Seeing the Forest and the Trees

National Title IV-E Roundtable June 2-4, 2015, MN

Collaboration with Private Partners

Andrea HightowerStrategic Partnerships for Child Welfare TrainingAndrea.Hightower@asu.edu / (602) 4961489

main points{

we can keep doing what we’ve been doing & see some success

greater success is always possible

maximizing what currently exists to support the work of child welfare

Premise:

the challenges we seek to

address are larger than any

one government agency, field

of study, or community can

solve on their own.

Public funds may be used in the State’s Title IV-E claim§ 235.66Sources of State funds.(a) Public funds. Public funds may be considered as the State's share in claiming Federal reimbursement where the funds:(1) Are appropriated directly to the State or local agency, or transferred from another public agency (including Indian tribes) to the State or local agency and under its administrative control, or certified by the contributing public agency as representing expenditures eligible for FFP under §§ 235.60-235.66;

Code of Federal Regulations: Title 45 - Public Welfare / Volume: 2 / Date: 2008-10-01 / Original Date: 2008-10-01 / Title: Section 235.66 - Sources of State funds.

Context: Title 45 - Public Welfare. Subtitle B - Regulations Relating to Public Welfare / Chapter II – Office of Family Assistance (Assistance Programs), Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services. Part 235 – Administration of Financial Assistance Programs.

Private funds may be used in the State’s Title IV-E claim§ 235.66Sources of State funds.(b) Private funds. Funds donated from private sources may be considered as the State's share in claiming Federal reimbursement only where the funds are:(1) Transferred to the State or local agency and under its administrative control;(2) Donated without any restriction which would require their use for the training of a particular individual or at particular facilities or institutions; and(3) Do not revert to the donor's facility or use.

Code of Federal Regulations: Title 45 - Public Welfare / Volume: 2 / Date: 2008-10-01 / Original Date: 2008-10-01 / Title: Section 235.66 - Sources of State funds.

Context: Title 45 - Public Welfare. Subtitle B - Regulations Relating to Public Welfare / Chapter II – Office of Family Assistance (Assistance Programs), Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services. Part 235 – Administration of Financial Assistance Programs.

part I: perspective matters

consider Title IV-E training as

an old growth forest. A mix of

young, old, and middle aged

trees.

“…developed over a long period of time…without experiencing severe disturbances…can persist indefinitely.” – Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

our longest standing trees personnel employed by or preparing for employment by the State or local agency administering the plan, and; short-term training to current or prospective foster or adoptive parents and the members of the state licensed or approved child care institutions providing care to foster and adopted children receiving title IV-E assistance

allowable training audiences 45 CFR 1356.60(b)

our middle aged trees CASA volunteers,contracted foster child placement providers, and members of the staff of abuse and neglect courts, Agency attorneys,Attorneys representing children or parents,Guardians ad litem, andOther court appointed special advocates representing children in court proceedings.

made eligible for training by the Fostering Connections to success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-351)

our young trees IF these organization are declared by the state to be “approved child welfare agencies” for the purposes of IV-E training:

mental health,public health,School social workers, andprivate family service staff.

made eligible for training by the Fostering Connections to success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-351)

part II: sustainability through partnership

“We don’t want to be a barrier to eligible Title IV-E activities that are occurring.” – AZ Department of Child Safety Leadership

“…it is unlikely that child welfare will have the staff

necessary to maintain the complex Title IV-E program

within the child welfare agency, while also having the

capacity to extend the program and it’s associate

federal funding to others…” (Valentine, 2012, p 14).

“Public universities and community colleges, in

partnership with these child welfare partners, can now

use investment in their current training programs to

leverage new IV-E training reimbursement” (Valentine,

2012, p 6).

ASU’s goal is to exemplify

sustainability through

excellence in stewardship and

a commitment to collaborative

partnership.

New multi-year agreement (2015-2019) between DCS & ASU that outlines how Title IV-E eligible activities are reported for inclusion in the federal claims. Increased the Q1 2015 claim by over $1 million in ASU expenditures, previously unrecognized.

part III: maximizing what currently exists

ASU works across boundaries

to maximize the strengths and

resources that currently exist

but are siloed from one

another.

Language incorporated within Arizona’s Title IV-B Training Plan and 2015-2019 CFSR provides the ability to extend Title IV-E to a broad range of community partners in a flexible and collaborative process.

“Reimbursements can be used to expand training to

promote a system of care approach where all

participants are trained to perform more effectively,

while understanding the role and limitations placed

upon their system partners” (Valentine, 2012, p 6).

ASU is currently conducting a statewide scan of Arizona human service delivery organizations and their respective training programs.

“We don’t want to be a barrier to eligible Title IV-E activities that are occurring.” – AZ Department of Child Safety Leadership

the purposes of this scan are:

1.to catalog the wide variety of existing training topics to avoid duplication of effort across systems, 2.to inform future training opportunities for staff, system partners, and/or the family unit (birth family, kinship, foster/adoptive), and3.to identify and formally recognize training that may qualify for federal funding pursuant to Section 474(3)(A) of the Social Security Act and 45 CFR 1356.60

“We don’t want to be a barrier to eligible Title IV-E activities that are occurring.” – AZ Department of Child Safety Leadership

what we expect to find:

eligible training topics occurring within other human service systems such as:

– cultural competency related to children and families,– general substance abuse, domestic violence, and

mental health issues related to children and families,– communication skills required to work with children

and families,– independent living and issues confronting adolescents

preparing for independent living, and– much more! “We don’t want to be a barrier to eligible Title IV-E activities

that are occurring.” – AZ Department of Child Safety Leadership

what we expect to do:

1.engage with our state child welfare partner first regarding the potential to extend Title IV-E for work that already exists (and that is already funded),2.educate the human service provider community and stakeholders on the importance of working together to maximize the Title IV-E funding resource, and3.share what we learn with other states.

“We don’t want to be a barrier to eligible Title IV-E activities that are occurring.” – AZ Department of Child Safety Leadership

recap{we can keep doing what we’ve been doing & see some success

greater success is always possible

maximizing what currently exists to support the work of child welfare

referencesValentine, Carl. (2012). Child welfare funding

opportunities: Title IV-E and Medicaid.

State Policy Advocacy and Reform Center (2012). Child Welfare Financing Webinar. Retrieved from: http://childwelfaresparc.org/child-welfare-financing-webinar/