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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.”

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

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

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?

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

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Number of Children Receiving Services from Woodbury County DHS in One Month, 2005 -2008 (in home and out of home) All Data for this table obtained from Iowa Department of Human Services Julia

Permanencies Rate per thousand children in the general population of the same race/ ethnicity Woodbury County, Iowa 2005-2007 All Data for this table obtained from Iowa Department of Human Services Julia

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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

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

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

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 http://www.napcwa.org/DDT/ddt_main.asp 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).

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).

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

Community Initiative for Native Children and Families

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.