ADOPTED - OCTOBER 14, 2008

Agenda Item No. 18

Introduced by the Judiciary and Finance Committees of the:

INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A BRIDGE APPROPRIATION

FOR A 2008 AGREEMENT FOR THE CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES

ANGEL HOUSE PROGRAM

RESOLUTION #08-284

WHEREAS, Child and Family Services has operated the Angel House Program to serve County residents since May of 2006; and

WHEREAS, due to the loss of funding sources primarily due to a change in funding philosophy from the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) the Child and Family Services Angel House Program will be under-funded during this 2008 fiscal year; and

WHEREAS, Child and Family Services has requested a bridge appropriation to assist in the adequate funding of the Angel House Program; and

WHEREAS, the Ingham County Board of Commissioners previously approved entering into a contract for $40,000 with Child and Family Services Angel House Program for the period of  May 1, 2006 through December 1, 2006 for services to Ingham County residents as an emergency appropriation; and

WHEREAS, this request is consistent with the Board of Commissioners’ priorities of “Meeting Basic Needs”.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners hereby approves entering into a contract for $25,000 from the Juvenile Justice Millage fund with Child and Family Services for the Angel House Program for the period of October1, 2008 through December 1, 2008 for services to Ingham County residents as outlined in their attached proposal.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the following stipulations must be met prior to adoption of this resolution by the full Board of Commissioners:

- Child and Family Services will provide the Ingham County Circuit Court Family Division,  Ingham County Department of Human Services, and Board of Commissioners with a written Proposal for the new Residential Services to Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents Program and Children’s Assessment Center (CAC) Program;

- Child and Family Services will provide the Ingham County Board of Commissioners with a long-term financial plan, including a description of how this transitional funding will help the organization remain financially solvent to maintain its long-term service to our community.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board Chairperson and County Clerk are authorized to sign the necessary contracts consistent with this resolution as prepared by the County Attorney.

ADOPTED - OCTOBER 14, 2008

Agenda Item No. 18

RESOLUTION #08-284

JUDICIARY:  Yeas:  Weatherwax-Grant, Bahar-Cook, Holman, Nolan, Schafer

  Nays:  None            Absent:  Tennis   Approved 10/2/08

FINANCE:    Finance will meet on 10/13/08

Child & Family Services, Capital Area

Angel House - Children’s Shelter and Assessment Center

Proposal to Ingham County

Grant Period:  October 1 – December 31, 2008

Background

While there is no disagreement on the critical need for emergency shelter beds for abused and neglected children in Ingham County, the less-than-projected utilization of bed space at Angel House has become financially problematic.  This apparent contradiction results from two conditions:

1. The original program design of Angel House highlighted its use as a point of single entry for children and adolescents entering the foster care system.  Patterned after the “best-practice-approved” Polinsky Center in San Diego, California, Angel House was the local solution to a systemic problem:  children entering foster care rarely receive adequate care and comfort at the point they are removed from their homes under crisis situations.  The Angel House approach included 24/7 emergency shelter, trauma counseling and stabilization services, bio-psycho-social assessments, medical care, and placement planning support.  As the doors of Angel House opened in June of 2006, the Michigan Department of Human Services was in the process of changing their philosophy on out-of-home care and deemed emergency shelters as a “placement of last resort.”  This obviously resulted in downward pressure on the number and intensity of referrals to Angel House.

2. The fixed costs associated the 24/7 nature of emergency shelter operations are not fully supported by the per diem payment method, which only reimburses the program for actual beds used.  The removal of abused and neglected children from their homes under emergency conditions is an unpredictable and cyclical business.  At times, Angel House is filled to capacity.  At other times, the house may be half full.  In all cases, lengths of stay at Angel House are very short, often less than one week.  Angel House requires an average daily census of twelve children to achieve financial breakeven.  In 2007, the average daily census was seven children.  In 2008, the average daily census is nine children.       

Proposed Response:  Change in Scope of Services

There has been growing demand for therapeutic residential services to pregnant and parenting teens in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems in the Ingham County area.  This trend was exacerbated by the recent closure of Florence Crittenton Services in neighboring Jackson County.  Florence Crittenton provided shelter and counseling services to troubled teen mothers in the Mid-Michigan region and they closed their operations in July due to financial problems.

Angel House has the capacity and staff credentials to expand programming and serve the pregnant and parenting adolescent population.  Criteria for admission will be those youth who

will benefit from a residential stay in a structured programming environment, as mutually determined by the Angel House clinical team and the referring professional.  Each client will receive intensive case management, parenting and life skills training, mental health and substance abuse counseling, and an action plan which specifies goals and objectives towards program completion.  The primary goal is to fully prepare the youth for independent living and economic self-sufficiency and shorten their stay in the foster care system.

Angel House is within walking distance of the Ingham Intermediate School District Career Center and Mason School District alternative education facility.  As appropriate, transportation will be provided to youth who will remain in their present educational setting.

The attached Angel House Teen Parent Program Overview provides more detail on the scope of services.

Rationale

Expanding the utilization of Angel House to serve this new and emerging population of teen mothers will fill the Florence Crittenton void, allow the program to market its services and solicit referrals statewide, increase and stabilize the census, tap substantially into federal IV-E funds (which is cost-neutral to the county and state), and significantly increase revenue to the level of long-term sustainability.

Further, it was recently announced by the Michigan Department of Human Services that a Request for Proposals (RFP) for teen parent residential services will be released before the end of the year and will target the mid-Michigan area.  Thus, the change in scope of services for Angel House will provide the program with a strategic advantage to bid on the RFP.  If Angel House submits a successful bid, Angel House will receive a state contract to house pregnant and parenting teens.  Note:  Angel House can provide this service without a state contract, but having a state contract makes referral process easier and with less strings attached.  

Bridge Grant Request

For the remaining months of 2008, Angel House will continue to accept emergency placements but at limited capacity as the transition towards serving pregnant and parenting teens unfolds.  In September, Angel House received its first teen parent referral from the court and is waiting for final approval from MDHS to accept referrals from DHS county offices.  A bridge grant from Ingham County will help provide the funding necessary for Angel House to move to a new level of service to the community and financial sustainability.                      

Contact Information

Jim Paparella

Executive Director

Child & Family Services, Capital Area

4287 Five Oaks Drive

Lansing, MI  48911

517.882.4000 ext. 123

[email protected]

TEEN PARENT PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Introduction

The Angel House Teen Parent Program is a residential treatment program that provides a supportive and instructive living environment for at-risk pregnant and parenting teens in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. 

The primary goal of the Teen Parent Program is to help teenage mothers become self-sufficient by providing them with a safe living environment, 24-hour supervision, support for long-term economic independence (such as high school diploma or GED), parenting and life skills training, and help finding affordable housing or appropriate alternative upon leaving the program.     

Admission Criteria

Residents accepted into the program are teen girls ages 13-17 who are pregnant or already have a child. These young women are wards of the state/court due to abuse, neglect, or delinquency who require a residential and structured living environment to succeed.  The girls will demonstrate motivation to work on building a positive and supportive life for baby and self, attend school or work towards GED completion, and in some cases obtain employment.

Program Goals

The goal of the Angel House Teen Parenting Program is for participants to:

o Increase self-sufficiency.

o Work toward obtaining a high school diploma, GED, or vocational training.

o Set short and long term personal goals in order to help achieve success in education, parenting, and self-growth.

o Enhance parenting skills.

o Develop good decision making skills.

o Learn to budget money, apply for housing and support services, and gain employment.

o Take responsibility for personal choices.

Services Provided

o Biopsychosocial assessments.

o Weekly counseling sessions and peer support groups.

o Onsite clinical case management.

o Assistance obtaining referrals for support services, medical care, and transportation.

o Tutoring and mentoring.

o Assistance with setting and completing goals.

o Structured programming for building parenting and life skills.

o Encouragement and emotional support.

o 24-hour supervision of daily activities within the program.

o Educational Groups:  parenting, child development, child birth, cooking, budgeting, job seeking, career development, obtaining and maintaining housing, using community resources, physical and emotional health and well-being.

Length of Stay

The average length of stay will be six to nine months with a maximum length of stay of one year.

Referrals

The DHS, court, or private agency caseworker will call Angel House and request a referral packet (including intake forms) which will be faxed or emailed to them. The worker will complete the necessary forms and return them to Angel House.  Upon receiving the intake forms the Angel House clinical team will review the information then set up an interview either in person or by telephone.