Maltreatment Prevention Programs and Policies in Louisiana In a 2011 survey on state prevention policies, child welfare agency staff were asked about eligibility requirements, funding, program descriptions, and demand (waiting lists) for the following prevention-related activities:
Home Visiting Programs In-Home Services (aside from the more formal “home visiting” programs) Parent Education & Training Respite Care/Crisis Nurseries Parent Support (e.g., mentors, support groups) Concrete/Financial supports Counseling/Mental Health Services Substance Abuse Assessment & Treatment Services for Families Affected by Domestic Violence
Overall eligibility for the “prevention-related” services in Louisiana:
Any child or family with a referral to the child welfare agency for abuse or neglect that is screened-in (i.e., meets the agency’s criteria for an investigation or alternative response). Families that self refer for services are also eligible.
Louisiana’s Vulnerable Children: AT-A-GLANCE In 2009…. Child population: 1,123,386 Total referrals to child protective services (CPS): 37,534 (33.4 referrals per 1,000 children in the state) # of children receiving an investigation/assessment: 33,054 # of children who were victims of abuse or neglect: 9,063 # of children in foster care (on last day of fiscal year): 4,786 # of children reunified with parents: 1,964 (53% of all exits from foster care) # of children in guardianships/living with other relatives: 797 (22% of all exits from foster care) # children adopted from foster care: 577 (16% of all exits from foster care) Data Sources: The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), and the KIDS COUNT Data Center (www.kidscount.org)
LOUISIANA
Programs and Services to Prevent Maltreatment in Louisiana Service/ Program Type Home Visiting Programs In-Home Services
Who provides the service (at the request/ referral of the child welfare agency) Another government agency(ies): Department of Health and Hospitals Purchased service provider(s) Using reimbursement of allowable costs Yes, there is an agreement requiring providers to grant child welfare referrals priority Public child welfare agency
Parent Education & Training
Purchased service provider(s) Reimbursement of allowable costs Yes, there is an agreement requiring providers to grant child welfare referrals priority Public child welfare agency Community-based agency(ies) not contracted by the child welfare
Funding Sources
Eligibility & Program Description
--
--
Federal funds: Title IV-B Subpart 1 Title IV-B Subpart 2 CAPTA Title I TANF SSBG Medicaid State funds: General funds
Who is eligible? In general, families at high or very high risk of repeat maltreatment as evidenced by a Structured Decision Making Risk (SDM) assessment. Although there are instances where a family may self refer or the local court jurisdiction has ordered the family to participate in In-home Services. There are no other eligibility conditions, such as those predicated on income or age.
Federal funds: Title IV-B Subpart 1 Title IV-B Subpart 2 CAPTA Title I TANF Medicaid State funds: General funds
Current waiting list? --
No
Service/program description: Services are provided individually, jointly or in tandem by the following: Intensive Home Based Service (IHBS) providers, Child Welfare Family Resource Centers (parent education, visit coaching, or family skill building services) or our agency's Family Services workers. The goal is family preservation and most services range from 4 weeks to a 6 month average. For families that assess for intensive services, an evidence-based model (the Homebuilder’s model) is used, and that is a family preservation model. Two inhouse units and 8 contracted units statewide provide these specific services (6 weeks, availability 24/7). In March of 2012 all of these services will be provided by contracted providers through Louisiana Coordinated System of Care model for behavioral health services Who is eligible? In general, families at high or very high risk for repeat maltreatment, as evidenced by an SDM assessment, families at low to moderate risk for maltreatment (with unresolved safety concerns for children in their care), or families who self refer for parenting needs (within the group of families defined in Q1). Service/program description: The program used most frequently is the Nurturing Parenting Program (for children 0-5), to improve parental relationships with their children. Many of the parenting programs, including Nurturing Parents, are strength based and include the child. The services are provided by contracted entities, such as the Child Welfare Family Resource Centers (16-week Nurturing Parenting Program, Strengthening Families Program, or a targeted parenting skills program based on individualized needs of the family). These programs are evidence informed.
Yes
LOUISIANA Service/ Program Type
Respite Care/Crisis Nurseries
Who provides the service (at the request/ referral of the child welfare agency) agency: Statewide, local community or faith-based organizations provide a variety of parent education programs across local communities Public child welfare agency Reimbursement of allowable funds. Yes, there is an agreement requiring providers to grant child welfare referrals priority
Funding Sources
Eligibility & Program Description
Federal funds: Other: Child Care Defense Fund
Who is eligible? Protective or crisis day care services are provided for families who come to attention of the agency with children under age 13 years, for whom there is a concern for their safety, risk, or social development, and who have previously received an investigation for maltreatment or neglect. There are no income eligibility requirement for these families.
Parent Support
Purchased service provider(s)
--
Selected Concrete/Financial Support: Furnishing/Food/ Clothing
Public child welfare agency
Federal funds: CAPTA, Title I
Counseling/ Mental Health Services
Purchased service provider(s) Fee for service Yes, there is an agreement requiring providers of purchased services to grant child welfare referrals priority.
Federal funds: Title IV-B Subpart 1 Title IV-B Subpart 2 CAPTA Title I TANF Medicaid
Current waiting list?
No
Service/program description: The goal of the program is aligned with the child welfare in-home services program and to ameliorate a crisis. Respite care is shortterm (approx. one week), until an intervention can be put into place. The services are provided by licensed child care or day care centers. --
Who is eligible? These are families that come to the attention of the agency at the Child Protection Investigation or In-Home Family Services Program phase and have a concrete need that poses a safety or risk concern for the family. Service/program description: Items (primarily furniture) are purchased from local venders/outlets to provide adequate and safe sleeping arrangements for children. Additional purchases are made for equipment, such as a walker and fans, to assist with children who have extensive medical needs. Additional purchases are clothing, as well as food to bridge the gap until food stamps could be obtained. These are generally one time expenditures. This is not affiliated with an evidence based model. Who is eligible? These are families that come to the attention of the agency at the Child Protection Investigation or In-Home Family Services Program phase and have a mental health need/issue that poses a safety or risk concern to the children, self, or other individuals in the family. Service/program description: Services are provided by eligible, credentialed mental health professionals at varying degrees of frequencies, models, and duration. These services are also provided through local Offices of Behavioral Health in the Department of Health and Hospitals, if eligibility requirements are met.
--
No
No
LOUISIANA Service/ Program Type
Substance Abuse Assessment and Treatment
Who provides the service (at the request/ referral of the child welfare agency) Another government agency(ies): Office of Behavioral Health within the Department of Health and Hospital/Office of Behavioral Health Purchased service provider(s) Fee for service Yes, there is an agreement requiring providers of purchased services to grant child welfare referrals priority.
Funding Sources
Federal funds: TANF State: General funds
Public child welfare agency
Who is eligible? The eligible population are those families where substance abuse/use has been identified and the abuse/use compromises the safety of the children in their care. These families are at greater risk of having their children placed in alternative placements, such as foster care.
Yes
Service/program description: The services are provided by the contracted public and governmental entities (CW agency funds it; Department of Health and Hospitals delivers it. Office of Behavioral Health handles father substance abuse assessment and treatment separately). The majority of the services target women and children, although identified males are generally served through the local Office of Behavioral Health. The primary goals of the contracted services are to coordinate and deliver recovery focused outreach, intensive case management, transportation and supportive counseling for substance abusing women and their children. This is accomplished through comprehensive screening and assessment, Intensive Out-Patient treatment services, or inpatient treatment where up to two children are allowed to accompany the parent. The duration of these programs varies from a month to a year.
Another government agency(ies): Department of Health and Hospitals/Office of Behavioral Health
Purchased service provider(s) Reimbursement of allowable funds. Yes, there is an agreement requiring providers to grant child welfare referrals priority
Current waiting list?
LA is developing an integrated system of care, scheduled to be rolled out in March 2012.
Public child welfare agency
Services for Families Affected by Domestic Violence
Eligibility & Program Description
Federal funds: TANF State: General funds
No, the agency does not refers to or collaborates with a Family Drug Treatment Court for substance abuse assessment/treatment services for the eligible population. Who is eligible? From a child welfare perspective, families are screened for domestic violence during the assessment of the families functioning when brought to the agency's attention. If identified, information is provided to the parent on accessing the domestic violence services. There are no formal referrals from the child welfare agency in keeping with domestic violence protocol. Eligibility is not conditioned on a maltreatment finding or age of a parent or child. However, residential treatment is contingent upon TANF eligibility (if the family is eligible for TANF-funded services). Service/program description: Goal is to ensure the safety of the mother (typically) and children. Services are provided by local domestic violence shelter located
No
LOUISIANA Service/ Program Type
Who provides the service (at the request/ referral of the child welfare agency)
Funding Sources
Eligibility & Program Description
Current waiting list?
throughout the state. These services consist of counseling, residential sheltering, and assisting a parent/children in establishing alternative residence away from the abuser. The program uses the Empowerment Model, which is evidence/researched informed. Notes: (a) “--“ indicates that the information was not available or the respondent was instructed to skip the questions. To increase the likelihood that the child welfare agency staff member could report accurately about the specific features of a program or service, respondents were only asked follow-up questions about the activities if they indicated that either the public child welfare agency itself and/or a purchased service provider contracted to the public child welfare agency actually provided the service.
ABOUT THE SURVEY In 2011, Child Trends, with support from Casey Family Programs, conducted a national survey to gather information about state policies that guide child welfare agencies’ work in preventing child maltreatment from occurring or reoccurring. Specifically, the survey asked about the child welfare agency’s policies, programs, and services for families who are considered “at-risk” for the occurrence or reoccurrence of child maltreatment. Defining “Prevention”: In completing the survey, states were asked specifically to consider activities designed for children and families who have already come to the attention of the child welfare agency, such as through a referral of abuse or neglect, or a family self-referral, to prevent maltreatment from occurring or reoccurring.
The services and programs addressed in the survey might fall under what is more typically known in some states as “family support” or “family preservation” activities. The target population for these services could include children who had experienced one or more incidences of abuse and/or neglect, or who have not yet experienced maltreatment but are determined to be at-risk for an occurrence.
