November 17, 2014 Webinar Tara Grigg Garlinghouse, NRCLJI 2013 NATIONAL REPORT ON CIP PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES

Purpose: synthesize information, catalog projects, identify trends, create a reference resource #2 and #5 of the 2013 Self-Assessment Report Data reflects 2013 activities Interpretation and categorizations of 2013 submissions Part of the feedback loop in our own CQI process Changed the 2014 Self-Assessment to better capture the information PROCESS

Data Initiatives (45 states, 69 projects) Hearing Quality Projects (38 states, 61 projects) Timeliness and Permanency (30 states, 43 projects) Quality Representation (every state, 71 projects) Child and Family Engagement (33 states, 55 projects) Child Well-Being (33 states, 60 projects) ICWA (30 states, 39 projects) CATEGORIES

DATA INITIATIVES

StateProject SynopsisStatus Illinois Data Courts Project: tracking performance measurements in each county based on closed cases Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation Wisconsin Contract with the University of Wisconsin to match court data with agency SACWIS data for timeliness measures Pilot Testing Phase IowaCounty-specific data through a dashboard Beginning to Use Dashboard DATA INITIATIVES

HEARING QUALITY PROJECTS

StateProject SynopsisStatus Texas (Hearing Observation) Conducted comprehensive observations and file reviews around the state; compiled and analyzed data; developed and presented recommendations Implementing recommendations Arizona (Pilot Projects) Court Teams for Infants and Toddlers: modified case processing for children under three; Arizona State is evaluating the initiative to compare outcomes and services when cases are assigned to specialty judges versus when not Specialty court teams are practicing; comparative data being analyzed New Mexico (Protocols and Processes) Conducted analysis regarding whether review hearings should be held more often; found that it would not be beneficial as a general operating practice Compiling practice document for when extra hearings should be used: status conferences and review hearings on a case by case basis HEARING QUALITY PROJECTS

 Timeliness:  14 projects with data and reports  5 projects analyzing continuances  Permanency  6 analyzing long-term care  4 reducing placement changes  8 assisting youth aging out  4 utilizing Family Finding  2 addressing re-entry TIMELINESS AND PERMANENCY

StateProject SynopsisStatus Alabama (Timeliness) Small study to measure timeliness between events to determine if case flow management workshops were successful; compared to previous calendar years; found that dependency and TPR process needs to be expedited Working on recommendations Georgia (Permanency) Cold Case Project: find children who are predicted by a statistical model to age out; reviews of these children are done around the state at random; results given to each county and annual report Ongoing process DC (APPLA / Older Youth) Preparing Youth for Adulthood: enhanced services to kids with APPLA in collaboration with CASA -- develop transition plan, judge holds "preparation hearings," report progress and problems; identified additional judicial officers for the program Ongoing process TIMELINESS AND PERMANENCY

QUALITY REPRESENTATION

StateProject SynopsisStatus Michigan Genesee County Parent Rep Project: provide social workers to work exclusively with parent attorneys; parents randomly assigned and permanency results compared Collecting and evaluating data Mississippi Statewide examination of the differences between parents who had no legal representation, parents who were represented by an attorney, and parents who met with an attorney but did not receive formal representation (i.e., advice and counsel); used case file reviews and parent surveys; found that parents with attorneys attended court more often, had children placed in foster care less often, stipulated to allegations less often, but did not have a very different in-court experience Conducting additional data to verify the findings Massachusetts Review of e-bills: when an attorney meets with a child in person for less than an hour, it is investigated; attorneys may have to keep a chart of future contact or may even face sanctions Developing recommendations QUALITY REPRESENTATION

 Half focused on youth in court  9 special initiatives (such as father engagement and parents involved in immigration proceedings)  9 resources and trainings  7 family involvement meetings  6 engaging foster families  5 collecting data on engagement  3 improving access to courts ENGAGEMENT

StateProject SynopsisStatus Kansas (Youth) Review youth engagement in court to collect data on time to permanency, well-being factors (health, sibling visitation, and school), youths’ opinions of time in custody, and hearing length; develop youth friendly court report, court order, and notice; analyze wellbeing data from agency before and after the project Evaluating which activities accomplish engagement Pennsylvania (Parent) Survey in 2010 indicated need for efforts to improve father engagement; many measures to identify, contact, and engage fathers; recent survey shows that fathers are more engaged in hearings and planning process; developed additional training on measures Ongoing process Idaho (Foster Family and Caretaker) Evaluation of whether courts are implementing requirements to give children and foster parents notice and right to be heard Analyzed data and developing recommendations ENGAGEMENT

WELL-BEING

StateProject SynopsisStatus Delaware (Education) Collect and evaluate educational outcomes; pilot project geared towards individualized service plans for children in care (The Brandywine 33) Evaluating pilot project Ohio (Reports and Evaluation) Evaluation of the long-term effects of differential response; found that leads to improved safety for children Developing and implementing recommendations Hawaii (Disproportion ality) NCJFCJ Courts Catalyzing Change: pre and post implementation study, found that causes longer court hearings Developing and implementing recommendations WELL-BEING

 Usually depends on prevalence and strength of presence of Tribal community  22 states with no project (and usually no federally recognized Tribe)  16 training and resource development  12 data collection and analysis  5 collaboration with the Tribe  4 model court documents  Training and implementation of resources, such as signage in the courtroom and field guides for caseworkers, makes up 40% of the projects, but does not always fit neatly in a CQI framework. ICWA

StateProject SynopsisStatus North Dakota ICWA audit: track notice, active efforts, qualified expert witness, and culturally relevant services; report created and analyzed; developed benchbook and hearing card Evaluating the new initiatives Utah ICWA Compliance assessment: gather information on compliance to set a course to reinforce the letter and spirit of ICWA; positive practices identified as well as ways to increase compliance Implementing recommendations WisconsinWICWA Compliance assessment: county case file reviews, focus groups, and surveys; findings in written report and summary presentation; TA provided to implement practice enhancements Evaluating the new initiatives ICWA

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