BHOC DCF Advisory Workgroup

June 2, 2005

Brief Meeting Notes

Attendees: Barbara Sheldon, Cathy Adamczyk, Chet Brodnicki, Doug DeCerbo, Gerardo Sorkin, Mark Schaefer, Molly Cole, Stacey Gerber, Susan Zimmerman, Tony Delmastro, Vicki Veltri, Karen Andersson, Peter Mendelson, Ann Adams

The topic of discussion was the flow chart for the referral process for out-of-home treatment prepared by Peter Mendelson of DCF. Several changes were suggested and Peter Mendelson agreed to present a revised flow chart at a future workgroup meeting. It is important to note that the flow chart and the processes implied within are still in draft form. This presentation/discussion is one of many that have or will occur with various stakeholders before decisions around protocols for residential and group home care are finalized.

Comments worth noting from the discussion:

• DCF is creating a new Enhanced Care Coordination (ECC) Clinical Specialist (now known as a Comprehensive Global Assessment Clinical Specialist)

o ECCCGA Clinical Specialist is available to the Child Specific Team (CST) as needed

o Conducts Comprehensive Global Assessment (CGA)

o Every area office will have access to a ECC CGA Clinical Specialist

o Position is grant-funded

o Referrals can come from collaboratives or from MSS

• The no eject, no reject policy necessitates residential providers have adequate information. CGA is an intensive clinical summary connected to the permanency plan. Process modeled after Juvenile Justice Intermediate Evaluation (JJIE)

• Referral to Managed Service System (MSS) appropriate when access to community services is not available or the child needs residential or group home placement. Administrative Services Organization (ASO) may be represented at the meeting.

• CGA required for all residential placements except when there is a JJIE or current comprehensive hospital assessment. CGA is not done for community services.

• ASO review of residential placement required if child has not previously been involved with the MSS

• Child Placement Team (CPT) role will change to focus on identifying provider based on the recommendations from the CST

• Flow chart could be reversed for discharge from residential to community services. CGA might be the vehicle for identifying the community provider. MSS would be involved if services identified in the CGA were not available in the community or required a complex configuration.

• ASO will conduct monthly reviews of residential treatment plans. Discharge plans will be reviewed by the community provider in advance of discharge. ASO also will follow up with every family 7 and 30 days after discharge from a residential facility or hospital. This includes connecting the family with a peer specialist.

• When community services are not available, referral will be made to a group home. Referral to a group home might be made if the child had no viable family to return to or, the necessary community supports were not available or appropriate to enable the child to be successful in a home environment.

• To facilitate community placement, the ASO can negotiate Critical Access Agreements to provide a specialized service in the community for an individual child identified either through the MSS or through other means (Community Collaborative, ASO Intensive Care Managers).To facilitate community placement, the ASO can negotiate Critical Access Agreements to provide service in the community for a single case through the MSS. However, irrespective of the availability of specialized services, a suitable living arrangement may be a barrier to achieving placement in the community.

• Family Support Teams are currently available to all DCF-involved families including Voluntary Services to provide intensive and long term treatment and support to families with a multitude of challenges.

• Care Coordinators in the local collaboratives should get may need training on empowering families to allow cases to close based on data that suggests some cases remain open over 18 months..