A New Approach to Meeting the Needs of Families Affected by - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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A New Approach to Meeting the Needs of Families Affected by - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Mar 02, 2023 105 likes •335 views

Better For Families - S TATEWIDE S YSTEM I MPROVEMENT P ROGRAM A New Approach to Meeting the Needs of Families Affected by Substance Use Disorder Rebecca L. Davison-March, Esq . Robert Rosenhaus, LMSW Barbara Wilmit, Esq. CWCIP Rockland

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A New Approach to Meeting the Needs of Families Affected by Substance Use Disorder

Rebecca L. Davison-March, Esq.

Chautauqua County DHHS

Robert Rosenhaus, LMSW CWCIP Barbara Wilmit, Esq. Rockland County DSS

Better For Families - STATEWIDE SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

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New York State Unified Court System ∙ Division of Professional and Court Services Child Welfare Court Improvement Project

Why is there a need for statewide system reform in New York?

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New York State Unified Court System ∙ Division of Professional and Court Services Child Welfare Court Improvement Project

New York State FTC Penetration for 2015

Are we identifying our families? Are we using our current resources to capacity? Are we unnecessarily excluding people from the process? Are we engaging with the population? ARE WE DOING THE BEST FOR OUR FAMILIES?

Aggregate national data from case file reviews indicate that a minimum of 60% of child welfare cases involve substance use disorders.

Source: CWCIP Data Metrics & UCMS Treatment Module (Office of Policy & Planning)

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New York State Unified Court System ∙ Division of Professional and Court Services Child Welfare Court Improvement Project

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New York State Unified Court System ∙ Division of Professional and Court Services Child Welfare Court Improvement Project

Lessons Learned from FTC’s

  • Families have better long-term permanency
  • utcomes when they engage with FTC
  • Families that do not complete FTC successfully still

have better long-term permanency outcomes as compared to families that do not have any contact with FTCs

  • These lessons support the idea of infusing some of

the FTC court practices into the general child welfare court practice

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New York State Unified Court System ∙ Division of Professional and Court Services Child Welfare Court Improvement Project

BFF Program Components

  • Early Identification of Families Impacted by Substance Use Disorder:

All families are screened for SUD during the initial CPS investigation through the use of an evidence based screening tool to determine the need for further assessment.

  • Strengthen Existing Family Treatment Court:

Through the collaboration with the Office of Policy and Planning, FTCs will be surveyed to inform the development of a statewide strategic plan to address the needs of the FTCs.

  • Training on Substance Use Disorder, Treatment, and Recovery:

Science of addiction, recovery, relapse, and treatment modalities.

  • Implementation and Expansion of Evidence Based Practices/Programming:

Celebrating Families! and Motivational Interviewing.

  • New court process and protocols for serving families impacted by SUD:

Key ingredients of the FTCs are applied to the general child welfare caseload.

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New York State Unified Court System ∙ Division of Professional and Court Services Child Welfare Court Improvement Project

“New Approach” Protocols

  • 1. Families should be treated in a strength-based and trauma informed manner

by all system professionals.

  • 2. Court appearances will occur every two weeks until a substance use

assessment is completed and or treatment services have begun. Court appearances will then be a minimum of one time per month until permanency is achieved.

  • 3. The court will schedule cases for trial within 90 days after the first

adjournment.

  • 4. The court may issue an order, on consent of all parties, directing the

respondent to complete a SUD assessment and sign releases allowing the report to be sent directly to the court.

  • 5. The court will acknowledge the success of families when the child welfare

proceedings are concluded.

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New York State Unified Court System ∙ Division of Professional and Court Services Child Welfare Court Improvement Project

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New York State Unified Court System ∙ Division of Professional and Court Services Child Welfare Court Improvement Project

Motivational Interviewing/Coaching

  • MI: Evidence-based client-centered counseling style

for eliciting behavior change by helping clients to explore and resolve ambivalence.

  • Improve child welfare case work practice and

approaches in general.

  • Coaching: Supervision technique that encourages

critical thinking and skill development of subordinates

  • Training is meant for LDSS and contract agency

supervisors.

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New York State Unified Court System ∙ Division of Professional and Court Services Child Welfare Court Improvement Project

Celebrating Families!

  • An evidence based cognitive behavioral, support

group model written for families in which one or both parents have a serious problem with alcohol

  • r other drugs and in which there is a high risk for

domestic violence, child abuse, or neglect

  • Works with every member of the family, from ages

3 through adult,

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New York State Unified Court System ∙ Division of Professional and Court Services Child Welfare Court Improvement Project

Data Collection

  • When engaging in new strategies to work with

families, it is important that the desired

  • utcomes and goals of the new strategy be

clearly defined

  • The data you want to collect should be aligned

with the stated goals of the initiative.

  • Both the local Departments and the Court have

been collecting data through a sharepoint site to monitor effectiveness

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Rebecca L. Davison-March, Esq. Social Services Attorney Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services davisonr@co.chautauqua.ny.us

Chautauqua County

  • Background
  • Family Treatment Court (12 years)
  • Collegial Bar
  • Shift in various supports leading to

change…

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Better for Families in Chautauqua County

  • Opportunity to fill the gap left by Family

Treatment Court

  • Purpose
  • Pilot
  • Bench Card
  • “BFF MDT” utilizing Peer Specialists
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Legal Process

  • Petition(s)
  • New Question added to reflect use of Uncope+
  • [e.g. Number 10 on Neglect Petition]
  • First Appearance
  • Department indicates whether recommending for

Substance Abuse Assessment & BFF Track

  • Subsequent Appearances
  • Every 2 Weeks until Assessment complete
  • 30 days after Assessment is complete
  • 90 day Fact Finding Scheduled
  • *Referral to MHA Peer Specialist
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Outside of Court

  • Partnership of Helping Providers (BFF-MDT)
  • Examining what was missing after FTC
  • Wraparound Services
  • Gaining Support of Local Providers
  • Agency Descriptions
  • A Providers Guide to BFF
  • Client Contract
  • Release of Information
  • Flow Chart
  • MOU
  • Peer Specialists
  • Mental Health Association (MHA)
  • MHA Peer Specialists
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Comparing to FTC

  • Similarities
  • Addressing Substance Abuse
  • Additional focus on families struggling with

SUD/Child Welfare System

  • Local Provider Support
  • Differences - No Legal Involvement in MDT
  • Less Court Oversight into Provider Services
  • Reduced legal ramifications for lack of compliance
  • Foundation of support established outside of legal

system

  • Assistance of Peer
  • Faster Legal Process
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CONS

  • Calendaring
  • 2 week appearances

(cuts both ways)

  • Evidentiary Arguments
  • Deviations from Bench

Card

  • Motion Practice
  • Court Calendaring
  • Default Trials happen faster
  • Speedier Fact Finding Dates
  • Faster engagement in SUD

treatment

  • Faster settlement of case
  • Return of Children
  • Loaded Article 6
  • Default

PROS

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Questions?

Rebecca L. Davison-March, Esq. Social Services Attorney Chautauqua County DHHS davisonr@co.chautauqua.ny.us

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Why These Program Topics Families Affected by Chemical Dependency

Family Rules

  • Don’t talk
  • Don’t trust
  • Don’t feel

False Beliefs

  • Caused the disease
  • Can cure the disease
  • Can control the disease

Family Members Lack Information About What Addiction Does to Them

  • Don’t react normally
  • High risk for addiction

themselves

  • Focus on alcohol / drugs
  • At risk for abuse, family

violence

  • At risk for learning differences, fetal
  • Alcohol spectrum disorders

Need to Learn:

Facts About:

  • Alcohol, tobacco, prescription and illegal

drugs use

  • Addiction and brain chemistry
  • Learning differences and FASD

Whole family is affected They are at risk

  • Resources

Healthy Living Skills

  • Anger management
  • Appropriate expression of feelings and defenses
  • Boundaries
  • Communication
  • Refusal skills
  • Choosing safe and trustworthy friends
  • Meditation / centering / relaxation / boundaries
  • Problem solving, dreams, and goals setting

They Are Unique and Special!

  • Knowledge that they are a part of something larger (Wonder
  • f the World)
  • That they make a difference (Acts of Kindness)
  • How to affirm themselves, their children and others

(Affirmations)

What They Need (especially those with learning differences)

  • Structure: Agenda, consistency, clear / consistent Group

Agreements and Consequences, patience, support

  • Multi-Sensory Instruction: Do, hear, see, write
  • Living skills
  • Help with rage and impulse control
  • Validation: Affirmations
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Comments

This education / support, multi-family skill building group model consists of a 30 minute family meal, a 90 minute session on the week’s topic, followed by a 30 minute structured activity for the whole family. It is highly interactive, developed specifically for children of alcoholics / addicts and their parents, many with learning differences. Information taught includes:

Skills

  • Strengthening family relationships, family meals, family night
  • Centering / meditation / boundaries
  • Affirming, encouraging children: Importance of 1-on-1 time

with children, telling children “I love you”, reading to children

  • Planning nutritious meals
  • Communication: Use of “I” messages, ways to communicate,

active listening

  • Anger management, keeping out of fights, avoiding conflicts (especially with

children)

  • Appropriate expression of feelings, understanding defenses
  • Becoming a nurturing parent
  • Becoming a safe family: safety plans, checklists
  • Choosing safe and trustworthy friends
  • Identification of safe people
  • Problem solving: steps in making a wise decision
  • Goal setting, dreams for the future
  • Recognizing and establishing boundaries
  • Saying no to others

Information

  • Components of healthy living
  • Nutrition and impact of sugar on brain chemistry
  • Facts about alcohol, tobacco, prescription and illegal drug use,

addiction, brain chemistry, dangers of children’s and adolescents’ use

  • Recognition of the influence of media and advertising
  • Facts about how chemical dependency affects families,

friends, and relationships

  • Truth Statements for chemical dependency and domestic

violence

  • Attachment-based limit setting
  • Bullying and power & control
  • Choosing safe and trustworthy friends & how to be a good

friend

  • Facts about domestic / family violence
  • Learning differences and FASD
  • Risk and Protective factors
  • Relapse and staying safe
  • Protecting our children: safety planning, good nutrition,

sufficient sleep, taking action on their behalf

  • Resources

Insights

  • Helping others: Acts of Kindness
  • Knowledge that we are part of something larger and ourselves:

Wonder of the World (WOW moments)

  • Personal & family values clarification
  • Self-Worth / Self-Efficacy: Recognizing and celebrating each

person’s uniqueness and personal power

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New York State Unified Court System ∙ Division of Professional and Court Services Child Welfare Court Improvement Project

Next Steps

  • Office of Policy and Planning
  • Statewide FTC Strategic Plan
  • NPC Research’s BEST self-assessment
  • Site visits with Judge Heitler
  • Expansion of SSIP to additional

counties

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New York State Unified Court System ∙ Division of Professional and Court Services Child Welfare Court Improvement Project

Contacts

Rebecca L. Davison-March, Esq. Social Services Attorney Chautauqua County DHHS davisonr@co.chautauqua.ny.us Robert Rosenhaus, LMSW SSIP – Project Manager Child Welfare Court Improvement Project rrosenha@nycourts.gov Barbara Wilmit, Esq. Assistant County Attorney Rockland County Department of Social Services Barbara.Wilmit@dfa.state.ny.us