1. Dimension 1: Legislation, policy change & finance reform
The Collaborative Partnership of the Minority Youth and Families Initiative
Julia Kleinschmit Rembert, MSW
The University of Iowa
School of Social Work &
DMC Resource Center
Sioux City Campus
B=G Tallbear
Iowa Department of Human Services
Woodbury County - Sioux City, Iowa
Frank LaMere
Four Directions Center
Sioux City, Iowa
Brad Richardson, Ph.D.
Univ. of Iowa School of Social Work
National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice
DMC Resource Center
Frank can do introductions 1 1

2. What we’ll cover today . . .
What and where the Minority Youth and Family Initiative (MYFI) is
What the data tell us about what’s working with MYFI
Successful and promising practice changes
How these changes came about through community work
Replicating the approach
Frank

3. Disproportionality is the over-or-under-representation of minority children under age 18 in foster care compared to their representation in the general population.
In 2004, American Indian children made up 0.4% of the general population of children in Woodbury County, but 2.2% of children in foster care – a 5 X overrepresentation rate BG

4. Where is Woodbury County?
Dimension 1: Legislation, policy change & finance reform
Where is Woodbury County? BG 4 4

5. Dimension 1: Legislation, policy change & finance reform
Tribal Affiliations of Native Children Assessed for Abuse, Woodbury County January 2005-December 2007
Northern Cheyenne
Oglala Sioux
Omaha
Potawatomie
Rosebud Sioux
Santee Sioux
Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux
Spirit Lake Sioux
Standing Rock Sioux
Tunica-Biloxi
Turtle Mountain Chippewa
Nebraska Winnebago
Yankton Sioux
Alaska Native
Assiniboine
Blackfeet
Oklahoma Cherokee
Cheyenne River Sioux
Chippewa
Crow Creek Sioux
Fort Peck Sioux
Wisconsin Ho-Chunk
Hopi
Mdewakontan Sioux
Wisconsin Mille Lacs
Mississippi Choctaw
Mohawk
Navajo BG 5 5

6. Timeline: 1950s to 2005 Migration to Sioux City, IA
Dimension 1: Legislation, policy change & finance reform
Timeline: 1950s to 2005
Migration to Sioux City, IA
55 Years Later . . .
1998
Community Initiative for Native Children and Families (CINCF) begins meeting
2003
Recover Our Children (ROC): Memorial Marches for Lost Children
Iowa Indian Child Welfare Act
2004
Minority Youth and Family Initiative funded
DMC Resource Center begins providing technical assistance
Accurate accounting of child welfare-involved Native children
2005
Native Unit begins work
BG – can you move through this fairly quickly? 6 6

7. Dimension 1: Legislation, policy change & finance reform
Timeline: 2006 to present
2006
(Casey) Alliance and Race Matters Consortium provides technical assistance
Evaluation shows families served by Native Unit improve in functioning and risk of re-abuse is reduced
Iowa DHS launches Redesign
2007
Alliance-funded advocate helps Native families navigate or avoid system involvement
Evaluation shows DHS-involved Native families and community encouraged by new approaches to Native families
Other research shows differences between how DHS and community providers and others perceive DHS approach, effectiveness, and ability to communicate
2008
Family Drug Court begins
Juvenile Court Services, DHS, courts, and community providers engage in “Crossover” project to address youth who are both child welfare and juvenile justice-involved.
And this? Or, maybe Frank wants to do this. If neither of you want to, I can 7 7

8. Practice that makes a difference… starting with the end in mind
Native American children are safely raised in the Native community. BG

9. The Native Unit The people Tribal/Native family liaisons - 2
Supervisor
Social workers - 4
Child Protection workers BG
“ I was surprised that they gave me a chance to participate in placement for my niece because of my past history with DHS. People change and the Unit recognized that and gave me a chance.”

10. The Native Unit Tools & approaches
Work with all self-identified Native children as if ICWA-eligible
Working with relatives immediately
Connecting with Tribes early and often
Emphasis on Relative/Community/Tribal Networks
Flexible resource dollar pool
New approaches to recruiting Native foster parents
Strong focus on cultural competence
Helping non-Native foster and adoptive parents become more culturally competent BG

11. How do we know this is working?
Data
ICWA Compliance Reviews
System Involvement
Out of Home vs. Family-Centered Placement
Placement for children in out of home care
Voluntary vs. Court-ordered involvement
Scorecard Update
Julia

12. ICWA Compliance Review: Casereading 2008
Apr-Jun
Jul-Sept
Oct-Dec
Initial Efforts
82%
100%
Collaboration w/Tribe
80%
Active Efforts
Kinship & Permanency
Court Proceedings
Overall Compliance
88%
Julia
A. Initial Efforts: Did DHS make inquiry from the beginning of the case about Native American heritage and tribal status?
B. Collaboration (System: DHS/Tribe) Was a high priority placed on early involvement of the tribe during assessment and case planning?
C. Active Efforts to preserve or reunify families: Were active efforts made to provide services designed to prevent the breakup of Native American families, and document that these efforts were unsuccessful, before pursuing out-of-home placement? In an out-of-home placement case, were active efforts made to reunify the family?
D. Kinship and Permanency: Were efforts made throughout the case to keep Native American children connected with kin and relatives?
E. Court Proceedings: Were ICWA requirements followed?

13. Disproportionality Rate, Rate per Thousand, and Disparity Ratio Indices by Race for Child Placements in Out-of-Home Care (OHC) in Woodbury County, FY 2007
Race/
Ethn.
% of Est Pop (0-17 yrs)
% of Children in 1st Placement in OHC (undupl.)
Disprop. Rate of Chil. in 1st place-ment to est. pop.
Rate per Thousand
Disparity Ratio (compared to White)
 Year 05 06 07
Native Am.
3.0
3.6
19.5
15.4
18.2
6.4
4.2
5.0 87
106 51
7.7
6.1
8.9
Asian
2.7
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.7
0.5
0.3 10 13 3
0.9
0.6
Black
4.4
5.2
12.4
1.4
1.7
2.4 20 42 24
White
75.6
88.1
62.8
60.9
49.5
0.8 11 17 6
Latino 14 1 2
2.65
1.02
Julia

14. Julia

15. Number of Children Receiving Services from Woodbury County DHS in One Month, (in home and out of home)
All Data for this table obtained from Iowa Department of Human Services
Julia

16. Permanencies Rate per thousand children in the general population of the same race/ ethnicity Woodbury County, Iowa
All Data for this table obtained from Iowa Department of Human Services
Julia

17. Julia

18. Julia

19. Key: Strong/supportive relationship
Dimension 1: Legislation, policy change & finance reform
Using Eco-maps to look at Systems Relationships Over Time as they impact Child Welfare System Involvement
Key: Strong/supportive relationship
Tenuous/weak relationship
Conflictive/harmful relationship
New element
Julia 19 19

20. Woodbury County, (Sioux City) IA, Pre-1995
Dimension 1: Legislation, policy change & finance reform
Employment
Culture & Spirituality
Housing
Disproportional Representation of Native American Children in Woodbury County DHS
Healthcare
Schools
Court/
Legal
Extended Family
State Policy
Tribes
Woodbury County DHS
Federal Policy: ICWA
Community Advocates
Racism, Historical Oppression and Genocide
Substance Abuse Services
Mental Health Services
Law Enforcement
Woodbury County, (Sioux City) IA, Pre-1995
JUlia 20
Racism, Historical Oppression and Genocide 20

21. Woodbury County, (Sioux City) IA, Nov 2008
Employment
Culture & Spirituality
Health
Schools
Courts
Extended Family
Tribes: varied response
Woodbury County DHS
Federal Policy: ICWA, ASFA, JJDP, CFSR, MEPA
Community Advocates
Racism, Historical Oppression and Genocide
Substance Abuse Services
Law En-forcement
Woodbury County, (Sioux City) IA, Nov 2008
Casey Alliance
Interest from other Stakeholders
National Attention
Cult competent /NA provided health, mental health, and Substance Abuse Services
JCS
State DHS
State Policy: MYFI, IA ICWA
Mental Hlth Serv.
More prop Rep of NA Children in Woodbury County DHS
Cty Atty /
Legal
Housing
State Agency presence
IA Ind Affairs Com.
Julia

22. Disproportionality: Developing a Public Agency Strategy
National Association of Professional Child Welfare Administrators Disproportionality Diagnostic Tool
Woodbury County (Sioux City, IA) 2006 compared to 2008)
NAPCWA Disproportionality Diagnostic Tool
Disproportionality: Developing a Public Agency Strategy
By Danna Fabella, Sandra Slappey, Brad Richardson, Anita Light & Susan Christie
July 2, 2007
Julia - another way of looking at change is using the NAPCWA disproportionality diagnostic tool.
There are several ways to use this tool. It can be used to facilitate discussion among a group to complete it. The way we used it was as a survey providing the results back to the planning group.
(Hold up hardcopy of the tool and talk through how it’s filled out).

23. Woodbury County (Sioux City, IA) 2006 compared to 2008) - Society
National Association of Professional Child Welfare Administrators Disproportionality Diagnostic Tool
Woodbury County (Sioux City, IA) 2006 compared to 2008) - Society
Domains
DHS
Community
Total
Pilot
2006
2008
Strategy
100%
70%
50%
60%
57%
65%
80%
Culture
54%
91%
37%
29%
48%
38%
72%
41%
Policy
55%
75%
44%
67%
71%
47%
Legal System
13% 6%
17%
15%
43%
Training & Education 9%
25%
19%
26%
32%
Communication
81% 8%
33%
56%
53%
Resources
63%
36%
46%
64%
Practice
58%
42%
51%
Economic Issues
34%
24%
61%
Data/Technology
22%
78%
Personnel/People
90%
82%
OVERALL
28%
59%
Julia – Results are provided here for the domains (strategy, culture, policy etc.) for the Sphere called Society, There are also System and Individual Spheres (they’re coming up next).

24. Woodbury County (Sioux City, IA) 2006 compared to 2008) - System
National Association of Professional Child Welfare Administrators Disproportionality Diagnostic Tool
Woodbury County (Sioux City, IA) 2006 compared to 2008) - System
Domains
DHS
Community
Total
Pilot
2006
2008
Strategy
100%
88%
67%
33%
58%
48%
56%
70%
59%
Culture
73%
82%
45%
37%
77%
61%
47%
79%
51%
Policy
83%
65%
25%
60%
36%
50%
69%
53%
Legal System
30%
11%
15%
21%
41%
Training & Education
18%
43%
22%
42%
32%
54%
24%
Communication
87%
19%
57%
Resources
52%
38%
Practice
84%
34%
Economic Issues
28%
27%
39%
40%
Data/Technology
63%
13%
46%
Personnel/People
OVERALL
Julia

25. Woodbury County (Sioux City, IA) 2006 compared to 2008) - Individual
National Association of Professional Child Welfare Administrators Disproportionality Diagnostic Tool
Woodbury County (Sioux City, IA) 2006 compared to 2008) - Individual
Domains
DHS
Community
Total
Pilot
2006
2008
Strategy
43%
60%
19%
38%
71%
26%
46%
50%
Culture
88%
90%
44%
79%
58%
82%
85%
Policy
100%
29%
55%
78%
47%
Legal System
86%
67%
45%
35%
36%
56%
41%
Training & Education
25%
40%
11% 0% 7%
15%
27%
Communication
75%
33%
80%
57%
76%
53%
Resources
30%
Practice
74%
94%
83%
65%
68%
Economic Issues
42%
Data/Technology
13%
18%
Personnel/People
64%
OVERALL
70%
63%
31%
66%
Julia

26. Key Services/Practice Improvements Woodbury County
Emphasis on Relative/Community/Tribal Networks
Flexible resource dollar pool
Strong focus on cultural competence
Understand when the case does not belong at DHS
Knowing how to plug in community resources and collaborate with the Native Community
BG emphasizing community collaboration here
Input from CINCF
Use of that forum to know about community resources
Interest by workers in what is available in the community
Being open to the idea that the community has an INTEREST in a family’s outcome and experience

27. Key Services/Practice Improvements Woodbury County
Looking at relative placement right away
Utilizing Tribal/Native Family Liaisons from the time of CPS Assessment
Closer working relationship between social workers and CPS workers
Supervisor, family, DHS worker, Tribe operating from the same page
Training to keep you doing the right thing – reinforcing that it is not our job to create “model” families, whatever that is. We are to keep kids safe.
Judge training has helped them understand that ICWA requires IMMINENT danger for removal, not that abuse is likely BG
Relative Placement
Recommending relatives work with the Tribe to gain custody for children at risk
Placing children with relatives when they need to be removed
Safety planning ahead of time
Utilizing relatives for supervised visits
Geneaology chart
“If your kids would need to stay with someone, who would YOU choose?”
Coaching families on understanding child welfare culture
Asking about relatives from the beginning of the case
Tribal Liasons
Family knows the liaison throughout the case
Continuity
Families can reach liaisons more readily
Families sometimes more comfortable talking with or through the liaison
Contacting and communicating with Tribes
Using Tribally-licensed foster homes on reservations even without a transfer of jurisdiction

28. Practice advances: How a Liaison works
Coaching workers on understanding Native families and their dynamics.
Asking: Is this a SAFETY issue? Are basic needs being met?
Can we utilize community/other resources to meet the needs of these families?
Is removal REALLY necessary?
Contingent on social workers really utilizing Liaison expertise
BG The role of the liaison, but also emphasizing learning workers have had to do and how they need to be more open to different ways of doing things – opening themselves up to criticism but also growth. Do you have a story of a family for this?

29. Dimension 1: Legislation, policy change & finance reform
(Casey) Alliance: 6 Dimensions of Change necessary for long-term reform
Legislation, Policy Change and Finance Reform
Research, Evaluation and Data-Based Decision-making
Youth, Parent and Community Partnership and Development
Public Will and Communication
Human Service Workforce Development
Practice Change (site-based implementation)
Frank –
Looking at all the elements of community collaboration that need to be in place for something like this to work.
We can refer back to the timeline from the beginning of the presentation and then segue to all the partners necessary 29 29

30. Partners in Change Race Matters Consortium Recover Our Children (ROC)
Sioux City Police Department
Third Judicial District
Tribal Council Leaders
Tribal Domestic Violence workers
University of Iowa
University of South Dakota
Woodbury County Administration
Area Tribes
CASA
Casey/CSSP Alliance on Racial Equity
Child Advocacy Center
Iowa DHS
Woodbury County DHS
Iowa Legislature
Local Human Rights Commission
NICWA
Native Service Providers
Frank

31. Community Initiative for Native Children and Families

32. Woodbury County, (Sioux City) IA, future
Culture & Spirituality
Schools
Extended Family
Tribes: consistent response
Woodbury County DHS
Federal Policy: ICWA, ASFA, JJDP, CFSR, MEPA
Community Advocates
Racism, Historical Oppression and Genocide
Culturally competent/Native American provided family services
Law Enforcement
Woodbury County, (Sioux City) IA, future
Interest from other Stakeholders
National Attention
Culturally competent /Native American provided health, mental health, and Substance Abuse Services
JCS
State DHS
Housing
State Policy: MYFI, IA ICWA
IV-E Access for Tribes
IA Dept of Human Rts. Indian Commission
Employment
Court/
Legal
Racial Equity & PROPORTIONAL Representation of Native American Children in Woodbury County DHS
Frank – the hope for the future.