Missouri Kidsfirst Network Meeting
MO Network of Child Advocacy Centers
April 5, 2011 Network Meeting Minutes
Page 5
Missouri Network of Child Advocacy Centers
Network Meeting Minutes
April 5, 2011
Attendees
Barbara Brown-JohnsonThe Child Advocacy Center, Inc. / Diane Silman
Ozark Foothills Child Advocacy Center
Joyce Estes
Northwest Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center / Danielle Abrams
Children’s Advocacy Center of East Central Missouri
Verna Kelsey
North Central Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center / Jerry Dunn
Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis
Linda McQuary & Connilee Boehne
Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis / Kendra Eads
Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence
Carolyn Green
Child Safe of Central Missouri, Inc. / Melinda Ingram
Lakes Area Child Advocacy Center
Janie Bakutes
Rainbow House Regional CAC / John Steinmeyer
Children’s Division
Cara Gerdiman
Kids Harbor / Mary List
Health & Senior Services
Chad Adams
Children’s Center of Southwest Missouri / Joy Oesterly
Missouri Kids First
Ellen Teller
The Child Center, Inc. / Cherisse Thibaut
Missouri Kids First
Julie Donelon
Child Protection Center / Donna Neely
Missouri Kids First
Jill Hazell
Synergy Services, Inc.
MO Network of Child Advocacy Centers
April 5, 2011 Network Meeting Minutes
Page 5
MO Network of Child Advocacy Centers
April 5, 2011 Network Meeting Minutes
Page 5
I. Welcome
Meeting called to order by Chairman, Julie Donelon, at 10:42 a.m. Julie recognized MKF staff and praised them for their hard work and keeping up communication with the CACs.
II. Approval of Minutes
The minutes should be changed to reflect February 8, 2011 instead of 2010. A motion was made by Chad to approve the minutes. Janie seconded the motion. All were in favor of the motion. Motion passed.
III. Committee Updates
a. Model Enhancement – Ellen reported on the ME Committee. The majority of the discussion was held in regards to the resignation of Jay. They discussed the growth plan, mental health needs. Jerry added that they received funding for the St. Louis area for 4 learning collaboratives for TFCBT already scheduled to enhance training. Mo Acts (Academy for child trauma studies) is part of the St. Louis center supporting this training.
b. Professional Development – Connilee reported on the Child First training. She sent out a survey to obtain information. The May training in Kansas City is going to be postponed. There will not be a May training due to lack of faculty. We are looking at doing the Kansas City training in July, or setting the training and combining it with the Columbia training in October. There is a training August 8-12 in Springfield, the other one in St. Louis or Cape is set for December. If there are any centers that have people interested in being a faculty member to train Child First, please contact Connilee. Connilee is working on doing advanced training for family advocates. NCAC is putting this together now and will be taking this on the road and partnering with MRCAC. The registration would be $69. It will most likely be available next year as NCAC is just now launching their training. Connilee added that it would be helpful to have lodging and travel paid for, but it is not currently available for funding from MRCAC. Connilee added that she is working on advanced forensic interviewer training and it will cost CAC’s money to send their interviewesr but it will still be less than sending interviewers away for the training. Connilee is also working on creating the Forensic Interviewer Network and the Victim Advocates Networks. All of these items that have come out of Model Enhancement and Professional Development Committee will be put in a manual and accessible online.
c. Protocol Meeting – John reported that the meeting was canceled in March and he has been communicating with the directors. John has put together a draft and received feedback from the director’s on the committee. He is waiting on Mark Gutchen from Legal Services for additional feedback from DSS. The best method to accomplish this would be a ‘boiler plate” guide for all CAC’s to use in order for DSS to approve the protocols. John is working on facilitate this discussion. All MOU’s are to be signed at the Department level from someone from the Director’s Office at DSS. Another meeting has not been re-scheduled.
IV. Database Discussion
a. Julie reported that database training was held yesterday. Two items came up that the director’s needed to have the final say. With the current Database, do we want MKF to set up user accounts and give them the ability to set up security or do we want that to be controlled individually at the centers. As an administrator at the individual centers, there is the possibility that a director could inadvertently give access of their users to see other center’s information. Otherwise, MKF would be the gatekeeper on who could access information. Barb made the motion to make MKF to have administrative oversight of the database and any regional CAC administrators sign confidentiality contracts with MKF. Chad seconded the motion. Motion was unanimously approved.
b. Julie reported that the other discussion was in regards to who could add information to the look up tables. Look up tables are used by every one and the drop down lists should not be changed unless it is very specific (like a jurisdiction i.e. Cass County Sheriff’s Department) For example, the alleged perpetrator section should not be changed because the director’s have previously been agreed upon the identified alleged perpetrators.
c. Several fields have been changed to reflect dates that are not required.
V. Children’s Division Updates
a. John passed around the individual CAC reports on what money has been spent. The Governors recommendations in regards to appropriations are the same as they were last year. Donna is working on the funding formula and will work on getting budgets in by Mid April. He will continue to work on the protocol discussion.
VI. Legislation Update
a. Sexual Abuse Prevention Task Force – See SB 286 regarding prevention of sexual abuse.
b. Children in Crisis Tax Credits – The CIC’s expire/sunsets in August 2012. A report came out in regards to a piece of legislature that would reflect the sexual abuse prevention task force. Legislation was introduced last week that enforces all tax credits would go through an appropriations committee and there would be a fund set up. It would have to be approved every year. The tax credit review committee reported that the social tax credits are not a controversial issue. The CIC tax credits are very small in this regard. The CIC tax credits could be changed from 50% to 35% except for those under $1000 would remain at 50%. This is not finalized at this time. Barb reported that there is one more year before the CIC’s are extinct. This is not our last year to look at the CIC’s. Barb suggested that we look into how they CIC’s are being utilized and they are very simple to file the paperwork. We need to be using them to our fullest.
c. CAC Appropriation in DSS Budget – CAC appropriation is going well and there are no upcoming issues.
d. SAFE-Exam Appropriation in DPS Budget – DPS is out of funds to pay for SAFE’s. A supplemental budget passed out of the House to pay claims totaling up to $750,000 until June 30, 2011 in the DPS budget. Representative Chris Kelly is expected to amend one of his pieces of legislation to give DPS authority to set caps on the amount that providers can charge for SAFE’s. Barb asked about any legislation on who can perform the SAFE exams. There is not any language in legislation at this time.
e. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month - See HB 749.
VII. Missouri KidsFirst Updates
a. Executive Director Search – Joy reported that the MKF Board has been talking with a couple of different firms that work with non-profits that identify executive directors. These firms are expensive in regards to recruiting executive directors. The Board has selected a firm to identify a new director, but this may be a few months before the Board finds a new ED. The Board is looking at the budget to determine how to pay for this. The Board is interested in getting the best candidate. The CAC’s will be included in having input into the selection of the new Executive Director. Some of the Director’s expressed that the Executive Director should be in touch with Jefferson City.
b. Budget – Joy reported that after she became the interim director, there were a few issues that needed to be addressed very quickly. She looked into where MKF was getting money. She was not originally involved in the development of the budget. She put together a spreadsheet and handed it out to the Board members. There has been a Board Member that has volunteered to step up with fundraising and are planning a Gala in November to raise over $50,000. Joy is anticipating raising $20,000 in the Pinwheels for Prevention fundraiser. Joy reported that there will be an audit for 2008, 2009, and 2010 and they will wait to search for the Executive Director until after the audit is completed. The Directors expressed concern over the use of a search firm for the hiring of the new ED and asked the the board consider using that money to increase the salary of the ED instead of on the search firm. Julie will contact the MKF Board Chair Greg Dagnan to address the Mo. Network of CAC’s concerns about the amount of money that will be spent on having a firm to recruit an Executive Director rather than putting that money towards the salary of a new Executive Director. Joy reported that Practical Parenting Partnerships’ funding will cease in October and she does not anticipate that they will be under the umbrella of Missouri Kids First next year.
c. Grants and Contracts – Joy reported that in the last month, she has written several grants and contracts.
· Period of Purple Crying – This is an evidenced-based prevention program working with birthing hospitals and other professionals who work with new moms of their child’s first year of life. This is a pretty sizeable grant. Joy expects to hear about this in early June. MKF would then administer this grant and the CAC’s would be involved to the extent that they want to be involved. MKF would need to hire another person to get this grant going and it would be a full-time position. Purple is implemented in 3 stages; 1) in the hospital; 2) sharing information with other family members who will be around the child; The increase in crying peaks at 2 weeks of birth through 6 months of age and this is the most critical time when babies are shaken. 3) Public Education Campaign. The money is Federal money and it is for $225,000
· SAFE-CARE – Joy reported that MKF has applied for SAFE care money through Department of Health and Senior Services. The application was due on March 23rd and was submitted on time. MKF is the only applicant for that contract and will know something in the next two weeks. The bulk of the money goes to resource centers and some money for MKF for administrative costs. MKF will hire a part time staff person for the SAFE CARE grant. This will be for Cardinal Glennon, St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Children’s Mercy in Kansas City. It will provide several services, peer review and mentoring, new provider training and ongoing training. Barb asked what was written into the grant to support rural communities. Joy is hoping that the ability for training and peer review and mentoring can be done electronically. Some of the hospitals may need to travel to the rural areas and vice versa.
· Children’s Trust Fund Renewal – This is the 4th year. General Capacity for Child Abuse Prevention and it is for $22,000
· NCA – Joy reported that Donna has been working hard with NCA. The reimbursement money from NCA to MKF to be distributed to the CAC’s for 2010’s final payment came on April 4th and will be sent out quickly. Joy reported that NCA is waiting on Department of Justice for the FY 2011.
· Children’s Justice just granted $10,000 to MKF this year. Joy will look into applying for more money the next time. She will look into this in the next month or so.
VIII. Additional Items
a. Connilee, Barb and Linda met with Representative Shane Schoeller this morning regarding HB 143 after Keith Ray Mackey out of Green County contacted NTCPT who then was directed to Connilee. They met with him regarding Children’s Division training. The purpose of the meeting was to address potential funders for training for the Children’s Division and what types of training are needed. Barb has an upcoming meeting with Rep. Schoeller in two weeks. She will ask him to update her on any further contacts he has had with the Missouri Foundation for Health.
b. Joy spoke of the “Digital Citizen Cards”. Ask Joy for further information on distributing these cards.
c. In Closing, Joy stated that MKF is very committed to ensuring that the organization thrives and strives.
Meeting Adjourned at 1:20 p.m.
The next meeting is Tuesday June 14th, 2010 TBA.
Future meeting dates are August 16th, October 4th, and December 6th, 2011.
Respectfully submitted,
Jill Hazell