Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Protecting and Strengthening

Central Florida’s Families

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Who is FSMO?

Lead agency for Community -Based Care in Florida’s Orange and Osceola Counties

Vision –

…a safe home for every child

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Service Areas

FSMO is one of the largest CBCs in the state of Florida, managing formal child welfare services for over 3,200 children

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Partner Agencies

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Services

Adoption

Foster Care

Independent Living

Protective Services

Diversion Services

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Impact of the IV-E Waiver

Benefits: • Flexibility• Latitude in

Constructing System of Care (developing programs that meet the needs of the clients)

• Reinvestment of Unrestricted dollars

• Unrestricted dollars fund Diversion Programs

• Florida's IV-E Waiver for funding flexibility was implemented in October 2006

through changes in State contracts with the CBC lead agencies.

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Diversion

• Moderate to High Risk Cases

• Prevent Children From Entering the System of Care

• Intended to help families build natural and community support

• Diversion & DJJ• Monitors Child Safety

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Diversion/Prevention Specialist

• Daily communication with CPI’s on the “Front End”

• Community/networking with local merchants/vendors in securing donations (services, money, goods)

• Able to make joint visits with CPI’s (Assist in service engagement, assessing service needs, offer support/encouragement, assess safety concerns)

• Arrange/facilitate wrap around services, facilitating trainings, Resource Roadshows

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Diversion/Prevention Specialists

D/P Specialist are accountable for overseeing the authorization and utilization of diversion services to make best use of resources for at-risk families in the community

D/P Specialist work as the liaison and resource to the CPI’s on preventing removals through community referrals for service provisions and case diversion to FSMO CBI Contract, TANF

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Diversion in Action

• Severely burned child special needs

• Infant suffering from Epidermolysis Bullosa

• Family without working toilets• Family without food during the

weekend

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Contracts ICCP

Homemakers

INVESTeam (Intimate Violence Enhanced Services Team)

Eden Educational Services, LLC

Gulf Coast

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

System of Care Revision

• The Service Center Model (Partnership and Strength/Needs Based Approach)

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Resource Specialist • Originally, positions

dedicated from transition to work with PI’s, working w/community families, prevention of removal, ICC-catch any cases coming into the system that can be diverted, data/tracking for CBI Referrals

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

MOVING FROM

Seeing families as the problem

Focusing on parents deficits Plugging families into

existing services Expert model Identifying families needs

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

MOVING TO

Seeing families as allies and part of the solution

Focus on needs of the children

Crafting, individualizing and tailoring services around specific needs

Collaborative Model Connecting families to

appropriate service providers

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

DJJ DIVERSION

DJJ Support Liaison

support and prevention liaison in regards to release issues

from JDC, Court release and Commitment program.

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

DJJ Diversion Summary Report

• From July 07 thru June 08 103 clients that the DJJ Support Liaison has been involved with in reference to prevention of release issues from JDC, Court release and Commitment program.

• Diverted: From July 07 thru June 08, DJJ Support Liaison has diverted more than 83 children from paid care.

• In-Care: From July 07 thru June 08, more than 20 children came into paid care for Sexual, DV, Parents in jail, Runway from other state, etc.

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

DJJ DiversionJuly 07 – June 08

County Diverted

Orange 78

Osceola 5

Total 83

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

DJJ Diversion Continued

County In Care

Orange 15

Osceola 5

Total 20

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Examples of Cases Diverted

On June, 13, 2007, a report was received in reference to a child detained at DJJ from another country. It was reported that the child had a Non-Specified Psychotic Disorder. The child hears voices and responds to internal stimuli and is very aggressive with other people. The child had hit his father and threatened to kill him. At DJJ, he was charged with two counts of battery charges on Law Enforcement and Detention staff. DCF and FSMO made a plan to return the child back to his homeland in Belgium, France where his mother resided. The plan was to have two representatives from FSMO and Devereux escort the child by flight. The task was completed; child was secure back in Belgium with the country’s child welfare system.

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

• On April 16, 2008, a report was received regarding a child who absconded from Chicago, Illinois. It was reported that the child was arrested for Battery and Resisting Arrest on LEO. While undergoing a screening, it was discovered that the child’s mental health issues were the cause of her behavioral problems toward the staff. On April 22, 2008, a joint meeting was called between DJJ Fla., DCF Fla., FSMO, DCFS Illinois, DJJ Illinois and Tallahassee Interstate Compact Office. This meeting was held to come up with a plan to send the child back to Illinois. Due to the child’s mental health issues, the child was not able to be transported by airplane. Dept. of Illinois decided to hire a secure transport service, which would transport the youth securely back to Illinois. All arrangements were made to have child transported. On May 13, 2008, the child was transported by air flight back to Illinois. Had FSMO and DCF not been involved and communicating with DJJ this child could have easily become a financial responsibility for Florida; the cost to get youth back to Illinois with the special arrangements was $ 14,000, paid by Illinois.

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

The Need in Central Florida

The number of children entering the Juvenile Justice System has increased 30 percent since 2000.

NEED: More prevention and intervention services

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

The Process

When a call is made to the hotline …

1)A private investigator reviews the case

2)The case is transferred to court where a judge decides the final outcome

3)FSMO and partner agencies act under the judge’s orders and coordinate the placement of children at risk in the system and help to find permanent homes or work to reunify the biological family

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

The Need in Central Florida

There are 400 foster families in Orange + Osceola Counties but approximately 60 additional children enter the system each month.

NEED: More foster parents

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

The Need in Central Florida

The number of older children entering the system is increasing.

NEED: More foster parents open to hosting older children

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Why Such a Need?

Approximately 60 kids come into system each month, while only 5 – 7 percent are placed each month

9 percent of all state abuse and neglect reports come out of Orange and Osceola counties, while FSMO only accounts for 6 percent of children in the system

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Innovative gallery-style photo exhibit that rotates throughout the community

Highlights 80 children in Orange and Osceola counties currently available for adoption

The Heart Gallery is a unique way to engage Central Florida in the child welfare system and help provide hope and happiness for kids in our community who need families

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Orange and Osceola counties have over 200 unmatched children who are waiting for adoptive homes

There are a limited number of families available to special needs children

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Other Heart Galleries are featured in over 70 different cities nationwide

In 2005, the children featured in the Heart Gallery of Tampa Bay resulted in 41% successful matches with families

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

For more information about the Heart Gallery of Metro Orlando visit…

www.heartgallerymetroorlando.org

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

How You Can HelpOpen your heart

contribute to local programsmentor a young persondonate essential goods to foster programs

Open your homebecome a foster parenthelp find foster families

Offer your helpmake a financial contributionbecome a social workerbecome a board member of a child welfare organization

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Contact Information

Visit us on the Web…www.fsmetroorlando.org

Or by phone …1-877-6-MY-KIDS

Protecting Children. Strengthening Families.

Protecting and Strengthening

Central Florida’s Families