PCCYFS Children’s Services
Policy Day
October 18, 2013
Office of Children, Youth and Families
OCYF Staff and Leadership Update
• Cathy Utz - Acting Deputy Secretary
• Amy Grippi – Chief of Staff
• Cindi Horshaw – Acting Director, Bureau of Policy, Programs
and Operations
• Roseann Perry – Director, Bureau of Child and Family Services
• Mike Pennington – Director, Bureau of Juvenile Justice
Services
• Hasmukh Amin – Director, Bureau of Budget and Program
Support
2
Task Force on Child Protection
• Senate and House Legislative Packages
Definitions
Child Abuse
Perpetrator
Indicated and Founded Reports
Mandated Reporter
Penalties
Failure to Report
False Reports
Multi-Disciplinary Investigative Teams
3
Child Welfare Demonstration Project
• Flexible Use of IV-E Funds
• Theory of Change
Family Engagement
Assessment
Evidence-based/informed services
• Five Counties
Allegheny, Dauphin, Lackawanna, Philadelphia, and
Venango
• County Interest Submitted Via Needs-Based Plan
and Budget
• Programmatic and Fiscal Analysis
4
Rate Methodology Task Force
•Legislation:
On July 9, 2013, Governor Tom Corbett signed House
Bill 1075, Printer’s Number 2203, now known as Act 55
of 2013.
Act 55 of 2013, in part, amended the Public Welfare
Code by adding a new section, Section 704.3.
This section requires a provider to submit
documentation of its cost of providing placement
services to the Department and authorizes the
Department to use the documentation to support the
claim for federal and state reimbursement.
Rate Methodology Task Force
•
•
•
Pursuant to Act 55 of 2013, DPW is required to convene a
task force to develop recommendations for a methodology
to determine reimbursement for actual and projected costs
of child welfare services which are reasonable and
allowable
The Task Force shall provide written recommendations as
to the methodology for purchase of out-of-home
placement services from providers and related payments
to the General Assembly April 30, 2014
The Task Force shall provide written recommendations for
other purchased services by December 31, 2014
6
Solution Benefits
The automated solution will improve operational efficiencies, enable
data driven decision-making and provide on-line self-service options for
mandated reporters and clearance applicants.
Other benefits include:
• Access to real-time data on children and cases
• Electronic exchange of information between the state and
counties
• Elimination of gaps in information throughout the life of a case
• Improved accuracy and timeliness of data
• Improved tracking and auditing of state and federal funds
• Bringing the state into compliance with federal reporting
requirements
7
Solution Phases
The solution will be implemented in four phases:
 Phase I = Referrals
 March 2013 – December 2014
 Phase II = Children
 March 2014 – May of 2016
 Phase III = Providers and Resources
 November of 2015 – June of 2017
 Phase IV = Accounting (finances and budget)
 December of 2016 – April of 2018
8
Phase I - Referrals
Phase I focuses on:
•
Referrals and screening at ChildLine
•
Exchange of Child Protective Services Reports
(CPS) and General Protective Services (GPS)
•
Self-Service options for mandated reporting
•
Self-Service options for applying and paying for a
child abuse clearance
9
Phase I - Timeline
Currently gathering requirements
System Design (November 2013 – February)
System Development (March – July)
System Testing (August – October)
User Testing (November)
If you are a mandated reporter
or are required to obtain a child
abuse clearance we are seeking
volunteers to review the system
design and assist in user testing.
Implementation (December 2014)
10
DPW Contacts
Susan Stockwell – DPW, OCYF
sstockwell@pa.gov
Brian Hart – DPW, BIS
brihart@pa.gov
11
Affordable Care Act (ACA)
Youth who at any time on or after their
18th birthday
• were in Pennsylvania’s or another
state’s foster care system AND
• were enrolled in Medical Assistance
may be eligible beginning Jan. 1,
2014 for Medical Assistance coverage
until age 26.
12
ACA Cont.
• Youth aged between 18 and 21 will be eligible
for full range of benefits available to all
children under the Medical Assistance program
• Individuals age 21 and older will qualify for
most comprehensive level of benefits currently
offered to adults enrolled in the Medical
Assistance program
• There are copayments associated with some
services for individuals of any age in the
former foster care category
13
ACA Cont.
Individuals who are not yet age 26, who
were in foster care and enrolled in Medical
Assistance at any time on or after their 18th
birthday must:
complete a full health care
application and
provide all required documentation
including statement of income
14
ACA Cont.
• To ensure they are considered for
eligibility under the former foster care
category, individuals must fully answer
the questions on the health care
application related to former foster
care status.
• Eligibility for other health care
coverage categories is determined
before placing an individual in the
former foster care category.
15
Human Services Block Grant
• County collaboration for delivery of
county-based human services:
Mental Health
Intellectual Disabilities
Child Welfare
Drug and Alcohol
Homeless Assistance
Behavioral Health
16
Human Services Block Grant
Original Counties
10 New Counties
Allegheny
Beaver
Berks
Bucks
Butler
Centre
Chester
Crawford
Dauphin
Delaware
Blair
Cambria
Lackawanna
McKean
Montgomery
Northampton
Potter
Schuylkill
Washington
Westmoreland
Erie
Franklin
Fulton
Greene
Lancaster
Lehigh
Luzerne
Tioga
Venango
Wayne
Out-of-Home Safety Assessments
Other Discussion Points
• Implementation of Act 80 and 91
• Implementation of Uninterrupted Scholars Act
• Resource Family Certification Manual
• Medical Foster Care Special Transmittal
• Revised Independent Living Bulletin
19