CDSS CHILD-SPECIFIC TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CALLS
The primary role of Assembly Bill (AB) 2083 Children and Youth System of Care State Technical Assistance Team (CYSOCT) is to develop guidance to local Interagency Leadership Teams (ILTs) in developing the Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) required by AB 2083, support the sustainable implementation of those MOUs, and provide child specific technical assistance to counties to identify and secure the appropriate level of services to meet the needs of children and youth in foster care or at risk of entering foster care.
This Child-Specific Technical Assistance (TA) process is overseen by the Intensive TA (ITA) Unit within the Systems of Care Branch (SOC). This process provides child-specific guidance and support to County placing agencies, County Behavioral Health agencies, Regional Centers, Educational teams, Tribal communities and providers. Through county, local and state-level engagement, the TA process provides an opportunity to continue building local system collaboration, foster supportive relationships, engage in strength-based dialogue and effective trauma-informed practices.
TA Calls may be requested by any system partner by submitting the TA Referral Form to SOCTACALLS@dss.ca.gov.
Types of TA Calls
Non-Admit: No identified placement and the County has received denials from providers
- Purpose: Can occur when a County placing agency’s efforts to locate a suitable placement and/or maintain placement have been unsuccessful. These calls explore the barriers to placement, services, and preservation; and allow for the collaborative creation of next steps.
14-Day/Emergency Notice: Provider/caregiver issues a 14-Day Termination Notice or Emergency discharge to the County placing agency.
- Purpose: Collaboratively identify potential placement preservation strategies or support the system partners with planning for a trauma-informed transition.
Targeted Planning: Specific needs require further exploration or addressing. These calls include but are not limited to conversations specific to preventing entry/re-entry into foster care, funding/rates needs, Child Trafficking Response, STRTP for 1 planning, education needs, health related needs, and engagement needs.
- Purpose: Collaboratively provide recommendations and/or resources for a case-specific need.
Temporary Shelter Care Facility (TSCF): Calls specific when youth are placed in a TSCF and barriers to placement exist.
- Purpose: Collaboratively explore the barriers to securing placement and/or services and offer recommendations and resource support to address such barriers.
Children and Youth System of Care (CYSOC) Strike Team
The Children and Youth System of Care (CYSOC) Strike Team brings multi-system partners together to provide consultation on cases for children and youth in foster care who have an urgent need that cannot be met through local processes or child-specific technical assistance (TA) calls and necessitates an immediate response from all system partners. The purpose of a Strike Team call is to immediately gather a small group of local level system of care decision makers to identify opportunities and develop a concrete plan for appropriate services, supports, family-based or therapeutic settings.
Strike Team calls are initiated by placing agencies when efforts to secure an appropriate level of care and therapeutic interventions to stabilize a child/youth have been attempted at the local level, but there are still challenges needing to be addressed. When a Strike Team call is determined to be necessary, all members of the County’s Interagency Leadership Team (ILT)[1] are requested to participate. These calls may occur for children/youth who are at risk of, or are staying in non-licensed settings (i.e., child welfare office, hotel, or other settings) have an extended stay in a psychiatric hospital after they no longer meet medical necessity for that level of acuity or when multiple youth are being impacted by disruptions in placement (i.e., shelter is closing, STRTP closing, etc.)
The CYSOC Strike Team includes, but may not be limited to state partners from the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), Department of Developmental Services (DDS), Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), California Department of Education (CDE), which comprise the Joint Resolution Team (JRT). The JRT will host and facilitate the Strike team call, often under the direction and/or consultation of the AB 2083 Children and Youth System of Care Executive Sponsors.
These calls do not include associations such as the County Welfare Directors Associations, Chief Probation Officers of California, County Behavioral Health Directors Association, or attorneys, families, children/youth, or Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).
Resources
Often TA calls are accessed due to emergent crisis related to the placement of youth with complex needs. The following resources may be beneficial in assisting with addressing barriers related to serving these youth:
Provider Vacancy Report, CDSS has a contract with the Catalyst Center to assist with identifying vacancies in STRTPs, FFAs, and other programs that can provide supports and services to youth and families. To request a vacancy report for the Catalyst Center, please contact youth@catalyst-center.org.
Youth Resource Workgroup, offered by the Catalyst Center, is a forum for providers and counties to seek assistance from a group consisting of members of the California Alliance, the Catalyst Center, as well as a few providers. The focus originally began with Provider issues but has expanded to address issues that Counties are experiencing.
Workgroup meetings are held via Zoom on Mondays at 2:00 pm and Thursdays at 10:00 am. Contact youth@catalyst-center.org for more information.
Learn more about the Catalyst Center by reviewing the Catalyst web page.
Daley Solutions, a communications consulting firm in partnership with CDSS, offers assistance with Micro Targeted Digital Resource Parent Recruitment. Applications can be found on Daley Solutions.
UC Davis Health Team Contract provides case consultations to improve the quality of life and placement stability for youth with neurodevelopmental disorders and psychiatric comorbidity, including autism, ADHD, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, depression, and more. Consultation for youth and families can be accessed by counties or directly by families via referral to CDSS. Services will include diagnostic clarification, medication and treatment recommendations, resources, and strategies to stabilize the youth.
Request a UC Davis Health Team Consultation please email: ccr@dss.ca.gov in the subject link write “UCD Team Referral”. More information can be found on the Supporting Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities site.
Expedited Transition Planning and Linkages CDSS can assist with connecting youth to providers, such as Uplift and Seneca, who specialize in identifying and securing services and supports to assist with transitional support for youth with complex needs.
Contact SOCTACALLS@dss.ca.gov for more information about this resource.
UC Davis/CDSS Complex Care/Specialized Permanency Case Coaching
Case coaching sessions are designed to assist county agencies in finding creative ways to connect difficult-to-place youth to familial and non-familial connections and develop plans to stabilize youth already in placement. Coaching from UC Davis Human Services is conducted by national permanency experts with specializations ranging from family finding and engagement to complex trauma-informed responses. To request a case coaching session, please visit UC Davis Coaching and Consultation Services.
Child Specific Complex Care Funding: For Counties to request a program specific or child specific rate for an Innovative Model of Care to support children and non-minor dependents with complex care needs. Please refer to All County Letter: ACL 22-21 for more information Complex Care Funding to learn more.
Looking for Your Input on the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression (SOGIE) Advisory Committee
The SOGIE Advisory Committee’s goal is to ensure that all young people in foster care feel valued and affirmed to embrace their authentic selves in all aspects of their SOGIE. To the end, members of the SOGIE Advisory Committee provide guidance and expertise to ensure policies implemented by CFSD support the safety and well-being of LGBTQIA+2S youth receiving child welfare or probation placement services. To accomplish these goals, CDSS facilitates quarterly SOGIE Advisory Meetings, monthly sub-workgroup meetings, and provides technical assistance to county partners.
For guidance on the passage of Assembly Bill (AB) 2119 (Chapter 385, Statutes of 2018), refer to Gender Affirming Care for Minor and Nonminor Dependents in Foster Care All County Letter No. 19-27. You can also visit the Sexual Orientation Gender Identity and Expression Advisory Committee Webpage for additional information or Email us at SOGIE@dss.ca.gov for any questions.
SOGIE Resources
- The Suicide Prevention Fact Sheet Why it Matters.
- ACL 19-27 Gender Affirming Care for Minor and Nonminor Dependents in Foster Care
- Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Expression Resource Guide for Children’s Residential Providers and Caregivers provides best practice suggestions for Children’s Residential Providers and Caregivers relating to SOGIE
- getREAL California offers workshops and training on a state and national level for organizations to understand and create intersectional SOGIE inclusive programs.
- Youth Acceptance Project - This service provides support and technical assistance to counties in the form of regional LGBTQ+ navigators to improve the care and outcomes for LGBTQ+ and gender expansive children in foster care to keep children in their families and reunify them when child welfare involvement is related to sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE). For more information email us at YAP@familybuilders.org