Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services: This Informational Bulletin was issued to inform states about additional opportunities and resources to address the use of psychotropic drugs in vulnerable populations. The collaborative efforts and technical assistance resources highlighted in this bulletin provide states with additional tools and mechanisms to promote the appropriate use, and enhance oversight of, psychotropic medications for children in foster care and individuals living in nursing facilities. Link to Information Bulletin Includes many links to additional information.
Tag Archives: Foster Care
Peer Youth Advocates in Residential Programs
SAMHSA: The Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) is a national effort that promotes partnerships among residential and community providers, families, youth, advocates, and policy makers to achieve positive outcomes for youth and families touched by a residential intervention.
The BBI produced a handbook, Peer Youth Advocates in Residential Programs, to provide a conceptual framework and links to specific tools and technical assistance resources for organizations interested in expanding youth voice and adding Peer Youth Advocate (PYA) positions to their teams. The recommendations contained in the handbook are largely based on the positive experiences of eleven residential provider organizations. Over 250 hours of interviews were conducted, with Peer Youth Advocates, clinicians, agency executives, researchers, provider association directors, and leaders in youth services policy. Youth who had lived or who were currently living in a residential program provided input through several focus groups. Link to pdf Handbook
Establishing and Maintaining Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Systems in State Child Welfare Agencies
Provides State title IV-B and IV-E child welfare agencies with information to establish and maintain CQI systems and to provide information on claiming allowable federal financial participation costs for CQI. While the Children’s Bureau considers how to revise the CFSR process, States are advised to maintain their QA systems and enhance them through a continuous quality improvement approach. A continuous quality improvement approach allows States to measure the quality of services provided by determining the impact those services have on child and family level outcomes and functioning and the effectiveness of processes and systems in operation in the State and/or required by Federal law. Link to pdf Information Memorandum
Identity Theft Tip Sheet For Child Welfare Staff
Michigan Dept. of Human Services: As foster youth transition to adulthood, it is important for him/her to have a clean credit report for numerous reasons. If a youth applies for an apartment, student loans, or a car loan, she/he will need to have a good credit report. Unfortunately children in out-of-home care are at a higher risk of being a victim of identity theft. Link to pdf Tip Sheet
Tips, Tools and Trends: Geographic Information Systems in Child Welfare
The use of GIS in child welfare improves decision making by analyzing spatial relationships that describe the interaction among people, family, community, and environment. Child welfare professionals can use GIS to visualize the placement of children and their proximity to family, recruit foster parents in specific locations, and display community resources and services. Link to Tip Sheet
Foster Care FY2003-FY2011 Entries, Exits, and Numbers of Children In Care on the Last Day of Each Federal Fiscal Year
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Statistics on the entries, exits, and numbers of children in foster care on September 30th of each year by state and year.
Link to pdf report