|
|
|
|
|
MONTEREY
COUNTY Monterey County is excited to report that we are making great strides in our efforts to fully incorporate the concept of permanency for all of our children. Realizing that permanency is both a process and a result that includes involvement of the youth as a participant as well as the adults with whom he or she interacts, Monterey County has made it a priority to educate its workers as well as the professionals involved in the youth's life on best practice for finding permanence. In February 2008, a permanency team traveled to Fresno to attend an Administrative Office of the Courts Convening on Permanency. Our Juvenile Court Judge came away fully committed to a greater involvement of youth in the court process and higher expectations for permanency and emancipation planning. (see photo below) Finding permanence requires a team approach with staff, collaterals and family. With this in mind, a social worker who was hired to help with our permanency efforts is collaborating with our Family to Family community liaisons in bringing them on board to assist in family finding and data mining. In October 2008, she created and taught a class entitled "Tips and Tools for Finding Permanency" which was attended by social workers, wraparound providers and our Family to Family liaisons. Together with Children's Behavioral Health, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), group home providers and other professionals, Monterey County is launching a pilot program involving nine youth that will become the focus of seven teams working closely together to develop a plan to successfully connect these youth to permanent connections and placements. Over the next 12 to 18 months, we have the opportunity to receive specialized training, case consultation, and technical assistance in the areas of family finding and engagement as well as grief and loss from CPYP. On January 29, 2009 a Kick-Off Event took place at Hartnell, our local community college, with guest speaker Jennifer Rodriguez, a former foster youth who is now an attorney/advocate for the Youth Law Center. We look forward to the guidance of CPYP as we implement stronger collaborative, youth-focused, permanency practice and the policy and procedure changes necessary to support this valuable practice. Monterey County continues to hold Permanency Conferences for all youth in the Permanency Planning unit who do not have identified permanent connections. These conferences have a tremendous impact on the youth for whom they are held. These conferences continue to be a priority as we witness time and again the positive outcomes that transpire when adults are identified to engage with the youth in ways that may not otherwise have occurred. Wraparound continues to be a program used to reunify and support youth who have been away from their birth families for years, including cases where parental rights were terminated. Finally, our Administrative Review Hearings, which include the program manager, Permanent Placement Unit supervisor and staff, CASA, Behavioral Health, caregivers, Probation and education, is a monthly venue for permanency issues to be addressed, making sure we are actively considering all the possibilities for our youth in long term foster care.
Success Story A Permanency Conference was held in February 2007 for a 15 year old youth living in a group home. He had eight support people in attendance that he invited. One of the attendees was the parent of his best friend. Afterward, this parent, along with her son, came forward and stated they were interested in being his family. The youth has since moved in with the family and they are proceeding with legal guardianship.
County Documents Permanency Conference Brochure (MS WORD) Permanency Conference Policy and Procedures (MS WORD) YEAH! (Youth Excellence, Achievements and Happenings) Form (MS WORD)
Contact: 4/17/09 |
|
|
