Shane’s Story

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76LqMnBZV-0
Chapin Hall’s Midwest Evaluation of the Adult
Function of Former Foster Youth Study
FORMER
FOSTER
YOUTH
GENERAL
POPULATI
ON
48%
76%
Median Earnings
$8,000
$18,300
Have a bank account
< 50%
85%
Have Health Insurance
57%
78%
Been Pregnant (female)
>75%
40%
Impregnated a partner (male)
61%
28%
37%
3x more
likely
1%
LACK OF PERMANENCY HAS SEVERE
CONSEQUENCES
Currently Employed
High School Diploma or GED
Have been homeless or couch-surfed
Chapin Hall’s Midwest Evaluation
of the Adult Function of Former
Foster Youth Study
•
Post traumatic stress rate double war veterans
•
Serious untreated health conditions
•
Higher rate of becoming victims of crime, or
engaging in criminal activity
•
Over 270,000 American prisoners were once in
foster care
•
12-22% of youth who ‘age out’ of care are
homeless from day one
•
DOES THIS INFORMATION MIRROR WHAT YOU
HAVE SEEN?
COLORADO JANUARY 2013
 4,363 kids in out of home care
 694 youth with OPPLA goal
 Of the 694 youth 294 are in Congegrate Care
Children in out of home placements (does not include adoption, relative
guardianship, runaways, independent living, or DYC (placements) with OPPLA as
permanency goal: by Age
AGE CATEGORY
<12
STATE TOTAL
26
12-14
74
15-17
400
18+
194
Total
694
Colorado National Youth in Transition DataBase (NYTD) Survey:
•Have high‐risk experiences:
57% were incarcerated at some point
47% had a substance abuse referral
14% became homeless at some point
6% have at least one child
•Financial self‐sufficiency: 24% are employed
or are in employment training
•Source: Colorado NYTD FFY 2011 Cohort 1 Data Snapshot (487 youth, 99% participation rate)
Colorado January 2013
Children in Out of Home Care for Greater
than 12 Months
County
Adams
Arapahoe
Boulder
Denver
El Paso
Jefferson
Larimer
Weld
Totals
County Total
190
170
39
406
264
200
68
143
2004
Working Definition of
Permanency
•PARENTING
•LIFE-LONG INTENT
•BELONGING
•STATUS (legal and social)
•UNCONDITIONAL COMMITMENT
(By an adult)
Expected
Outcomes GOLDEN
STANDARD
Achieving LEGAL
Permanency!
Reunification
Adoption
Legal Guardianship
What Permanency is NOT:
O A place or placement
O When a youth is discharged “they can
come back for a holiday”
O Agreeing that a youth can stop in to see
you after discharge without a committed,
defined plan
O Keeping in touch only when the youth
initiates the contact
 Who’s your Person?
 Do you think having
Permanency eliminates
the need for Life Skills?
 Doesn’t everyone really
need BOTH?
Philosophy of
Permanence
All children deserve a permanent family
All children can have a permanent family
Grief and loss work must be done to form
stable connections
Youth need to be prepared for permanency
Youth have a right to lifelong,
unconditional supports
It is NEVER too late for permanency
*To Develop a permanent plan for each child/youth
that can realistically be implemented and expedite
legal permanence.
*To stimulate thinking and learning about pathways
to permanency for these and other children.
*To identify and address barriers to permanency
through professional development, policy change,
resource development, and the engagement of
system partners.
• URGENCY
No excuses
• TEAMING
Non- Blaming
Assistance with Action Plan
• OUTCOME
Accountability / Solutions Focused
• OPTIMISM
Increase worker’s Hope
and Energy
What is a permanency roundtable?
A professional case
consultation that is:
 Structured
 In-depth
 Non-blaming
 Relentless
AND
Roundtable Members

Master Practitioners
Permanency
Consultants – internal
and external
Caseworkers
Supervisors
Scribe
Others
ROUNDTABLE PHASES
•
•
•
•
•
Welcome and overview
Presentation of case
Clarify and explore
Brainstorm
Create permanency
action plan
• Debrief roundtable
•
•
•
•
•
•
Transitioning to Roundtable Part II
Creating a safe environment
Adjust the action plan – “Making it real”
Moving forward – “Where do we go from
here?”
Debrief – Thanks
Post roundtable – “We’re on our way”
Georgia 24 month Outcome
Report:
 496 Youth
 57% male, 92% African American
 Median Age 13
 Median Length of Stay in foster care = 52 months
 76% of Youth in Care for at least 2 years
49.8% Achieved Legal Permanency
 22% Adoption, 10% Reunification, 19% Guardianship
Denver Initial Outcomes:
104 kids in initial roundtables in 2010 within 6 months
 68% had improved permanency;
 7% finalized legal permanence;
 31% found connections and moved into the home pending
a plan or court hearing to finalize legal permanence
Boulder Outcomes To date 82 Kids:
 60% closed have achieved legal permanency
 19 kids still active
 Had the lowest % of kids in care prior to starting PRT’s
CONTACT
Tiffany Sewell
Permanency Roundtable Coordinator
303 866-3930
Tiffany.sewell@state.co.us