AdvOCAcy : your child welfare update, 2018 December

Office of the
Child Advocate
For Georgia's Children

AdvOCAcy
Your child welfare update

December 2018

Page 1

"Awesome Conference"

Recapping 2018's The Summit: Georgia's Child Welfare Conference

With more than 500 attendees, Georgia's 2nd Annual Child Welfare Conference: "The Summit" was held December 35, 2018 in Atlanta. The Office of the Child Advocate was pleased to once again partner with the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Division of Family and Children Services for this year's statewide conference.

This event aims to bring together all disciplines involved in

Georgia's child protection and child welfare system for a time of

education, collaboration, and networking. Recognizing that

each of us has an important role in the lives of Georgia's chil-

dren, one of the goals of this conference is to encourage and

inspire continuous improvements impacting the lives of the chil- Georgia Supreme Court Justice David E. Nahmias wel-

dren and families we serve .

coming attendees and introducing the closing keynote

speaker, Giovan Bazan
With feedback like "awesome conference", "tons of useful infor-

mation delivered by knowledgeable people", and "got some good ideas and made connections", the aims and goals

were realized.

Jerry Bruce was the first of the 2018 Summit's three plenary speakers. OCA's monthly platform for the unedited voic-

He challenged attendees to evaluate their views on permanency with es of young people who have been in care....

the opening

keynote: "Terminancy:

Youth Voice

Rethinking

By Shianne Davis

Permanency".

I, Shianne, am a former foster care youth that is the age of 19; that is driven to help

Jaap Doek, an international child

others in the child welfare system have a better life than I did. In order to do this, I am a part of an initiative in Iowa that is focusing on increasing better outcomes for African American youth

protection that are in the child welfare system. I use my

and child

experience from being in the system to spread

Jerry Bruce delivering the opening keynote at The Summit

welfare expert, shared some global

light onto what is really going on for children like me.
I entered the welfare system at the age of 14 for

insights and mental health and behavioral issues. My mother

perspectives from his work with many countries, as well as with the

could no longer handle my actions and behav-

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). As Georgia iors while trying to provide for three younger

does, the CRC also recognizes that a child's See Summit, page 6

children. I was first placed See Voice, page 7

Office of the Child Advocate
For Georgia's Children
December 2018

AdvOCAcy
Your child welfare update
Page 2

DFCS' Secret Santa Program Helps Fulfill Holiday Wishes for
Children in Foster Care
Each year, in coordination with Clark Howard, DFCS organizes the delivery of presents to many children in foster care through the Secret Santa Program.
Of this year's event, Donna Pettigrew-Jackson, Secret Santa's Program Organizer for DFCS, said, "Due to the generosity and kindness of Georgians across the state, over 10,000 children in foster care in Georgia woke up to presents on Christmas morning. This year's drive was the largest collection of gifts in the program's 28-year history. We are grateful for the hope given to Georgia's most vulnerable children."
For those children in foster care that do not receive gifts via the Secret Santa Program, there are many other people and organizations that ensure those children also receive gifts during the holiday season.
Thank you to all the people that contributed to this and similar efforts -- either with their time, money, or both!

Upcoming Events:
MAAC Day at the Capitol, January 17, 2019, Atlanta, GA. 2019 Strolling Thunder: A Storm of Advocacy for Infants and Toddlers, January
20, 2019, Atlanta, GA. More info here. Mental Health Day at the Capitol, February 8, 2019, Atlanta, GA. More info
here. Deadline to submit a nomination for the Chief Justice Hines 2019 Awards for an
Attorney and a Case Manager of the Year, February 28, 2019. More info here.

Office of the
Child Advocate
For Georgia's Children

AdvOCAcy
Your child welfare update

December 2018

Page 3

Spotlight on The Summit

"Holden On"

Holden On, the story of a young man afflicted by mental illness and suicide, was shown during an optional movie night. This important film portrays the complexity of mental illness and suicide in teens, offers insight to prevention, and opens the door to conversation about this difficult but critical community concern. Tamlin Hall, the screenwriter and director of the movie, and Mike Angstadt, who knows Holden's family personally, hosted a discussion following the screening of this film.

Book Drive
During The Summit, we hosted a book drive for children in foster care. Attendees came through, having donated over 200 books for children of all ages.
Juvenile Court Judge Lisa Jones has already packed up a suitcase full of books to distribute to children throughout the Southwestern Judicial Circuit. The remaining books will be distributed to DFCS offices and juvenile courts to ensure they make their way into the hands of a child in foster care.
Books bring education and knowledge, fun and relaxation, and comfort. Our hope is that these books will do exactly that for children in foster care needing any or all of those things.

Brain Breaks

Each breakout session offered

a "Brain Break"- a session de-

signed as an alternative to a more

traditional presentation. Options

included speed networking; a

Professional Breakouts

"Family Feud" style game with a child welfare spin (highly competi-

Attendees had an opportunity to gather with others in their profession to connect and discuss unique aspects of their roles. Professional categories included Case Managers and Supervisors, DFCS State Office or Field Operations, All Attorneys, CASA, and Judges. As The Summit continues, we expect to expand the opportunities for these professional breakouts.

tive!); an experiential "walk" in a young person's shoes as they pursue their postsecondary education; self-care techniques; and creating an item for a child in foster care.

See Documentation, page 7

Office of the Child Advocate
For Georgia's Children
December 2018

AdvOCAcy
Your child welfare update
Page 4

We're listening!

During The Summit, attendees had the opportunity to submit their "wishes" or ideas for improvements to the system in a "wishing well" (aka a child's suitcase that was later donated to a child in foster care). A sampling of them here:

"For the Summit conference Don't ignore the providers :) We are here! However most of the introductions,

breakouts, and workshops have left us out. We are with your/our kids & families weekly, if not more, and often

the most consistent person in their lives as they change placements & CMs. We are part (a big part) of your

The Work

team!" Note from the planners: Please accept our apologies as this was certainly not our intention. We will strive

A poem by DFCS case manager, Chelsea Brooks

to be more inclusive next year. Thank you for all you do! You will be the one they blame when they're too overcome shame

"Remind state office staff, units, specialists, etc., etc. (contract unit, OPM, well-being spec., training unit, rec-

You will be the one they blame when things are frustrating

ord reviewers, accounting, HR) that their job is to support

when people are hurting

the field not direct and generate work of the field."

Some will never appreciate you, others will never understand. But

"Ethics Professionalism credit would be wonderful" Note

that doesn't really matter

from the planners: Agreed! We will do our best to have

these available next year.

Regardless of what they yell at you, regardless of what they say

"Foster families for the whole family"
"Parent advocate program"
"Our DFCS case workers need more training re policy, engaging parents, and how to provide effective case management. Please ask your case workers anonymously what they need. I get told by DFCS case workers that they feel they are thrown into the field w/out enough training."

You are there for that one person, that one child that you made smile
You are there for the one who has a better life You are there to give that one a better life with no pain
People may discourage you Make you feel like you do no right But remind yourself it is for one life changed that you fight

You brush off the words

Sleep off those long days And advocate for the people who need to see change
It won't be easy And results can seem impossible
But you were chosen for this

Office of the
Child Advocate
For Georgia's Children

AdvOCAcy
Your child welfare update

December 2018

Page 5

Where's Waldo?
See if you can spot any familiar faces in these scenes from The Summit!

Office of the
Child Advocate
For Georgia's Children

AdvOCAcy
Your child welfare update

December 2018

Page 6

The Summit, continued... views should be given due weight throughout dependency proceedings.

As such, Professor Doek highlighted, "Judges have a certain level of accountability to

understand and consider the child's views

"In the decision, the judge should explain what kind of weight was given and why, preferably using

and should explain to the child what weight he or she has given to the child's views and why."

child friendly language...A lot of research has shown that the
acceptability of a decision very much depends on the degree to which
parents and child were heard along with the explanation of the decision."
- Jaap Doek

For the final plenary session, Giovan Bazan

shared his story of time spent in foster care and the resulting effects of that. In

DFCS Interim Director Tom Rawlings welcoming Professor Jaap Doek

doing so, he underscored the importance

of mental health care. He also left us with a little inspiration and motivation to continue

striving for improvements for the children

and families we serve.

The workshops were centered around

multi-system, community-based approaches to protecting children and supporting

families. Offerings included a wide range of topics, such as: case law updates; perma-

nent guardianships; engaging African American fathers; the intersection of child wel-

fare and domestic violence; evidentiary issues; a parent's perspective; trauma-

informed systems of care; and implicit bias. In addition to the workshops, "brain

breaks"-- alternatives to traditional workshops designed to encourage more net-

working and cultivate habits that contribute to our mental and physical health and resilience -- were also offered. (See page 3 for more about these.)

Giovan Bazan leading the audience in some silly moves without explanation as a way to demonstrate

how children in foster care often feel

Attendees encountered multiple options to promote their own self-care, as well as

have a little fun. Indeed, some attendees shared their feedback that the "brain break" sessions were "interactive" and "fun", con-

tained "feel good" moments, and left them with a "deeper understanding" and additional "insight". The giant word search also

provided an opportunity for fun, while early morning meditation yoga offered an opportunity for self care.

Another highlight of The Summit were videos showcasing a variety of positive outcomes. One story focused on the support a young lady received as she aged out of care and pursued her college degree. Another story shared the impact that Family Treat-
ment Courts can have. Yet another story celebrated a father's success at reunifying with his children. A juvenile court judge shared a bit of her motivation for this work. The final video featured a young girl who experienced a significant amount of trauma but was ultimately adopted and continues to maintain contact with her biological parents. In the event you missed any or all of these videos, they can be found here.

All of this plus more was packed into these few amazing days. Many thanks to the exhibitors, presenters, attendees and others who made this event a success! Your feedback is extremely helpful as we look forward to The Summit again in 2019 where we hope to join with each of you yet again to elevate our collective work for the children and families of Georgia. Until then, thank you for participating and thank you for all the hard work you do every day to help improve outcomes within the child welfare system.

Office of the
Child Advocate
For Georgia's Children

AdvOCAcy
Your child welfare update

December 2018

Page 7

Child Abuse Protocol Mini-Summit

On December 3, 2018, a mini-summit was held to dis-

cuss ideas for improvements to Georgia's Model Child Abuse

Protocol. Participants

developed many cre-

ative ideas, which are

in the process of be-

ing implemented in a

soon-to-be revised

version of the Child

Abuse Protocol. Once

complete, it will be

available on OCA's

website. In the

meantime, the cur- Attendees at the mini-summit discuss ideas

rent version is availa- for improvements to the state's Model

ble here.

Child Abuse Protocol

Voice, cont'd...

in a PMIC (Psychiatric Medical Institutes for

Children) residential facili-

ty in Des Moines, Iowa. After seeing the counselor, I was

diagnosed with several severe mental health disorders.

Soon these diagnoses were used as labels to describe me

more than my actions did. Running away or doing any

"bad" behavior will get you labeled as well. These labels

do not only affect what you are able to do in treatment,

but where you can go for other treatments if needed.

Being labeled a high-risk runner (meaning you ran away

from treatment multiple times) significantly restricts

what other treatments are willing to take you because

you are a risk to their facility. The adults in the treatment

facilities do not care why you ran, but just the fact that

you ran. I ran to get away from constant bullying, but that

didn't matter. Staff couldn't get the bullying to stop so I

took matters into my own hands and ran away.

From my experience I want to encourage three different things. The first is to not let labels define the children in the system because behaviors or diagnoses are not who the child is. Secondly, allow youth in treatment more freedoms for them to feel more like a "normal" teenager (this is an issue even though I didn't cover it in this paper). Lastly, look at the root causes for the behavior and address them before adding diagnoses and acting like the children will never be successful in life.

Editor's Note: Shianne is a young lady involved with work through the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative. She understands the importance of "asking the why" for all youth in foster care and hopes to convey it to the professionals working with the youth.

Georgia Office of the Child Advocate for the Protection of Children
Rachel Davidson, Interim Director https://oca.georgia.gov 7 MLK Jr. Blvd, Ste 347 Atlanta, GA 30334
For general inquiries, assistance, or to file a complaint: Phone: (404) 656-4200 Internet: https://oca.georgia.gov/webform/request-oca-
assistance-or-investigation To submit an article for the newsletter: rdavidson@oca.ga.gov

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