Early Intervention Trauma Based Case Management

EARLY INTERVENTION TRAUMA BASED CASE

MANAGEMENTWilliam Memberto

MSW/CSW

“Children are gifts from the Creator, they help us learn

about who and what we are as parents, human beings and

Nations”.

Historical View:

1997-2004: LRBOI Family Services Indian Child Welfare Services consisted of a “monitoring of cases” process in which the ICWA Case Manager collected information for the State of Michigan CPS, Foster Care, Purchase of Services Agencies, Therapist and other relative service providers to provide the Binojeeuk Commission with information to determine the “Best Interest” of our children. The Commission used the information to under take it’s responsibility to make recommendations to State and Tribal Court.

Over that period of time the Family Services and the Binojeeuk Commission found that the information that was being shared was limited in it’s nature and did not meet the standards of ICWA, nor did it meet what was felt to be a “Best Practice” in collaborative case work in child welfare services.

FAMILY SERVICES MODEL DEVELOPMENT

BINOJEEUK COMMISSION

While our Binojueek Commission (Child Welfare Commission) were reviewing ICWA cases they are always concerned with not only the facts of the cases and services to the family, they have set priorities in the following order:

I. Little River Band of Ottawa Indians would intervene in every ICWA case we were noticed on regardless of where in the U.S. the family resided.

II. Safety of children is the primary motive for tribe intervening in cases. If indeed we value our children as the future of our tribe, we need to insure their protection in every way. Children need to live in a safe, stable and sober environment. In addition the Tribe intervenes to insure that children remain with their families and that the standards of the ICWA are met.

Binojeeuk Commission Cont:

III. Early intervention is necessary at the Child Protective Services investigation where removal of children is of concern. LRBOI- FSD intervenes to ensure that the standards of ICWA, such as “Active Efforts “ are carried out as required. Within the traditional home lands of the tribe, Manistee, Mason, Lake, Muskegon, Newaygo, Kent. Oceana, Wexford, and Ottawa counties of Michigan is where LRBOI carries out the Early Intervention efforts.

IV. Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Family Services Department has developed and implemented a proactive approach to services in a collaborative effort, with the State of Michigan, CPS and Foster Care to address the best interests of our children.

BINOJEEUK COMMISSION

CURRENT MODEL DEVELOPMENT

Current Model:

2005-Present: At the direction of the Binojeeuk Commission and with support and approval of the Tribal Council the Family Services Department began the development of a “Early Intervention” with regards to all Child Protective Services investigations in the nine county service area.

I. We worked with the State of Michigan in the redevelopment of State of Michigan, Department of Human Services, Child Protective Services policies to insure that Tribes are provided in notice during the initial investigation process with Indian Families.

II. Developed policies and procedures within the Family Services Department to ensure ICWA standards are met to prevent the removal of tribal child from their family. Develop collaborative service model that allows tribe to be proactive in delivery of services.

Implementation:

EARLY INTERVENTION

I. Once telephone and/or written notice is received from the local CPS within the nine country service area a Family Services Case Manager will make contact with the worker and the family.

II. The FSD Case Manager will review with the worker and the family the Early Intervention process and establish appointments and work to develop relationships with the family and service providers .

III. The FSD Case Manager will work with CPS and family to establish an appropriate service plan in collaboration with the CPS or other service agencies that assist in meetings the standards of ICWA and specific needs of the family. This planning effort should be completed within the first (30) days.

IV. The FSD Case manager will meet with the Family face to face every (30) days, the FSD Case Manager will meet with service providers on a regular basis to collaborate and advocate additional cultural based services as needed.

EARLY INTERVENTION

Implementation:

V. The Family Services Department Case Manager will schedule an ICWA Case Review Team meeting regarding this case within (90) days of the case of the initial CPS notice to the tribe. The FSD Case Manager is responsible for requesting that the CPS workers and all service providers working with the family are notified and requested to attend either in person or via telephone conferencing. For the tribe the meeting is attended by the FSD Case Management staff, including Supervision and the Tribal Prosecutor. At this meeting the case is reviewed to insure that the tribal priorities for child safety and meeting ICWA standards are met. Service plans are adjusted to insure cultural needs of the family are met via this active service planning process. The ICWA Case Review is utilized by the tribes to build a solid collaborative service approach to serving our families and children.

ICWA Case Review Team-Foster Care

Implementation: I. Cases where the children are removed from the home of a Tribal

family are all reviewed by the ICWA Case Review Team. Again the purpose

is the same as with CPS cases, to insure Child Safety, that ICWA standards are met as required.

11. Upon receiving notice of a Tribal Child being removed by CPS. The FSD Case Manager is responsible for development of the case for the ICWA Case Team. This includes the face to face contacts with the family and child or children in care, working to provide input into service planning with the foster care worker and any other ancillary services being provided to the family and children. The Case is scheduled for a ICWA Case Review within the first (30)days. All service providers and those responsible for the case are invited to the Case Review Team meeting where the case is reviewed. This is done at the Tribal office and those unable to attend are teleconferenced to participate. At this meeting we work to collectively develop goals and objectives for the family to insure the return of the children, we also develop needed services to the children. At this meeting we will develop recommendations that are provided to the Binojeeuk Commission for their review and consideration.

ICWA Case Review Team-Foster Care Implementation:

III. Subsequent meetings of the ICWA Case Review Team are done every (90) days to review service plans, develop additional needed services and to provide recommendations for Binojeeuk Commission, who in turn provide their recommendations to Courts. ICWA Case Review Team also meet regarding any changes in the status of the family, changes in placement and/or emergency matters impacting the case. These reviews are scheduled on a regular basis. the first and third week of every month, to insure access for reviews as needed.

IV. ICWA Case Review team members also meet with the Binojeeuk Commission to present their recommendations to the Commission and to facilitate collaborations between the Commission and the ICWA Case Review Team. This assists the Commission in formulation of their recommendations to the appropriate courts

ICWA Case Review and Early Intervention Benefits I. Many of the requirements of ICWA are required on the

front end of Child Welfare Cases prior to removal. To insure that the ICWA standards are being carried out in a proactive fashion, child safety is assured and families are not compromised by failure on the part of the mainstream child welfare system.

II. Early Intervention and development of the ICWA Case Review Team has allowed the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians to take ownership of ICWA cases. CPS, Foster Care Workers, service providers, and attorneys and/or GALs attend. All these folks attend at the tribes office or via telephone.

III. Over the period of the last two years we have see a high degree of improvement in the relationships with the CPS and Foster Care providers from the State as well as with other service agencies. This has from our perspective improved the overall provision of services to our families and children.

ICWA Case Review and Early Intervention Benefits

IV. The collaborative relationships building with these outside service agencies, including courts and attorneys has resulted in a better awareness and compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act in the nine county area we serve.

Trauma In Indian Country

Trauma Focused Child Welfare System:

In 2008 the LRBOI joined with the Western Michigan University in seeking a SAMSHA grant to provide training to Child Welfare Systems that focused on services to children. Upon the approval of the grant there was an push to bring a standardized approach to child trauma across multiple services systems. In December 2009 there was a collaborative “kick off” that drew in over a 100 participants from the surrounding counties. This event outlined the necessity to focus on the need to change our approaches to providing therapeutic services to children and their families. The overall goal of development of a “Trauma Focused Child Welfare System” which seeks to heal the emotional and psychological effects of trauma caused by abuse and neglect.

Trauma Focused Child Welfare System

The trauma experienced by children who endure childhood abuse and neglect has the ability to change the way a child’s brain develops and how that child navigates the world around them. Children who live through child abuse and neglect experience problems with memory, developmental delays, and behavioral challenges. As Indian people we have long understood of the Historical Trauma of our people due to the genocidal process we have endured. This coupled with the trauma’s experienced by our people during the boarding school era has left us with generations of trauma with our family systems.

There are currently 14 therapist in LRBOI’s services area that have been trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Little River band of Ottawa Indians have trained (3) MSWs within the Family Services Department have received training in Trauma Focused Cognitive Therapy. In addition Case Managers within the Department have received training to assist parents and foster parents in understanding the principles of Trauma Focused Services for Children.

Trauma Focused Child Welfare System

Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Trauma Focused Strategies:

• The development of trauma focused assessment for children and their families.

• Therapeutic Interventions utilizing Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

• Trauma Focused services to children using Real Life Heroes developed by

Richard Kagan PhD. , which focuses on Trauma and Attachment Centered Service Planning.