Q&A
Parent Empowerment Program (PEP) and training for parent advocates
1:45:49
ยท
8 min
Council Member Stevens inquires about the Parent Empowerment Program (PEP) and the training provided to parent advocates. Deputy Commissioner Mendez explains the program's structure and implementation.
- PEP embeds parent advocates with lived experience in case planning units
- Parent advocates receive comprehensive training from RISE, covering case management and support group facilitation
- The program includes training for case planners and supervisors to ensure effective integration of parent advocates
- PEP is part of ACS's effort to incorporate parent and youth voices into the foster care system
- The program is expanding, with a goal of having 150 parent advocates across the system
Althea Stevens
1:45:49
Yeah.
1:45:49
Recruiting good foster parents.
1:45:52
I got some ideas.
1:45:54
We're gonna work together on this.
1:45:56
I know that council member Brewer kinda spoke about some of the aging out stuff, but I just had a quick question around, can you guys provide any data around how many young people between the ages of 18 to 21 who've who've been discharged during their discharge period who've utilized the additional services who've, like, come back to either be reinstated or come back to get some of these services?
Jess Dannhauser
1:46:18
So we had 10 children reenter.
1:46:20
I think 90 are in that in that period.
1:46:24
As I mentioned earlier, we're seeing a reduction in children aging out, and we're seeing even a greater reduction in children who sign themselves out.
1:46:31
I, you know, I if you're signing yourself out of care, I I really worry.
1:46:40
We wanna make sure you you're housed, you have everything that that you need, and so I believe it's about 90 young people who are in that category right now.
Ina Mendez
1:46:52
Correct.
1:46:52
There are 90 young people that are working with our supervision in '21.
1:46:55
Just to piggyback, there were 32 reentry requests.
1:46:58
Mhmm.
1:46:59
So as I mentioned earlier, there's a meeting, there's a conference, and sometimes there even though there may be a request, we can they can be safely maintained and they don't come back into care.
1:47:09
But ten ten young people did.
Jess Dannhauser
1:47:11
And we do if you're in that category, you're eligible for all the housing support.
1:47:14
So Anthos, Fair Futures, all of that is that's what we're trying to engage them in to make sure that they that they know that they can either come back to care.
1:47:24
In some of those conferences, they say, really just want housing support, and then they'll work with our housing unit.
Althea Stevens
1:47:32
An ACS five year strategic plan states that, FY 2024 residential care contracts include workforce enhancements to support payment equity, staff recruitment, and stability as well as the revised payment structure that provide a great flexibility to cover fixed costs because we did not ask for the enhancement, but I'm not gonna go down.
1:47:50
What was the has been the response from providers to the workforce enhancement and the revised payment structure?
1:47:56
Because I've heard, like, different things from different providers on, like, you know, obviously, it wasn't meant to be a goal, and so it wasn't necessary.
1:48:04
Everyone didn't get in.
1:48:05
It's in the different structures.
1:48:06
So I'm just trying to hear what feedback have you heard around that.
Jess Dannhauser
1:48:10
So a lot a lot of good feedback.
1:48:12
I think the providers are grateful for the enhancements around youth support and housing.
Althea Stevens
1:48:18
They're not grateful.
1:48:19
They they should get it anyway.
1:48:21
So I'm just gonna speak for them.
1:48:22
Okay.
1:48:25
Well, they've said different to me, but You're not grateful.
1:48:28
Used to be a provider too.
Jess Dannhauser
1:48:29
I'm gonna get to the I'm gonna get to the other side of it.
1:48:31
So, you know, it's been it's been around that providers are happy to be able to provide supports to young people that weren't there in the past.
1:48:40
I think, as you said, each provider has sort of structured it differently.
1:48:45
The call has come from the state budget, so they're advocating right now for additional investment in that workforce, which I certainly support.
1:48:54
We've also heard on the flip side that the money might not be in the exact right spot for what their priorities are, what their needs are.
1:49:04
And so this is where we wanna hear from the providers around particular budget modifications that they think make sense.
Althea Stevens
1:49:10
Mhmm.
Jess Dannhauser
1:49:11
There's a significant amount that goes into a residential care placement, you know, well over when you add it all together, it's typically well over a thousand dollars a day.
1:49:20
And so if we if if it's not in the right spots, we have to move that around.
1:49:26
For example, each provider has money for a evidence based model.
1:49:33
They might wanna choose a model that has a promising practice or doesn't, you know, have to fly to that particular place to get trained in it and save some money there and invest it in their workforce.
1:49:46
We wanna be open to that.
1:49:47
They might be providing their therapist one rate, but their childcare staff something else and they wanna they wanna change that.
1:49:54
Obviously, more resources for all of the staff I think is key.
1:49:59
And so that's some of the feedback that we've gotten and the flexibility we wanna provide.
Althea Stevens
1:50:04
Yeah.
1:50:04
We're gonna keep fighting to make sure that, you know, there's equity.
1:50:07
So thank you for that.
1:50:09
The parent empowerment parent empower parent empowerment parents PEP program embeds parent advocates in each case planning unit.
1:50:18
Parent advocates are individual with lived experience of the child care child welfare system who have successfully addressed the issues that brought their family to attention of the system.
1:50:28
What specific training do parent advocates receive to ensure they can effectively support families navigating the child welfare system?
1:50:37
Because I met with a group early on around how they wanted to see more of this happening in in not just in in some of these meetings, but seeing this being embodied and embedded more into all aspects of program of having more people with lived experience in this.
1:50:55
Absolutely.
1:50:55
And so I would love to just hear what what specific trainings are you guys giving these parents?
1:50:59
What does that look like?
1:51:00
What is the what does the compensation look like?
1:51:02
Is this a stipend program?
1:51:04
Are people on payroll?
1:51:05
What is so we'd just love to hear more about this.
Jess Dannhauser
1:51:07
Yeah.
1:51:08
DC Med has really made this happen, so I'll let her speak to to most of it.
1:51:11
It is a full time salaried position with benefits.
1:51:16
The range is typically somewhere around $40,000 for salary, So something to to look at there.
1:51:24
We have 75 of the 50 budgeted positions on.
1:51:29
This is a program that's been growing recently and we actually
Althea Stevens
1:51:32
So how many?
1:51:33
A 75.
1:51:33
Hundred.
1:51:34
That's
Jess Dannhauser
1:51:34
50 budgeted positions.
1:51:35
But, you know we don't wanna rush that.
1:51:38
This is a population that is has particular experience and we wanna make sure that they have the training and the support of the agencies.
1:51:46
I'll ask T.
1:51:47
C.
1:51:47
Mendez to talk about the work they're doing around the training and the cultural support at the agencies.
Ina Mendez
1:51:53
Thank you, commissioner.
1:51:54
Thank you for the question.
1:51:55
So the Parents Empowering Parent Parents Empowering Parents program started actually as a pilot in 2020 with two agencies.
1:52:04
They had about nine parent advocates, they were working with just a handful of units.
1:52:08
We co partnered and co designed the model with the agencies that were involved and also RISE.
1:52:15
RISE does all of the training.
1:52:17
So the training talks about what is a parent advocate.
1:52:20
We took they have a RISE ninety day practice model, so it really talks about what does the life of a case look like.
1:52:26
And so the parents the parent advocates get that training.
1:52:29
There's also a support group component as part of the training piece.
1:52:34
That's for the advocates.
1:52:35
Prior to rolling out, one of the things we learned in the in the pilot was we can't just say, here, do a parent advocate program.
1:52:42
We need to have a culture shift.
1:52:43
So there are modules, that were developed in training so that the case planner, the supervisor, the program director will have an understanding of what the how how this parent voice is important, how to embed it in the case planning unit, and how we can all work together, how we can debunk miss, how can we trust the parent advocate, how can we now have this lens that can inform case planning.
1:53:06
We have a team that specifically works with the agencies on the development of the parent empowering parent model.
1:53:13
And so it's an ongoing thing.
1:53:15
It it launched.
1:53:16
It's new.
1:53:17
We're at about 75.
1:53:18
We wanna get to a 50.
1:53:20
Like every other social service role, there's turnover.
1:53:22
So you hire a parent advocate, and maybe they move on.
1:53:25
But we really are embracing this model.
1:53:28
We we believe parent voice, youth voice is extremely important if we wanna make those shifts.
Althea Stevens
1:53:33
Is this part of the is this part of a contract?
1:53:35
Yes.
1:53:36
So all
Ina Mendez
1:53:36
so all EFFC units so unit is usually four case planners and a supervisor.
1:53:43
The goal is every unit will have a parent and a parent a parent advocate.
Althea Stevens
1:53:47
What does recruitment for that look like?
Ina Mendez
1:53:49
So we partnered with Rise Again and other organizations, and they hold job fairs to kinda explain what the role is, what's the process.
Althea Stevens
1:53:58
I mean, because that's a really specific niche.
Jess Dannhauser
1:54:00
Yes.
Ina Mendez
1:54:00
Yes.
Jess Dannhauser
1:54:01
So Yeah.
1:54:02
That's why Rise has been terrific because they do so much of the of the advocacy with parents and so they have That's cool.
1:54:12
A contingency of folks who have been doing this work in different places.
1:54:15
They a lot of folks who are connected to RISE are also parent advocates at a variety of places like the Parent Defender organizations.
1:54:24
And so they they come together not only for parent advocates that are gonna be placed within the foster care system or the preventive system, but sort of more broadly.
1:54:33
And, they've been doing an amazing job in it.
Althea Stevens
1:54:36
And do you have a similar thing with young people?