2-Attachment 3-A Method of Approach.pdf

Solicitation Instructions

Part 2

A v a i l a b l e

SECTION 2-D: Offer Forms, Attachment 3-A o n l i n e a t : A P P . A Z . g o v

Offer Forms Request for Proposal

Solicitation No. BPM006769

Parenting Time Services

State of Arizona

Department of Child Safety

Office of Procurement & Contracts

3003 N. Central Avenue, 20th Floor

Phoenix, AZ 85012

Attachment 3-A

Method of Approach

The offeror is cautioned that it is the offeror's sole responsibility to submit information related to the evaluation categories and that the State of Arizona is under no obligation to solicit such information if it is not included with the offeror's proposal. Failure of the offeror to submit such information may cause an adverse impact on the evaluation of the Offeror's proposal. It is strongly discouraged for you to copy the Scope of Work in lieu of providing unique responses below.

OFFER MAY BE DETERMINED AS NON-RESPONSIVE IF ALL QUESTIONS ARE NOT ANSWERED FULLY.

Question 1: Describe the steps that you will take to ensure you are meeting the staffing requirements and maintaining staff capacity. Include how you plan to ensure ongoing responsiveness to the requirements of the Contract and to the needs of the State in case of staff turnover for designated Key Personnel.

▪ Include staff turnover rate for the last year;

▪ Detail Entity’s recruitment process including average time to hire staff, and efforts to recruit and maintain staff.

Offeror Response:

We will employ multiple strategies to ensure contracted capacity is met, including biweekly executive meetings that include a detailed review of staffing and recruitment. We also ensure that respective program supervisors (Director of Programs and Director of Operations along with SVO supervisor TBD) review current capacities and openings, monitor upcoming closures and potential extensions, and trends identified in the weekly capacity and referral reports provided by the Department. We discuss this with staff each week during supervision. Further, we guarantee that program supervisors and the Director of Operations will be trained for Parenting Time Services;

however, they will not be counted in the capacity numbers or carry full caseloads so that should the need arise, coverage is readily available (staff emergency or illness, etc.).

We are committed both to providing culturally relevant and meaningful services to all clients referred to our agency, and to maintaining a culturally diverse and competent staff to ensure competent and culturally sensitive care. Staffing levels will be maintained consistently by actively enacting a number of recruitment strategies including our employee referral program and recruitment through college job boards and social media. Our agency also has a partnership with Northern Arizona University’s Social Work department which facilitates the recruitment of recent graduates and interns to our programs. Our strategy of increasing staff numbers while allowing some staff the option of working part-time provides us with fully trained staff to meet flexibility and extra availability when needs arise.

Our workplace culture is one that offers a learning atmosphere, and that reassures and encourages improved performance for our staff. We are fortunate to have very low staff turnover, in part due to that workplace culture as well as to the careful selection of qualified candidates along with providing good training, supervision and support. Our Key Personnel includes the founders of the agency and our FC Program Supervisor who came on board in 2021 and was promoted from within. In the last year we had one FC employee leave for an opportunity in Behavioral Health and successfully cycled 2 Social Work interns (1 BSW who interned in NPP and 1 MSW who interned with us in the FC program) through their 8- month internships. Our overall turnover rate for the last year

A v a i l a b l e

SECTION 2-D: Offer Forms, Attachment 3-A

Solicitation No. BPM006769

Parenting Time Services

State of Arizona

Department of Child Safety

Office of Procurement & Contracts

3003 N. Central Avenue, 20th Floor

Phoenix, AZ 85012 is less than 4%, and the average time to onboard and fully train staff (including shadowing of an experienced employee) is two weeks on average.

Question 2: Provide a written narrative response that demonstrates the method or manner in which the offeror proposes to satisfy the requirements of the Scope of Work. The language of the narrative should be straightforward and limited to facts, solutions to problems, and plans of proposed action. The response shall at a minimum describe and provide a response for each of the following bullet points listed below:

▪ What are your processes to document visits, track case progress and manage referrals?

▪ How will you ensure accurate and timely communication and collaboration with the ADCS and/or other involved parties for visit schedules, progress and concerns?

Offeror Response

Employees are provided with secure laptops and hotspots so that they can document visits in real time or immediately following the service without the delay of having to get to the office or home to do so. We have found these practices to increase detail and content of notes and save time for both administration and field staff. Each case is reviewed weekly with a supervisor during 1:1 supervision and progress, missed visits, recommendations for extension requests, and upcoming closures will all be discussed and noted by the Supervisor, so we have accurate information on where the case stands for our bi-weekly management meeting. New referrals, extensions and upcoming case closures are also tracked by date in our master tracking system discussed below.

We have developed agency specific tracking tools to monitor our clients and ensure the highest standard of care. We have an internal electronic tracking system to monitor caseload, availability, current open cases, and cases that have been closed. We monitor caseload by staff, City and zip code and have a master tracking system that is updated daily and reviewed weekly by the Director of Operations and administrative staff members. The Director of Operations also tracks staff caseloads and ensures that no one has a caseload higher than is manageable with full-time hours. Caseload is determined by family acuity which determines the weekly hourly needs for each family (i.e. low acuity has fewer hours and higher acuity has more hours). Case load is also determined by the family contact plan and transportation time with the goal that no case aid exceeds forty hours per week of scheduled work to allow for self-care, work/life balance and continuing quality services by avoiding burn out.

Our Team of Supervisors and Staff are well trained on communication with AZDCS and recognize the importance of communicating with DCS Specialist and other members of the Child Family Team who play a role in the service being provided. This is something that was an opportunity for our agency at one time.

With consistent training and follow up it has now become standard practice that unless it is an emergency the preferred method of communication with DCS is email that is copied to the staff’s immediate supervisor and all other involved parties. New SVO Team members will be trained in this same practice, it will be reenforced during supervision, and tracked during the first 60 days of employment by the Case Aide direct supervisor to ensure it becomes automatic to communicate the visit schedule, any changes that

A v a i l a b l e

SECTION 2-D: Offer Forms, Attachment 3-A

Solicitation No. BPM006769

Parenting Time Services

State of Arizona

Department of Child Safety

Office of Procurement & Contracts

3003 N. Central Avenue, 20th Floor occur to the schedule, all progress, and any concerns to the appropriate parties immediately.

Question 3: Describe your process for communication with the State specific to contract administration, including but not limited to, personnel changes, updated agency information, VPR related issues and general communications. Identify any key roles or points of contact.

Offeror Response:

Family Focused Services LLC has a long-demonstrated history of maintaining up-to-date communication with the State and AZDCS regarding contract administration. Our staff is experienced in delivering services per AZDCS contracts as well as coordinating and communicating with DCS staff. Laura Ormeroid, Director of Operations, will maintain close communication with Fidelity and Compliance Staff/Department Coordinators regarding personnel and facility changes. Our Administrative Manager also has knowledge regarding all personnel and/or facility changes and any change to vendor information and will serve as backup should Laura unforeseeably be unavailable and new information need to be shared with the department.

In the event any vendor performance issues arise, the executive team are skilled at contract, program, and personnel management and ready to immediately address any issue, concern or complaint pertaining to agency staff, performance, or program compliance. This team has a long-standing, collaborative working relationship which ensures that any issues are addressed immediately, appropriate actions taken, and a timely response prepared. Incidents brought to our attention needing to be addressed with individual staff members are recorded in their employee file and corrective action is taken immediately. Issues resulting in a change to agency operations or policy are addressed with all staff directly during weekly individual and group supervision. We understand the importance of fidelity and compliance to the individual programs encompassed in this contract in order to maintain best outcomes for families. We are committed to resolving any performance issue that may arise in the most appropriate and expedient way possible.

A v a i l a b l e

SECTION 2-D: Offer Forms, Attachment 3-A

Solicitation No. BPM006769

Parenting Time Services

State of Arizona

Department of Child Safety

Office of Procurement & Contracts

3003 N. Central Avenue, 20th Floor

Question 4: Provide a detailed response for each of the following bullet points listed below:

• How does your agency ensure service delivery practices are in line with service design and best practice? Describe any internal monitoring, quality assurance processes, or staff oversight used to maintain quality across all referrals.

• Agency's process for ensuring annual training and continued education are met? What considerations does your agency take when identifying opportunities for staff knowledge enhancement?

• What strategies does your agency use to promote positive parent-child interactions, include strategies to de-escalate challenging situations?

• Explain your approach to ensure safety during transportation, including process for vetting vehicles and mitigating potential risk.

Offeror Response:

We ensure fidelity to service delivery practices through rigorous training and ongoing monitoring of case notes and case aide supervision. We have a strong track record of service delivery according to local, state and federal standards. Our Executive Staff each maintain licensure with the AZBBHE and our supervisors are experienced in tracking fidelity to standards.

Our team will adhere to the terms and guidelines outlined in the scope of work in the following ways:

Service Provision: SVO program specific administrative staff will be monitoring communication from Service Referrals and in Guardian on a constant basis Monday- Friday 8a-5p. To ensure that staff are able to remain in communication and submit timely documentation, we will provide all staff members with a laptop and personal hot spot so they can work anywhere. Each staff member is also provided with a work cell phone to ensure continuity of services.

Upon receipt of each referral, it will be reviewed by the Program Supervisor and administrative staff in order to match cultural and linguistic needs (English, Spanish, Arabic, Farsi, American Sign Language, Swahili) with an available Parenting Time Case Aid. Once assigned and staffed with the Program Supervisor, SVO administrative staff will complete the initial contact with the AZDCS specialist providing the name of the case aid assigned to the case, their contact information, and their supervisor's name and contact information. This will happen within five business hours of receiving the referral. Assigned Case Aid will then be provided with the family’s contact information that has been confirmed through Guardian and attempt to contact the family by phone to schedule an in-person visit within one business day of the referral. Should phone contact not be successful, program staff will complete a home visit within one business day of receipt of the referral and coordinate with the family and ADCS to schedule an intake appointment within five business days of referral receipt. If, for some reason, contact is unable to be made by phone or in person, staff will leave a letter with all the details of the program including contact information and attempts to contact the family.

The goal of outreach is to develop a positive helping alliance by reaching out, engaging with families, communicating concerns, overcoming past experiences and other barriers to service, and conveying a comfortable and accepting presence. We strive to build trust and open communication from the first contact. Respectful communication and connection with the family is a key component to engaging and being successful for the family, A v a i l a b l e

SECTION 2-D: Offer Forms, Attachment 3-A

Solicitation No. BPM006769

Parenting Time Services

State of Arizona

Department of Child Safety

Office of Procurement & Contracts

3003 N. Central Avenue, 20th Floor

Phoenix, AZ 85012 and through our experience with past and current programs for which we contract we understand and fully recognize the importance of rapport and trust building from the onset, as outcomes often directly impact what happens in the earliest stages of the case. A core agency value is to meet clients where they are and build a secure environment. In the event that contact has not been made within three business days, program staff will contact ADCS with documentation of all phone, email, and in-person contact attempts. We ensure that we document communication, contact, and attempts with rigor. One of our agency’s core values is that ‘if it is not documented, it did not happen’, so staff are trained on completely documenting each attempt to engage the family, and each interaction with any family member.

During the intake meeting with the parent/guardian, we will explain the roles, purpose, responsibilities, obtain consents, and identify any specific needs of the family. During this time, the Case Aid will discuss location, frequency, and duration of proposed parenting time and review the established Parenting Time Plan (if provided by AZDCS) with parent/caregiver to ensure that they understand and are ready to participate. SVO personnel will also discuss the Parenting Time Guidelines and prepare parents/guardians for some of the ways in which their children may react to this arrangement. Program staff will be focused on working with and engaging family members in an attempt to build trust and rapport and lay a solid groundwork for a successful visitation process. In addition, all clients are informed at enrollment of how to contact a director 24 hours a day for grievances. This ‘open door policy’ allows for clients to have the freedom to reach out to leadership to voice concerns or issues.

Discussion will be had with the family regarding scheduling, and sessions will be planned to meet the needs of the family with frequency determined by referral. Parents/guardians will be reminded of visits ahead of schedule to reduce the possibility of missed sessions. In the event that families/caregivers do not show up to a scheduled meeting, staff will wait and report to AZDCS if there are two consecutive no shows.

Services will proceed as per SOW, including ensuring that parents/guardians understand the ways in which children may react to the parenting time meeting ahead of time. During the parenting time meeting, all staff will promote positive relationships between the child and parents/caregivers, work to reinforce the collaborative parenting responsibilities between all parties, work to keep parents/guardians involved in the lives of the children, and work to protect the children and their needs. Open communication will be kept with the child(ren) regarding their parents/guardians and caregivers and positive and affirming language will be used with regards to all parties. In the event that the child does not want to attend the family visit, they will not be forced or coerced by our staff. Our child-centered approach will guide all interactions. Their unwillingness to participate will be documented and submitted to AZDCS.

During the visit, parent/caregiver interactions will be closely monitored at all times by our staff. Staff will be trained in de-escalation techniques prior to supervising any visits. If any problematic behavior presents during parenting time out staff will intervene, and record. Staff will ensure that no prohibited behaviors are permitted in cases with allegations of sexual abuse. In the event of collaborative services with the Nurturing Parenting Program, staff will ensure compliance with all guidelines laid out in the scope of work.

Detailed records will be kept of all meetings between parents/guardians, caregivers, and children. We will work to keep parenting journals for all families so children can see the ongoing, nurturing environment provided by caregivers and parents/guardians. This will work to ensure that all children have a reliable and detailed timeline of their upbringing to ensure that they have an understanding of their birth families and caregiver, as well and their own development journey. The journal will be child(ren) centered, with the goal of prioritizing their wellness and

A v a i l a b l e

SECTION 2-D: Offer Forms, Attachment 3-A

Solicitation No. BPM006769

Parenting Time Services

State of Arizona

Department of Child Safety

Office of Procurement & Contracts

3003 N. Central Avenue, 20th Floor

Phoenix, AZ 85012 growth. This will aid their sense of identity, history, and belonging. It will also allow parents/guardians and caregivers to reflect upon their roles and responsibilities and help them feel respected with regards to their role and input the lives of the child(ren).

Our staff will determine whether families need low contact, medium contact, or high contact interventions based on the referral, needs of the children, and parents/guardians and staff observed discrepancies with DCS as needed.

Internal Monitoring and quality assurance practices will be utilized to ensure services are delivered in accordance with not only the scope of work but also the agencies person centered values. All staff providing supervision of parenting time will be required to attend weekly 1:1 supervision with their direct supervisor to review all families/referrals on their case load. Program Supervisors will review documentation of visits and address same during weekly 1:1 supervision with SVO case aides. All documentation of visits will be reviewed for completeness by admin staff prior to being uploaded to Guardian, quality of documentation will be discussed with case aid during their 1:1 supervision. Supervisors will observe at least 1 hour of at least 2 visits during the first quarter of case aide’s employment and will continue to monitor at least 2 visits every 6 months. These observations will be coordinated with DCS prior, and the family will be made aware of this quality assurance process prior to it occurring.

Our agency utilizes the RELIAS training platform for internal training. RELIAS is a state-of-the-art, evidence-based training system. This technology allows us to assign individual training for our staff based on current programming, quality improvement efforts and in response to family surveys. We have several areas of focus for training including cultural competency, trauma informed care, working with children, building parental empathy, and other relevant topics. We are able to create reports to ensure that each member of staff completes the required training as assigned by leadership. We do quarterly checks to ensure compliance to annual training; and have the opportunity to add training at any time for a particular staff member or for all staff on any topics where it is felt by either staff, the Department, or management that there are areas of opportunity that will be/have been addressed in supervision and 1:1 discussion but can be reinforced with Relias.

Transportation:

All members of our staff have reliable transportation that they use as part of their job on a daily basis. To guarantee that all staff members are able to meet the transportation requirements outlined in the scope of work, including transporting children to visit parents/guardians in counties outside of the awarded area and ensuring the safety of all passengers, we will:

• Host training in car seat installation for all staff. This training will be provided by the local Fire Department or a similar official public body with appropriate knowledge and experience.

• Provide car seats that staff will keep in the vehicles they use for transportation to visitation to use when transportation of infants and toddlers is required, we will train staff on selecting the proper car seat to use for child’s age and size. Car seat safety will be reviewed with staff during supervision at least quarterly.

• Provide mirrors for all staff who will be transporting children. The mirrors will allow drivers to observe rear-facing infants in their car seats.

• Provide rear-seat fans to ensure that proper air flow is provided for back seat passengers during transport.

• MVR checks will be closely monitored for timeliness and content; agency policy requires any traffic

A v a i l a b l e

SECTION 2-D: Offer Forms, Attachment 3-A

Solicitation No. BPM006769

Parenting Time Services

State of Arizona

Department of Child Safety

Office of Procurement & Contracts

3003 N. Central Avenue, 20th Floor

Phoenix, AZ 85012 violation/accident be reported to management immediately regardless of whether the employee is working when it occurs.

• A second adult will be present when requested/needed when transporting a) medically fragile children, b) three or more children, or c) any other circumstance that may require another person.

If staff are using their own vehicles, initial and on-going inspections of safety, tire quality, air conditioning, and cleanliness will be required every 90 days by a properly trained vehicle inspector, require documentation of said inspections.

End of Attachment 3-A