III. ANALYSIS OF REVIEW FINDINGS Demographics of cases Figure 1 Of the 150 cases reviewed, there were a total of 245 children (0-18 years) served by the Division. The race and ethnicity of the children served included 112 African American, 91 White, 26 Hispanic, 14 Bi-Racial, one Pacific Islander and one Asian (Figure 1). Figure 2 Of the 245 children, there were 114 (47%) females and 131 (53%) males represented in the statewide sample (Figure 2). From the sample, 90 children were in foster care, while the remaining 168 children were served through in-home services (Family support and Family Preservation). The primary reason for agency involvement with the 150 included neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse, medical neglect and sexual abuse. In addition, most of the cases were complex and had multiple reasons for agency involvement including, but not limited to: mental health issues by parents and children; substance abuse and/or domestic violence issues; physical health of the parents; behaviors of the children; and Department of Juvenile Justice involvement and/or abandonment by their parents. Of the 150 cases reviewed, approximately 65 (43%) involved some form of substance abuse issues by parents. Domestic violence was also present in approximately 28 (19%) of the case reviewed. Review Findings: For the first six months of 2016 (January 2016 to June 2016), a case review of the seven overall outcomes and 18 items was conducted in all regions within the state. Based on review findings, there continued to be minimal progress in the achievement of items and two overall outcomes (Well-Being 1 and 2) have declined since the Round 3 Federal CFSR Review conducted from April 2015 to September 2015. The current review criteria specifically focused on the quality of the initial and ongoing case practice with families to improve overall family functioning as it related to safety, permanency and well-being, An emphasis was placed on the initial and ongoing assessment phase, as well as the initial and ongoing service provisions and monitoring. Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) Goals
Service Providers: Excellent Good Fair Poor Rate the DFCS referral information provided to your agency. Are you provided with the information needed to understand the case situation? 16% 41% 29% 14% DFCS referrals to our program are timely (based on family’s situation and the types of services needed) 20% 60% 18% 2% Rate the Ongoing follow up by DFCS with your agency to determine whether the services were initiated timely and are effective in meeting the of the families and children 17% 50% 25% 8% Rate DFCS effectiveness in involving your agency in decision making on cases when appropriate 31% 46% 15% 8% Rate DFCS effectiveness in keeping your agency informed about mutual cases and notifying your agency before case closure or transfer 21% 33% 29% 17% Case Managers: Excellent Good Fair Poor How effective is your county in meeting the needs of the children you serve both in foster care cases and CPS cases? 14% 62% 23% 1% Rate the availability of services to meet the needs of children and families in your county/region 12% 44% 33% 11% Rate the effectiveness of initial training received and preparedness for your job responsibilities 3% 42% 38% 17% Rate the effectiveness of ongoing training for your continued job responsibilities 11% 60% 19% 10% Rate your overall experience and/or support you have received regarding critical case management decisions 27% 50% 17% 6%