5937-0 final.pdf

Bid # S-10000-00010039/ODHS #5937 5937-0 final D4 ISRS Direct Award Public Notice adb

PUBLIC NOTICE

OF INTENT TO DIRECT AWARD FOR

CULTURALLY SPECIFIC IN-HOME SAFETY AND REUNIFICATION SERVICES (ISRS)

IN DISTRICT 4

1. Pursuant to the authority granted under OAR 125-246-0170(2)(d)(D), the State of

Oregon, acting by and through its Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS);

Office of Child Welfare Programs, District 4 Administration, intends to enter into a contract with Intensive Family Services for the provision of In-Home Safety and Reunification Services (ISRS) in Linn and Benton Counties to safely reduce the number of children who enter or remain in foster care.

2. Intensive Family Services will provide Culturally Specific Services primarily to the Spanish speaking population that focuses on safety and change:

a. Definitions. For purposes of this Exhibit A, Part 1, “Statement of Work”, capitalized terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) “Caseworker” means ODHS’ Child Welfare staff. Although Intensive Family Services will coordinate aspects of an individual Family case management responsibility with one primary Child Welfare Caseworker, there are circumstances where the term Caseworker will also include ODHS supervisors, managers or technical staff, and can include Child Welfare workers with experience in other child welfare disciplines, such as Child Protective Services (CPS), foster care, family based services, residential services or adoptions, among others.

(2) “Change Service” means a service to assist parents to meet the expected outcomes of the case plan. Change Services assist parents to make demonstrable changes to the diminished protective capacities that lead to their Child(ren) being unsafe.

(3) “Child” or “Children” means an individual under 21 years of age who qualifies for Child Welfare services provided by ODHS.

(4) “Culturally Responsive” means to adapt, honor, and align with the beliefs, practices, culture, and linguistic needs of diverse populations and communities whose members identify as having particular cultural or linguistic affiliations by virtue of their place of birth, ancestry or ethnic origin, religion, preferred language or language spoken at home.

Culturally Responsive services are adapted to the varied and intersecting biological, social, and cultural categories such as gender identity, class, ability, sexual orientation, religion, caste, and other axes of identity.

(5) “Culturally Specific Services” are services provided for a specific population based on their particular needs, where the majority of staff are reflective of that community, and use the languages, structures, and settings familiar to the culture of the specific population to create an environment of belonging and safety in which services are delivered.

(6) “Family” means, at a minimum but not to the exclusion of, siblings as defined in ORS 419A.004 or other persons living in the same household with a Child, the Child and:

(a) The Child’s parent as defined in ORS 419A.004;

(b) The Child’s guardian appointed pursuant to ORS chapter 125; or

(c) A person who has a caregiver relationship as defined in ORS 419B.116 with the Child.

(7) “Safety Service” means a protective action within an ongoing safety plan composed of actions, activities, tasks, or imposed situations that may be formal or informal; provided by professionals and non-professionals for the purpose of managing or controlling impending danger threats. Safety Services must have an immediate effect; must be immediately available;

must always be accessible; and must be sufficient to control impending danger. Safety Services are grouped according to five objectives: behavior management; crisis management; social connection; separation; and resource support.

b. Services to be Provided. Intensive Family Services will provide the following services:

(1) Safety Services. As a Safety Services provider, Intensive Family Services will participate in protective action plans, initial safety plans, or ongoing safety plans where Intensive Family Services’ actions, assistance, or supervision will help Families manage safety. An ODHS protective action or safety plan will outline the Safety Services and conditions designed to control a safety threat through in-home observation, supervision, and specific intervention. Intensive Family Services will be required to confirm conditions outlined in the protective action or safety plan on each contact with ODHS referred Families. Intensive Family Services will be expected to provide Safety Services that, in whole or in part, have been identified in the ODHS protective action or safety plan.

The identified Safety Services will have immediate impact with respect to controlling identified safety threats. The parent or caregiver who is the alleged perpetrator of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or domestic violence will not be used to provide protection. Protective action or safety plans may include, but are not limited to, the following array of services:

(a) Supervision and monitoring Child(ren) safety by direct observation;

(b) Stress reduction;

(c) Basic parenting assistance;

(d) Respite care;

(e) Social, or emotional support, or both;

(f) Safe housing assistance;

(g) Food/clothing/basic needs;

(h) Assistance to access emergency medical, mental health, and addition services as needed;

(i) Stabilization of home environment assuring Child’s needs for stability and safety from potential abusers and dangerous home conditions; or

(j) Monitoring and supporting the Family’s self-managed safety.

(2) Ongoing Safety Services Expectations. Intensive Family Services will provide ongoing Culturally Responsive safety services that include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) Maintain and carry out all scheduled appointments, which are part of the protective action or safety plan;

(b) Follow consistent and planned responses to determine Child(ren) safety, when the Family is not available for scheduled meetings or when the Family does not follow through with scheduled appointments;

(c) Notify the Caseworker when the Family misses a scheduled appointment;

(d) Hold unscheduled meetings with the Family as necessary to assess Child(ren) safety;

(e) Assist parents to develop effective communication with their Caseworker which could include advocating for themselves and their Child(ren) or notifying the Caseworker about their difficulties in maintaining regularly scheduled meetings or appointments;

(f) Maintain frequent and regular communication with ODHS and all involved Safety Services providers; and

(g) Attend ODHS family meetings and scheduled case staff meetings, as directed by the ODHS Contract Administer, or delegate.

(3) Change Services. Intensive Family Services will provide Change Services utilizing Culturally Responsive interventions with demonstrated effectiveness for improving Child safety. When services are initiated before final development of the ODHS case plan, Intensive Family Services will use professional judgment to evaluate and report on parental capacity to protect their Child(ren) and recommend actions and services to the parents and ODHS which will improve parental care of their Child(ren). Change Services include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) Crisis intervention services to address the crisis of disclosure of abuse, CPS assessment, and concerns when a significant Family member leaves the home;

(b) Working with non-offending caregivers to protect all Family members from the disruption of Family routines and to help them provide physical and emotional security in the home; and

(c) Motivational interviewing, collaborative problem solving, and parent–Child attachment coaching sessions. These services:

i. May involve the use of parent-Child interaction interventions in live sessions and may also include parent sessions for review in small group formats. (e.g.

attachment coaching);

ii. Utilize the existing protective capacity of caregivers and assist parents to improve the diminished protective capacities that led to their Child(ren) being unsafe;

iii. Help parents gain additional problem-solving skills to eventually become self-sufficient including the ability to access needed community services and supports;

iv. Help parents develop empathy for their Child(ren)’s experience and help the Child(ren) contribute to their solutions; and

v. Help parents identify strategies for predictable problem solving relating to child behavior, child safety, depression, mood stabilization and other adult relationships.

(4) Basic Home Management Skills. Intensive Family Services will provide basic Culturally Responsive home management skills that may include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) Meal planning and dietary supports;

(b) Home safety planning and strategy;

(c) Budget development and financial education;

(d) Child activities and supervision; and

(e) Time management.

(5) Self-Management Services. Self-management services help Families build additional problem-solving skills to eventually become self-sufficient. Services will assist parents to improve the diminished protective capacities that led to their Child(ren) being unsafe and will include skill building in problem solving to access needed community services and supports for themselves and their Child(ren). Intensive Family services will provide Culturally Responsive self-management services that include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) Facilitating access to counseling resources for Child(ren) that have experienced trauma through abuse and exposure to domestic violence. This includes:

i. Working with the non-offending parent to identify immediate and ongoing needs of Child victims, including siblings;

ii. Identifying and coordinating resources for counseling through commercial health insurance, the Oregon Health Plan, or from Oregon Department of Justice’s Crime Victims’ Compensation; and

iii. Verifying that a Crime Victims’ Compensation assistance application is completed for all appropriate Child victims of crime.

(b) Collaborating with existing physical and behavioral health care providers to ensure coordination of services and supports that meet the Child(ren)’s needs. This includes:

i. Identifying and coordinating resources through commercial health insurance and the Oregon Health Plan to meet health and safety needs of the Child(ren) and Family;

ii. Ensure that Child(ren) and Family have current health care insurance, and if not assist with renewing or obtaining coverage; and

iii. If the Child(ren) or Family members are enrolled with a Coordinated Care Organization (CCO), assist Family with connection to CCO Intensive Care Coordination.

(c) Providing services as needed to help caregivers access and receive increased social support from Family friends and neighborhood programs tailored to the cultural and emotional needs of Family members.

3. Any other organization or individual that feels that it can provide the same Culturally Specific Services in Linn or Benton County, or both, must contact April D. Barrett, prior to April 17, 2024, 3:00 p.m. PT via e-mail at april.d.barrett@odhsoha.oregon.gov.

Sender should include “Bid #S-10000-00010039/ODHS #5937” in the subject line.