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Home > State Executive Council / State & Local Advisory Team > SLAT

State Executive Council / State & Local Advisory Team

DRAFT MINUTES –May 7, 2009
STATE & LOCAL ADVISORY TEAM (SLAT)
COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES FOR AT-RISK YOUTH & FAMILIES
Richmond Room
1604 Santa Rosa Road, Richmond

Members Present: Mike Mastropaolo, SLAT Chair, Association of Court Service Directors; Randy Blevins, Association of Court Service Directors; Mark Hinson, Parent Representative; Gail Schreiner, CSA Coordinators Network; Jim Gillespie, CSA Coordinators Network; Kathleen Drumwright, VACSB; The Honorable Sharon Will, Virginia Council of J & DR Judges; Penny Combs, VCOPPA; Judith Lemke, VCOPPA; Karen Tompkins, VCOPPA; Paul Raskopf, DOE; Susan Cumbia, DOE; Catherine Hancock, DMAS; Paul McWhinney, DSS; Janet Lung, DMHMRSAS; Scott Reiner, DJJ; Kim Barnes, VDH

Members Absent: Buz Cox, League of Social Services Executives

Guests and OCS Staff: Tim Powell, Pam Fisher, Denise Gallop, Di Hayes, Janet Fuller-Holden, Crystal Bell, Saniyyah Turner, Rebecca Paris, Charlotte McNulty, Alan Saunders, Dave Nichols, Dawn Howard, Brady Nemeyer, Marsha Mucha

Call to Order: Mike Mastropaolo, Chair called the meeting to order at 9:40 a.m. and asked for introductions.

Public Comment:
Denise Gallop, Hampton CSA Coordinator, remarked on the recently held Department of Education/Comprehensive Services Act (DOE/CSA) training held in Tidewater. She noted that Paul Raskopf had done a wonderful job but that the reception of that meeting had not been well taken by some of the CSA attendees. Some CSA attendees felt there was too much emphasis on DOE “rules” versus how CSA can partner with local school systems. Some CSA attendees also felt anxious about the tone of the meeting in that many of them already have a good relationship with their schools. Perhaps presenting the facts could be done in such a way as to not make people feel defensive.

Response to Public Comment:
Paul Raskopf asked to respond to Denise Gallop’s public comment. He explained that the DOE/CSA training sessions were a combined effort by DOE and CSA to address legislative actions calling for improving communication and coordination between local schools and CSA systems. Paul also noted the Education Workgroup co-chaired by Dave Nichols (OCS) and Sandra Ruffin (DOE) and that workgroup’s report last fall to the SEC.

He responded that he had received three personal comments from the trainings that were negative but the majority of comments made to him personally were positive. He explained that every point made at the training referenced either federal law or CSA policy. In closing his comments, he said if anyone had questions or comments about the trainings to please let him know.

Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the March 5, 2009 meeting were reviewed and accepted as presented.

Update on the Transformation Initiative
Charlotte provided a brief update. She reported that Ray Ratke, the Special Advisor for Children’s Services, had completed the Statewide Transformation meetings. Transformation activities are now focused on planning how best to respond to the interests and concerns of localities around the Transformation process.

Report on DOE/CSA Trainings
Susie Cumbia reported on the DOE/CSA trainings held around the state. She noted that, as stated above, the trainings were part of a joint effort of DOE and CSA to improve communication and coordination between schools and CSA systems. The trainings focused on understanding special education processes from DOE as defined by federal law and state regulations and from CSA processes as defined by the Code of Virginia, the CSA Manual and local CPMT policies/procedures.

Several documents have been produced and, slightly tweaked since the trainings, to assist DOE and CSA in further understanding how these processes work. Those documents are:
• CSA and Special Education Frequently Asked Questions
• Best Practices Recommendations – CSA and Schools Communication and Coordination Regarding Special Education

These documents have been posted to the DOE web site.

During discussion it was noted that DOE is committed to the Transformation initiative. As noted in the frequently asked questions referenced above, “it is important for school personnel, as representatives on Family Assessment and Planning Teams (FAPT) and Community Policy and Management Teams (CPMT) committees, to understand The Transformation initiative and to participate in local level planning and implementation of the initiative.”

It was also reported that Doug Cox had recently been recognized by Governor Kaine for his career achievement at DOE and his efforts designed to improve educational opportunities to all of Virginia’s children particularly those with learning challenges.

Executive Director’s Report
Charlotte explained that she felt it was very important to update SLAT on her activities and those of staff members on behalf of the Office of Comprehensive Services (OCS). Charlotte reported that she and staff have been very involved in Transformation activities. She and several staff members also attended some of the DOE/CSA trainings.

Charlotte reported that she was pleased to have had CSA activities included as part of recent presentations and trainings to judges and guardian ad litems and she appreciated the opportunity to participate in these efforts. She and Ray Ratke recently attended and presented at the Virginia Association of Community Services Boards (VACSB) conference. Charlotte will meet next week with the Virginia Coalition of Private Provider Associations (VCOPPA) and the CSA Coordinators’ Network in June.

Charlotte expressed her intent to stay involved with the localities and to periodically attend CPMT and FAPT meetings. She has already attended several since she became Executive Director.

Update on the CSA/Community Service Development Steering Committee
Charlotte reported that the Steering Committee is working on community-based service development and has divided the task into four workgroups led by OCS staff members, Dave Nichols, Dawn Howard, Stacie Fisher and Brady Nemeyer. She asked each staff member to provide an update on their workgroup activities.
? Service Array Management: Development and Assessment – Dave Nichols
Dave reported that this workgroup has been tasked with developing tools for CPMT use. The workgroups efforts have been broken out into two major themes: service array assessment and service creation.

Dave reviewed a PowerPoint presentation that has been developed to be used as a training document/tool to assist CPMTs in service array assessment. Dave reviewed several different types of reports that are available through the CSA website including CPMT Management Reports, the Critical Services Gaps Survey and a new vendor report. These reports can serve as valuable service planning tools to CPMTs to assess trends in how the landscape of services are changing, to compare services utilization with peer communities with similar demographics and to prioritize service gaps.

Dave further reported that many communities are enhancing their ability to track changes in community based services. He noted excerpts from two models which are available on the CSA website under Systems of Care Assessment:
o A Comprehensive Community Based Service Array Guide
o The one page survey from the Critical Services Survey

Family satisfaction surveys are increasingly being used by localities to gather input on improving services and to measure program progress. Some localities report using them at the first FAPT meeting and discharge from services and some report using them at more frequent intervals. He noted excerpts from two surveys, one utilized by the state and one by a local agency. These survey documents are also available on the CSA website under Systems of Care and Assessment.

Tom Woods from the Casey Strategic Consulting Group is working on several issues identified under service creation. He is working on a tool that would assist localities in estimating program costs, workload volumes and alternative revenue models and guidance on how to quantify gaps in local service array.

SLAT members provided positive feedback on Dave’s report and felt that the PowerPoint would be a useful tool for CPMTs. Members were asked to provide Dave with any specific feedback on the PowerPoint.

? Provider Engagement – Brady Nemeyer
Brady Nemeyer reported that the Provider Engagement Workgroup is addressing four main areas:
o Development of a vendor evaluation tool - Brady presented two sample documents. The first document was a draft CSA Service Evaluation Tool that was developed several years earlier by a SLAT task group. This survey allows all participants in the process to have a voice in the evaluation process. The second sample evaluation tool presented was more traditional in that the case manager evaluates the vendor. These tools will be sent to Vicki Hardy-Murrell for family review and comments.
o Development of a model contract – Standard language for family engagement and outcomes will be incorporated into a model contract which will become part of a provider engagement toolkit that can be adapted by localities for their particular use.
o Development of toolkit on how to recruit and sustain non-traditional providers
o Development of public/private partnerships – A model Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is being developed to facilitate multi-locality or regional procurement of services.

Brady reported that another issue is the length of time it takes for providers to receive licensure for new programs. The workgroup is also developing a model for expedited provider authorization.

SLAT feedback included making a wide variety of vendor evaluation tools available through the CSA website. A number of localities have their own evaluation tools. Overall, SLAT members felt the products being developed by the workgroup would be beneficial and useful to localities.

? Utilization Management/Utilization Review (UM/UR) – Stacie Fisher
Janet Lung reported since Stacie Fisher was out of town conducting training. Janet reported that a number of UM/UR tools that had previously been developed have been updated and refreshed. It was noted that feedback and comments were received from a number of stakeholders including the statewide UM/UR Coordinator’s Group and were incorporated into the documents. These documents contain CSA UM/UR policy and are intended to be used by localities as a framework that can be adapted to accommodate an individual locality’s UM/UR processes. In particular she noted the Model Utilization Management Plan.

Several other UM/UR areas that need to be addressed include:
o Development of a model UR data set (drawing upon the CANS, the CSA data set, OASIS, and other relevant systems) – information collected by localities is broader than what is required in the CSA data set. CPMTs need access to information from various sources.
o Guidance on how to incorporate the family and youth voice into UR – parents need to understand the process.

SLAT feedback included breaking the UM/UR process into sections including a glossary of terms, including a “How To” document, providing examples of UM/UR and including outcome measures that would link back to state required data.

May 15 is the deadline to have feedback to Stacie.

? Family Engagement in Decision Making – Dawn Howard
Dawn reported that the workgroup has focused its efforts in two general areas:
o Development of a cross-system parent satisfaction survey – the Workgroup is looking at several models that could be useful in developing a cross-system survey.
o Engagement of family representatives on FAPTs and CPMTs - Dawn reported that a previous SLAT workgroup had developed a parent representative job description. The job description is available on the CSA website. She further reported that a survey had recently been conducted of CSA Coordinators and CPMT Chairs across the state to ascertain the current roles of parent representatives on CPMTs and FAPTs.

Dawn reported that 75% of the 20 CPMT chair responses to the survey indicated that their CPMT currently has a parent representative. Of the 40 CSA Coordinators responding to the survey, 87% currently have a parent representative serving on their FAPT teams.

DSS has developed a team decision making practice model and the Family Engagement Workgroup has been in discussions with DSS staff on how this model, the Virginia Family Engagement Model, can be integrated and/or linked to the FAPT process. The Family Engagement Workgroup will also develop guidance (or a model) on how to configure aspects of the Virginia Family Engagement Model (i.e. facilitator, family outreach) as child specific services and, therefore, billable under CSA.

SLAT feedback included using consistent language throughout the products (i.e. engagement verses satisfaction).

At the end of the workgroup presentations, it was noted that is important to include Transformation practice model language in the products being developed.

Legislative Workplan
Alan Saunders reviewed the CSA workplan for legislation enacted by the 2009 General Assembly. Four bills directly impact CSA and five items relating to CSA were included in the Appropriations Bill

Alan reported that SB 1181 directs OCS to report to the State Executive Council (SEC) all expenditures associated with serving children who receive pool-funded services. The bill also calls for the development and distribution of model job descriptions for the position of CSA Coordinator. Alan noted that OCS already has examples of job descriptions that had previously been collected by OCS. A small workgroup will be meeting over the summer to review these and create a model job description.

Another aspect of the SB 1181 directs OCS to develop and distribute guidelines, approved by the SEC, regarding development and use of multi-disciplinary service planning. Alan noted that the SEC already has an approved waiver policy in place for localities that wish to use multi-disciplinary teams instead of the FAPT process. A small workgroup will be reviewing the current multi-disciplinary process and will create guidelines that encourage the use of multi-disciplinary teams to alleviate FAPT caseloads. He asked for volunteers from SLAT to serve on the workgroup.

Item 283#3 of the Appropriations Act requires OCS to develop and present to the SEC a training plan prior to the beginning of the fiscal year. SLAT member participation would be welcomed to assist with this activity as well.

In closing Alan asked that SLAT members let him know if they would like to participate in any activities outlined on the workplan.

Nominating Committee Report
Catherine Hancock reported on behalf of the Nominating Committee. The other members of the committee were Penny Combs and Mark Hinson. She reported that the committee was pleased to recommend Randy Blevins for Chair and Mark Hinson as Vice-Chair. The recommendation was seconded by Paul McWhinney and carried.

Adjournment
In closing the meeting, Mike noted that it had been his distinct pleasure to have served on SLAT for the past 6 years. Charlotte thanked Mike for his work and for serving as Chair for the past few months.

The meeting was adjourned at 11:50 a.m.

 

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