| ACFS - Child Placement |
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| Friday, 08 July 2005 | |
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CHILD PLACEMENT SERVICES Service Descriptions ADDRESS: 2864 Ashmun (Multiple ACFS Offices) Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783 PHONE: 632-5250 or 1-800-726-0093 SERVICES: The Child Placement Services has two different areas of service: the Binogii Placement Agency and Family Support Services. Binogii Placement Agency The Binogii Placement Agency is licensed by the State of Michigan and through a contract established with the State of Michigan provides foster care and adoption services to all Children ages 0-18 enrolled or eligible for enrollment with the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians within the seven counties of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan Service Area: Alger, Chippewa, Delta, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette, Schoolcraft. Foster Care Services Tribal children and families of children in out of home care receive Foster Care Case Management Services with the goal of safely reunifying the family as soon as is feasible and appropriate. Services may include: Mental health counseling for the child, parent and family; psychological evaluations; substance abuse counseling or referral for inpatient treatment; family support services including intensive home based services; home-based mental health services; parenting skills education; financial assistance; referrals to other appropriate community services/agencies. In the seven county service area and according to the Sault Tribe Planning and Development Division, the per capita income of Native Americans is between 30 to 38% less than that of the non-native population. Family stress, unemployment, fewer economic opportunities, and lack of education are contributing factors that place many native children at-risk for abuse or neglect. Reunification Reunification services provide support to the family and the child during the transition from foster care to safely returning home. Appropriate services are identified and may include: Intensive home based services; outpatient or home based counseling or substance abuse counseling; parenting education; financial assistance through ACFS Direct Services; day care assistance. Services are provided to the families for a minimum of three months after the children have been returned to ensure the continued safety of the child(ren) and to minimize the recurrence of the circumstances that necessitated the removal. Adoption Services Binogii Placement Agency provides adoptions services to Sault Tribe Children available for adoption in the seven county service area. Efforts are made to place children with family or with another Tribal Family. Binogii performs adoption activities which consist of adoptive family recruitment, adoption placement, supervision, case management, and court related support. Adoption and Foster Care Promotion and Recruitment ACFS is authorized to complete adoptive home studies and license foster homes and relative placements located on reservation land for the care of children as provided for in the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians’ Tribal Code, and through a contract with the State of Michigan that supports State issued licenses to homes located off of Tribal lands. Priority is given to locating a relative or other tribal member willing to accept the responsibility of caring for children removed from their families. In FY2006, 30 of 70 children removed from the home were placed with a relative (42%), and 10 children were placed with another tribal family (14%). Services and activities are designed to encourage the involvement of tribal families in providing homes to children in out of home care or to encourage more adoptions out of the foster care system, when adoption is in the best interest of the child(ren). These include: identification of relatives for placement at intake; presentations at various meetings; providing information at fairs and community events; information packets; a comprehensive media plan; public service announcements on the local cable network; articles in the tribal newspaper, flyers, paycheck inserts; distribution of brochures in all ACFS office and health centers. Family Support Services Facilitate and reinforce family system changes through early identification of Tribal families/individuals experiencing stress. A brief summary of services include: Adolescent In Home Assistance (AIHA) Family Continuity, In-Home Care, Protective Services, Family Violence Prevention, Indian Child Welfare Adolescent In Home Assistance Program The AIHA program was designed in response to a need to provide services to the juvenile delinquent population and also for those adolescents experiencing behavioral problems, who are at risk for becoming involved with the criminal justice system. The goal of the program is to reduce the number of youth removed from their homes as a result of delinquency and assist in the early return of youth to their homes that have been removed as a result of delinquency. To effectively treat the adolescent, it is essential that the entire family be involved. The AIHA program is a culturally specific, strengths based, holistic system of care, therapeutically modeled after behavior modification types of treatment. It provides advocacy, support, and connections with community based services that enable families to remain together, that successfully reunite the family with the adolescent in an out of home placement, and assists with problem solving that will assure family continuity, permanency, and healthy functioning. Child Protective Services Intake and Investigation: Protecting children from abuse and neglect, promoting the integrity and stability of families, and providing permanent places to live for children who cannot safely remain with their own families. Child Protective Services is not a voluntary program. Protective services activities are implemented so children can continue to remain safely in their own homes. Prevention is a voluntary program. Services are provided to assist families with a need that they have identified Based on assessment of risk to the child, services may include: Intensive home based services Referral for Home based therapy Referral for Substance abuse counseling services Referral for Direct assistance: emergency financial assistance Referrals to other tribal programs or community agencies Parenting instruction. In Home Care/Family Continuity: This program provides intensive in-home services to families that are at risk of having their children placed in foster care, Services that focus on the safety and risk issues identified during a CPS investigation where the decision is made that children can be maintained safely in the home. Services include crisis intervention, counseling, parenting and other skills training, assistance with housing, day care, and financial assistance for food, utilities, clothing and medicine, referrals to other appropriate agencies. As well as services to assist in the early return of children back to their homes (Reunification Services). Support services are provided during this time to ensure success of the family. Child Advocacy Center Population Served: Victims of child abuse or neglect Service Area: Alger, Chippewa, Delta, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette, Schoolcraft The Child Advocacy Center offers a safe place for a child who may be a victim of physical or sexual abuse or neglect; where they can be interviewed by caring representatives from child protective services, health care, law enforcement, mental health, prosecution, and victim advocacy. ACFS has an established Multi-Disciplinary Team and trained forensic interviewers on staff. The Child Advocacy Center operates within developed guidelines and protocols, and will be fully equipped for investigative purposes in FY2007. It is the intention to apply for accredited membership with the National Children’s Alliance in FY2007. Nurturing Parenting Program Population Served: Sault Tribe members – court ordered or voluntary Service Area: Alger, Chippewa, Delta, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette, Schoolcraft The Nurturing Parenting Program provides in-home parenting skills instruction for at-risk families. Participation in the program is most often court ordered as part of a reunification plan; however some parents have elected to voluntarily participate as a prevention strategy. Based on the immediate and long term needs of the family, instruction is provided on a number of matters such as child development, budgeting, coping with stress, health and nutrition. On average, parents complete their requirements for the program in 5 – 8 months. The establishment of this service has alleviated reliance on outside community agencies where waiting lists were long and has been responsive to the needs of parents, thereby addressing the safety and well being of children Prevention Services Prevention Services for families is a home-based family focused program designed to prevent child abuse and neglect by preserving and strengthening family life. The goal of the program is to assist families in recognizing their needs and help develop and maintain their own support network. Services can include parenting education, house keeping, budgeting etc. Indian Child Welfare Monitoring The Indian Child Welfare Act was passed in 1978. The ICWA applies to any State proceeding in which a child cannot be returned to the custody of the parent upon request. It applies to all proceedings in which a child has been removed from their parents care and placed in foster care, termination and adoption proceedings. The ICWA gives the Tribe the legal right to intervene in all State proceedings involving an Indian Child other than custody or Tribal Court proceedings. The Child Placement Component of ACFS receives notice of all Sault Tribe children involved in State Court proceedings throughout the United States. The Caseworkers role is to monitor the case and present to the Sault Tribe Child Welfare Committee to ensure that the provisions of the ICWA are followed. Family Violence Prevention ACFS strives to maximize service capabilities and ensure the availability of accessible emergency shelter and related assistance to victims of Family Violence. The program works closely with the Advocacy Resource Center to ensure provision of services to clients. The objective of the program is to provide timely access to shelter services, provide for shelter costs other than a Family Violence Shelter when deemed appropriate and related assistance such as meals and clothing vouchers if the family has been left without adequate clothing and is not able to gain access to belongings as a result of a Family Violence situation. |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 29 May 2007 ) |