1. Continuum of CARE reform (AB403 & ab1997)
Alexis Barries
Project Associate
Youth Engagement Project
Ali Arnold
Ambassador
Youth Engagement Project
Alyssum Maguire
Project Coordinator
Youth Engagement Project

2. Today’s PRESENTATION
What you can expect

3. Want a copy of the handbook?
What you can expect from this presentation
Want a copy of the handbook?
Go to our website to view the handbook once it is ready!

4. We Do Not Have All The Answers
What you can expect from this presentation
We Do Not Have All The Answers
Continuum of Care Reform (CCR) is a work in progress.
New laws get passed to improve the original law. The new laws might cause some of this information to change.

5. We Do Not Have All The Answers
What you can expect from this presentation
We Do Not Have All The Answers
CCR is changing quickly.
What we share today might change based on input the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) receives from stakeholders (like you!).

6. What to expect from this presentation
Topics
Continuum of Care Reform (AB 403/AB 1997) Child and Family Team Meetings Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Programs Resource Families Special Considerations Who is Involved How You Can be Involved

7. Continuum of care reform
What does it mean?

8. What does “continuum of care” mean?
Continuum of Care (Now)
Committed permanent family or independence
Foster, Relatives, Adoptive Homes
Group Homes
There are many different types and levels of care.

9. Continuum of Care
Committed permanent family or independence
Different services are provided in different placements.

10. Committed permanent family or independence
Continuum of Care
It becomes difficult to build trust with service providers when they often change between placements.
Committed permanent family or independence
Different services are provided in each placement. Youth may need to move when they need different or additional services.

11. Committed permanent family or independence
Continuum of Care
Services are coordinated around the placement.
Committed permanent family or independence
It is difficult for youth and caregivers to navigate many different systems.

12. Committed permanent family or independence
Continuum of Care
Committed permanent family or independence
Moving to new placements with new service providers makes it even more difficult to coordinate services smoothly

13. Start with Continuum of Care.
Continuum of Care: Review
Foster, Relatives, Adoptive Homes
Group Homes
Committed permanent family or independence
Start with Continuum of Care.

14. Continuum of Care: Review
Committed permanent family or independence
Add different types of services that change based on where youth live.

15. Continuum of Care: Review
Committed permanent Family or Independence
Committed permanent family or independence
Add many moves back and forth between homes.

16. Continuum of Care: Review
Committed permanent family or independence
Finally- add difficulty coordinating services.

17. Continuum of Care: Review Committed permanent family or independence
Changes need to be made.

18. continuum of care reform
The vision of this reform is for foster youth to experience individualized:
Youth and family voice
Family based settings
Permanency/independence
Stable homes

19. Committed permanent family or independence
What does “continuum of care reform” mean?
Committed permanent family or independence
Individualized care with more focus on permanent homes and independence.

20. What does “continuum of care reform” mean?
The youth does not have to move to receive services.
Committed permanent family or independence
Committed permanent Family or Independence
When youth need new services, the services are brought to the youth.

21. What does “continuum of care reform” mean?
Committed permanent Family or Independence
Committed permanent family or independence
Services are expected to be culturally relevant and meet the specific needs of the youth.

22. Youth experience fewer moves between homes.
What does “continuum of care reform” mean?
Committed permanent family or independence
Committed permanent Family or Independence
Youth experience fewer moves between homes.

23. Committed permanent family or independence
What does “continuum of care reform” mean?
Committed permanent family or independence
Services are coordinated with the youth and their family’s needs.

24. Committed permanent family or independence
Foster Care System Now
Committed permanent family or independence

25. CCR’s Vision Foster Care System Now
Committed permanent family or Independence
Committed permanent family or independence
CCR’s Vision

26. Child and family team meetings

27. Child and family team meetings
Child and Family Teams
CFTs Make sure service providers communicate and coordinated to work together.

28. Child and family team meetings
Child and Family Teams
Another purpose of CFTs is to give youth and family a place to be involved in evaluating needs and making plans.

29. Who Do You Talk to About Your Child and Family Team Meeting?
Child and family team meetings
Who Do You Talk to About Your Child and Family Team Meeting?
Your social worker or probation officer is responsible for making sure a Child and Family Team Meeting happens.

30. Who Do You Talk to About Your Child and Family Team Meeting?
Child and family team meetings
Who Do You Talk to About Your Child and Family Team Meeting?
They also make sure you are included in the meeting.

31. Child and family team meetings
How Often Do We Meet?
Child and Family Team meetings happen as often as needed, but you shouldn’t go more than 6 months without one.

32. Child and family team meetings
How Often Do We Meet?
Some youth who receive certain types of mental health services will receive a Child and Family Team every 3 months.
Ask your social worker or probation officer if this applies to you.

33. Child and family team meetings
SUMMARY: CFTs
CFT is the term for Child and Family Team.
CFTs make sure your service providers work together and make sure that you and your family’s voice is heard.

34. Child and family team meetings
SUMMARY: CFTs
Your Social Worker or Probation Officer is responsible for making sure you have a CFT and that you are involved in your CFT.

35. Child and family team meetings
SUMMARY: CFTs
You will have a CFT at least every 6 months.
You might also have a CFT every 3 months.

36. Short-term residential therapeutic programs
What are they and how will they work?

37. Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Programs (STRTP)
What does Short-term residential therapeutic program mean?
Group Homes
Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Programs (STRTP)

38. In the law, STRTPs are called
What does Short-term residential therapeutic program mean?
In the law, STRTPs are called
Short-Term Residential Treatment Centers or STRTCs,
But…

39. Youth helped change the name!
What does Short-term residential therapeutic program mean?
We are now calling them
Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Programs or STRTPs.
Youth helped change the name!

40. Short-term residential Therapeutic programs
Why have STRTPs?
Some youth who are in crisis need intensive services before they are ready to move to a family based setting, a permanent home, or an independent living situation.

41. Short-term residential Therapeutic programs
What Does Short-Term Mean?
Short-Term means youth should live in STRTPs for the shortest amount of time possible.

42. Short-term residential Therapeutic programs
What Does
Short-term Mean?
Short-Term is case by case, there is not a definition for Short-term that applies to all youth.

43. Short-term residential Therapeutic programs
Will trainings for STRTP staff change?
Yes! More training will be required.
Certain topics will be required,
for example:
The effects of trauma
Foster youth rights
Cultural relevance

44. Short-term residential Therapeutic programs
How will STRTPs be held to the standards?
Government agencies will still monitor STRTPs.
They can do audits and check the STRTPs files.
They can fine STRTPs.

45. Short-term residential Therapeutic programs
How will STRTPs be held to the standards?
STRTPs will also have to be accredited.
Accredited means they have to meet very high standards of an outside organization.

46. Short-term residential Therapeutic programs
How will STRTPs be held to the standards?
The Accreditation organization will ask youth about how the STRTP is doing.

47. Short-term residential Therapeutic programs
How will STRTPs be held to the standards?
The organization will also do random inspections of the STRTP.

48. Short-term residential Therapeutic programs
STRTPs will be paid differently
There are several factors which must be taken into consideration, for example:
The services you need:
Extracurricular activities
Transportation

49. Short-term residential Therapeutic programs
Are There Exceptions to when group homes must become STRTPs?
Group homes are provided more time to switch over to the new standards.

50. Short-term residential Therapeutic programs
Are There Exceptions to when group homes must become STRTPs?
Some group homes will get extensions for up to 2 years.
Foster youth up to 2 years.
Probation youth up to 3 years.

51. Short-term residential Therapeutic programs
Are There Exceptions to when group homes must become STRTPs?
Your County can apply for an extension for any group home you live in.

52. Short-term residential Therapeutic programs
What happens when a group home gets an extension?
The California Department of Social Services is creating a database to track Group Homes.

53. Short-term residential Therapeutic programs
What happens when a group home gets an extension?
There will also be a website where Counties can see important information about group homes like:
Letters of recommendation for the group home
Concerns about the group home

54. Short-term residential Therapeutic programs
SUMMARY: STRTPs
Youth should live in the STRTP the shortest amount of time possible.
STRTPs will have to be accredited.

55. Short-term residential Therapeutic programs
SUMMARY: STRTPs
Group homes may be able to receive an extension.
Staff will have additional training requirements.

56. Short-term residential Therapeutic programs
SUMMARY: STRTPs
There will be a database to track Group Homes.
There will be a website where Counties can see important information about Group Homes.

57. Resource Families
Who, why, and how?

58. Who are Resource Families?
Resource Family is the new name for caregiver(s) in a family based setting, also known as:
Foster families
Relative caregivers
Adoptive families
Guardian families

59. How do Caregivers Become a Resource Family?
Resource families
How do Caregivers Become a Resource Family?
Resource Families have to complete a background check. For example:
criminal record check

60. How do Caregivers Become a Resource Family?
Resource families
How do Caregivers Become a Resource Family?
A Resource Family has to have a home environment assessment to make sure their house is a safe and healthy place to live.

61. How do Caregivers Become a Resource Family?
Resource families
How do Caregivers Become a Resource Family?
They also do a family study.
This means the Resource Family Approval worker (like a social worker) talks with them to better understand their family .

62. What is a permanent family?
Resource families
What is a permanent family?
Permanence is individual to you and your family!
Permanency can have a legal meaning.
Permanency can also be a family or person who will be in your life forever, even if they don’t have a legal connection to you.

63. What training will Resource Families get?
Certain training topics will be required, for example:
The effects of trauma on children and youth.
Positive parenting
Health concerns for children/youth in foster care.

64. Why change to Resource Families?
Before CCR there were three different processes:
Foster Family
Relative Caregiver
Adoptive Family
Adoption
Foster Parent
Relative Caregiver

65. Why change to Resource Families?
The process to become a caregiver will be streamlined.
All caregivers and family based settings will be called Resource Families and will have to meet the same standards.
Adoption
Resource Family
Relative Caregiver
Foster Parent

66. Resource families
Why change to Resource Families?
This should make it easier for foster families and relative caregivers to become legally permanent families.
Adoption
Foster Parent
Relative Caregiver
Permanent Family
Resource Family 

67. What are Resource Families Expected to Do?
They are expected to support the youth’s plan for living in a permanent place and having permanent connections.

68. What are Resource Families Expected to Do?
They are expected to use their judgement to allow the most “normal” family life possible.
They have to provide a home that meets each individual youth’s needs.

69. SUMMARY: Resource Families
Resource Families are in family based settings and will all be called Resource Families.
Resource Families can be either related or unrelated to the youth.

70. SUMMARY: Resource Families
Resource families will have to pass a home environment assessment, a family study, a background check and complete training.
All resource families will have to meet the same standards.

71. SUMMARY: Resource Families
Even if a Resource Family is not going be the permanent family, they will be expected to support the youth’s plan for living in a permanent place.
It will be an easier process for foster parents and relative caregivers to become permanent families.

72. Special considerations

73. Special Considerations
Some youth may need specialized services and caregivers may need special training to provide the right kind of support.
There are sections in the law written for youth with certain experiences.

74. Special Considerations
Trainings will be required for STRTPs and Resource Families about the needs of youth who have:
Been on probation
Tribal heritage
Identified with LGBTQ
Been Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC)

75. Special Considerations
Probation departments will have to:
Give advice to group homes who want to become STRTPs or special foster families for probation youth.
Work with STRTPs to
make sure they meet
the needs of probation
youth.

76. Special Considerations
Probation departments will have to:
Work with Foster Family Agencies and others to find and keep foster families for probation youth.
Help rural counties and small counties improve their foster care and probation systems for youth.

77. Special considerations
SUMMARY: Special Considerations
CCR requires specialized training for caregivers to make sure youth in certain circumstances can still experience the vision of CCR for permanent relationships, stable housing, and individualized care.
STRTPs and Resource Families get training to provide specialized support to youth with certain experiences.
Probation departments also have to help make sure there are enough caregivers who can meet the needs of probation youth.

78. Special considerations
SUMMARY: Special Considerations
Probation departments have to advise group homes and other agencies on the needs of probation youth.
Probation departments also have to help make sure there are enough resource families who can meet the needs of probation youth.

79. Who is involved?
Who is helping make decisions about ccr?

80. How are youth involved?
Who does the California Department of Social Services ask when they are making decisions?
They are involving people who are affected by CCR, or who might have an effect on CCR,
for example:
Youth
Caregivers
Probation officers
Education Partners
Tribal Partners
Others from the State and the Counties

81. How are youth involved?
Get more information!
Contact YEP using the “Contact Us” link on our website at
Go online to the CCR webpage at htm
CDSS to start getting monthly CCR newsletters with updates on CCR

82. How are youth involved?
How is the California Department of Social Services Receiving Input from Youth?
Youth organizations and advocacy groups are sharing their ideas.
Youth are participating in meetings to discuss many important decisions about how CCR is put into action.

83. How are youth involved?
What kind of input is the California Department of Social Services asking for?
They are asking for input on the way CCR is carried out, for example:
Youth satisfaction survey
Input on messaging of CCR
Resource Family Training

84. How are youth involved?
How is the California Department of Social Services getting input?
They are also receiving input and answering questions through at

85. Connect with a local or statewide youth engagement organization.
How Can you be involved?
Share your ideas!
Connect with a local or statewide youth engagement organization.

86. Youth Engagement Project California Youth Connection
How Can you be involved?
Share your ideas!
Contact a local or statewide youth engagement organization.
Youth Engagement Project
Alyssum Maguire
Project Coordinator
California Youth Connection
Jenny Vinopal
Director of programs
V.O.I.C.E.S Youth Center
Amber Twitchell
UC Davis CAARE Center
Michelle Ornelas-O’Knight

87. Key values when you engage other youth
spread the word to other youth about ccr!
Key values when you engage other youth
Make sure you have enough personal and professional preparation and support.
Always be aware that CCR has an effect on the youth you are sharing with and the information could be traumatizing for them (and for you).

88. Key values when you involve other youth
spread the word to other youth about ccr!
Key values when you involve other youth
Include incentives
for youth to attend CCR
trainings.
Include youth from the beginning in policy planning.  
Practice active listening.

89. Thank You!!!