlier and I'm concerned the only thing we are going to take a look at is oh compliance. Are we going to take a look at the utility and verbiage of the Web site, those kinds of things, over and above just being compliant? >> PAUL ROWELL: Yes. As a matter of fact, we have already done some of that you based on Terri's input when she visited with our web master in Tallahassee. He's cognizant of that and that will be an issue that is taken into account when we make the changes in the Web site. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Thank you. Yes. We did talk about the fact that while we are focusing on making things accessible to the deaf community, it's only focusing on the Advisory Committee section of the Web site and information be placed here but it's also not being incorporated into other sections of the Web site so I did make that comment. But we want to make sure that we do keep up to date on that progress as well. Thank you. Shana? >> SHANA WILLIAMS: My question is that if you are doing the question and answer which I think is really going to be very helpful, but you mentioned just at the end of your statement that's going to be primarily talking about how to use the Web site. It might be useful to have a Q and A about DCF services. And that -- because they are going to the DCF Web site page already, and that's the part that we have spent a lot of time talking about in how it can be accessible. But just a Q and A about DCF and the system, very basic, might be what we're talking about. >> ALDRIN SANDERS: Are you saying a brief description of each program as to what services they do in each program? >> SHANA WILLIAMS: In my opinion, that would be very useful, each program, and then how to access that from there. >> TERRI SCHISLER: And I will just elaborate on that. Any information about any of your programs and services that can be translated into AS L, whether it is very detailed information, or a more general overview or FAQs, but the more we can get into Sign Language, the more accessible all your programs are. So up to now the focus has been on just advisory committee and the settlement agreement information regarding the forms for effective communication and requests for auxiliary aids. But all of your other programs are unaccessible, or inaccessible. So this is a beginning process. In order for all your other programs to be accessible going forward, more and more of that information needs to be interpreted. >> PAUL ROWELL: I think that's something that question look at. >> TERRI SCHISLER: I think that would be very beneficial on a long-term -- as a long-term goal. Do you understand the costs involved interpreting, then? But I think it would be very beneficial. One of my previous comments about those translations were that they were what we call just a straight site translation of a document. They are looking at that document and making it into Sign Language. But there is no context around it, no explanation of when the form would be used or where you would get that form. That was my other comment about the Web site that's already been provided and that they are already working on -- that some of the pages within this settlement agreement section of the Web site which is what we have really been focusing on up to now, there's no context there. There's an hour-and-a-half video in ASL of the settlement agreement document. But I don't know very many people who will read the English document 23

or who will sit through an hour-and-a-half to look at the translation that of document. So we need to get that context in there, the background information, that they have nothing -- no frame of reference for the information that had been translated. That's what we talk about when making our Web site accessible. It's not just the 508 compliance; it's not just translating the forms, but giving background in context and general information that the deaf community may not have. This is a recent conversation in my mind so it is coming to my mind right now. But there is a concern -- there is a fact that the deaf community do not have a fund of knowledge. They don't know what we've learned, just vicariously, by being in a room where we hear conversations happening. You are sitting in a waiting room of a hospital emergency room. You learn by sitting there some of the ways the hospital operates. Deaf community doesn't have that fund of knowledge. They don't have a basic understanding of your programs. And so the more information you can give them to build that fund of knowledge, then the better they are able to navigate your programs. So ... Rick? >> RICK KOTTLER: I agree a hundred percent with what you are saying. But we also don't want to forget that we have a group of hard-of-hearing people that are in that same boat that don't have the understanding, so if we are going to do frequently asked questions in sign, we should have those written out, frequently asked questions, particularly for the hard-of-hearing group that's out there. I mean, you can't sign everything and forget about them, because there is a knowledge base or lack of knowledge there as well as in any other community.

>> TERRI SCHISLER: So just trying to, again, expound upon exactly what we're talking about so that when we continue to work on the Web site and work on accessibility and forms and information, that there is a basic fund of knowledge that this community may not have. Again, a stereotype of the whole community. But that knowledge is not -- may not be out there. Does anybody have any other comments on this, or any of these issues? Lois? >> LOIS MARONEY: Yes. It's on a different subject but it relates to the Web site. Under resources for DCF employees and contractors, I'm talking about the posters again. I brought this up at other meetings. We still have that poster that says interpreting services for the hearing-impaired. And so I am wondering when we are going to change that. >> ALDRIN SANDERS: We are trying toe get those posters changed throughout the state. Hopefully by the next advisory committee meeting we have that updated within DCF and mostly the route of service providers as well. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Susan? >> SUSAN HERRING: Mr. Rowell, this is Susan. I was wondering, you talked about this being monitored for compliance. My question to you is, what are they doing to make it visible for the low-vision? We go to other options to make the print a different color, make it larger, make it text only? Or do you have to go page by page and go under file, dial, and all that of kind of stuff? >> PAUL ROWELL: I think, technologically, you just went beyond me. But the answer is that at this point the specific pages that we will end up making have not been decided on, because they're still doing the search-and-identify of particular areas that need to be addressed; and they will make recommendations based on what they find, and we will take those recommendations and with the other kind of input that we've had, see what we can do to craft corrections to the Web site. So that kind of issue is something we would address at that stage. And as I said, they're supposed to have their work done by the end of September, so it's not something that's way off in the future; it's something that's coming up. 24

>> TERRI SCHISLER: Thank you. Susan, this is Terri. I believe that all of those visual accessibility concerns that you have would be part of the 508 evaluation that they're doing, so those should be addressed by the 508 that's ongoing, is what he's saying. >> SUSAN HERRING: Okay, thanks. >> TERRI SCHISLER: If there is nothing else in Mr. Rowell's report, we'll move on. So the next item is to go over -- just talk about the workshop the committee is going to be involved in tomorrow. And so I will turn it over to Michelle. >> Michelle Riske-Morris: One second, Paul. I will just real briefly, if you don't mind, I forgot in my presentation to talk about the focus groups that I did. And so I really -- in fact, I was sitting here, I didn't actually go through all my slides. So if you don't mind, I would like to talk about the two focus groups. I think we have time. As I mentioned previously, when we go out to and you particular region, we try to host a focus group. If we host a focus group, we try to do it at a convenient location. Usually at a local Deaf Service Center or in one instance we did it at a public library. The first focus group that we did was in the southern region -- or for this last group, I should say, we did it in the southern region in Miami, and it was at a public library there. Unfortunately, for that particular focus grouch, we did not have any individuals attend who were DCF or a contract provider client. Actually we had DCF workers that had come and also advocates for deaf clients. The advocates were actually individuals who themselves are deaf and serve as deaf interpreters. So they kind of mentioned or relayed concerns that they see as either advocates or interpreters themselves. Primarily what their concern was, in showing that agencies understand when they have a need for a deaf interpreter as well as a Sign Language interpreter. So they brought up those concerns. And then, basically for the rest of the focus group, it was mostly a discussion of DCF policies and procedures. Just asking about what are some of the requirements, how do they assess the needs. So that was primarily that focus group that occurred in the southern region. One of the things, just to let you know when we spoke with the individuals, we said that a lot of times staff rely upon the interpreters or the clients or the family members to let staff know that they need a deaf interpreter. Because staff themselves may not necessarily know unless communication is not effective. So we strongly encourage them to let them know. They receive that information in the training, but a lot of times it's kind of letting the staff know we need to have a deaf interpreter. Do I know that they have used deaf interpreters because there have been instances where they go out to the home, the family is not -- they do not know traditional Sign Language, they may have created their own with the child so they do bring out deaf interpreters as well as traditional Sign Language interpreters. >> TERRI SCHISLER: I want to verify. Do you have any resources that would help you to -- is that incorporated into the training about use of deaf interpreters? Because I don't remember specifically if we covered that before. >> MICHELLE: I think it's mentioned. It doesn't go into great detail, though. It just mentions different types of interpreters. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Okay. I will do research on that and recommendations from RID and NAD that will help to clarify that for you. I don't need to go into it at this time, but for the longest time, Florida had only one certified deaf interpreter and there are many other deaf people who work as interpreters but they are not certified, just like there are hearing interpreters who are not certified but they are working for certification. So we have a number of deaf interpreters in our state, but in the last year two are, we had a number of people move to our state so that there are about seven or eight certified deaf interpreters in Florida now. So we went from 1 to 2348 a very short amount of time. And they -- from 1 to 8 -- there is one in Tallahassee, Jacksonville, several in the Tampa area, at least 2 down here in the southern region. 25

Flea doesn't have, I don't think, a very good history of using deaf interpreters, because they are not very readily available, but they are very much available now so I would encourage their use in those appropriate situations. >> MICHELLE: And you will send those individual's names? Because what DCF would want to do is add those individual's names to the resource information for auxiliary aids and services. >> TERRI SCHISLER: I will send that. >> KIM GAUT: My question is, how is that you evaluating? Who is deciding if a deaf interpreter is needed? How do you decide that? >> MICHELLE: Generally speaking with DCF, the underlying factor is a client's preference or for when communication is not effective. Have you to understand, too, you are dealing with DCF staff who are not experts in this at all. So usually it goes about the interpreter may say something. >> KIM GAUT: Okay, that is what I was going to say. >> MICHELLE: It could be the parents say something, or it could be when communication is not effective, when are trying to judge information, and what is coming back does not necessarily correspond to the questions they are asking. If those types of instances when communication is not effective, staff are going to stop and inquire about how can we make communication effective. >> KIM GAUT: So interpreters are then allowed to give their input as to whether a CDI is needed. >> MICHELLE: Yes. >> TERRI SCHISLER: I was going to say, also, some of those situations where the deaf person might have wanted a deaf family member to interpret, that may be one of those situations where a deaf interpreter may be able to interpret. So that may be one of those questions you want to bring in here: If you bring in a deaf interpreter who is not a family member or friend, would that make the communication effective? So on your communication assessment or request for services when they say we want this family member to interpret, that might be one of those triggers for you to say oh, wait a minute, maybe we want to bring in a DI or CDI. >> TERRI SCHISLER: MICHELLE: Just so you know, it is probably a rarity in those situations where they actually allow a family member to interpret. Generally speaking, many agencies -- and I know DCF especially in API or Adult Protective Investigations, Child Protective Investigations, they don't allow family members to interpret. Usually where you see family members interpret are if they come into Access to apply for food stamps and they just get Mom to interpret for them. In many cases I have seen where DCI was still used for VRI. I know I had an e-mail a couple months ago where the individual wanted their family member to come into the sessions and the agency didn't want to allow that. They wanted the interpreter to come in so it was a struggle because you want to adhere to their wishes, but have it so that it be appropriate. In some cases you have to honor their wishes and allow them to have somebody there to interpret. But generally speaking it will be more of a rarity because of the restrictions about not allowing family members to interpret in certain situations. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Certainly. I think we all want to encourage that, not to allow family members or friends, burr as you are saying, that might be one of those moments where you say, oh, you are really wanting this family member because you can communicate with them and you know you are not going to be able to understand the interpreter so that might be a situation where it will be appropriate. So thank you. Very good. >> MICHELLE: The next thing we did was yesterday at the meeting of the hearing for communication in Fort Lauderdale. There were people who attended from the work alliance of the Access offices. Generally speaking they did not indicate that you DCI had denied them any services. I was pleased to hear that because three years ago that was the first focus group had done and that's one write individuals were lining out the door and it was a very eye-awakening moment because of the concerns they had about the DCF offices. 26

The only complaint that the clients had was that they preferred, one family unit preferred an in-person Sign Language interpreter. When they would go to access, Access would provide them with a VRI but they would prefer not to have VRI, they wanted a Sign Language interpreter in person to be there. So what we did, we talked with them on how to make this happen. Again, if they don't tell the worker that that's what they want, then the worker's not going to provide that. So we talked about that, and also with the center, about ways that we can start to try to help educate them on when they come to DCF, say that they want an interpreter. But we are going to check up with that Access office just to make sure that for the clients, that it was okay. So we're making sure that it wasn't that they did request an in-person interpreter and they weren't given one, but again I think what's happening is they utilized the VRI because the clients come in unscheduled, they just walk in the door, and they do VRI so they don't have to come back again with an in-person. Also, again, we went through the discussion that we talked about before, that with the Access offices, one they get the name of the SPOC when they want to go back in, before they go in, contact the SPOC, let them know, I want a Sign Language interpreter to be there when I come, and that that in turn when they come there, they will have a Sign Language interpreter. Wells are going to provide the SPOC names in this area so that the Center knows and it will keep that up to date so they also know to contact that SPOC because the best practice that we found was that when the SPOC works with the client, especially at Access offices, it really helps to ensure effective communication, that their communication needs are met, and that when a client comes back in, if they know who that SPOC you is, it helps to facilitate the process. So we will encourage that foe them to do that as well. For them to do that as well. >> MICHELLE: Also I don't think that this individual has applied for benefits in a while and they may apply. She needs help in going through the application process. She said if I go into the office VRI won't help me go through the application process. With the DCF person there, think are trying to do the computer. So again we talked about contacting them ahead of time, letting them know you are going to come, then they will have an interpreter there and they can go through the application process with you. Paul, you already talked about this. Some of the clients mentioned as well as the staff at the Center, about the difficulties of the customers' lines. There was a detail about some individuals from the Center will call DCF on behalf of the clients and DCF will say, we can't talk to you because you are not the person. And unfortunately, because of confidentiality, and you don't know who the person is, they could say that they are the interpreter, but there's no way to verify it. So we provided some guidance for them: Call the SPOC, set up things ahead of time. I also mentioned, because I did this when I worked for a governmental office, if someone would send something, like fax something over to say they are the authorized representative, they can put that in the file. And Al was saying, while you are on the phone with them, fax it right then. That way, they can immediately put it in the file that they are the authorized representative. And it is a legal issue because if somebody calls, and then later on you say I didn't give them authorization to talk for me, you had that authorization in the file, and it's protected. >> So that's another way to try to get around that issue. >> KIM GAUT: You are not talking about video phones for an interpreter to call in. We are talking about someone calling on behalf of a deaf person? >> Michelle: Yes. The last thing they had mentioned was -- and I don't know if this is something that happens with everybody, with just you the DCF process, or if it is individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. I have a feeling it is probably everybody. But they are getting the letters that talk about their interview, and they are getting it either the day after their interview was already scheduled. 27

>> Or they are getting it and saying their interview is today, please call, and you try to call and can't get in. So that was something else that was brought up. And Al mentioned that they are working on that. But that was it for the focus groups. >> TERRI SCHISLER: If there's no other questions, then we will go on with the: Lisa has a question. >> Lisa: I'm not sure if everybody in this room is aware. We in the Deaf Service Center of Palm Beach County are an actual DCF Access point. DCF provided us with the computer and the training so if a deaf client does not want to request an interpreter but just wants to come straight to our office, we can help them go through the process, and I am wondering if there is any initiative in place to make this happen at other deaf service centers throughout Florida so there are additional deaf-focused access points? >> KIM GAUT: We are a community partner, yes. Doesn't mean that we do very many applications. I mean they have to come in and actually want help with it. But yeah, we are Obstructive community partner. >> Lisa: That is our situation too. I am hoping we can get that information out. We use it for our current clients, but -- that's why I wanted to know, if there is a way to create more awareness. We make our current clients aware of this but we would love to see new people coming through our doors. It would be a savings, too, to DCF, rather than hiring interprets interpreters, to you send them directly to us. So I hope there is more after promotional campaign now that we have gone through phase one to get ourselves ramped up to create awareness here and that this is one of our creative partnership initiatives we do along with DCF. >> KIM GAUT: Did you not get literature to put on your door and all that good stuff? >> Lisa: Yes. >> KIM GAUT: I know that DCF really promotes the community partners. >> Lisa: We do have that but they trickle in and we have to assume there are more people out there and there must be a better way to get more people N. If the own us is on us to do that, we can ramp that up but maybe that is something we can do better partnering with DCF for more visits. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Is there any comments from the DCF folks, is that something we can look at doing, doing more of a promotion? >> ALDRIN SANDERS: We many take this back to the Access program offices and communicate that to the people in the Access offices throughout the state and see if we can advertise more about that to those service centers so that can eliminate some of the backlog they have. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Can you tell me whether or not all the deaf service centers are already Access points? Or was it up to them to apply? >> ALDRIN SANDERS: I couldn't tell you off the top of my hid. I can look at that and see how many deaf service centers throughout the state are community partners and provide that information. I don't know exactly how many there are. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Kim, could you make sure he has a list of the active centers? Also the centers for independent living would be another Access point if they are not already. That the would you be the other place I would make sure we marketed that as an Access point for the deaf communities. >> KIM GAUT: Right. I will tell you one point of contention with some of the centers. It is just one more service that we have to provide that we don't get paid for. So, you know, there are some centers that are very resistant about being community partners. But it's out there. >> TERRI SCHISLER: So that would be a drawback, not being willing to do it because of that reason. Kristi, did you have a comment? >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Al covered it as far as going back to Access, to find out what kind of outreach we can do but I was going to suggest that we can go through community outreach office, crystal we can meet with her to see if there is something we could do. But we would need assistance from everyone here what would 28

be the most effective way to reach out. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Well, Kim can provide with you a list of deaf service centers. I think that has probably been given as far as our advocate agencies. All of theories advocates who have already been identified. So that would be a good starting point. >> SHANA WILLIAMS: In the deaf service centers who are not necessarily community partners they are providing this and not getting paid for it. So that might be a he place to grow our relationship. >> LOIS MARONEY: I wanted to go back to something and just check my understanding. When you say clients have issues of calling Access customer support by including when an interpreter calls on their behalf. Then you were talking about putting something in their file when they are authorized. We are not talking about a video relay call, are we? Okay. If just an advocate is calling, if the client is sitting right there, that is fine then. Right? All they have to say is, I give permission. >> MICHELLE: Well, it is not really an informed permission, because what normally happens is if you want somebody to advocate on your behalf, you give the phone to someone who wants them to advocate, and the person will ask them a couple of questions just to verify that that is something they want them to do. With a deaf individual, they are not permitted to do that. So to verify that you want this individual to speak on your behalf, because that is what they are doing, they are talking on the phone to the worker, we need something to verify that you because -- anybody could call up and say hi, I'm interpreting for Jane Smith, she wants me to talk on eh behalf, and then get access to somebody's case and get all of their information. By having something in written that says, I give Jane Smith the authorization to speak own my behalf, and have that in the file, then it's at least something to show that's verified, it's a protection. A lot of times I will have clients come to my office and they are not understanding something, and then the two of us get on the phone through relay at one time it was one of my clients filed a report, and he wanted information on what happened with that report. So we both called. And the DCF worker refused to talk any further, even when the client was there. Now, we were using a relay system. And so it is a little bit the same. I don't know. I got very upset when they said, how do I know that that client is there? And the interpreter said, I can see him. He is sitting there with her! It is a little bit different, isn't it? Just slightly different. But I don't know, just kind of concerns me. >> MICHELLE: Well, the instance you just talked about, that is you the one we are using to let DCF know that that's occurring. That is one they should address, and that should not be happening. What I am talking business not going through video relay at all. It is someone calling on behalf of a client, in some instances it could be her mother. In other instance it could be an interpreter calling on her behalf. And have you to have something to make sure you protect confidentiality of that person the best you can. >> >> TERRI SCHISLER: Let me just comment on a couple of points here. As an interpreter, I know there have been instances, not to me but to somebody else, where the deaf person has gone to the interpreter and said, I need to go to this office, wherever it is, and they know that in the past, they would go to the office and they may not get served because they would have to call an interpreter and then there was no -- now we have the two-hour waiting that it has to be done within two hours but in other instances in the past it could be days, weeks, or never for them to be able to get that accommodation. So to circumvent that, they oh would go to the interpreter agency and say, call them and tell them I'm coming. Well, that is a little bit awkward because the agency is the one who is the one that will end up providing the services or who is willing to provide them. So the deaf person is selecting the service provider when DCF 29

is the one who is really in charge of providing that. But that's something that deaf people have done in the past to make sure that when they get there, there's an interpreter that is going to be waiting for them. So I understand that that has happened in the past best of your recollection with the new procedures and new guidelines, that shouldn't be going, you notice, forward. They should understand what the better procedures by contacting the SPOC, by making that phone number variables instead of contacting the interpreter, now they can contact the SPOC and say, I'm on my way, or I want to come in tomorrow, can you please go ahead and set that up for me? So I think that is where we really want to be. My other comment is, again, as the interpreter who works for VRS, people call all the time, and the deaf people should have the right to call and do their business over the phone. But sometimes they need to have an advocate to help them with that business. But when the service provider, the agency say, I need to have confirmation from the individual that they given permission to talk to you, so as the interpreter they switch chairs and the deaf person comes in front of me, the deaf person is talking but the agency only hears my voice. I am saying as interpreter well there's a different person in front of me who is saying. I don't know who either one of them are. That puts me in the position that I am verifying this is who they say they are. And I can't do that because they could be four states away. So I understand the agency's position that when two deaf people call, one who is the client, and one who is the advocate, through VRS, that they are in an awkward position. And if you can fax them that form while we are on the phone, whether through VRI, or whether over a traditional land line, faxing information gives them legal security to know they have a backup document of what they are saying. So we shouldn't depend on the interpreter to verify oh, yes there are two people in front of me. Because we don't have any idea who they are. Kim? >> KIM GAUT: My question is, how do you authenticate a phone call, period? Can't anybody calling in, how does DCF authenticate the fact that you are talking to in a person? >> MICHELLE: You can't, generally, but if you are have someone calling on your behalf and they are saying I am calling on behalf of somebody else, don't you want the ability to ensure that is correct? >> KIM GAUT: Without a document I will use my office as an example. A deaf client comes in and say, you notice, I tried to make this interview phone call and I couldn't get through, and they said my food stamps will bow cut off unless I call today. Will you call the office for me? So have I to call. I am acting as a interpreter now. I am not saying I am calling on your behalf. I am calling to make the phone call. So how does DCF certify that the person sitting in front of me, the interpreter, is, in fact, the DCF client, that they are not somebody else using somebody else's information? >> ALDRIN SANDERS: Generally when a person calls, deaf or non-deaf, you question them about them. The DCF employee is going to ask them a series of identification questions, account number, social security number, date of birth, address things like that, that only the client would know or should know, to do a verification. If they are using an interpreter for that purpose, you the same thing applies, the interpreter is just interpreting what the client says. But the difference about if they call through Florida relay, the process is the same. If you are at home and you are on the mother or father, sister, brother, for instance, basically acting as advocate for the client as opposed to interpreter, then I have to have a signed consent notice or representation notice. >> KIM GAUT: So in the situation like Lois described when she is sitting in an office with her client and they both call through a relay service, even though they are both talking, the client is right there, so that DCF worker could have authenticated that call by asking that person sitting in that room, even though they are using an interpreter, sitting in that room, those questions that only they should know; right? >> ALDRIN SANDERS: Right. And as Michelle facilitate a situation like that when the person has been told, I can't talk with you for whatever reason, because I have to wait to verify you are the person, that is when you should call my office and we will address the issue from our end, from the Office of Civil Rights. 30

>> TERRI SCHISLER: Okay, are there any other questions? Because I think from my experience there are just as many of both cases, where they are using the interpreter to verify that there are two people there, and I don't want to be in that position. But yet, there are other cases where they are saying, they don't do the verification, they just say, well, I don't know that there's another person there, how do I know? And they don't do the verification. So that would be something that I would want to put out there as kind of a notice to everybody that when a client or customer and advocate call through whatever means, remind the workers, the staff that, they should use the regular procedures; that VRS call or call from an advocate should be accepted upon verification. Orb you should use a signed statement that's faxed in so we want to make sure those processes are used and people are not just saying I can't process this call, when, in fact, they can, and there are ways to manage that call. I know that I take a lot of calls where there is an increased level -- increased requirement. The deaf person has to go through extra hoops to verify who they are just because there's a third party in the room. And they think that the interpreted call is more suspect than any other call that you might come in. And so they are having to verify to a higher standard than anybody else does. I don't know if that's valid or reasonable. So they need to be held to the same standard, not a higher standard, and those calls should be processed according to regular procedures. >> ALDRIN SANDERS: This is the first I have heard of a situation where they have to go through an issue of verification process. But I will address that again with the Access program office. >> TERRI SCHISLER: I am not saying that your agency has done that, but in my experience as a video relay interpreter, there are places and calls that I have placed where the deaf person has to be at a higher standard just because there's a third party in place. But in a lot of times, those calls are not processed because the worker feels they can't verify through normal means. So that would be something I would want to make sure that the staff knows. Reiterate. Because I think it is in the training, that calls through VRS, but also calls with an advocate through VRS, need to be processed according to the to procedures. Back to you, Michelle. >> MICHELLE: Actually, back to Paul. >> Paul: And thin will let Jeff talk. I assume we are ready to talk about the workshop? >> TERRI SCHISLER: I believe so, yes. >> PAUL ROWELL: I just wanted to make some initial remarks before Michelle talks about the workshop, and that is to say that I want to reiterate the purpose that we have a written statement, and that you all V. I want to reiterate that purpose in terms of tomorrow's workshop. Because we really need help from all of you in order to get the kind of information and data that will help us and get that information as part of the workshop. First of all, I think would he are very fortunate that would he have Michelle to facilitate the workshop, because she knows and understands the subject matter and she is known by all of us, and we all have confidence in Michelle. The other thing is, we are anticipating that there will be some other subject matter experts, and hopefully other members of the public or advocates or service groups that may be present to participate in the workshop. As I understand it, the notice was pretty broadly distributed and we will see what kind of turnout we get. But the basic two points. One is that the way we phrased it from the department's point of view is, we need your help with finding the problem. Terri has used a good word in describing it and saying, we need to define what the gaps are. And when I say problems, I'm talking about problems that could be solved if we created a deaf and hard-of-hearing unit. So we would appreciate examples with some specificity and we'd also appreciate it 31

if -- what we could do is, we are finding it down to three major things so that information -- more than one subject matter could go under the theme, but so that we have categories that we can work with which will help to narrow down the concept with a solution, and then we can have a separate discussion about the solution. And we have asked Michelle to kind of approach it that way. So whatever you all can do to help her in that regard, in addition to providing information would be very much appreciate. Is there anything else I should go over, Michelle? >> MICHELLE: Actually, I think you did and I great job. I don't think I need to say much. The only thing I would want to bring up is that I have facilitated these types of work groups in the past, and to make it easier to capture the information that we're talking about, similar to the PowerPoint slide that I had today, I'll post that. So when members talk about problems that are happening, I will transcribe all of these. Besides I will be in CART. But I will transcribe those in a PowerPoint, and as we reduce them into subject matter headings of common themes, once we take what are all those problems, we will coalesce those into subject matter areas. But I will capture it all, and it will be available afterwards should people want that. If you want a quick summary of the problems that were identified, and, second, you have the solutions, those will be captured in the PowerPoint. I know you can get it from the CART, but sometimes just having it so that you can go through and read will also be helpful. But I think tomorrow we are going to recommend that we move the projector on this side so that the group can see it and they don't have to constantly turn. So if we are in this room we will switch. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Lois? >> LOIS MARONEY: Yes. With the PowerPoint, will it always be flashed -- if you keep going father down you can't get it all on one screen, but what is helpful is that -- I know for me, that I will always be able to see what you have, I suggested before -- what is it called, those pages, you know? Only because you can see it up. I like the PowerPoint, you can add to that and then save it. But I just want to be sure that the screen is always showing that and you don't lose it when more information is added. So can you do that? >> Michelle. I can try to look at the possibilities. With that I can actually do I it this Microsoft Word -- sorry, I used to do use word perfect way back when. But I can create it. So it is two pages, for example. At the only thing I have to be careful is from a distance how much will be seen. But it is the same as when you write through those little flip charts. If I post it over there, with my eyesight now, I won't be able to see it. So we will try to do as best we can. When question do try to start to group the -- when we go start to group the ideas I can create various slides and pop those up when we are trying to put all the ideas under one subject area I will try to keep the screens like that so we are putting all the information together. But I will try to accommodate that as much as I can. >> LOIS MARONEY: Thank you. >> MICHELLE: Real quickly, I am very excited about this. I am very happy to be here for that. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Paul, anything else? >> Paul: I think I'm good. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Jeff? >> JEFF MCLAMORE: We will do everything we can to move the projector to the other side. That was a little bit of a logistical issue we had last night. We will move it to the other side. That is what I was talking to Paul about. >> TERRI SCHISLER: All right. In my mind, I will just reiterate. You all should have gotten the description of the work shot. Did everybody get this? Was this sent out to everybody? >> JUDY MARTIN: Yes, it was. 32

>> TERRI SCHISLER: So we can make sure we get this copied? I can send this out as an e-mail later tonight. But to reiterate what Paul has already said, the main, first point of the work group is to find those gaps or problems, those areas of need. And kind of you framing this into our consent of a deaf unit, what are the areas of need? So what are the common areas of need, not just the solutions? So the goal is not to define the deaf unit. The goal is not to necessarily come up with the solutions. But if in our concept of having a deaf unit, what are we looking for deaf unit to do? >> RICK KOTTLER: Excuse me. We got to quit calling it "the deaf unit". >> TERRI SCHISLER: Deaf and hard of hearing. >> RICK KOTTLER: This is all inclusive. The reason I say that, it's not to nit-pick, but you the minute we focus with one name, we will focus all our efforts into that one area. It really needs to be broad spread. It really needs to deal with the late-deafened and the hard-of-hearing and the deaf-blind as well. So keep that as -- and the deaf-blind as well. Keep in mind that needs to be all encompassing. >> TERRI SCHISLER: My apologies. And this reference said the Deaf and hard of hearing unit. I am a relationship seeker, I just went through the short form which is not accurate. So we are looking at those problems and needs which may fall into a deaf unit but we are not hear to define the deaf unit -- Deaf and hard of hearing unit! ! Also it's my bias where I work with a group that I talk about the deaf more so than the Deaf and hard of hearing. So my apologies. This also says the second part of the workshop, if time is available, is to look at the configuration of that unit. And just trying to kind of summarize this as my understanding of everything. But all of that will be given to enthusiasm outside expert who will come up with a proposal on how a deaf and hard-of-hearing unit might respond to those areas of need. Am I correct in that summary? >> PAUL ROWELL: I thought it was a great summary. There was one part I would rephrase a little bit, and that is that what the subject matter expert will do, hopefully, is make an assessment, because it may be possible that there are resources available in the department that can be retooled slightly to address those particular problems. So in that case, if that could legitimately be done effectively, that may be a solution that is not a deaf and hard-of-hearing unit. Did I get it right, Rick? >> RICK KOTTLER: You did. >> PAUL: However, it would certainly include recommendations about an appropriate deaf or hard-of-hearing unit if that was the best practice that the subject matter expert identified for this case. So other than that, you did a great job. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Great. I just want to make sure I understand. Because we kind of evolved to this. We started talking about a deaf and hard-of-hearing unit sometime back, and then last meetings I tried to get us to think about how that you unit would be configured and where they would be located but that is not necessarily going to be our point for tomorrow so that is kind of on the hold for right now. Then I also want to make sure that everybody was aware, it did go out in an e-mail, but the department has been very gracious in offering to bring in a couple other people from our community who may also have great insight into this discussion. So there will be some other people who are going to be joining us tomorrow. You want to legality us know who those are? Want to let us know who those are? >> PAUL: Sharon Caserta and Chris Wagner. >> TERRI SCHISLER: So they will be joining the work group and participating in the discussion. Sharon is with us. Good afternoon. >> Sharon: Good afternoon, everyone. Nice to see you. 33

>> TERRI SCHISLER: So I wanted everyone to have the big picture of what we are doing tomorrow. I think it will be helpful to make notes on thoughts ahead of time. If you have documents or anything that you want to provide, to support kind of what usual talking about, that would be great, if we could have -- you are talking about, that would be great if you had a list or e-mail we could send after the meeting. If you haven't already taken the time to give this some thought I would encourage you to do that. Especially since we may be adjourning kind of early today. But yeah, I am looking forward to tomorrow, very much looking forward to Michelle coordinating this and facilitating that discussion tomorrow. I think it will be really helpful. Anything else on this particular topic that you anyone wants to add?

>> KIM GAUT: What kind of time frame do we have on the workshop? >> TERRI SCHISLER: We are scheduled until 1:00. But if we are done when we are done, we will adjourn. So we will be here, same place tomorrow. Same time, 9 a.m. >> TERRI SCHISLER: So I'm not sure, Jeff, are we in this room tomorrow? >> JEFF MCLAMORE: Yes, ma'am, we are. >> TERRI SCHISLER: There was some discussion that it had not yet been determined. Okay. Ill move on with our agenda. I think we are almost done. However, we are still in the public comment portion of our schedule. So if anybody else, I will give you one last opportunity, if anybody in the public would like to make a comment, this is your last and final call. Okay, they are asking how I will fill the rest of the time (:-) So we will be here until 3 o'clock. We will keep on going here and do what we need to do to fill the time until the end of the public time. Is there any old or new business that hasn't already been gone over? Lois? >> LOIS MARONEY: Yes. I have something to say that can help fill time. Okay. Well, it bothered me this morning that we did not have captioning for the people in our state that are Deaf and hard of hearing. I wanted to be able to follow along with the -- that wanted to be able to follow along with the meeting. So it real wasn't accessible. As an advocate, I have a lot of issues and problems with that. I know that the priorities everywhere for us, for the people in this room, to get it. But at the same time, I felt really bad about the Deaf and hard of hearing in the state of Florida who oh could not access this meeting. So one thing is that we always have to try to problem-solve so that things like this don't happen again and I think always be pushing technology. And I don't knee if it would be helpful to always have two CART providers at meetings. And I did talk to Gayl about this to try to find out was it a hotel problem, Internet problem, what was the problem, how can we avoid this? But I know when we have interpreters, we have lots of interpreters here. So it would be very good to have another CART provider here that could switch off in the afternoon, they can switch off when tired. It is not only helpful for the CART provider but also for the consumer. If I was constantly following one interpreter for eight hours I would get tired of the interpreter, the interpreter would get tired, and communication would not be as effective. I think a CART provider that is fresh is typing a lot more accurately. Really, we couldn't have solved the problem with Gayl using another laptop or anything, because her dictionary is very specific to her. So I am told that some states do allow for and do pay for two CART providers, and I just want DCF to 34

be thinking that you should CART not have been accessible in this room, the meeting would not have gone on. It would have stopped. And if we could never have gotten it working, all of that money would have been wasted bringing all of these people to this room. So have you to be thinking about that. If it was a hotel problem and an Internet problem, then we have to put that on our list for when we're looking for hotels, not only thinking about room size and parking lot accessibility but we have to be thinking about accessibility for the people that use CART. And so it was really very, very big deal and I just want people to you understand that, and I think, you know, I don't know why it started going later on, and I know that a lot of technical problems can happen. But I think we should probably investigate it more and try to figure out what exactly did happen, and then also think about having two CART providers at our meetings. Thank you. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Would you like to respond that, Mr. Rowell? >> PAUL ROWELL: Not extensively. But I do have one thing I wanted to make sure that Lois knows and that is that the functionality and connectivity were all checked last night, and the Internet connection was functional last night. So it was a problem that occurred between last night and this morning. As to the two CART providers, I will discuss that with Jeff as to whether that is promote for the last meeting in terms of what our budget will allow. (Whether that is appropriate for the last meeting.) >> LOIS MARONEY: I think about U of F football games. I don't know what a good analogy is. But sometimes I feel when there's a meeting and lots of people, if there was no sound system or the hearing people could not hear or anything like that, the whole meeting would shut down. Okay? But it doesn't seem to happen sometimes for people we hearing loss. The meeting keeps going on, you just do the best you do. But before, when the meeting was going to start, and I said no, no, I don't want it. Yes, I have two interpreters, but I was feeling no, no. The meeting should not go on. So I don't know. I am thinking that we probably should have stopped and not have started the meeting until we got everything working for the late-deafened, hard-of-hearing people in the state. We have no idea. I know nobody was on the phone, but we have no idea who was trying to listen in. This went out to all of these organizations. That could have been following along by StreamText and they couldn't. So it's just -- so it's something to think about. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Lois, I will just respond and say, I definitely appreciate your points; and there was not any effort to disregard the rights of the deaf and hard-of-hearing participants here. When we checked with you and you said no, you asked us to wait, we did, and we waited over an hour. So I don't want you to think that in any way we disregarded your request, from me personally. >> LOIS MARONEY: No. >> TERRI SCHISLER: I do want to remind you, though, that we had meetings in the past either with this group or the Coordinating Council where the phone systems did not work, and people who wanted to call in on the phones could not. I think everybody who is a hearing person who has been on the council has participated in meetings via phone where they were subject to reading only the CART and not having the phone available. So sometimes through our efforts technology does not work. And yes, were it not for the success of people in this room, we would not go on. Judy? >> JUDY MARTIN: This is Judy. I think we had some similar problems this morning with the receivers for people like me. I did not use one today. There were two. One didn't work. So Susan and I shared. Through should be more and they should be in good shape and they should beery placed regularly or checked regularly. But it's really important. I can sit here and I can read CART, Susan can read CART. It can be very tiring. I can try to concentrate on what everyone is saying. That can be tiring. And I just prefer to have everything that is possible for meetings like this. >> TERRI SCHISLER: I would just ask, though. Do the ALDs belong to the department? >> JEFF MCLAMORE: Yes, these are ours but when I get back I am ordering four more. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Thank you. I didn't know who they belonged to, whether to us or to Coda Sound. So yes, we should certainly have backups oh on those ALDs because that is something that is very easy to have redundancy and have more than we need. Yes, we want to do the things that we can. 35

Michelle? >> MICHELLE: I wanted to bring up a good point. I was very pleased to see this. I had to go back to my room during a break and I don't know if it was because this meeting was held here but they actually had somebody going through the rooms and say I have to change your receiver for the TV to let you see the closed-caption, let me show you, how to use it. Just a benefit. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Judy, did you go talking to somebody? >> JUDY MARTIN: No, I didn't, but I made sure I had CC on my remote. And both Susan and I, when we checked in, they said that we had ADA equipment in our rooms. And I first said I did not need that, but Tom and I did try it, and the lamp flashed off and on this morning. That was a real wake-up call. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Shana? >> SHANA WILLIAMS: This is so off topic. This is so off topic. So last night I was in the room (laughing). >> TERRI SCHISLER: It's on the record, you know. >> SHANA WILLIAMS: Yes. It will be censored. So I lay down, and I see something flickering in the living room. And I'm hearing poltergeist music in my head, and there was a television screen on the other side of the room and it was flickering, like this. I couldn't find the light switch, first of all, to turn on the lights, so I am walking to the bathroom going, what is wrong with this room? It was the ADA lamp that had a short in it. And so I unplugged it. >> TERRI: Lois? >> LOIS MARONEY: That's a funny story, made it lighter. I had the door knocker on my door, and I have the bed shaker under my bed. And every time somebody shut their door in the hallway, the bed shaker started vibrating. It happened two or three times; my light was flashing. I was ready to take the door knocker and throw it in the room. I know if it is a fire, they will come and knock on my door, so I have to stay with this. But I woke up two or three times with my bed vibrating. >> TERRI SCHISLER: One of the reasons we have meetings in various hotels, we advocate. Judy is one of our best advocates, who advocated with one of the hotels that didn't have access. >> JUDY MARTIN: They get upset when I throw myself on the floor. >> TERRI SCHISLER: You need to tell Lara we miss her. >> JEFF MCLAMORE: I certainly will. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Our final meeting will be in November 6th in Orlando at the double tree by Hilton airport. That will be our final meeting. It will not include public comment. But all of the things that we went over today will certainly come back, because the majority of the things we discussed toyed have follow-ups. Today -- discussed today have follow ups. So reporting back on what we discussed today or the questions we asked. The agenda will be pretty much the same but will also include the results of our work group and the report from our subject matter experts, will include Kristi and you the foster care program. So we have only one more meeting left. Kind of bittersweet. But the work will continue. We are not really done. We still have 35 minutes left. Judy? >> JUDY MARTIN: Yes. When you say the work will continue, someone asked me the other day, how did this group work out? What have you accomplished? And I went on to tell them that we have done a lot of educating, and people are really astounded sometimes by what they learned, and I know they've absorbed it. But I said, I know that there's a lot of 36

turnover, in all the government offices, and I just hope the training is ongoing. I mean really ongoing. And maybe polling back this group in one year or 18 months and letting us see how things have turned out, whether we want to make any reports back. But I will miss everyone for sure. It's been five years, that's a long time. That's longer than high school. >> TERRI SCHISLER: So I think that -- I'm sorry, I got distracted a little bit there. But secretary storer has made and you commitment that there will be ongoing input. I don't know if they committed to bringing this group together after some period of time but I think our relationships will be ongoing and we will continue to be a resource to the Department in a variety of programs like foster care and some of the other ways, being an Access point. So I have learned a lot about the department, their various programs, and hope that I can be a resource in some other capacity after this last meeting. Lois? Did you have something to say? >> LOIS MARONEY: No. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Judy? >> JUDY MARTIN: I want to ask my question again of Kristi that I asked this morning, if all of these programs for foster care are new, and you said that the part where they're due 58ly certified. But I guess what I -- dually certified. But I guess the part I meant, going back even further, when you have family, kids that have disabilities, was there always a special treatment for them? Because I hear so many stories, and I am going way back 30 years, when Tom and I became foster parents for a very short period of time. We were poorly trained, and nowhere were we able to cope with what was given to us. Even though we are fairly compassionate people. So I just wondered how it is different now than it was. And this is in New York, of course, so there may be some difference. But I doubt it. I think that all programs are pretty similar. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Well, and I think the answer is, 30 years ago in any state there was a lack of awareness in general about any type of special need and special teen, a child's specific needs. And I think that progressively in all states, but especially Florida, Florida is recognized as a leader in a lot of quality initiatives in foster care and child welfare system. But that's not to say that we are perfect. So the interest is, they are not new programs, but we are continually looking at how we can improve them. Sometimes it's just a matter of the department as a whole or the child welfare office hasn't been made aware of or didn't pay attention to because there weren't people speaking up about a particular need, not just in deaf or hard of hearing, but there are -- I am trying to think of some examples -- autism, Asperger's. They are not new, but they are being newly addressed and being carefully looked at. So I think in all areas of social services, in education, in medical care, in foster care, child welfare services, as everyone learns more about specific conditions or specific needs of children, we add that to the list of training. The list of training is very long for all people who work in human services, but we do what we do because we want to make sure we are providing the most appropriate care, education, whatever it may be. So the programs are always improving. So in that sense, they become new each time we add something to it.

>> JUDY MARTIN: Okay. Thank you.

>> TERRI SCHISLER: Shana? >> SHANA WILLIAMS: As you know, we were in the foster care -- we provided foster care for a while, my husband and I. And collectively, to give you insight into what the program looked like that we were involved with, just a highly qualified and delightful group of foster parents. It was just amazing to me the commitment and level of foster parent that was applying at that time. And the training is excellent from a psychological point of view, it was mental health based or oriented. A great experience. My experience six years ago it was good so now six years later it is probably better. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Okay. It is still 2:30. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: I can pull up the quality training issue. I lost my connection earlier. They are not 37

DCF but we work closely with them. If that's all right. The entertainment option. It will kill some time. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: This is the quality parenting initiative Web site and it's specific to Florida. QPI does not exist in all states. It is an initiative that's been growing bit by bit. It's being moved forward by the Youth Law Center, and it originated as part of a lawsuit addressing quality in the foster care system. In many states. One of the states was Florida. What we have with QPI, it's really champed by the foster parents themselves. It's Florida's approach to strengthening foster care and improving quality, and it's not just for licensed care, it's also for kinship care, relatives. One of the things about QPI is it recognizes that foster care has always had a negative image and working to really change this. But what I really wanted to show you is the training. And if you go down to the Just in Time training Web site, you can actually browse Foster Parent Training, and you can type in a topic, and it will pull up any training topic that is related to that or has that key word in it. So I am going to type in -- just because I know there is already one in there on this -- we deal with psychotropic medications a lot; and it pulls up a whole list of the Just in Time trainings on that topic. So you can go into training and it's a presentation. This one was done last week, and they find subject-matter experts. They make sure that they qualify them. They don't just bring somebody in who doesn't know what they are talking about. For example, they did a disaster preparedness, and they brought in a Red Cross communications director to talk about disaster preparedness specific to foster care. So these are all geared to foster care and relative caregiver audiences. And I have my microphone muted. But that's just to give you an idea. >> KIM GAUT: I assume these videos are captioned? >> KRISTI PUTNAM: You cannot assume they are captioned. I don't know the answer to that. >> KIM GAUT: Considering that they just completed and it's the law now that everything is captioned I am hoping it is captioned. And I don't know about this because -- would that apply to QPI also? >> KIM GAUT: Anything over the Internet, yep. All videos over the Internet must be captioned now. So how do you access that? >> RICK KOTTLER: And these are DCF trainings. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: No, these are not DCF trainings. We partner with them. Quality in parenting issues, it is totally separate. We work with them -- >> TERRI SCHISLER: Can you scroll up to see the bottom of that screen? >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Yes. We want them to present from this information, for our foster parents. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Right there. Do you see closed-captions somewhere in that little bar? >> KRISTI PUTNAM: In this bar right here? >> KIM GAUT: No CC. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Then this is something I can work to address. >> TERRI SCHISLER: They are now in violation of the law. Any videos that are not captioned are in violation of the law. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: For any audience? >> TERRI SCHISLER: Yes. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Well, they are great partners, but they are also partners that will take a look at that and say that is something we need to fix. So that is something we can work with them on. But there is a training directory also that provides by topic, by presenter, web shows, and keeping in 38

mind that now that I know, I can work on that. There are in-service trainings and there is a way to track hours for foster parents who need in-service trainings. And if we identify, we'd really like for foster parents to understand this, we could actually do a training that addresses exactly what you would like foster parents to understand. So I don't remember who it was talked about providing information in context, but I think this is where it could be very powerful in helping us to present information in context. I think it was you -- Terri -- being able to provide information in context to foster parents is very helpful. Because foster parents are always told and I know that in training they are toiled a very long laundry list of scenarios they might encounter. And it might be five years down the road in their fostering experience that they actually encounter one of those scenarios. So I think it's helpful for various advocacy groups such as this one to present something and say, we'd really like foster parents to be aware of this. So I don't want to get in trouble. But I do want -- I would invite all of you to think about things that we could possibly present. They suggest trainings to us, to DCF, and we go out and help them find a subject matter expert. For example, next week we are doing one for independent living employment skills for foster parents to help parents work with their teens who are moving on towards independence. But sometimes they send us or we send them a topic that we've identified through meetings we have had that we would like their help on to present new information to foster parents, like the new legislation we did. >> KIM GAUT: This looks like something very excellent, really. But it illustrates the situation that DCF is in. You know? You are partnering with another organization and they are not compliant. So leer is a perfect example of what the deaf and hard-of-hearing unit would be doing in the future is making sure that, you know, you don't fall in these land mines anymore. When you are partnering with somebody, that they meet all compliance issues just like you have to. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Yes. And I think that the Web site, while you are saying this is their training, or it's their service, you you are contracting for this service, and your name is on the top of that we can page, so this is DCF's Web site. This is your training. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Yes, there is a link from our Web site to this particular Web site, sour correct. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Your logo is at the top of the page. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Right. In addition to that. What I am saying is you are correct and in addition to that, we also have a link to that from our Web site. >> TERRI SCHISLER: So again, I think this is kind of what Kim is saying. This is a programmatic problem, that when you contract with anybody, there has to be criteria to make sure that the programs and Services are accessible. In your contracting process, you contract with somebody, and their programmers not accessible, then your programs are not accessible. So that should have already been placed into your contract negotiations or requirements. So we won't hold that against you that you brought this to our attention during a meeting but it is indicative of the fact that our job is not done. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: I am actually glad you brought it to my attention because I would rather know it here and now and go ahead and be able to talk with QPI when I go back and it is USF partners with us to make all of these trainings possible. So I am sure we can have a conversation about how we take care of this now. >> TERRI SCHISLER: And USF has great resources of their own. They have a great audiologist program, speech therapist program. They have these programs. Yes. Yes, so it's shame on them as well. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: I will take the blame on that. >> TERRI SCHISLER: But I am glad to see that this seems to be a very accessible way to do training -- if they were captioned. And especially if any of them were in Sign Language, then this would be accessible to 39

the deaf community who may want to be foster parents. But if they're not even captioned they are completely inaccessible to anybody. No captioning, no Sign Language at all. >> TERRI SCHISLER: I saw when the new FCC went into effect. Recently. Was it July? Do you know when the date was? >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Want me to look it up? >> TERRI SCHISLER: Well, no. If you do, it's for your own benefit. But I know it was recently, it is in effect now. All videos on the Internet -- YouTube, anything -- all videos have to be captioned. I can't say I am more familiar with it than that. Since you have it up there, would you want to go to that -- I can't remember what the name of your program is -- there is a special need for your heart? >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Yes. This is the Web site, the special Web site landing page that was created for the special needs awareness campaign. As Terri pointed out, she and I talked a couple weeks ago about the resource guide, the fact that there was aspecific outreach and recruitment in the resource guide itself for parents who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, so that's something that I am actually working on to get that included and make sure that that's a very specific outreach piece. But this is the actual Web site. And there are handouts and postcards and I'm almost afraid to click on this video.

>> TERRI SCHISLER: I can see in the right-hand corner does it say CC? >> KRISTI PUTNAM: I don't see CC. >> TERRI SCHISLER: On each those little squares? >> KRISTI PUTNAM: I don't know whether -- I know these are PSA's, and these got posted to YouTube and these were PSA's but I don't know if the YouTube has cc's. Looks like they do. But there were two PSA's that were used as part of this. >> LOIS MARONEY: I might see a CC. Is there a CC there? >> JEFF MCLAMORE: There should be a CC if that was DCF-produced video. >> LOIS MARONEY: Yes, it has CC, right there. [APPLAUSE]. >> JEFF MCLAMORE: I wouldn't want to tear up machinery here today. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: I am trying to make it full screen. >> TERRI SCHISLER: That was one of the discussions I had with the Web site design other when I went over to Tallahassee a few months back, and I had the opportunity to sit with Wade Reynolds and -- I don't know, remember the Web site person's name -- John Bristow. And not these particular videos, but our part of the Web site, where the videos have been embedded, the ASL interpretation of different forms, and when I click on that, there's this thing that pops up, this square, doesn't look like any video I have ever ben seen, to me it looks broken, not working, because to me there is no picture. So these seem very nice, very pretty and seem to be embedded very nicely. Those weren't embedded in a way I felt like was -- you know, to the uninformed user, albeit not deaf or hard of hearing, to the uninformed user it looked like they were broken. But he's fixed them knew. I talked to him about the way that videos, like theories embedded and you are not able to make them full screen? Then they are still inaccessible. Those words are so tiny on your computer and I couldn't read the captions from here. 40

>> JUDY MARTIN: So are these embedded, and very often you see captions like that, make no sense at all, and you can't read them. They use the wrong words. >> TERRI SCHISLER: They are saying these are public service announcements so they should have captioned formally, not like with word recognition. >> JUDY MARTIN: That is why I am asking about these, are they embedded and do those captions make complete sense to someone? >> TERRI SCHISLER: Those captions were put on there by someone. Were they contracted? >> JUDY MARTIN: Do the captions say what the person is speaking? >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Let's look at it. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Go ahead. We can't see them from here. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: I am trying to make it full screen, but it's not. >> TERRI SCHISLER: So that's an issue, that's not full screen. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: It's on YouTube. >> JUDY MARTIN: If it's on YouTube, it will enlarge. It's in the lower right-hand corner. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: So let's go back. >> JUDY MARTIN: "Re nudity? Based on me"? >> KRISTI PUTNAM: So that's voice recognition is what you are saying. It wasn't actual closed-captioned. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Yes. >> GAYL HARDEMAN: May I request to step out of role? Google word recognition does not qualify as real captioning. Period. I work at USF as a captioner. >> TERRI SCHISLER: I am not a user of captions, so I was not aware of that. Excuse me, you are not talking about nudity in there, are you? >> KIM GAUT: Encourage those arms! >> KRISTI PUTNAM: No. And again, I am glad that we did this. >> TERRI SCHISLER: Anything else you would like to show us? >> LOIS MARONEY: Welcome to my world. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Is it 3 o'clock yet? >> TERRI SCHISLER: We have twelve minutes. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: Actually, I don't have anything else. But I am grateful, because I don't think that anybody in our communications office wants that on YouTube from our department. So Jeff? Is there anything else you would like too see? >> TERRI SCHISLER: Thank you for sharing the Web site. Thank you for the opportunity to give some feedback on your face to face. It was very helpful. There are things that I would notice, things that Judy would notice, and otherwise, Lois would notice, or Kim. So we all provide the subject matter experts collectively that you need. No one of us will be able to provide you everything that you need to know. Clearly, the work is ongoing. Jeff? >> JEFF MCLAMORE: I was teasing with Kristi a little bit here. I have been working with the 41

communications office on captioning using voice recognition. I recognize that. I don't want to leave Kristi hanging out on this. So we are working on that. >> KRISTI PUTNAM: I was wondering when that partnership would step up. [LAUGHTER] >> TERRI SCHISLER: Well, I will go ahead and say that this meeting is done. And I appreciate everybody's participation and input today. I think those people who attended and who may have already left us by now and those who are still in our audience are information received by us, we appreciate all the work. If there is nothing else, may I hear a motion to adjourn? >> FROM THE FLOOR: There is one more, may I for one minute? >> TERRI SCHISLER: Yes, ma'am. Can you come up to where the microphone is? Or we can bring the microphone to you. Can you give us your name to start with? >>BROOK EVANS: Yes, I'm Brook Evans, I'm from West Palm Beach, and I, in hearing that you are not going to be a Council or board, I'm not sure because this is my first time here, to this particular group, as you move forward, I don't know where you will go after your disbandment here, but I would like to speak on behalf of my own experience here very briefly. I am a part of the most probably unique and most underserved of all the populations. I'm a hard-of-hearing, profoundly hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind. I have limited vision left. And I have very good speech and understanding. Which isn't a good thing. That part -- which is a good thing. That part of my brain was not affected. As you go forward, I heard deaf-blind mentioned here, I would like to know wherever the council ends up, if you I understand up on other councils, boards, committees, agencies, it matters not to me, that you remember the hard of hearing visually impaired child that comes into DCF. In whatever way or another. I am very emotional. I'm amazed at myself here. I was a foster child as a very young child. Way back so long ago it was before they made dirt. It was in the 40s, in the early '50s. And it was an experience that was okay. I lived in four different places. One was my grandmother's, which was fine. Two were foster homes. That was fine. And the fourth was another family, and that was horrible. Today, I am not quite sure what kind of a voice children have. And I listen to your discussion here, especially about qualifying a third-party call-in for a deaf person when they call your office, it bothered me tremendously that there was so much, to me, extraneous discussion about something that should be so simple. A totally deaf person calls in for the interpreter or the family member calls in, I tried to think of what the worst-case scenario could be, if they weren't qualified either by checking off the box or like in a hospital, when you have a family member who is ill, you are given a family code that allows you to call in. But what happened to me as I was listening to you discuss this back and forth, I thought of myself again. And how are the children today, how are the young people today able to come forth and speak on behalf of themselves? I have had a very difficult time as an adult. I will confess to you I am 75 years old. And I have had Usher's Syndrome all my life. It has been a minute loss of vision. I never ever came into any system until 2008. And it has been an amazing journey, an extraordinary journey of education, including here today. I appreciate the woman who did the video just a minute ago. And it was quite combobulated. Because that's how we learn. I appreciated that. I mean, that gave me a lot of hope that the system can function more and more on an equal footing for kids for, children, parents of children who have issues. There was nobody to help us. 42

There was nobody to help me in my day. And I am wanting to say to you again, as you go forward, whatever it is you do, remember the deaf-blind community. I notice work with the totally deaf and the visually impaired and blind, but the hard-of-hearing, we come off and being fine, we can handle everything; we can't. We are the hardest ones, and we are at the bottom of the barrel for services. Where do I go? I went to DBS. They gave me a computer and Braille. They wouldn't help me with my hearing issues. I went to VR here in Palm Beach County. VR told me right from the get-go she couldn't help me because they didn't have anyone to work with deaf-blind people. And I said, oh, but you can. Long and short, we got it done. She had never worked with anybody such as myself, let alone somebody who is totally deaf, until she met me. Again, I thank you for what you've done. All the years, however long you have been together -- and I am going to implore you, absolutely implore you, to keep some kind of a council, some kind of a group going on behalf of children and their families who are deaf, who are hard of hearing, and who are deaf-blind blind and visually impaired. I thank each and every one of you. Thank you. [APPLAUSE] >> TERRI SCHISLER: Ms. Evans, I want to thank you for your comments. We appreciate your coming and giving that you comment today. >>BROOK EVANS: Thank you for allowing me. >> TERRI SCHISLER: I want to thank all the service providers today, our interpreters, our CART provider, and our sound system. We can't do this without you. With that, may I have a motion to adjourn? Kim. Judy seconds. Thank you. We are adjourned. We will see you tomorrow. (Adjourned 3 p.m.)