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I_CCWSISC_2023A 06/27/2023 09:03:14 AM Committee Summary

PUBLIC
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING
INTERIM COMMITTEE  COLORADO'S CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM INTERIM STUDY COMMITTEE
Date 06/27/2023
Attendance
Bradley R
Duran X
Evans X
Joseph X
Kolker *
Michaelson Jenet X
Pelton B. X
Pugliese E
Zenzinger X
Fields *
Young X
Time 09:03:14 AM to 04:57:21 PM
Place Old State Library
This Meeting was called to order by Young
This Report was prepared by Amanda King
Hearing Items Action Taken
Welcome and Committee Introduction Committee Discussion Only
Overview by Colorado Department of Human Services of its Role in the Child Welfare System Committee Discussion Only
Lunch Break Committee Discussion Only
Overview by the County Department of Human Services of its Role in the Child Welfare System Committee Discussion Only
Overview by the Judicial Branch and Related Departments and Their Roles in the Child Welfare System Committee Discussion Only

Welcome and Committee Introduction - Committee Discussion Only
09:08:41 AM  
Committee members introduced themselves and described the purpose of the committee.
09:18:43 AM  
Amanda King, Senior
Research Analyst with Legislative Council Staff, introduced the committee
staff and reviewed the committee's charge memo (Attachment A).
09:22:49 AM  
Representative Young,
Chair, reviewed the meeting agenda (Attachment B).



Overview by Colorado Department of Human Services of its Role in the Child Welfare System - Committee Discussion Only
09:25:16 AM  
Minna Castillo Cohen,
Director of the Office of Children, Youth, and Families, Colorado Department
of Human (DHS) Services and Joseph Homlar, Director of the Division of
Child Welfare, Office of Children, Youth, and Families, DHS introduced
themselves and presented on the role of DHS in the child welfare system.
They provided an overview of the child welfare system, including how suspected
child abuse and neglect incidents are reported and how those reports are
handled after being entered into the system, the types of services families
may receive in and outside of the home, and the goal of Colorado's child
welfare system. The presentation can be found in Attachment C.
09:30:17 AM  
Mr. Homlar described
his background in child welfare and explained the steps a family can go
through after becoming involved with the child welfare system.
10:20:48 AM  
The committee asked
the panel questions. The panel responded to questions about prevention
services, collaboration agreements, and the rising rate of youth with behavioral
health issues.
11:00:36 AM  
The committee continued
to ask the panel questions. The panel responded to questions about gaps
in services, the use of out of state facilities, and the impact of the
Family First Prevention Services Act on Colorado's child welfare system.
11:46:13 AM  
The committee recessed for lunch.



Lunch Break - Committee Discussion Only



Overview by the County Department of Human Services of its Role in the Child Welfare System - Committee Discussion Only

01:00:44 PM  
The committee came back to order.
01:01:06 PM  
Commissioner Carrie
Warren-Gully, Arapahoe County, began the presentation on behalf of the
county departments of human services about their roles and responsibilities.
 The presentations and additional material were provided to the committee
(Attachments D tthrough I).  She discussed the role of case workers
and the complex nature of child welfare cases.  Commissioner Warren-Gully
highlighted the role schools and educators have in child welfare reporting
and connecting families with resources.
01:11:16 PM  
Mary Berg, Executive
Director, Jefferson County Department of Human Services and President of
the Colorado Human Services Directors Association, continued the presentation.
 She discussed the impacts on the health of children who experience
abuse and neglect throughout their lives.  She discussed the balance
of needs that county departments must address.  Ms. Berg discussed
aspects of child abuse reports and the impact that involving the child
welfare system can have on a family.  A video about a family involved
in the child welfare system was played for the committee.  
01:20:31 PM  
Carol Friedrich,
Director, Ouray/San Miguel County Departments of Human Services, provided
information about prevention efforts by counties.  She discussed the
the federal Family First Prevention Services Act, including the ability
to use funds on prevention.  Ms. Friedrich discussed the different
kinds of placements that can occur under Family First.  She reviewed
evidence-based services eligible for federal funding under Family First.
 
01:33:53 PM  
Ms. Friedrich discussed collaborative management programs (CMPs). She discussed how the system was siloed before the CMPs were created and how the CMPs have streamlined the system. She stated that CMPs are voluntary and individualized to each county. Ms. Friedrich shared information about Ouray/San Miguel counties, and the challenges that child welfare workers can face in rural and frontier counties.
01:40:21 PM  
Mollie Warren, Director
of Family and Children Services, Boulder County Department of Housing and
Human Services, discussed changes in approach and values that have occurred
in the field of child welfare.  She highlighted an emphasis safety,
constructive engagement, collaborative engagement, family and community
inclusion, assessment of risk and protective capacity, and transparency.
 Ms. Warren explained that a differential response is a system that
establishes multiple pathways to respond to child maltreatment reports.
 She stated that by the end of 2024 all counties will have implemented
differential response programs.  She stated with differential response
programs children are safe, workers report better job satisfaction, and
costs are reduced.  
01:48:19 PM  
Ms. Warren discussed Review, Evaluate, and Direct (RED) Teams. She reviewed the questions that RED teams address in the process. She discussed kinship care and stated that Colorado is a leader in this area.
01:54:13 PM  
Andrea Woods, Intake
Supervisor, Child and Adult Protection Services, Arapahoe County Department
of Human Services, discussed the ways caseworkers involve parents and other
family members to create safe environments for children.  She discussed
Arapahoe County's differential response approach, enhanced screenings,
and the RED team process.  She discussed some of the successes that
have come from the involvement of the child welfare system in certain situations.
02:05:20 PM  
Christine Johnson,
Core Caseworker, Morgan County Department of Human Services, discussed
her experience as a teacher, flight attendant, and caseworker.  She
discussed the need for education about the child welfare system, reducing
trauma, and involving families in the process.  Ms. Johnson highlighted
the lack of mental health resources and the wait times for services.  She
discussed the impact of trauma on families and the need for transparency
in the child welfare system.  
02:13:05 PM  
Chase Hagen, Social
Caseworker III and Family Engagement Facilitator, Mesa County Department
of Human Services, discussed her experience as a caseworker and family
engagement facilitator.  She also discussed her experience as a former
foster care youth.
02:19:04 PM  
Dan Makelky, Director, Douglas County Department of Human Services, discussed Colorado's out-of-home continuum crisis. He reviewed the lack of placement options for certain youth. He shared information about federal Department of Justice investigations in other states.
02:23:04 PM  
Jamie Ulrich, Director,
Weld County Department of Human Services, shared the story of one youth's
inability to access appropriate behavioral health services, her experience
with out-of-state placement, and how she is continuing to access treatment
as an adult.  Ms. Ulrich reviewed themes the Colorado Human Services
Directors Association found for youth entering child welfare to access
services and placements.  She discussed looking at child welfare through
a race equity lens.  Ms. Ulrich discussed needing a comprehensive
system of behavioral health care for youth and families, fully funding
community-based prevention and early intervention services, addressing
issued raised in House Bil 23-1160 about child welfare reports, addressing
workforce issues, and addressing issues with the Trails system.  
02:32:28 PM  
The panelists responded
to questions from the committee about the Trails system and discussed the
current two-system process for entering child welfare data.  Ms. Ulrich
stated that all but 15 counties are in CMPs in response to questions from
the committee.  The panelists responded to questions about potentially
reducing paperwork and establishing in-patient treatment options for substance
abuse for youth.    
02:42:20 PM  
The panelists who
are caseworkers and family engagement specialists responded to questions
about caseload, training, and barriers to their work.  The panelists
discussed the need for provider education about the child welfare process
and the differences of core caseworkers, which address the more intense
cases.  
02:48:56 PM  
Ms. Ulrich responded to questions from the committee about county priorities and discussed systems of care to provide access to care throughout the state and coordination of care models. Ms. Berg discussed fully funding the new funding model and establishing stable funding streams for child welfare and prevention. She discussed the Family Connects Program that is being piloted in Colorado. Mr. Makelky discussed caseload issues.
02:54:32 PM  
The panelists responded
to questions about addressing inequities in the child welfare system and
how the General Assembly can help to address that issue.



The committee recessed.



Overview by the Judicial Branch and Related Departments and Their Roles in the Child Welfare System - Committee Discussion Only

03:16:04 PM  
The committee came back to order.
03:16:33 PM  
Megan Kearsley, Research
Analyst, Office of the State Court Administrator, presented to the committee
on the roles and responsibilities of the Judicial Branch in the child welfare
system.  She provided a handout to the committee (Attachment J).  She
reviewed statistics related to dependency and neglect cases and spoke about
the federally funded Court Improvement Program. She discussed the best
practices court teams that identify strategies and interventions for court
improvement, as well as with the multi-disciplinary Court Improvement Program
Task Force.
03:27:24 PM  
Chris Henderson,
Executive Director, Office of the Child Representative (OCR), presented
to the committee.  The presentation was provided to the committee
(Attachment K), along with a letter with recommended areas of study and
information on  Colorado’s Expedited Permanency Planning Provisions
(Attachment L).  He discussed that the OCR gives children and youth
a voice in Colorado legal proceedings through high-quality legal representation
that protects and promotes their safety, interests, and rights, and that
Colorado is a national leader in this area.  Mr. Henderson discussed
the independent contractor model used by the OCR, with the exception of
the Colorado Springs office.  He discussed the complex nature of the
cases that involve the OCR.  Mr. Henderson discussed the different
roles of a guardian ad litem and a counsel for youth.  He reviewed
potential policy matters the committee could consider, including addressing
matters related to Family First policies and kinship care.
03:38:27 PM  
Stephanie Villafuerte,
Child Protection Ombudsman, presented to the committee on the Ombudsman's
Office.  A copy of the presentation was provided to the committee
(Attachment M).  She discussed the roles and responsibilities of the
Ombudsman's Office, which primarily involves problem-solving services.
 Ms. Villafuerte discussed the importance of looking at child welfare
broadly and the challenges and tensions in the system.  She discussed
the need to pay more attention to families and the inability of families
to access systems.  She discussed the inability to scale innovative
programs across counties in Colorado.  Ms. Villafuerte reviewed an
issue brief that was provided to the committee (Attachment N).  The
issue brief highlights issues and possible solutions with the child welfare
system regarding parents and caseworkers contacts, creating caseworker
standards, addressing concerns with the current safety accessment tool
used by child welfare services; and addressing laws or regulations about
residential treatment facilities.
03:56:13 PM  
Melissa Thompson,
Executive Director, Office of the Respondent Parent’s Counsel (ORPC),
and Tara Doxtater, Parent Advocate, ORPC, presented to the committee.  A
copy of the presentation was provided to the committee (Attachment O).
 Ms. Thompson stated that Colorado terminates parental rights more
often than 45 other states.  
04:01:50 PM  
Ms. Doxtater shared her experience as a parent advocate and her personal experience with the child welfare system.
04:04:35 PM  
Ms. Thompson discussed
the overrepresentation of certain populations in the child welfare system.
 She discussed data related foster care youth, included failed adoptions,
high school graduation rates, and mental health outcomes.  She highlighted
a letter that was provided to the committee (Attachment P) that includes
potential legislative ideas.  She discussed reducing system involvement
including reforming child abuse and neglect investigations and repealing
expedited permanency planning.  The representatives from the ORPC
also provided a document from Family Integrity and Justice Works concerning
design changes to the child welfare system (Attachment Q).
04:16:28 PM  
The panelists responded
to questions from the committee.  Ms. Kearsley addressed questions
about court proceedings, hearing quality, and quality legal representation.
 In response to a question, Ms. Thompson stated the ORPC opened in
2016 and has not been audited.  Ms. Thompson and Ms. Doxtater explained
the training and role of parent advocates.
04:28:03 PM  
Ms. Kearsley and
Mr. Henderson responded to questions about the statutory timelines for
various dependency and neglect cases. Ms. Villiafuerte responded to questions
about providing the Ombudsman's Office the ability to initiate investigations,
access records, and issue reports.  She continued to responded to
questions about the safety assessment tools used in child welfare.  Ms.
Thompson discussed the cyclical nature of the child welfare system in response
to questions from the committee.
04:39:22 PM  
Ms. Villiafuerte and Ms. Thompson responded to questions about the assessment tools used by child welfare departments. Mr. Henderson and Ms. Thompson responded to questions about permanency placement timelines. Ms. Villiafuerte and Ms. Thompson responded to question about establishing standards and accountability for caseworkers.
04:53:39 PM  
Representative Young
provided concluding remarks.  She provided an overview of topics to
be addressed at future committee meetings.


04:57:21 PM   The committee adjourned.






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