PDF STATE OF NEVADA - Division of Child & Family Services

STATE OF NEVADA

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES DIVISION OF CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES

2018

ANNUAL PROGRESS SERVICES REPORT

Reesha Powell

Deputy Administrator

Contents

SECTION I: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 5

Nevada Demographics ..................................................................................................................................................... 5 Geography, Climate, and Population ................................................................................................................ 5 Economy and Trends ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Welfare Indicators.............................................................................................................................................. 8

Child Welfare Administrative Structure........................................................................................................................ 10 State Agency Administering Plans .................................................................................................................. 10 Mission............................................................................................................................................................. 10 Guiding Principles............................................................................................................................................ 11 Child Welfare Agencies ................................................................................................................................... 12 Children in Out of Home Care in Nevada........................................................................................................ 13 Legislative Activities ........................................................................................................................................ 14

Section II: Goals, Objectives and Methods of Measuring Progress ............................................. 17

PLAN FOR IMPROVEMENT............................................................................................................................................ 17 SAFETY........................................................................................................................................................... 17 CHILD and FAMILY WELL-BEING ................................................................................................................. 20 CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT .................................................................................................... 23 PERMANENCY ............................................................................................................................................... 26

Implementation Supports: ............................................................................................................................................. 27

Program Support: ........................................................................................................................................................... 28 Training and Technical Assistance.................................................................................................................. 28 Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Needs ....................................................................................... 28 Evaluation ........................................................................................................................................................ 29 Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration Activities ............................................................................................... 29

PROGRAM AREAS............................................................................................................................30

Section III. SAFETY .......................................................................................................................... 30

Trends in Child Safety.................................................................................................................................................... 30 Referrals .......................................................................................................................................................... 30 Investigations................................................................................................................................................... 32 Child Fatality .................................................................................................................................................... 33

Child Welfare Agency Progress towards SAFETY goals identified in the CFSP ..................................................... 34 STATEWIDE PROGRESS .............................................................................................................................. 34

ASSESSMENT OF PERFORMANCE in SAFETY .......................................................................................................... 36

Safety Outcome 1: Children are first and foremost, protected from abuse and neglect. ...................................... 37 Item 1: Timeliness of initializing investigations of reports of child maltreatment............................................ 37

Safety Outcome 2: Children are safely maintained in their homes whenever possible ........................................ 38 Item 2: Services to families to protect children in home and prevent removal or re-entry into foster care .... 38 Item 3: Risk Assessment and Safety Management ....................................................................................... 39

Section IV. PERMANENCY .............................................................................................................. 42

Trends in Permanency ................................................................................................................................................... 42

Child Welfare Agency Progress towards PERMANENCY goals identified in the CFSP ......................................... 42 STATEWIDE PROGRESS .............................................................................................................................. 42

ASSESSMENT OF PERFORMANCE in PERMANENCY............................................................................................... 46

Permanency Outcome 1: Children have permanency and stability in their living situations ............................... 46 Item 4: Stability of foster care placement ....................................................................................................... 46

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Item 5: Permanency goal for child .................................................................................................................. 48 Item 6: Achieving reunification, guardianship, adoption, or other planned permanent living arrangement. .. 49

Permanency Outcome 2: The continuity of family relationships and connections is preserved for children .... 55 Item 7: Placement with siblings ...................................................................................................................... 55 Item 8: Visiting with parents and siblings in foster care ................................................................................. 55 Item 9: Preserving connections ...................................................................................................................... 56 Item 10: Relative placement ........................................................................................................................... 57

Section V. CHILD and FAMILY WELL-BEING ................................................................................ 60

Trends in Child and Family Well-Being ........................................................................................................................ 60

Well-Being Measures-Case Reviews ............................................................................................................................ 60

Child Welfare Agency Progress towards CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING goals identified in the CFSP ......... 61 STATEWIDE PROGRESS .............................................................................................................................. 61

ASSESSMENT OF PERFORMANCE in CHILD AND FAMILY WELL-BEING .............................................................. 63

Well-Being Outcome 1: Families have enhanced capacity to provide for their children's needs ........................ 63 Item 12: Needs and services of child, parents, and foster parents ................................................................ 63 Item 13: Child and family involvement in case planning ................................................................................ 64 Item 14: Caseworker visits with child ............................................................................................................. 65 Item 15: Caseworker visits with parents......................................................................................................... 68

Well-Being Outcome 2: Children receive appropriate services to meet their educational needs. ....................... 68 Item 16: Educational needs of child ............................................................................................................... 68

Well-Being Outcome 3: Children receive adequate services to meet their physical and mental health needs. . 70 Item 17: Physical Health of child .................................................................................................................... 70 Item 18: Mental/behavioral health of child...................................................................................................... 71

Section VI. SYSTEMIC FACTORS ................................................................................................... 73

ASSESSMENT OF PERFORMANCE.............................................................................................................................. 73

Systemic Factor A: Statewide Information System ................................................................................................... 73 Item 19: Statewide information system .......................................................................................................... 73

Systemic Factor B: Case Review System ................................................................................................................... 75 Item 20: Written case plan.............................................................................................................................. 75 Item 21: Periodic reviews ............................................................................................................................... 77 Item 22: Permanency hearings ...................................................................................................................... 79 Item 23: Termination of parental rights........................................................................................................... 80 Item 24: Notice of hearings and reviews to caregivers .................................................................................. 82

Systemic Factor C: Quality Assurance System ......................................................................................................... 86 Item 25: Quality Assurance System ............................................................................................................... 86

Systemic Factor D: Staff and Provider Training......................................................................................................... 90 Item 26: Initial Staff Training........................................................................................................................... 90 Item 27: On-going Staff Training .................................................................................................................... 94 Item 28: Foster and adoptive parent training ............................................................................................... 100

Systemic Factor E: Service Array and Resource Development ............................................................................. 105 Item 29: Array of services............................................................................................................................. 105 Item 30: Individualizing services................................................................................................................... 113

Systemic Factor F: Agency Responsiveness to the Community ........................................................................... 115 Item 31: State Engagement in Consultation with Stakeholders ................................................................... 115 Item 32: Coordination of CFSP services with other Federal Programs ....................................................... 124

Systemic Factor G: Foster and Adoptive Home Licensing, Approval and Recruitment...................................... 125 Item 33: Standards applied equally .............................................................................................................. 125 Item 34: Requirements for criminal background checks .............................................................................. 127

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Item 35: Diligent recruitment of foster and adoptive homes......................................................................... 129 Item 36: State use of cross-jurisdictional resources for permanent placements.......................................... 130

APPENDICES................................................................................................................................... 134

APPENDIX A: Glossary of Acronyms ........................................................................................................................ 134 APPENDIX B: CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT ACT (CAPTA) PLAN REPORT.......................... 136 APPENDIX C: Chafee Foster Care Independent Living Program (CFCIP) & Education Training Voucher Program (ETV)............................................................................................................................................................... 148

CCDFS Child Welfare Protective Services Workforce: ................................................................................. 160 WCDSS Child Welfare Protective Services Workforce: ................................................................................ 162 DCFS Rural Region Child Welfare Protection Workforce: ............................................................................ 163

ATTACHMENTS............................................................................................................................... 166

ATTACHMENT A: Citizens Review Panel Report ...................................................................................................... 166 ATTACHMENT B: DCFS Response to Citizens Review Panel Report..................................................................... 166 ATTACHMENT C: Foster and Adoptive Parent Diligent Recruitment Plan............................................................. 166 ATTACHMENT D: Health Care Oversight and Coordination Plan ........................................................................... 166 ATTACHMENT E: Disaster Plan .................................................................................................................................. 166 ATTACHMENT F: Training Plan................................................................................................................................... 166 ATTACHMENT G: Financial Information .................................................................................................................... 166

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SECTION I: INTRODUCTION

Nevada Demographics Geography, Climate, and Population

Nevada, also known as The Silver State, is located in the Western, Mountain West and Southwestern region of the United States of America which became the 36th state of the union on October 31, 1864. Nevada is made up of an area of 110,567 square miles, making it the 7th largest state geographically, the 35th most populated and the 9th least densely populated of the 50 United States. The land areas of Nevada make up 109,806 square miles and 761 square miles or 0.69% of Nevada is covered by water. Nevada is about 490 miles long and 320 miles wide. The highest point in Nevada is Boundary Peak, part of White Mountains, sitting at 13,147 feet above the sea level. The lowest point in Nevada is 479 feet above sea level at the Colorado River located at the southern end of the state. Major lakes in Nevada are Pyramid Lake, Lake Mead, Lake Mojave, Lake Tahoe and Walker Lake. Major rivers in Nevada are the Colorado River, Columbia River, Humboldt River and Truckee River. The Nevada landscape is represented by sandy deserts, rugged, snow covered mountains, forested mountain slopes, and grassy valleys. Located almost entirely within the Great Basin, Nevada can be divided into three main land regions; the Columbia Plateau, the Sierra Nevada, and the Basin and Range Region. The average temperatures in Nevada range from high of 104.5 degrees Fahrenheit to a low of 19.5 degrees Fahrenheit. The highest temperature recorded in Nevada was 125 degrees Fahrenheit. This record high was recorded on June 29, 1994 in Laughlin. The lowest temperature in Nevada, -50 degrees Fahrenheit, was recorded on January 8th, 1937 at San Jacinto. Nevada is the driest state in the United States. It is made up of mostly desert and semiarid climate regions. The average annual rainfall per year is about 7 inches.

Nevada was made famous by the 1859 discovery of the Comstock Lode, the richest known U.S. silver deposit. Nevada is the largest gold-producing state in the nation. It is fourth in the world behind China, Australia, and Russia. Nevada is the gambling and entertainment capital of the United States.

The United States Census Bureau estimated that the population of Nevada was 2,700,551 for the 2010 United States Census.1 Based on The United States Census Bureau July 1, 2015 estimates, the Nevada population was projected to be 2,940,058 for 20162 (an increase of 8.9% from the 2010 U.S. Census). Based on the July 1, 2016 estimate from the NV State Demographer3, the majority of Nevada's population is located in southern Nevada with Clark County at an estimated population of 2,166,181 or 73.3%. Washoe County is the next largest populated county, located in northern Nevada, with a population of 448,316 or 15.2%. The remaining population of 338,878 or 11.5% is spread across the 15 rural counties. Based on the September 30, 2016 Estimate from the NV State Demographer4 Nevada's population has a varied racial background that has changed considerably from 2010 to 2016. Estimate reports show that the majority of the population was White not of Hispanic Origin (52.3%), down from 55.6% in 2010; African Americans not of Hispanic Origin (8.6%), up from 8.1% in 2010; American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut not of Hispanic Origin (1.2%), on par with 1.2% in 2010; and, Asian or Pacific Islander not of Hispanic Origin (9.3%), up from 8.6% in 2010. Hispanic Origin of any race population has increased by 17.0% over the last 6 years, growing from 26.5% in 2010 to 28.6% of Nevada's estimated total population in 2016. Based on the October 2016 estimate from the NV State Demographer, expected population in Nevada in 2017 is 2,910,629, a decrease of 0.6% from 2016.

1 US Census Bureau (2010). quickfacts/table/PST045216/32 retrieved April 14, 2017

2 US Census Bureau (2010). quickfacts/table/PST045216/32 retrieved April 14, 2017

3 4

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3,000,000

Nevada Population Growth: 2007 - 2017

2,900,000

2,800,000

2,700,000

2,600,000

2,500,000

2,400,000 2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016 2017*

Figure 1.1 Nevada Population 2007 to 2017 (*based on October 2016 projections from Nevada Demographer)

Economy and Trends

The following information is from the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR), Economy in Brief, February 2017, Economic Summary, on p.1, p.10 & p11:

For the 74th month in a row, employment in Nevada has increased on a year-over-year basis. Reaching yet another all-time-high, February's reading of 1.32 million jobs, seasonally adjusted, is 41,200 higher than last year's total, a growth rate of 3.2 percent. Further, this is the 55th month in a row that year-over-year job growth in the Silver State has outpaced the nation. This month, there was a seasonally adjusted increase of 3,100 jobs, relative to January. We expected payrolls (not adjusted for seasonality) to increase by 4,000 this month, but 7,100 jobs were actually added, leading to the seasonally adjusted increase. Specifically, the private sector added 4,800 jobs to payrolls, seasonally adjusted, while the public sector lost 1,700 jobs over the month.

In February, the construction sector continued to lead the State in terms of percentage growth, year to-date, up 7.4 percent relative to the first two months of last year. This equates to an additional 5,400 construction jobs in the State. Leisure and hospitality employment experienced the largest nominal growth this month, adding 8,700 jobs to payrolls year-to-date, for a growth rate of 2.6 percent. Mining and logging, the only sector to add less than 1,000 jobs so far this year, added 300 jobs relative to a year ago, a 2.2 percent increase.

In the years preceding the economic downturn, Nevada led the country in private sector employment growth. The Silver State had the highest employment growth rate in the country in 2005 (6.4 percent). Conversely, during the recession, Nevada was the most affected state in terms of private sector employment growth. In fact, Nevada's employment growth was the lowest in the nation in 2009 (-10.1 percent) and 2010 (-2.8 percent). Nevada has gradually regained lost ground over the past five years, peaking in 2014 as the second fastest growing state in the nation, with a private sector growth rate of four percent. With data through CY 2016: Q3, we see that Nevada had the fourth-fastest growing private sector in the nation, with a 3.5 percent job growth rate during the first nine months of the year. Only Utah, Idaho, and Florida realized stronger private sector job growth than Nevada during the period.

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Unemployment Rate: Nevada vs. U.S.

16.0%

14.0%

12.0%

10.0%

8.0%

6.0%

4.0%

2.0%

0.0% 2008

2009

2010

2011

2012 Nevada

2013 U.S.

2014

2015

2016

2017

Figure 1.2 Comparison of Nevada and U.S. monthly unemployment rates (Jan 2008 to Feb 2017)

Job Growth by Metro Area

6.0%

5.0%

4.0%

3.0%

2.0%

1.0%

0.0% -1.0%

2013

2014

2015

2016

Carson City Reno Las Vegas

2017 YTD

Figure 1.3 Job growth by Nevada metropolitan area (Jan 2013 to Feb 2017)

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Unemployment Rate by Metro Area

8.0%

7.0%

6.0%

5.0%

4.0%

3.0% May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb

2015

2016

2017

Las Vegas

Reno

Carson City

Figure 1.4 Unemployment rate by Nevada metropolitan area (Jan 2015 to Feb 2017)

Welfare Indicators

The following information is extracted from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Welfare

and Supportive Services

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides time-limited cash assistance to low-income families with children so they can be cared for in their own home. TANF also seeks to reduce dependency by promoting job preparation, reducing out-of-wedlock pregnancies, and encouraging the formation and maintenance of two-parent families. As an economic indicator, TANF reveals information on the relative well-being of Nevada's low-income families. The number of recipients in the program is strongly influenced by the ups and downs of the business cycle. In January of 2017, 24,380 individuals were receiving assistance through the TANF program. Since January of 2016, the level of assistance decreased by 8.71 percent, with 2,327 less recipients.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as "food stamps" provides the means to increase food purchasing power to raise the nutritional level among low-income households and is the first line of defense against hunger for thousands of Nevadans. In January of 2017, 442,515 Nevadans participated in the program. Over the year, the number of participants receiving assistance increased 0.77%, with 3,374 more participants.

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