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Minutes Children Services Committee Meeting 9/10/03
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1. Review Agenda, Approve Minutes and Set New Agenda Items |
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Present: Brenda Jackson, Donn Gunderson, Joyce Gardner, Rita Bland, Jan Spencer, Mike Herzing, Chuck Harris, Adgenda Turner, Tom Brewer, Belinda Sims, Beckie Kimbrell, Pam Grantham, Denise Shaffer, Cyndy Benson, JoAnn Lamm, Judi Akers, Carole Thomas, Keith Davis, Connie Polk, Esther High, Bertram Wilson, Gale Bullard, Tammy Johnson, Adolph Simmons, Sara Anderson Mims, Becky Kessel, R. Patrick Betancourt, Chris Sinha, Lee Roberts, Sherry Bradsher, Lisa Robertson |
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Conclusion: Co-Chair Brenda Jackon asked for additions, deletions, or corrections to the Minutes from the August 13, 2003 meeting. Rita Bland moved that the Minutes be approved as submitted. Tom Brewer seconded the motion, which carried unanimously. |
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Action Items: • None |
Person Responsible: N/A |
Deadline: N/A |
2. Dana Lienenweber MD, Pediatrician--Project Health Care, Foster Children |
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Discussion: Dr. Leinenweber is a Pediatrician with Duke University and is also working with the State Child Medical Examiner program. (CME). She is considering embarking on a project that would provide an "infrastructure" to improve the health and well being of foster children, including other children in local DSS custody. The purpose is to improve the Physical, Mental, psycho-social, and educational well being of these children. This infrastructure would offer resources for assessing health status and determining and coordinating available community resources. Dr. Leinenweber wants to assess the needs of these children holistically and to be able to make policy recommendations to the State. She also wants to develop curriculum for social workers. The main concern is to assure that these children have full access to services.. She wants Committee input on the usefulness of such a project and its feasibility and sustainability. JoAnn Lamm stated that the project fits well with the new federal child well being standards. Dr. L. answered questions from Committee members. Mental Health is the big gap area, as is access to dental care. The target popualtion would be CWS kids are those MA eligible in and out of FC. Is it worth proceeding with? There were concerns expressed about extra data collection. |
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Conclusion: More time to study the project by Committee members is needed. Dr. Leinenweber is to make available written material to go to the Committee. Dr. L. is to come back to the Committee on November 12th. |
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Action Items: • Dr. L. to send material to Brenda to send it out to committee members |
Person Responsible: Dr. L/Brenda |
Deadline: 11/1/03 |
3. Hispanic Issues and Needs, Sherry Bradsher |
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Discussion: The issue is the growing Hispanic population, their access to services, and for this Committee the interaction of DSS child welfare workers and Hispanic families. Sherry Bradsher, Deputy Director of State DSS, has served on a statewide Task Force that has studied these issues. The Task Force had extensive dialogue with Hispanic advocacy groups. The issue of access to health care rose to the top. One of the Task Forces Recommendations is to have local agencies engage the local populations and groups. The primary issue is that Cultural differences do impact parental willingness to access care for children. There are civil rights issues, limited english proficiency issues. Sherry urged Committee members to go to www.nciom.org to review the full report. Committee members brought up the issue of paying for services for undocumented individuals in that federal funding sources are limited to serving legal aliens and citizens.Services are quite costly and DSS has to be involved due to legal mandates. |
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Conclusion: Undocumented Individuals, Payment for services Network with Adult services Co-Chairs. Should there be a Position Paper from NCACDSS DHHS on funding sources to provide mandated services to undocumented individuals. |
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Action Items: • Collaborate with Adult Services Committee Co-Chairs on NCACDSS Position statement on funding to serve undocumented adults and children. |
Person Responsible: Brenda/Donn |
Deadline: 10/1/03 |
4. 1. Cross-County Work Group 2.MRS Expansion--J. LAMM |
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Discussion: 1. Due to a staff vacancy this effort got dropped. They are not clear on work group recommendations. They will needs to get back with work group to pull together the recommendations. 2. Forty-One (41) Counties have applied to become MRS(Multiple Response) Counties. There is a question about State staff resources and being able to train all those wanting to come on board with the program. JoAnn stated that they may have to prioritize or stagger implementation, but that they do intend to bring all of the counties into the program. |
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Conclusion: 1. Cross County Group Recommendations will be brought back to Committee. 2. There are now enough counties doing or soon to be doing MRS that JoAnn now believes that they have a compelling argument for the General Assembly to make the new system approach statewide. |
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Action Items: • 1. Poll work group and present recommendations on cross county CWS issues. |
Person Responsible: JoAnn |
Deadline: 10/8/03 |
5. Federal Program Improvement Plan |
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Discussion: Given the Federal ACS previously expressed intention to assess penalties against states who do not meet the national standards, NC could well be facing sanctions. Of the six (6) standards, NC looking good particular on the standard on the rate of re-entry into Foster Care.and Adoptions. But in the areas of Repeat Maltreatnent, Maltreatment in Foster Care and and reunification w/in 12 months, the State is failing. |
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Conclusion: Sanctions are possible in 4 out of the 6 areas. If Federal HHS decides to impose the penalties, it could get political, with the Governor's Office involved. NC is one of the first states completing its corrective action plan. The State is developing county specific reports on the Federal outcome measures. CPR's will be contacting counties about their levels of performance. Committee suggested that congressional legislators needed to be involved to prevent federal sanction to due to no state has past the federal review and concerns about the federal standards |
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Action Items: • Consultation with Joint-State Relations Committee regarding seeking support from congressional legislators. |
Person Responsible: Brenda/Donn |
Deadline: 10-1-03 |
6. Committee Scope of Work |
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Discussion: Brenda asked for additions or deletions form the Scope of Work document mailed with the Agenda. It was suggested that making CWS services more accessible to Hispanic families be included in the scope of work document. |
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Conclusion: Mike Herzing moved that the Scope of Work document with the inclusion of access to the Hispanic population be approved. Cyndy Benson seconded the motion which carried unanimously. |
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Action Items: • Scope of Work |
Person Responsible: Co-Chairs |
Deadline: 9/10/03 |
