Tag Archives: DHS

Mar 13-20: CA&N Media Articles and Updates

CA&N Articles, , , ,

Some recent media articles and resources relating to child abuse and neglect. If you have items that you think would be helpful to include in this occasional post, please forward them to me at the email in my signature block.

These stories were chosen because of their perceived relevance to the child welfare community.  MiPSAC is not responsible for the views expressed in any of these articles, nor does it take a position for or against the positions expressed in the articles.  They are presented merely to provide a sampling of what the media is saying about child welfare.

Charlie Enright, JD, MSW
4907 Foster Rd.
Midland, MI  48642
(989) 600-9696
[email protected]
Secretary,

Michigan Professional Society on Abuse of Children, MiPSAC
This and previous posts can be found at: http://www.mipsac.org/category/can-articles

RECENT MEDIA ARTICLES

Study of ‘Meth Babies’ Finds Behavior Problems

March 19, Associated Press: The first study to look at methamphetamine’s potential lasting effects on children whose mothers used it in pregnancy finds these kids at higher risk for behavior problems than other children. The behavior differences anxiety, depression, moodiness weren’t huge, but lead researcher Linda LaGasse called them, ”very worrisome.” Link to Article

Deported, and Now Childless (from Wisconsin)

Mar 18, GazetteExtra.com: Last fall the Applied Research Center (ARC), a New York-based social justice public policy institute, detailed in a report that 5,100 U.S.-born children whose parents are caught up in illegal immigration detention are “highly likely” to be lost in the foster care system even though their parents want to care for them once they return to their native country. Link to Article

Mental Health Advocates Have Learned Life, and the Legislature, Isn’t Always Fair

Mar 15, MLive.com: Everybody talks a good game about “fairness” in the legislative process but for the mental health advocates, there’s been precious little of that in the last 20 years. Sen. Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor) asserts, “I think we should not be picking winners and losers. I don’t want to look one Mom in the eye” and tell her she can’t have coverage for her mentally ill child while another Mom receives it for autism. “That concerns me a lot” — but not enough to delay the bill, which sailed through the state senate this week with only nine no votes. Link to Editorial

Bing Closing Graft-Filled Detroit Department of Human Services

March 14, Detroit Free Press: In a move designed to improve services for struggling Detroiters, Mayor Dave Bing is forfeiting more than $72 million in federal money intended to help poor people because a city department showed it can’t handle the funds effectively, his administration said Tuesday. Link to Article

Michigan Senate Approves Autism Coverage Proposals

Mar 14, Macomb Daily: Michigan took a key step Tuesday toward joining a growing number of states requiring insurance coverage for autism treatments. The state Senate passed measures by 29-9 and 28-10 votes. Democrats supported the measures while Republicans who hold the majority in the Senate were divided. The bills now advance to the Republican-led Michigan House. A previous attempt to mandate coverage for autism therapy in Michigan stalled in the Senate in 2010. But the latest measures to provide autism coverage are supported by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, who has an autistic daughter. Link to Article

No More iPods or Paid Parking Tickets; DHS Updates Rules on How to Help Foster Kids

Mar 13, MLive.com: Michigan has made several changes to its Foster Youth in Transition Program in light of an audit that found it spent thousands of dollars on iPods, prom dresses, senior trips and a traffic ticket. State representatives questioned DHS officials about the audit and changes made during a House committee hearing Tuesday afternoon. The department is required to submit a plan for addressing the audit issues next month. Rep. Bradford Jacobsen, R-Oxford, asked how the department would learn from its errors and carry it over to other DHS programs. The department is looking at expenditure tracking, internal controls and quality assurance in other programs as well as in foster youth assistance, said Steve Yager, DHS director of children’s services. Link to Article

Spanking Lives On in Rural Florida Schools

13, NPR: Spanking in school may seem like a relic of the past, but every day hundreds of Florida students — from preschoolers to high school seniors — are still being paddled by teachers and principals. Link to Article

Attorney Says: Michigan DHS Harasses Family of 10-Year-Old Cancer Patient

Mar 13, MLive.com: The state Department of Human Services is asking an appellate court panel to return a case to trial that could force the 10-year-old to undergo follow-up care that includes six weeks of radiation therapy and six months of chemotherapy for his diagnosis of juvenile Ewing sarcoma that the boy’s parents have refused. Michael Farris, a Washington, D.C., attorney representing the family said “This is an individual decision that should be left up to parents, not to doctors.” Link to Article

LINKS FROM CHILD INFORMATION GATEWAY WEB SITE

MiTEAM: Michigan’s Child Welfare Practice Model.
Michigan Dept. of Human Services. Bureau of Child Welfare. Foster Care Program. 2012. Link to MiTeam Document

Performance Audit of Youth Transitioning from Foster Care to Self-Sufficiency. Michigan Office of the Auditor General. 2012 Link to Full Auditors Report

Evaluation Resource Guide for Children’s Bureau Discretionary Grantees.
United States Children’s Bureau. James Bell Associates. 2011
http://www.jbassoc.com/reports/documents/evaluation%20resource%20guide%2010-24-2011.pdf

Addressing the Needs of Multi-System Youth: Strengthening the Connection between Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice.
Center for Juvenile Justice Reform. Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps. 2012
http://cjjr.georgetown.edu/pdfs/msy/AddressingtheNeedsofMultiSystemYouth.pdf

Creating Trauma-Informed Systems (including, What is a Trauma-Informed Child- and Family-Service System?). National Child Traumatic Stress Network. 2012
http://nctsn.org/resources/topics/creating-trauma-informed-systems

Bringing Families Together: Models of Hope and Recovery [Video].
Center for Children and Family Futures. United States. SAMHSA 2012
http://www.ncsacw.samhsa.gov/improving/improving-video.aspx

Culture and Trauma (Special Issue of Impact Newsletter).
National Child Traumatic Stress Network. 2012
http://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdfs/newsletters/impact_spring_2012.pdf

SafeCare [Home Visiting for Child Well-Being].
California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare. 2012
http://www.cebc4cw.org/program/safecare-home-visiting-for-child-well-being/detailed

Doing What I Teach and Teaching What I Do: Using the Principles of Effective Parenting to Become an Effective Educator about Parenting.
Harrist, Amanda W. Oklahoma State University. 2012 Family Science Review 17 (1) http://familyscienceassociation.org/archived%20journal%20articles/FSR_17_1_2012/Harrist%20Final.pdf

How Targeted Are Federal Expenditures on Children? A Kids’ Share Analysis of Expenditures by Income in 2009. Urban Institute. Brookings Institution. 2012 How Federal spending on children in low income families compares with Federal spending on middle and upper income children.
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/reports/2012/03_kids_share/03_kids_share.pdf

MICHIGAN APPELLATE COURT CASES

Michigan Court of Appeals (Unpublished)
Case Name: In re Sasak
Holding, inter alia, that defense counsel’s decision not to request a polygraph exam before trial did not fall below an objective standard of reasonableness and that the trial court appropriately exercised its discretion by allowing the prosecutor to ask the victim leading questions, the court affirmed the respondent-juvenile’s adjudication for CSC I and II. Full Text Opinion

Michigan Court of Appeals (Unpublished)
Case Name: In re Galehouse
The court noted that while the rules of evidence do not apply at the dispositional phase of a child protective proceeding, they “do apply at the adjudicative phase, where the court decides whether to assume jurisdiction over the child.” The court concluded that the trial court committed legal error and abused its discretion in ruling that testimony attributing statements to one of the children at issue was admissible. The court held that the child was not a party to the case – she was “the subject” of the case. Further, “even if the child who is the subject of a child protective proceeding might be deemed a party for purposes of MRE 801(d)(2),” that left the issue of whether the statements attributed to the child “qualified as admissions against her.” At trial, the child’s interests were advanced by a GAL, who encouraged the jury to find that the home was an unfit place for the child to live at the time the petition was filed and that there was “‘a substantial risk of harm to . . . her mental well-being . . . .'” The court concluded that since the GAL aligned with the petitioner-DHS at trial, only the child’s testimony favoring respondents’ position could be considered admissions against her position at trial. None of the statements attributed to the child that were at issue on appeal could be considered to favor respondents’ position. Thus, the court held that “the abundance of information damaging to respondents, which the CPS worker provided by way of statements attributed to” the child, “was all the product of inadmissible hearsay.” Reversed and remanded. Full Text Opinion

Mar 7-13: CA&N Media Articles and Updates

CA&N Articles, , , ,

Some recent media articles and resources relating to child abuse and neglect. If you have items that you think would be helpful to include in this occasional post, please forward them to me at the email in my signature block.

These stories were chosen because of their perceived relevance to the child welfare community.  MiPSAC is not responsible for the views expressed in any of these articles, nor does it take a position for or against the positions expressed in the articles.  They are presented merely to provide a sampling of what the media is saying about child welfare.

Charlie Enright, JD, MSW
4907 Foster Rd.
Midland, MI  48642
(989) 600-9696
[email protected]
Secretary,
Michigan Professional Society on Abuse of Children, MiPSAC
This and previous posts can be found at: http://www.mipsac.org/category/can-articles

RECENT MEDIA ARTICLES

No More Head Start Cash for City of Detroit

Mar 9, Detroit Free Press: Following complaints that the Detroit Human Services Department fostered an environment of nepotism, reckless spending and corruption to the detriment of the early childhood education program Head Start, the federal government plans to stop sending $50 million a year to the city to fund the program, the Free Press learned Thursday. Mayor Dave Bing’s office supports the idea and agreed to drop the city’s handling of the program. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will seek applicants from other governments and nonprofits to take over administering the Head Start money, which is used to help children of lower-income families prepare for school. Link to Article

Gov. Rick Snyder Aims to Stop Truancy; Cut Welfare If Children Skip School

Mar 8, MLive.com: The governor proposed a program to stop truancy in public schools, calling on the Michigan DHS to put more social workers in public elementary schools in Flint, Detroit, Pontiac and Saginaw. “I also call on DHS to require regular school attendance as a condition for eligibility for temporary cash assistance,” Snyder said. Link to Article

Task Force to Examine Child Misconduct at University

Mar 7, Michigan Daily: In the wake of the recent incident involving alleged child pornography at the University of Michigan Health System and the widely publicized incidents at Penn State University, the University is in the planning phases of assembling a task force to prevent inappropriate conduct with children at the University in the future. Link to Article

Adopted Children More Likely to Abuse Drugs if Biological Parent Did

March 6, CBS News: Adopted children are twice as likely to use drugs if their biological parents used them, according a study of more than 18000 adopted children in Sweden. But don’t discount a child’s environment in the nature vs. nurture debate just yet. The same study showed that adopted children who lived with families with problems, such as divorce, death or criminal activity, also had a high risk of drug abuse. Link to Main Article   Cf: Link to Related Article

State House Votes in Favor of Medical Amnesty Policy

Mar 6, Michigan Daily: A bill supporting medical amnesty, a policy that would prevent individuals under the age of 21 from receiving Minor in Possession of Alcohol citations for seeking medical attention for themselves or others while intoxicated was overwhelmingly passed in the Michigan House of Representatives yesterday in a vote of 105-4. The bill will which now heads to the state Senate, was sponsored by State Rep. Anthony Forlini (R–Harrison Township). He said the bill is crucial in potentially saving the lives of underage drinkers in perilous situations. Link to Article

Same issue, different media outlet

Underage Drinkers Would Receive Amnesty Under Legislation that Passed the State House

Mar 6, mlive.com: Minors who call authorities to get help for a friend suffering from alcohol poisoning wouldn’t have to worry about being cited for underage drinking under legislation passed by the state house today. The aim of the legislation, passed by a vote of 104-5, is to encourage minors to notify emergency medical personnel when they think a friend of theirs is dangerously ill because of binge drinking. Link to Article

RESOURCES WITH TIME LIMITED VALUE

Click on a seminar title to view this SCAO List, and then follow directions.

SCAO-CWS 8th Annual Conference: Pathways To Permanency: Engaging Older Youth To Achieve Positive Outcomes
April 11-12, 2012

Impacting Development: Considerations for Child Welfare Professionals About the Developmental Consequences of Abuse and Neglect
Wednesday, May 9 at 9:00 AM EDT

Testifying in Court for Nonlawyers
Thursday, May 24 at 9:00 AM EDT

Child Welfare Advanced Appellate Training
Thursday, Jun 21 at 9:00 AM EDT

Guidelines for Achieving Permanency in Child Protection Proceedings:The “Yellow Book” Training
Thursday, Jul 26 at 9:00 AM EDT

The ICWA “Qualified Expert Witness” Testimony to Protect the Best Interests of the Indian Child
Wednesday, Aug 8 at 9:00 AM EDT

Telling a Story: Trial Skills for the Child Welfare Lawyer
Thursday, Aug 16 at 9:00 AM EDT

RESOURCES WITH ONGOING VALUE

After the Injury: PTSD in Kids; Helping Parents Help Their Kids Recover

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Web Page: Information for Healthcare Professionals: The information on this site is intended primarily for parents of injured children, but we hope that it will be informative and useful for health care providers as well. We encourage you to explore the information provided on the website about common reactions post injury and what parents and other family members can do to help. As a healthcare provider there are things that you can do to help injured children and their parents. You can be aware of traumatic stress reactions and risk factors, and provide anticipatory guidance that may help to reduce persistent traumatic stress reactions. Link to Professional’s Page  Includes a link to parent’s page.

LINKS FROM CHILD INFORMATION GATEWAY WEB SITE

Child Welfare, Race, and Disparity: New Findings, New Opportunities [Webcast].
Child and Family Policy Forum. Wulczyn, Fred. Fenner, Eric. Mattingly, John. Snowden, Lonnie. Stagner, Matthew. Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago 2012 Link to Webcast

In Their Own Voices: Trauma Survivors’ Experiences in Overcoming Childhood Trauma.
Morrow, Jennifer Ann. Clayman, Sharon. McDonagh, Bonnie. The University of Tennessee. SAGE Open2012  Link to Full Free Article  Link to Article as pdf

Interventions Addressing Child Exposure to Trauma: Part 1: Child Maltreatment and Family Violence. Ford, Julian D. 2012 Link to Article  Link to Article as pdf

Child Maltreatment 2010: Key Findings and Additional Analyses [Webinar].
Nolan, Catherine. Samuels, Bryan. United States. Children’s Bureau. 2012
Link to .wmv file

Updated Trends in Child Maltreatment.
Finkelhor, David. Jones, Lisa. Shattuck, Anne. University of New Hampshire.
Crimes Against Children Research Center. 2011 Link to Article

Knowing the Best of What’s Out There: Understanding and Identifying Evidence-Based Practices in Child Welfare [Webinar]. Walsh, Cambria Rose. Zimmet, Blake. The California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare. 2011 Link to .wmv file

Preventing and Mitigating the Effects of Childhood Violence and Trauma: An Interview With Carl C. Bell, MD. Health Care Innovations Exchange Team 2012
Link to Article

Focusing on Well-Being: Developing a Protective Factors Framework for Youth in Care [Webinar]. Browne, Charlyn Harper. Notkin, Susan.
National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections. 2012
Link to Audio of Webinar

Coordination of Child Death Review and Citizens Review Panels: Maximizing the Opportunities to Improve Systems and Prevent Fatal Abuse and Neglect [Webinar].
Covington, Teri; National Center for the Review and Prevention of Child Death. 2012
Link to Listen Only Webinar

Feb 29-Mar 6: CA&N Media Articles and Updates

CA&N Articles, , , , , ,

Some recent media articles and resources relating to child abuse and neglect. If you have items that you think would be helpful to include in this occasional post, please forward them to me at the email in my signature block.

These stories were chosen because of their perceived relevance to the child welfare community.  MiPSAC is not responsible for the views expressed in any of these articles, nor does it take a position for or against the positions expressed in the articles.  They are presented merely to provide a sampling of what the media is saying about child welfare.

Charlie Enright, JD, MSW
4907 Foster Rd.
Midland, MI  48642
(989) 600-9696
[email protected]
Secretary,

Michigan Professional Society on Abuse of Children, MiPSAC

This and previous posts can be found at: http://www.mipsac.org/category/can-articles

RECENT MEDIA ARTICLES

The Mentalist’s Tim Kang Launches Film Project to Promote Child Abuse Awareness

March 5, Talkmoviesworld.com: A new film project launched in January by actor Tim Kang is being praised by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) for the awareness it will bring to the issues of abducted and sexually abused children. Link to Article

Connecticut to Change Response to Child Abuse

Mar 5, AP: The Connecticut Department of Children and Families is changing the way it investigates reports of child neglect and abuse by creating separate responses for low and high-risk incidents. Beginning Monday, DCF will perform a family assessment in response to all reports that are deemed low and medium risks. The assessment will help families reach out for community resources. Low-risk cases include things like families improperly clothing children in the winter, whereas high-risk incidents include reports of physical and sexual abuse. The department will continue to respond to high-risk incidents with an investigation. Currently, all reports of abuse are investigated by DCF, regardless of the risk level. The change comes under a department initiative, not through state legislation. Link to full story.

Detroit Department of Human Services Faces Decertification, Loss of Poverty Funds

March 2, Huffington Post: The Michigan Department of Human Services is going forward with a plan to remove control of funds for low-income residents from the city’s Department of Human Services — whether or not City Council approves the idea. Michigan DHS Director Maura Corrigan spoke at a City Council meeting Friday afternoon to request that Council voluntarily allow the state agency to transfer control of Detroit’s Community Service Block Grants and weatherization money to a new entity. Allegations of mismanagement of funds at DDHS has provoked an ongoing criminal investigation. Maura Corrigan, head of Michigan DHS cited the scandal as the reason Michigan DHS is trying to de-designate Detroit DHS as operator for the funds. Link to Article

Report Finds Child Abuse Costs Victims $200,000 Over A Lifetime,

Mar 2, Huffington Post: In a newly released report the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the average cost to someone who experiences maltreatment as a child — defined as physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual abuse or neglect — is $210,012 over the course of a lifetime. According to the report, the figure represents the combined costs of child welfare, special education, criminal justice expenses, medical care and lost productivity as an adult. Link to Article

Michigan Court of Appeals Rules Braman, Springer Families Can’t Sue DHS

Mar 2, WOOD TV: The families of Nicholas Braman and Calista Springer cannot sue the state of Michigan for failing to properly investigate abuse complaints before each child was killed, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Friday. Link to Article

State Educators Ask To Waive No Child Left Behind Rules In Exchange For Reforms

Mar 2, mlive.com: State educators say they’ve formally asked the U.S. Education Department to waive the rule that calls for having 100 percent of students deemed “proficient.” Schools would have to accept new reforms in exchange for the waiver, and state Superintendent Mike Flanagan said that includes a new report card to hold schools accountable for student performance – including the achievement gaps between various student groups. The 100 percent requirement was part of the No Child Left Behind Act, which called on states to face sanctions unless all students meet the standards. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan last summer said he would offer states waivers in exchange for reforms – a move made out of frustration because Congress has not amended the landmark, bipartisan education law. Link to Article

3rd Bill Added to Autism Proposal: Measure Ties Coverage To Creation Of State Fund

Mar 2, Detroit News: Two bills that would require insurers to cover autism treatment in Michigan are now tied to a third (SB 981) that would create a State fund to reimburse insurers for such treatment. Link to Detroit News Article

In a related article:

But Some Say Other Disorders Are Being Left Out

Mar 1, mlive.com: Opponents said they don’t think it is fair to cover just autism while leaving other mental disorders potentially without assistance, with one saying it’s like a cancer coverage bill that covers leukemia but not breast cancer. The bills — SB 414, 415 and 981 –would require insurers to provide coverage of autism diagnosis and treatment, while directing the state Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Department to create an autism coverage incentive program through which insurance carriers and third-party administrators could seek reimbursement for paid claims. Link to mlive Article

L.A. Softens Its Hard Line to Get Kids to Class on Time

Mar 1, NPR: Los Angeles is easing its stance on truancy. For the past decade, a tough city ordinance slapped huge fines on students for even one instance of skipping school or being late, but the Los Angeles City Council is changing that law to focus on helping students get to class because it turns out those harsh fines were backfiring. Link to Article

Mexico Case Reveals Vast Human Trafficking Scheme

Feb 28, Insightcrime.org: The case of a Mexican organization which allegedly paid mothers to put their children up for adoption has highlighted the fine line between adoption and child trafficking, and suggests that the practice is widespread in the country. A child trafficking ring uncovered by Mexican police in mid-January in Guadalajara, Jalisco has operated since the 1980’s, and provided hundreds of children to adoptive families in other countries. American Connections: The Guadalajara-based newspaper Reforma/MURAL reported that an American adoption agency in Colorado was also involved with Mexican-Irish adoptions currently being investigated. Without naming the agency, attorney Carlos Montoya said that it had branches in both Tijuana and Guadalajara. The only American business approved by the Mexican government to work adoptions from the state of Jalisco is the California-based Across the World Adoptions. Lesley Sigel, executive director of Across the World, says that they’ve never completed an adoption for a child from Jalisco. The US Department of State statistics show that just twenty-two Mexican children were adopted by Americans in 2011, a decline of 50 percent from 2010. Link to Insightcrime Article

New Study Suggests Ecstasy Use During Pregnancy May Harm Fetus

Feb 28, U.S. News & World Report: A new study suggests that taking the hallucinogen ecstasy during pregnancy may harm the health of the fetus and lead to poorer motor control in infants. Link to Article

Centralized Intake for Abuse and Neglect

Press Release, , ,

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Please see the below message regarding the statewide implementation of the new unit that will house Centralized Intake for Abuse and Neglect.

Centralized Intake for Abuse and Neglect

Effective March 5, 2012

The Department of Human Services has established a Centralized Intake (CI) unit to ensure consistency across the state regarding how abuse and neglect complaints to Children’s Protective Services (CPS) Intake, and Adult Protective Services (APS), are documented.  For CPS, centralized intake will also provide consistency in evaluation and decisions related to assignment. Currently, each county has a separate intake unit or person that handles abuse and neglect intake calls each day.  The centralization of the intake process will consolidate all of the individual CPS and APS intake functions into one physical location that will be available by calling a toll free number for everyone to use.

DHS piloted this process in six counties beginning in September 2011 with the purpose of working out the difficulties prior to statewide implementation.  The date for full implementation is March 5, 2012.  The office for Centralized Intake is in Grand Rapids and will accept and process reports of alleged abuse and neglect twenty four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week throughout the year.

Beginning at 8:00am on March 5, 2012, all CPS and APS abuse and neglect complaints made in the State of Michigan are to be called to the Centralized Intake unit.  All local DHS offices will change their automated voicemail messages at that time informing persons who are calling to report the abuse or neglect of a child or an adult to hang up and dial the toll free number below. There is also a fax and e-mail address for your use to send in the DHS-3200 “Report of Actual or Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect” in cases of CPS complaints.

(855)444-3911 (Toll Free Number)

(616)977-1154 (FAX)

(616)977-1158 (FAX)

DHS-CPS-CIGroup@michigan.gov

(E-mail provided for the sending of a DHS-3200)

In addition to the information above, please see the links below that may be able to assist you: