Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #1876FY0001 Children's Advocacy Center: Family Assessment Center
Requester:		Administrative Office of the Court			Organization:		Thirteenth Judicial Circuit
Project Title:		Children's Advocacy Center: Family Assessment Center			Date Submitted:		02/08/2001 8:28:31 AM
Sponsors:		Sandra Murman
Statewide Interest:		Local pilot project and would be considered as a model program for statewide implementation.
Recipient:		Department of Children and Families Suncoast Region			Contact:		Jeff Rainey
		4000 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.			Contact Phone:		(813) 276-2762
		Tampa 33605
Counties:		Hillsborough
Service Area:		Government Entity
Project Description:
There are currently over 1,500 children in Foster Care in Hillsborough County. The average length of stay in care for these children is approximately thirty-six (36) months. The Dependency Court Divisions in Hillsborough County have seen a 270% increase in the total number of active cases since 1996. In response to the needs of the child welfare system in Hillsborough County, the Family Assessment Center has been proposed. The Assessment Center is a vested collaborative partnership of community stakeholders in the child welfare system, including, the Department of Children and Families, the Thirteenth Judicial Courts, The University of South Florida, The Spring of Tampa Bay, the Child Protection Team, the Children's Board of Hillsborough County, The Children's Home, Inc., The Tampa YMCA, and Hillsborough Kids, Inc. The Assessment Center would co-locate professionals from various disciplines, including, mental health, health and development, substance abuse, domestic violence, child protection, and law enforcement. These professionals would work collectively in developing a comprehensive holistic child and family assessment. The assessments would begin immediately upon a child entering the system and would be formulated with input from all participating agencies and disciplines of the Assessment Center. Professionals would identify child and family strengths and weaknesses, thus assuring specific and appropriate coordinated service referral and intervention. Services Provided: Intake, Interviews of victims, Medical Evaluations, Developmental Evaluations, Clinical Assessments, Family Violence Assessments, Substance Abuse Assessments, Case Management. A determining factor in the average length of stay for children in care is the statutorily mandated case plan, developed by the Department of Children and Families, with input from all parties involved. The case plan is the tool used to formulate goals and coordinate service. The case plan is also the official mechanism for the Court to monitor the child and family progress during the life of a case. Unfortunately, Judges are often provided boilerplate case plans that do not address specific needs of the child and family. A comprehensive assessment that is created in a timely fashion and tailored to the child and family would be a vital tool used in the development of the case plan. The Assessment Center would be the epicenter used to in the development of tailored case plans for children and their families.
Measurable Outcome Anticipated:
The measurable outcomes for the Assessment Center Project would include, improved child safety and well being by more timely assessments, faster and more efficient link to services, higher degree of communication and collaboration between community agencies, more effective communication to the Court. Reduction in coast associated with service provision by eliminating the duplication of services recommended and offered to children and families.
Amount requested from the State for this project this year:						$800,000
Identify item(s) in the Appropriations Bill to be reduced:
Specific Appropriation #:
Specific Appropriation Title:
Amount to be reduced:			$
Fund Source:
Total cost of the project:			$1,045,250
Request has been made to fund:				Operations
Type of funding match:		Local
	Total Cash Amount:		$200,000		Total In-Kind Amount:		$45,250
Was this project previously funded by the State?							No
Is future-year funding likely to be requested?							No
Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request?							No
Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget?							No
Is there a documented need for this project?							No
Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)?							Yes
	Hearing Body:		Board of County Commissioners, Hillsborough County
	Meeting Date:		12/06/2000