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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda - 05-17-1994-X-A ' 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF CONKISSIONERS Action Agenda ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Item No. X-A Meeting Date: May 17, 1994 SUBJECT: Community Child Protection Team Report ------------------------------ ---------------------------------- DEPARTMENT: Social Services PUBLIC HEARING YES: NO: X ------------------------------- ---------------------------------- ATTACHMENT(S) : INFORMATION CONTACT: I. CCPT Annual Report Marti Pryor-Cook, ext. 2802 II. CCPT Membership TELEPHONE NUMBER- Hillsborough - 732-8181 Chapel Hill - 968-4501 Mebane - 227-2031 Durham - 688-7331 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- PURPOSE: To receive an annual report from the Community Child Protection Team (CCPT) . BACKGROUND: The Community Child Protection Team (CCPT) was established in accordance with Executive Order #142 in September of 1991. The original purpose and composition of the team was further formalized and expanded by General Statute 143-576 on July 1, 1993. The CCPT is an interdisciplinary group of community representatives who meet regularly to promote a community-wide approach to the problem of child abuse and neglect. Team members work together to identify gaps in services for abused and neglected children; to advocate for needed resources where gaps and deficiencies exist; and to encourage system improvements. Membership on the team is mandated by General Statute and must include public and non public agency representatives. The Board of County Commissioners may appoint a maximum of five members to represent various county agencies or the community at large. The CCPT is in a unique position to encourage community involvement in the prevention of abuse and neglect and in the protection of children at risk. As such, the team is required to submit an annual report to county commissioners which contains recommendations for improving child protection in the county. RECOMMENDATION(S) : The County Manager recommends acceptance of the report from the Orange County Community Child Protection Team. 2 orange County Community Child Protection Team Report to the Board of' County Commissioners In FY 1990 there were 36,223 reports of suspected child abuse/neglect in North Carolina. By FY 1993 this number had increased to 59,527. Recognizing the dramatic rise in the number of children reported as abused and neglected as well as the increase in tragic deaths due to maltreatment, Executive Order 142 was issued on May 1, 1991. This Order outlined initiatives to strengthen services for these children, one of which was the establishment of Community Child Protection Teams (CCPT) across the state. The CCPT is an interdisciplinary group of community representatives which meets bi-monthly to promote the development of a community- wide approach to the problem of child abuse and neglect. The specific responsibilities of the team include: 1. The review of selected high risk cases to assist the Department of Social Services (DSS) in evaluating allegations of child abuse or neglect and in planning and providing services to prevent further abuse and neglect. 2. To review fatalities suspected to have resulted from child abuse, neglect or dependency; to identify whether gaps and deficiencies exist in the community child protection system and to assist DSS in the protection of surviving siblings. 3. To submit an annual report to the Board of County Commissioners which contains recommendations, if any, and advocacy for system improvements and needed resources when gaps and deficiencies exist. This document is the CCPT first formal report to the Board. The CCPT includes representatives of public and non-public agencies in the community that provide services to children and their families and other individuals who represent the community. Attachment II identifies the members of the team. The Orange County CCPT held its first meeting for training in the fall of 1991. Following orientation and training, the team began to review cases as well as the established child protection system. In 1993 the CCPT established a Children's Services Sub-committee to identify gaps in service delivery for children. The Sub-Committee focused on the need for and benefits of preventive services for "at risk" families. Gaps in direct services were identified. The Sub-Committee also examined the potential for existing programs or new initiatives to address the gaps and barriers. 3 The Sub-Committee was not able to evaluate the potential impact on child abuse/neglect since several of these programs were in fact new initiatives (i.e. Smart Start, Carolina Alternatives, Carolina ACCESS, Communities in School) . The Sub-Committee will be reconvened to assess this in FY 1994. The CCPT review of child maltreatment cases has indicated that the Department's response to reports of child abuse and neglect is timely, children are seen promptly, appropriate decisions are being made, and children identified as "abused" and/or "neglected" are receiving services. The State Division of Social Services' Biennial Review of the agency's Child Protective Services (CPS) program (November 1993) concurred with this assessment and Orange County DSS received the highest rating which was "Exemplary" (95.73% compliance with standards) . However, there were significant issues related to maintaining this level of achievement. Most notably is the continual turnover in CPS staff. The Intake and Investigations unit has had vacancies the entire fiscal year. The two treatment units have also experienced several vacancies. Supervisory staff have been providing direct service for uncovered caseloads as well as taking after hours on-call coverage for weeks where no worker was assigned. This has also resulted in placing increased demands on remaining staff to routinely work in excess of 40 hours per week and to perform critical assessments and make decisions in a limited time frame. There is limited follow-up with lower risk families to ensure that they receive services available in the community. It is important to note that in Orange County 56 percent of child abuse/neglect investigations involve child victims under the age of six and 83 percent under the age of twelve. Younger children are often at higher risk of serious harm and require more intensive intervention to assure safety. The CCPT is concerned that many families and children who could benefit from DSS services are not offered services because they have not been determined to be "abusive" or "neglectful". In FY 1992 there were 1044 general child welfare related calls made to DSS. In FY 1993 the number had risen to 1849. During the first six months of this year 1190 calls were received. DSS is not staffed adequately to meet the need identified in many of these referrals. While some of these families can be successfully referred to existing community resources, a significant number need child welfare services which are not currently available in Orange County. Unaddressed family problems can escalate, resulting in serious harm to children and the need for a higher level' of intervention. 4 The COPT also believes that an adequate number of trained child protective services social workers must be available to respond to reports alleging child abuse and/or neglect as well as to provide comprehensive follow-up services. A thorough assessment of risk of harm requires time, experience, and skill. It is important that methods of providing support to child protective services staff be explored and that the supervisor - social worker ratio be reduced to provide adequate support and supervision to the child protective services social workers. Based upon the review of protective service cases, the needs of children and families in our community, and the State Division of Social Services' Biennial Review, the Orange County Community Child Protection Team makes the following recommendations: 1. That one additional CPS Social Worker be approved to reduce caseloads and move the agency closer to the State caseload standard. 2. That a clerical position be approved in order to reduce the clerical functions performed by professional staff. 3 . That the Board give support and encouragement to the development of general child welfare services in order to prevent child abuse/neglect and to enhance family functioning for the citizens of Orange County. The CCPT believes it is critical that these recommendations be addressed in order to ensure adequate protection for the children of Orange County. T 5. 6e+et �0 P.O. BOX 8181 s •s HILLSBOROUGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27278 • 17 !2 TELEPHONE: 919 688-7331 Ext.2800 227-2031 Ext.28M Martha Pryor-Cook 968-4501 Ext ?800 Director 967-9251 Ex,.''800 CHAPEL HILL DSS Comaunity Child Protection Team Members OFFICE: 96&2000 Ms. Martha Pryor-Cook Department of Social Services P.O. Box 8181 Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 Ms. Denise Shaffer Department of Social Services P.O. Box 8181 Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 Ms. Patricia Clarke Department of Social Services P.O. Box 8181 Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 Ms. Sharon Lee Department of Social Services P.O. Box 8181 Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 Ms. Gloria Taylor Department of Social Services P.O. Box 8181 Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 Ms. Beachy R. Sanders Department of Social Services P.O. Box 8181 Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 300 W.TRYON STREET, HILLSBOROUGH 410 CALDWELL ST.,CHAPEL HILL 6 Community Child Protection Team Brian Curran, Investigator Chapel Hill Police Department 828 Airport Road Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514 Gerald Castle, Investigator Orange County Sheriff's Department 144 E. Margaret Lane Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 Cheryl Parker, Investigatorial Assistant District Attorney's Office 106 E. Margaret Lane Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 Bernice Wilson School Social Worker Orange County Board of Education 200 E. King Street Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 Desmund Runyan, M.D. , Dr. P.H. UNC-CH Department of Pediatrics CB #7225, Medical School Wing C Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599 Eileen Kugler, Personal Health Services Director Orange County Health Department 300 W. Tryon Street Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 Gloria Williams, Executive Director JOCCS P.O. Box 27 Pittsboro, North Carolina 27312 Carol Duncan, Children & Youth Coordinator Orange-Person, Chatham Mental Health Center 333 McMasters Street Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27516 t Ralph Wenger, Coordinator of Student Services Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Lincoln Center-Merritt Mill Road Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27516 John Turner, Dean UNC School of Social Work 223 E. Franklin Street Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3550 Donn Hargrove, Chief Juvenile Court Counselor P.O. Box 60 Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 Bonnie Davis Community Representative P.O. Box 307 Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 Chris Nutter Community Representative Maple View Farm Dairy Land Road Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 Karen Kliebenstein Chapel Hill Exchange Club President 1526 E. Franklin Street Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514 Rev. George Allison DSS Board Chair P.O. Box 261 Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 Joyce K. Moore, R.N. , M.P.H. UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Pediatrics 207 Bolin Creek CB#3415 Chapel Hill, North Carolinna 27599-3415 Gretchen Aylsworth, Director Guardian Ad Litem Program 3 Briarbridge Lane Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27516