The document outlines the Community Partners for Child Safety program, initiated by Children's Bureau, Inc. to prevent child abuse and neglect through home-based case management and community collaboration. It details the program's history, services offered to families and communities, eligibility requirements, referral processes, and evaluation methods. The initiative seeks to engage families and communities proactively, emphasizing education and connection to resources to reduce risks of maltreatment.

1. A Program of Children’s Bureau, Inc. How Working Together Works COMMUNITY PARTNERS

2. PRESENTATION OVERVIEW Brief History What We Do Why We Do It Who We Serve How We Do It What We Can Do For You What You Can Do For Us

3. Brief History Originally piloted in several large cities in the 1990s; including St. Louis, Louisville, Tallahassee and Cedar Rapids. Piloted in Indianapolis starting in 1999 as the Neighborhood Alliance for Child Safety (NACS) by Children’s Bureau, Inc. NACS initially covered two Indianapolis neighborhoods, Martindale and Brightwood. Early success led to continued program expansion to the current NACS program with four offices throughout Indianapolis serving over 1000 referrals per year.

4. Brief History (cont.) As part of the Practice Reform effort, the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) sought out prevention programs to work with families before abuse and neglect occurred. Aware of the success of NACS and the model it was based on, the new DCS leadership expanded the program statewide as Community Partners for Child Safety (CPCS). Agencies in each of the DCS regions were selected as providers for the CPCS program. Referrals to the CPCS programs started in January of 2007 in most regions.

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6. What We Do … With Families Provide home-based case management services to families referred to the program. Linking families to services and helping them navigate systems to attain needed services Advocate for families having difficulty having their needs met through interfacing with their community Educating families to prevent the need for future services and reduce the risk of child maltreatment Provide information and referrals to families not interested in or eligible for ongoing services.

7. What We Do… With Communities Act as an information source to community agencies and professionals in need of help locating resources for their families. Collaborate with community members to create, maintain and improve community events and projects that help to prevent child maltreatment and strengthen families. Sustain local and regional councils that provide governance, guidance and community-specific recommendations for our services.

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9. Why We Do It … Philosophy Families deserve help before a crisis occurs. Engaging families in their communities greatly reduces the risk of abuse and neglect. A majority of neglect can be prevented by educating families and making them aware of resources available to them. Communities, when given the opportunity, have the ability and desire to improve the lives of their families. No matter how good services are after abuse and neglect has occurred, communities would always prefer to prevent harm to children than to react to a situation afterwards.

10. Why We Do It … Outcomes Reduction of the incidence of substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect. Reduction in repeat reports of child abuse and neglect in individual families. Reduction of serious injuries due to child abuse and neglect; including fatalities. Improved family functioning in families served. Increased perception of the community as a support system; both in families served and in the community as a whole.

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12. Who We Serve … Eligibility Families with children that want help meeting their needs and accomplishing their goals. Exceptions: Families working with the Healthy Families program Families with an open, substantiated case with the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) Families without guardianship of children Families that do not want our services No insurance, Medicaid or other coverage is needed to qualify. Our services are completely free through our state funded contract.

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14. How We Do It … Referrals A referral source sends us information on a family in need of assistance. Referral sources can be from community agencies, schools, medical systems, state programs, local DCS offices, mental health centers, faith-based organizations, family friends or the family itself. Referrals can be given over the phone, by fax, through the mail or in person. Referral sources can call to pre-screen a referral. Referral sources will always receive a call confirming that a referral has been received. Families that have completed our services previously can be referred again if needed.

15. How We Do It … Referrals (cont) Ideal Referral Example Family is aware that they were referred and is interested in working with us. Family was given information on what Community Partners involves and we can do for them by the referral source. Family meets the eligibility requirements. Difficult Referral Example Family is unaware of the referral, who Community Partners is or what we do. Referrals with limited, incorrect or incomplete contact information. Unsure if family meets eligibility requirements.

16. How We Do It … Engagement Referred families will be called within 24 hours to schedule a home visit. Families will receive their first home visit within 5 business days of the receipt of the referral. If we are unable to make phone contact with the family, we will mail a letter announcing a “drop-by” visit and will attempt a visit within 5 days. Families receive at least 2 attempted home visits and multiple phone contact attempts. Attempts are ended if a family declines services, although they are still provided with information and referrals related to reported needs.

17. How We Do It … Assessment On the first visit, the community liaison (case manager) focuses on learning about the unique needs and strengths of the family through a series of brief assessments. From the assessment, the family develops goals that address their needs while acknowledging their strengths. Goals are made by the family, the staff only aids them in forming steps to help accomplish them. Families can only have one goal at a time to prevent them from being overwhelmed and unfocused. Goals can be based on any need and may include virtually any goal that the family has identified.

18. How We Do It …Ongoing Services The community liaison works with the family for an average of 4 months to work toward achieving their goals. Activities of community liaisons may include: Helping to link families with community resources and programs through arranging meetings, guiding them through complex processes and teaching families how to independently utilize services. Provide direct education to families in areas such as general parent education, budgeting, hygiene and home cleanliness, self-advocacy and child discipline. Advocate for families that have encountered barriers in meeting their needs.

19. Success with families to be based upon maintaining several important principles throughout our services. All families have strengths and the capacity to have a home free of child maltreatment. Families will not benefit from services if we do the work for them; as services progress we must transfer most of the “leg-work” to the family and take on the role of an educator. Families must be linked to resources available in their community to meet needs that will continue in the future; we must avoid becoming a direct resource ourselves in these cases and “taking it with us” when services are concluded. How We Do It …Ongoing Services

20. How We Do It … Evaluation Client satisfaction reports help us to measure if our services were perceived as strength-based and family-focused. A closing reassessment measures if they have improvement in family functioning in comparison to intake (self-reported). Surveys and ongoing communication with referral sources let us know if they have seen positive outcomes in referred families. One year following services, DCS checks if families that we worked with had any substantiated cases of abuse or neglect.

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22. What We Can Do For You Provide services to the families that concern you the most, but who do not qualify for other types of assistance or more direct intervention. Provide you with information on local and state-wide services that you may not be aware of or need help accessing on behalf of families. Collaborate with you to help address community needs that are currently either unmet or that need additional attention.

23. What You Can Do For Us Become a referral source for the Community Partners program. Let us know if you find our services to be helpful to the families that you refer. Act as a resource for families that can benefit from your services and knowledge. Let us know about the needs of your community and what we can do to help. Let us collaborate with you on community events and other projects that help to prevent child maltreatment and strengthen families. Take part in one of our local or regional governance councils.

24. Questions? Mark Fairchild, MSW, LSW [email_address] Phone: 317.745.6496 Fax: 317.745.6502 www.childrensbureau.org A Program of Children’s Bureau, Inc.