Q&A
Addressing concerns about support for parents with active ACS cases
0:19:20
·
116 sec
Councilmember Stevens raises concerns about parents with active ACS cases who are struggling to get support or understand their situations. Commissioner Dannhauser discusses ACS's efforts to provide information and support to these families.
- Stevens reports an increase in calls from parents with ACS cases who don't know where to get support
- ACS provides an information packet of services to parents at the first contact, available in multiple languages
- Discussion of potential disconnects in communication and support for families with active cases
- ACS is working to better connect child protective teams with available services and improve education for staff
Althea V. Stevens
0:19:20
Because it's interesting.
0:19:21
So just even in my office specifically, and I always say that if I feel like if it's happening with me, it must be happening in other places.
0:19:26
I've gotten a a number of calls since I've taken over oversight from parents who have ACS cases who are saying they don't know where they're supposed to get support or how to get support, and they already have cases.
0:19:38
So I'm even confused that there's a line and I'm I've, like, seen like, it has doubled in my office.
0:19:44
So I hear you're saying you're doing trainings for mandate report and all those things, so how do we get it to the parents?
0:19:49
Who have ACS cases?
0:19:50
Is this information given to them at the first point of contact?
0:19:53
What does that look like?
0:19:54
Because I'm confused on why parents who have cases and I'm not even talking about parents who don't have cases.
0:19:59
Right?
0:19:59
I'm talking about parents who have cases are not getting the support or saying that their worker isn't helping them.
0:20:05
They don't understand.
0:20:06
So
Jess Dannhauser
0:20:07
Yeah.
0:20:07
I would I'd love to to dig deep into that.
0:20:10
We do provide an information packet of services to parents at that very first contact.
Althea V. Stevens
0:20:15
Is it in multiple languages?
Jess Dannhauser
0:20:16
It is in multiple languages, and and it's specific to to the community.
0:20:22
We also know that there is a set of youth services that we want families to know about.
0:20:27
We table in a lot of different places for our FAP program because a lot I would imagine some of the families at least that are reaching out, might be struggling with a teen who's has behavior challenges.
Althea V. Stevens
0:20:38
I mean, that's that's been one of some of the number one calls that I have, that they don't know what to do, they need support, and literally, I'm like, well, have you spoken to your worker?
0:20:47
Like, it's gotten to the point where I'm like, well, tell your worker to call my office because this is unacceptable.
0:20:51
So what is the disconnect there?
Jess Dannhauser
0:20:53
Yeah.
0:20:53
Well, we're bringing together and and sometimes it's because they're in the wrong we have not sort of sufficiently connected all of the dots.
0:21:01
And so we're doing a lot of work to make sure that our child protective teams are educated about what's available through FAP, that our referral management teams that are in our borough offices that are prevention are educating, all of the staff as we roll out, as we do
