Introduction to

Pennsylvania’s Permanency

Roundtable Project

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Dr. Tammy Hendrix Jon Douglas

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Session Agenda

Welcome and Opening

Defining Permanency

Understanding the importance of Permanency

Permanency Roundtable (PRT): Purpose, Phases, Roles

PRT outcomes

How to implement PRTs in your county

Questions

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Defining Permanency 4

The state of Pennsylvania’s

definition of permanencyThe establishment of an identified adult or family who has made a

commitment to care for and to support a child up to and beyond

the age of majority. Permanency options as defined by ASFA in

hierarchical order are as follows: (1) return to the parent, (2) place

for adoption, (3) placement with a permanent legal custodian, (4)

placement with a fit and willing relative or (5) another planned

permanent living arrangement (APPLA).

(APPLA may be used only when no other arrangement can be

made for the child and all other permanency options have been

ruled out. Documentation in the case record must fully support this

decision. There may be rare instances when this may be the only alternative for a teenager. It is unlikely to be justified as an

alternative for a young child.)

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What is Permanence?

A Youth Perspective

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What is Permanence?

A Youth Perspective

Permanency is NOT a place…

It’s a state of mind, not a placement;

It’s having the feeling that you are connected, that there is someone in the middle of the night

who will answer your collect phone call, or miss

you when you don’t show up

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Working Definition of

Permanency

Parenting

Life-Long Intent

Belonging

Status (legal and social)

Unconditional Commitment (by the adult)

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“Gold Standard” of

Permanency…Achieving Legal Permanency!

✓ Reunification

✓ Adoption

✓ Legal Guardianship

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Aging Out of Care… 10

What is happening in

Pennsylvania?

Outcomes of PA foster youth, as of age 21, who

completed the NYTD Survey:

35% were homeless at least once

25% became a parent

79% were unemployed

16% were enrolled in postsecondary

education

33% were in prison at least once

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Independent Living and

Permanency

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Josh Shipp 13

How Long Does Permanency

Take Once Youth Are

Registered with PAE?

Time to Permanency

0 - 1 Year

1+ - 2 Years

2+ - 3 Years

3+ - 4 Years

4+ - 6 Years

• Permanency

happens in the first two years for

60%.

• Year three still

sees many youth

getting to

permanency.

• Even after ten

years, we still see

youth moving to permanency.

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Permanency Roundtable

Professional case consultation

✓ Structured

✓ In-depth

✓ Non-blaming

✓ Relentless

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Purpose and Goals

1. Revisit and address Permanency needs of

presented youth;

2. Stimulate thinking and learning about options

for accelerating pathways to Permanency for

youth;

3. Identify and address barriers to Permanency;

and

4. Be a forum for focused, creative and

collaborative brainstorming that results in an

effective Permanency Action Plan for each child/youth under review.

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Permanency Roundtable

Values

Urgency

Teaming

Outcomes

Optimism

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Roundtable Team Roles

Facilitator

Scribe

Caseworker

Supervisor

Key

Stakeholders &

Permanency

Champions

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Roundtable Process19

1• Welcome & Overview

2• Present the Case

3• Clarify and Explore

4• Brainstorm

5• Create Permanency Action Plan

6• Debrief

Effective PRT Action Plans

Concrete, Specific Tasks

Details

Time Frames

Person Assigned (accountable)

for each Task

Reasonable Distribution of Tasks

Monthly Follow-up

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Benefits of Permanency

Roundtables

Increase staff capacity,

competency and

engagement

Staff Development

Strengthen system integration

Identify and Bust Systemic

Barriers

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PRT Success in

Pennsylvania

Permanency

Outcomes

Perceptions of

Caseworkers

“…not only gaining that

knowledge but then taking that

knowledge and whatever they

learned and using it for one of their

other cases, that's happened.”

“…that's one thing I like about

them is like I'm not doing

everything. It's being delegated to

this person, that person and I'm

like ‘yes.’

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PRT Implementation in

Pennsylvania

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How to implement PRTs in

your county

Contact Tammy Hendrix: 717-805-3429

Contact Jon Douglas:

724-601-0144

Contact your SWAN

Regional Technical

Assistant

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Questions25