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Mt. Diablo Unified School District Foster Youth Services Interagency Collaboration:Meeting the mental health needs of foster youth in CA group homes (LCIs).

Co-Presented by: James C. Wogan, MFT, LCSWAdministrator, School Linked ServicesMt. Diablo Unified School District 2730 Salvio Street, Concord CA 94519925.682.8000; 3054woganj@mdusd.org orjameswogan@yahoo.com

Derek Wang, LCSW, PPSC

Barbara Ropati, ______

California Foster Youth Education Summit – 2015

Mt. Diablo Unified School District 1936 Carlotta DriveConcord, CA 94510925.682.8000; 3054

www.mdusd.org

•Bay Area, California, 30 Miles East of San Francisco •34,000 students K-12

•50 schools & Adult Education. Diverse population•Significant Disproportionality

•Established Equity Advisory Committee•Foster Youth Services (FYS) – School district program dedicated to the

educational success of foster youth.

LCAP: Foster Youth Stakeholders

Foster Youth Education Stakeholders

Interagency Collaboration Child Welfare, Mental Health, Group Homes, Education

 AGENCIES AT THE TABLE

•Child and Family Services (CFS) - Placement Supervisors. •Youth Homes Inc. (Group Home) - Mental Health Clinicians and Supervisors •County Children’s Mental Health (CMH) – Clinicians •Mt. Diablo Unified School District Foster Youth Services (MDUSD FYS) - School Social Workers•Contra Costa County Office of Education – Educational Liaison•Shared Employee: Group home & School District – MSW / Transition Specialist / Case Manager   

Interagency Collaboration Child Welfare, Mental Health, Group Homes, Education  

•Meeting held monthly at Child and Family Services (Child Welfare, Contra Costa County, CA)•Discusses foster youth who reside in Lic. Care Institutions (Group Homes) •Reviews health, mental health, and educational background information. •Develops plans across agencies to deliver coordinated services. •Develops plans to support foster youth with special needs, including expedited special education assessment (Title I N funded), when indicated.

Interagency Collaboration Child Welfare, Mental Health, Group Homes, Education  

“Example: “Joaquin” – severe mental health needs. Request for psycho-educational assessment / initial IEP.

Expedited psycho-educational assessment that incorporatedmental health diagnosis and information.

“Joan” – Connected with LGBTQ support at school.

Education and Group Homes: Working Together

Mt. Diablo Unified School District

Partnership Agreement / Memorandum of Understanding

with Youth Homes, Inc.

Approved by Board of Education: September 25, 2013

Partnership Agreement  Education and Group Homes, working together

Mt. Diablo Unified School District & Youth Homes Inc.

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

Formalized long standing partnership between school district and group home provider.

Allows group home staff members to provide support services at district schools.

Allows district personnel to work in group homes (school psychologist, teachers, etc.)

Evidence of interagency collaboration for grants, categorical funding.

Mutually indemnifies school district and group home provider.

Partnership Agreement  Education and Group Homes, working together

.

“Kayla” – Temporarily in group with plan to move her to a Residential Treatment Facility (Higher Level of Care)

Kayla stabilized, remained in district, doing well with support from school and group home.

Proactive Support vs. Reactive Suspension Girls at group home planned to fight >

Proactive communication from group home to school > Conflict mediation at school, counseling.

Spotlight on Foster Youth Empowerment Groups

• Group counseling: Foster Youth Group meets weekly at High School and Continuation High School.

• Co-led by School Social Worker and Social Work Intern. • Creates safe, confidential environment where foster youth share

feelings, current stressors and accomplishments with peers who understand the complexity of their lives.

• Facilitates Youth-to-Youth support and connection.• Bond of support at school: Foster youth said that they no longer feel

“invisible and depersonalized by acronyms.”• Prepares foster youth for life after high school.• Permanency of relationships, support after graduation.

Foster Youth in MDUSD

• PHOTO OF GROUP – kids at school? •

Chairs in circle?

Foster Youth in MDUSD

• Systems in Place: Foster Youth Services (FYS) district-wide. School Coordinated Care Teams. Designated administrator for foster youth at each school. Public / private agency partnerships.

• Trends: Fewer foster youth / dependents of the court, however, needs have increased, i.e. mental health, trauma / PTSD, danger to self and others.

• Data: School social work (support services) lead to increased rates of attendance and decreased suspension / disciplinary incidents.

• Support services combined with academic intervention leads to increased GPA, attainment of high school credits, and graduation.

• Outcome Measures / Equity: Discipline / Suspension. Access to advanced classes. Who is ED? Who isn’t? Who gets moved? Who doesn’t?

7 Keys to Educating Foster Youth: Technical Support for School Districts

1) Identification of Foster Youth2) Training of district personnel and educational partners

(toolkit) 3) Immediate Enrollment strategies (incl. special education).4) Support Services5) Legislation / Board Policy / AR6) Interagency Collaboration7) Fiscal Planning and Accountability

 Empowered – Inspired – Engaged

It takes a village

Photo shared with permission

May is National Foster Care

Month