_Licensing

Welcome

All of us at Community Care Resources, Inc./Community Care Programs, Inc. wish to welcome you as foster parents and sincerely hope you experience great rewards in fostering difficult youth. We are excited that you have chosen this agency and we look forward to a long and fruitful relationship.

By creating clear, concise and consistent Policy & Procedure we create an accountability loop that strengthens the relationship between foster parents, respite providers and the agency and reduces the liability. Good policy and procedure in conjunction with a tight Treatment Plan protects providersãif you adhere to the Policy & Procedure and the Treatment Plan. State law protects you if you protect yourself by performing your responsibilities with quality effort and compliance with the licensing agency Policy & Procedure and Treatment Plans.

C.C.R./C.C.P. Policy & Procedure is meant to protect you from acting in a way that might be inconsistent with State rules, social work practice, and county mandates. It is not our intent to tell you how to parent; rather it is our intent to establish road signs as to dangers that must be avoided. Thank you for joining Community Care Resources, Inc./Community Care Programs, Inc. to continue the pride that comes from working in a quality agency that has been labeled The Best in the State. You have reason to be proud of the work that you doãlet us help.

Initial Application & License Maintenance

Applicants to the position of Treatment Foster Care Parent must complete the following procedures during the pre-licensing process. It is understood that the entire pre-licensing process is an evaluation. C.C.R. does not guarantee or imply that involvement in the pre-licensing procedures ensures a Treatment Foster Parent license. The process is outlined as follows:

® The C.C.R. Foster Care Coordinator initially interviews prospective applicants via phone.

® An in-office interview will be scheduled. This meeting/interview is approximately two hours.

® If an additional adult is living in the home who is either related or non-related to the potential foster parents, that adult will need to complete the entire C.C.R. licensing packet.

® A Home Study/Foster Family Assessment in the prospective familyπs home may consist of several interviews with each parent, biological children and any others in the home.

® The applicant will be assigned to an orientation session. Orientation/Training will entail two eight-hour, in-office training sessions and thirty-six hours of P.A.C.E. Training.

® At the end of the second in-office training all necessary application paperwork should be complete and in-the file.

® The C.C.R. Licensing Committee will determine whether the applicants are suitable for a Treatment Foster Parent license.

® A two-year license will be issued after the two day orientation/training sessions and after all paperwork is completed and returned to the foster care coordinator. The foster home will then be considered for placement options. Successful completion of the two year period includes:

‡ Complete monthly paperwork reports and clothing allowance expenditure compliance.

‡ Financial Stability.

‡ Attendance at 6 of 12 seminars annually.

‡ Compliance with treatment plan and C.C.R. Clinical Case Manager directives.

‡ Compliance with C.C.R. contractual responsibilities and policy/ procedure.

‡ No reports of abuse or inappropriate parenting behavior.

‡ Compliance with all Wisconsin Statutes relative to foster care.

‡ Performance Evaluation with overall satisfactory rating and recommendation from Clinical Case Manager.

Please note that C.C.R. Clinical Case Managers act in the capacity of both clinical consultants and supervisors of the C.C.R. foster parent home and as such have the responsibility and authority to establish and enforce case management directives.

The inability to meet the above mentioned criteria at any time may result in revocation of the license and contract made herein with C.C.R.

Licensing Protocol

Negative Licensing Action

In the event of any infraction against C.C.R. policy and State of Wisconsin Statutes governing foster care or a major abuse event, C.C.R. must respond in a prescribed fashion. Our response is to help protect all parties from interference with any investigation.

In the event of a physical, emotional, or sexual abuse allegation, C.C.R. will immediately remove the youth from the foster home until an inquiry is performed and the welfare of the youth can be ensured. A third party investigation will be requested from the respective county social service agency. All relevant social workers, biological parents or guardians will be notified, and a formal abuse report will be submitted. If necessary, a referral will be made to the local police. Based on the results of the inquiry/investigation, a licensing status decision will be made by the Community Care Resources, Inc. Administrative Team. If the allegation is founded immediate license revocation will be enforced.

Policy and procedure infractions will warrant an Administrative Review in which the Clinical Case Manager, Clinical Supervisor and Programs Manager will devise a plan of intervention/remediation. The first infraction will warrant a verbal reprimand which will be documented and placed in the foster parent personnel file. A second infraction will warrant a verbal reprimand accompanied by a written reprimand letter, a copy of which will become part of the foster parent record. A third infraction initiates a formal letter of warning. At this time a formal license status review will be held and intervention steps established as a written rehabilitation plan. All correspondence will be made part of the foster parent personnel file. Should rehabilitative interventions not prove successful, the Administrative Team will again review the scenario, make a licensing status decision and notify the foster parent in writing.

In the event of a negative licensing action, the foster parent has the right to appeal the decision of C.C.R. by filing an appeal with the State of Wisconsin within 10 days to:

Office of Administrative Hearings

PO Box 7875

Madison, WI 53707

Appeal Rights (Taken directly from HSS 56: Foster Home Care for Children)

HSS 56.09 HEARING. (1) APPEAL. Any applicant for a license to operate a foster home who is denied a license, or any licensee whose license is revoked or whose application for renewal of license is denied may appeal the decision by asking the department for a hearing in accordance with ss. 227.42 to 227.51, Stats.

(2) REQUEST FOR A HEARING. A request for a hearing shall be addressed to the department's office of administrative hearings. The date of the request for a hearing shall be the date on which the request is received by that office. Any request for a hearing received after 60 days following the decision or order to be reviewed shall be denied. NOTE: The request for a hearing should be sent to the Office of Administrative Hearings, PO Box 7875, Madison, WI 53707.

(3) ARRANGEMENTS FOR A HEARING. In response to a request for a hearing under this section, the director of the office of administrative hearings shall appoint a hearing examiner, set a date for the hearing and notify the parties in writing at least 10 days before the hearing of the date, time and place of the hearing and of the procedures to be followed.

Positive Licensing Action

A positive licensing action is a request by a foster parent to increase the number of treatment foster care placements stated on their license. The foster parents discuss their request with their Clinical Case Manager. The Clinical Case Manager will advocate in writing for the increase if he/she feels the action is appropriate. The Administrative Team subsequently staffs this request and the Foster Care Coordinator prepares a written response of the decision made by the Administrative Team.

Grievance Procedure for Foster Parents

Community Care Resources, Inc. recognizes the need to establish a formalized grievance protocol and operational procedure to resolve internal complaints and issues that foster parents might entertain with any aspect of their affiliation with Community Care Resources, Inc. It is our intent to provide a systematic process by which foster parents can effectively present their issues to Community Care Resources, Inc. in a fair, objective and respectful manner. The following flow chart serves as the process by which issues will be addressed through Community Care Resources, Inc.

Text Box: Written statement of issue(s) is submitted to the Clinical Case Manager and Clinical Supervisor. Written response provided within 7 days Text Box: Foster Parent submits a written request for an Administrative Review with the Clinical Case Manager, Clinical Supervisor, Foster Care Coordinator and Executive Director. This meeting will take place within 2 weeks and a written response will be provided to all involved parties. Text Box: Outside mediation through independent third party mediator and/or referral to State licensing agent for resolution. A written report will be provided to all involved parties.

Foster Parent Performance Responsibilities

Foster parents are to adhere to all C.C.R./C.C.P. Foster Parent contractual obligations as listed below and as agreed to on the Foster Parent Performance Responsibilities Contract.

Foster parents who enter into a contractual agreement with Community Care Resources, Inc., become party to the mission statement of said agency which states:

It is the mission of COMMUNITY CARE RESOURCES, Inc. to provide Treatment Foster Care to children and adolescents ages birth to eighteen years regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, religious affiliation or disability. The purpose of treatment is to provide a stable and normalizing family environment as a basis for children and adolescents to receive adequate mental health, medical and educational services to become more adaptive and emotionally healthy. The end goal to fulfill the agency mission is permanency for children, either by reintegration into the biological family, adoption, or preparation for emancipation and independent living.

The following operationalizes the agency mission statement and explains basic foster parent responsibilities and performance mandates.

® Under no circumstances may a foster parent disclose to any other person any information concerning any youth in care without a signed release.

® Be active participants in case planning and advocating for the child in care at all treatment meetings, interim consultation/supervision with clinical case manager, community resources, biological parents, and referral agency.

® Maintain contact with agency clinical case manager weekly. Report any foster youth incidents per CCR/CCP policy and procedure guidelines.

® Accumulate 24 hours per foster parent of continuing education annually, as approved by the training specialist. Attend 6 monthly foster parent seminars annually.

® The following forms must be submitted before the fifth day of the month following the month of service:

‡ Foster Child Monthly Report (complete one form for each youth in care)

‡ Foster Parent Contact Log (complete one each month)

‡ Respite Care Authorization/Payment Form

‡ Medication Log

® Provide transportation of the foster child as deemed appropriate by the treatment team. This includes:

‡ family visits, court appearances, administrative reviews, etc.

‡ mental health, medical, dental and other health related appointments

‡ school, work, and any other places consistent with the usual and customary care of children and adolescents.

Employment

Foster parents are to consider foster parenting as a contract employment experience with an associated time commitment to the agency. The standard of practice for C.C.R. treatment foster parents is that one parent is not employed outside of the home. The foster parentsπ direct supervisor is the Clinical Case Manager assigned to their home. In an attempt to clarify this relationship, the following is a breakdown of four major areas that Clinical Case Managers are responsible for in relation to the foster parents with whom they work.

1. Supervision

Clinical Case Managers are the direct supervisors for their assigned foster parents. This relationship is somewhat similar to that of an employer/employee in that Clinical Case Managers oversee everything that concerns the welfare of youth placed in the foster home. Foster parents may view their Clinical Case Managers as intrusive, however their job entails knowing details of the foster familyπs household. Since the agency is responsible for the safety, treatment and general well being of the youth placed, it is necessary for Clinical Case Managers to ask questions that could be viewed as intrusive. Please understand that this is accountability and not intended to be viewed as lack of trust in foster parents. Examples of the supervisory role of the Clinical Case Manager are as follows:

® Monitor foster family dynamics, changes, physical and mental health, AODA issues

® Oversee paperwork (including compliance with clothing purchase mandate, re-evaluation paperwork requirements)

® Monitor familyπs adjustment to foster parenting

® Conduct foster parent evaluations

® Ensure compliance with policy and procedure

® Authorize respite

® Oversee living environment (location of home and change in location in relation to the needs of youth placed with C.C.R./C.C.P. cleanliness of home, maintenance of home and property)

® Monitor financial and legal issues

® Fulfill reporting mandates per agency and state regulations

‡ Compliance with documentation requirement regarding policy and procedure violations or inappropriate parenting

‡ Assessing foster family interaction with biological families of youth and collaterals (therapists, school personnel, referral agencies, etc.)

‡ Professionalism (court, administrative meetings, monthly foster parent meetings)

‡ Monitoring foster familyπs extended family involvement with youth

‡ Mediate concerns presented by youth regarding foster parents

2. Consultation

Clinical Case Managers serve as consultants to foster parents regarding mental health, behavioral and systems issues. They will share their education and experience with the foster parents and work with them to develop treatment strategies. The following activities are part of the Clinical Case Managerπs consultant role:

® Offering clinical intervention and parenting techniques specific to the treatment needs of youth

® Providing crisis/emergency intervention

® Providing information about and referral to local resources specific to youthπs needs

3. Support

Foster parenting can be stressful for parents and the entire family. Another role of the Clinical Case Manager is to provide support to foster parents in order to help them effectively juggle the many aspects of foster family life. Supportive functions include:

® Identifying with each family what support means to them

® Having timely response and follow up to questions, concerns and issues needing resolution

® It is expected that foster parents provide a quiet, smoke-free and professional environment for the weekly meeting to occur. Clinical Case Managers and foster parents maintain professional boundaries and interactions with each other at all times.

® Processing crises or other situations in a problem solving and solution-focused manner such that foster parents can learn from situations which arise. This process helps foster parents increase their skill level and work more effectively with other professionals.

4. Training/Education

Clinical Case Managers work with foster parents to further their education. Training fulfills the Stateπs requirement and the agencyπs goal of increasing the skill level of foster parents. Clinical Case Managers provide ongoing training specific to the treatment plans of the youth placed in the foster home. For specific training needs, you should contact the Training Specialist.

Foster parentsπ first contact should be their Clinical Case Manager. If the Case Manager is unavailable, it is preferred that the foster parents contact the supervisor of their Clinical Case Manager. However, in the event of an emergency or in the absence of the supervisor of the Clinical Case Manager, any supervisor can be accessed for assistance. Clinical Case Manager assignments are made at the completion of foster parent licensure.

TrainingãContinuing Education

Community Care Resources, Inc. foster parents are to maintain 24 hours per year of continuing education in accordance with Wisconsin State Statutes. Training can be in the form of reading materials, videotapes, community based seminars, C.C.R. sponsored monthly seminars and independent study. All training is to be pre-approved by the Training Specialist. Reading and videos are a valuable form of learning, however minimal hours will be granted. The majority of training hours should be from face-to-face instruction.

Community Care Resources, Inc. provides a Training Specialist to facilitate the training curriculum for both new and veteran foster parents. Foster parents must attend at least 6 of 12 foster parent monthly seminars annually.

Also, there are resources available to foster parents for loan at the C.C.R. office Resource Library. Modules, videos or books can be checked out for up to one month.

Insurance

As per State of Wisconsin Rule HFS 38, all foster parents are to maintain current insurance policies for all personal automobiles and casualty/homeownersπ insurance at the mandated limit levels specified in HFS 38 and HFS 56. Verification of this coverage is to be included at the time of initial licensing and relicensing, and is subject to spot verification at any time.

In the event that a foster parent incurs a loss as a direct result of a foster youth placement, the State will consider reimbursement of the loss dependent upon the facts and circumstances surrounding the loss. Consideration will be given only when a foster parent can prove that an existing insurance policy will not cover the loss and that the claim is valid and reasonable. The foster parent will need to access either an incident report or police report or both, if they exist. The foster parent will need proof that their homeownersπ insurance will not cover the loss. The foster parent must have an estimate of the damage. When all documents are obtained, the foster parent should call the finance manager at the C.C.R. office to obtain further information and forms for submission to the State.

Professionalism

It is the goal of Community Care Resources, Inc. to empower foster parents with rights and responsibilities consistent with the para-professional status that the care of treatment foster youth mandates.

® Communication with Community Care Resources, Inc. and Community Care Programs, Inc. Clinical Case Managers is essential for treatment follow through.

® Positive, professional interaction with community providers in mental health, school and law enforcement is important. It is the intent of professional empowerment that foster parents establish and maintain direct ongoing communication and cooperation with the above agencies as well as biological parents.

® Team member involvement is essential for treatment planning and follow through. It is the intent of C.C.R. to promote foster parent involvement in team meetings as an integral and vital change agent for the youth.

Foster Parent Performance Reviews

Performance reviews are useful tools to assist foster parents, Clinical Case Managers and C.C.R. in evaluating the skill level of foster parents and establishing feedback for growth. All licensed foster parents will participate in performance reviews. These performance reviews allow specific areas for growth to be targeted. Training plans can be identified to increase skill levels. Reviews occur after the first six months of licensure and then annually thereafter.

Contact Protocol

Given the increasing number of individuals involved with a youth's case, it is imperative that a communication structure be observed to eliminate inappropriate contacts. Foster parents are to direct all contact relative to case management care to the C.C.R. Clinical Case Manager assigned to the case. Administrative issues are to be directed to the C.C.R. administrative office. In the event that a clinical/case management issue must be dealt with quickly and their Clinical Case Manager cannot be accessed, calls should be directed to the Clinical Case Managerπs lead worker.

NOTE: Unless it is a dire emergency or upon the direction of Community Care Resources, Inc. staff, no contact should be made with the referral county workers. Contact with county workers is a protocol function of Community Care Resources, Inc. staff.

POLICY AND PROCEDURES CONTINUED