Lead
Who consists of the Lead Area Agency at Hyde Park Area Office?
Lead Director: Jessi Powers
Lead Service Coordinators:
Anna Meleo, Gianna Moreira, Meghan Whitney, Vidalia Lopez, Deb Dickerson (educational coordinator), and Maya Sanchez (educational coordinator)
Do S&S requests need to be tri-leveled? If so, with whom?
SW, Sup and manager (APM)
Is an Intensive Emergency Residence or Emergency Residence long-term placement?
No - IER/ER's are for shorter periods to identify the next long-term placement for our kiddos/youth.
What referral is utilized for CFC level of care?
Family Networks referral (2-pager)
What information is needed for the Lead to send out a service request?
A name and date or a name and "date unknown" need to be entered for the Lead to have ability to send. When DCF has custody, and the service is for the child/youth, no release is needed.
Please note: If there is no name on the release, an error message occurs and the Lead is unable to move forward with the referral.
Is the Lead able to conduct meetings without DCF present?
No - the Lead always need one person from the DCF Clinical or Adoption team to conduct the meeting.
What is the process if an extension is requested for S&S services?
Either the DCF team or provider should submit new goals.
Please note: Any services over 6 months, needs approval from Area Director.
Are all of our "group home" settings considered a Residential Placement?
No - A Residential placement is when a child/youth live and attend school on campus
All other CCNET levels of care the child/youth would attend school in the community
Who should be included when issues are arising in the CFC placement and why?
DCF team, assigned Lead.
Does DCF have programs that are locked facitilies?
No - we do not have any facilities that are locked.
What meetings should your assigned Lead be present for?
Treatment reviews for kids in CCNET and CFC
S&S meetings
IER/ER bi-weekly meetings
Best practice for hospital meetings, would be to invite the Lead, if available they will attend
Who informs the ARC, Melissa Diaz & Lead Director, Jessi Powers that a service request was submitted?
APM/manager - If your manager is out, it would then be your covering manager.
What does it mean when we say "lateral move" for our youth/kiddos in placement?
This would be maintaining the current LOC but exploring different options.
What is important to include in a CFC referral?
Presenting behaviors, why came into care, strengths, what supports are in place, service needs, diagnoses and school placement, etc. NO 51A's should be on CFC referrals.
What efforts should be made for a client, prior to requesting neuropyschs through the Lead?
Reaching out to PCPs and 2 community resources.
Does the Lead Area Agency need to be included when your unrelated home is disrupting?
No - The Lead does not track Departmental Homes.
Does the Lead Area Agency have a contract to support childcare vouchers or transportation?
No - This is supported by the Child Care Coordinator
What are the levels of care? Starting from highest level to lowest level.
Residential - Specialty Treatment Residence, Intensive Treatment Residence - Community Treatment Residence - Youth and Young Adult Group Residence (Pre-IL) - Youth and Young Adult Supported Living (Pre-IL) - Young Adult Supported Living (IL)
Whose responsibility is it to transport kids in CFC care to appointments?
It should be a collaboration between DCF and the CFC agency, and if able to have CFC FP make these appointments to avoid transportation issues.
Who runs IEP/BID school meetings?
For IEP meetings, it is run by the district.
BIDs should be coordinated and run by DCF. Educational Coordinators are always willing to support.
Who should be looped in when your youth/kiddo is disrupting from a program (LOC/CCNET & emergency residences), CFC or concerns related to S&S?
Your assigned Lead and ARC should be notified immediately when a concern or disruption occurs or is actively occurring.
Does the Lead support CBHI services; ICC, IHT, or PP?
No these are funded through insurance
What is required when a youth/child has been approved for Congregate level of care?
We need the 12-pager, supporting documents the team has: IEP, FA/AP, any testing, or assessment.
Who needs to be notified if your CFC foster parent informs you they are going away and need respite for youth/kiddo?
Who is responsible for finding respite for our kids in CFC placement?
CFC foster parent would be responsible to notify their agency.
DCF would be responsible for notifying The Lead. The Lead needs to make the change on iFamilyNet to reflect where the child is placed during respite.
What do we mean when we say, "step down LOC" and "step up LOC"?
Step down - transitioning from a high level of care to one less intense.
Step up - Child/youth requiring more support and needing a higher level of care.
BONUS: How do we identify LOCs when referring to our children/youth in hospital settings?