Chapin Hall FY25 DCFS Scope of Work 1.22.24.pdf

STATE OF ILLINOIS

CONTRACT

Dept. of Children & Family Services DCFS Multiple Projects

1. DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES AND SERVICES

1.1. SUPPLIES AND/OR SERVICES REQUIRED: DCFS FY25 Multiple Projects

Vendor:

Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago 1313 East 60th Street Chicago, IL 60637

Primary Contact:

Mary Sue Morsch, Policy Fellow Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago 847-849-6874 mmorsch@chapinhall.org

Below is a summary of the scope of contractual work performed by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, for the Department of Children and Family Services for this Contract. Services provided under this Contract include research, evaluation, and implementation support for the management of improved client outcomes and system-level performance under the Department’s requirements for Federal funding , including the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) , its obligations to the Federal court under the B.H. vs. Smith court decree, and furtherance of Department strategic and operational goals.

Since 2015, Chapin Hall has been serving as the key thought partner and evaluator for the federal B.H. consent decree since the amended, revised implementation plan and its subsequent superseding implementation plan which was filed in 2023. This followed a longstanding role Chapin Hall played and continues to play as an evaluator and thought partner around key reforms of Illinois and other state child welfare systems.

Chapin Hall’s team includes staff who have experience working in state and federal child welfare agencies, which uniquely positions Chapin Hall to assist with activities related to the CFSR, PIP, and other federal and state requirements.

Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago DCFS FY25 Multiple Projects

Scope of Work

There are a total of 21 projects in FY25. Projects include research, evaluation, continuous quality improvement, and implementation support that rely upon complex longitudinal datasets and analysis. Projects support state initiatives, federal requirements, and B.H. consent decree obligations. Projects under this contract include:

1. Meta Model Evaluation/Core Practice Model Rollout

2. Families Together (F2G) Evaluation

3. Residential Monitoring CQI

4. Residential Care Research

5. Strategic Implementation Support

6. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)

7. Administrative Case Review (ACR) Evaluation

8. Early Childhood Court Team (ECCT) Evaluation

9. Home Visiting Evaluation

10. Youth Experiences Survey Support (YES)

11. Family Voices

12. Center for State Foster Care and Adoption Data (FCDA)

13. Data Support

14. Safety Assessment

15. Family First

16. LifeSet Evaluation

17. Motivational Interviewing (Ml) CQI

18. Multisystemic Therapy (MST) CQI

19. Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) Evaluation

20. Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation

21. Wraparound Evaluation

Description of Services:

1. Meta Model Evaluation

In FY24, the Department adopted a meta model pilot rollout of the Core Practice Model (CPM) workplan and six other workplans—collectively known as the “Meta Model”—under the B.H. superseding implementation plan—to test and evaluate the integration of all seven workplans. Chapin Hall, as the designated evaluator of the Meta Model, evaluates outputs and outcomes in six pilot teams and six comparison teams that began January 1, 2023. Chapin Hall also provides statewide data reporting on request and regular CQI reports to support program implementation and success. This Meta Model evaluation will continue in FY25.

FY25 Activities and Deliverables:

Attend and participate in project meetings.

Develop and revise evaluation plan, and other program evaluation documents for the Meta Model, as necessary.

Obtain and revise project and data permissions, as necessary.

Conduct, write up, and present analyses on the Meta Model evaluation for monthly meetings, biannual reports to the Court as required by the B.H. consent decree, and ad hoc reports, as necessary.

Provide data analytics for B.H. federal court reports: Overarching Outcomes Report, Progress Report, and Integration Report.

Provide quarterly CQI reports for DCFS.

2. Families Together (F2G) Evaluation

In FY24, Chapin Hall became the designated evaluator of the Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) Families Together Model, which includes a new approach to foster care that includes Keeping Foster and Kin Parents Supported and Trained (KEEP), Generation Parent Management Training, Oregon Model (PMTO), and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). F2G is to be implemented and evaluated under the Resource Development workplan of the B.H. superseding implementation plan. The F2G evaluation officially began on January 1, 2024, and will continue in FY25.

FY25 Activities and Deliverables:

Revise logic model and outcome study plan and develop qualitative study plan to align with changes to the implementation or evaluation plans.

Conduct ongoing data analysis, CQI support, and present evaluation findings for LSSI, DCFS, and B.H. federal court reports.

Attend and participate in monthly project meetings and ad hoc meetings with DCFS and LSSI. Monthly project meetings are in-person or by WebEx in Chicago, IL. Ad hoc meetings are in person in Chicago, IL or by WebEx, depending on meeting details.

3. Residential Monitoring CQI

From 2017 to 2023, Chapin Hall conducted and completed the evaluation of the Residential Monitoring Program. This program is in the process of redesign and Chapin Hall has been providing implementation support to the planning and implementation of a proposed new monitoring model under the B.H. consent decree. In FY24, the work shifted to help DCFS implement the new monitoring model with fidelity. Chapin Hall will provide continuous quality improvement (CQI) support and data analytics to support successful implementation of the new model in the new workplan.

FY25 Activities and Deliverables:

Support DCFS installation of a new residential monitoring process.

Design a fidelity assessment to measure whether staff are implementing the new residential monitoring model as intended.

Prepare logic models, study plans, and other program CQI documents, as required to keep documents aligned with changes to the implementation or evaluation plans.

Provide periodic reports to DCFS.

Attend and participate in project meetings and ad hoc meetings with DCFS. Project meetings are held in-person in Chicago, IL, or by WebEx depending on meeting details.

Obtain and revise project permissions with the appropriate IRB and DCFS Research Review Committee, as required to keep permissions aligned with changes to the implementation or evaluation plans.

Conduct, write up, and present analyses for regular meetings, reports to the Court as required by the B.H. consent decree, and ad hoc reports, as necessary.

4. Residential Care Research

Chapin Hall supports the implementation of a new approach to the administration of out-of-home care including residential care, by engaging in data analysis to examine changing utilization patterns over time, inform placement decision-making, and the development of home-based alternatives to congregate care for youth in or at-risk of entering out-of-home and residential care. The focus of this work will be to continue analytic procedures to inform the development of metrics and dashboards to monitor and guide performance and predictive models to guide recommendations around development of community-based resources for youth in need of intensive services and supervision and the early identification of youth in need of high-end care. It also helps the Department implement changes in the use of residential care or Qualified Residential Treatment Programs (QRTPs) required by the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA). In FY25, the Residential Care Research project will also be coordinated with Residential Monitoring CQI and the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation to ensure the various initiatives aimed at reducing and optimizing the use of congregate care is guided by empirical research.

FY25 Activities and Deliverables:

Conduct, write up, and present analyses for regular and ad hoc meetings, as necessary.

Write-ups of analyses are delivered as requested. Presentations are made in-person or by WebEx, depending on meeting details.

Develop and support the use of a QRTP dashboard by residential monitors and program administrators.

Analyze trends and changes in trends of the utilization of residential care/QRTP or youth at risk of placement in residential care/QRTP, describe FFPSA target population characteristics and risks for residential care/QRTP, and examine other issues related to the use of residential care and/or alternatives to residential care/QRTP as requested.

Develop predictive models of long stays in QRTP, successful discharges from QRTP, and other requested studies to improve the well-being of children in residential care.

Conduct review of existing literature to place Illinois performance and results of predictive models in appropriate context.

Identify new or revised child welfare policies as needed to support Family First implementation.

Attend and participate in monthly project meetings and ad hoc meetings with DCFS.

Monthly project meetings and ad hoc meetings are in-person in Chicago, IL or by WebEx, depending on meeting details.

Conduct analysis using a variety of data sources to identify community-based service availability and gaps.

5. Strategic Implementation Support

Chapin Hall provides targeted strategic consultation to the Department to help leadership meet their strategic objectives. With the filing of a B.H. Superseding Implementation Plan, and subsequent judicial and legislative mandates, there are requirements of the Department that represent opportunities for innovation and improvement if implemented soundly and in a manner consistent with research evidence. Some of the targeted strategic consultation activities focus on providing support for B.H.-related work such as incorporating evaluation considerations into implementation plans and providing data-informed guidance on implementation planning decisions. Others involve helping develop strategic plans that are consistent with the Department’s vision, goals and objectives, while adhering to the principles of implementation science.

FY25 Activities and Deliverables:

Provide targeted consultation to help DCFS meet its strategic objectives.

Conduct systematic reviews of existing literature regarding topics of strategic importance to the Department.

Provide implementation support for DCFS strategic initiatives, including, among others, B.H. projects, Federal PIP plans, Federal CFSR reviews, FFPSA, plans for targeted youth in care and selection and implementation of evidence-based practices.

Attend meetings with DCFS and the B.H. Expert Panel. These include integral participation in several implementation committees established pursuant to the B.H.

superseding plan. Participate in workgroups and in planning calls as needs and circumstances arise.

Utilize, on behalf of DCFS, statistical methodological consultation to answer complex research questions.

Provide feedback on the application of metrics and indicators to make policy and practice decisions.

Serve as a thought partner regarding the adoption of guaranteed income programs for youth aging out of Illinois care.

Conduct and present research and findings relevant to strategic goals, including race equity analysis.

Support the Department’s efforts to implement the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), implement its PIP and other operational needs, including intact family and child welfare services.

Coordinate efforts with the Illinois Behavioral Healthcare Transformation as it relates to needs of children in out of home care.

6. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Framework

Chapin Hall provides support to DCFS to develop an enhanced statewide continuous quality improvement (CQI) process involving both DCFS and POS stakeholders and ensure that identified outcomes and benchmarks are aligned with Federal reporting requirements, court mandated system improvements, and DCFS strategic objectives.

FY25 Activities and Deliverables:

Support the Department’s efforts to develop and refine e n h a n c e d CQI processes for DCFS and its POS agencies.

Provide consultation and coaching for the implementation of enhanced CQI through learning collaboratives, trainings and coaching sessions.

Prepare interactive Permanency Enhancement Project (PEP) reports and present data to DCFS and its partners on a quarterly and on anas needed basis. Support Community Action Team strategic initiatives.

Prepare and provide interpretation of data regarding racial disproportionality and disparity in child welfare.

Provide data to support CQI efforts around integrated B.H. workplans.

Provide analytics and CQI support for the Department’s well-being framework.

Provide strategic guidance, coordination, and data analytics for out-of-home care youth who are also involved in the juvenile justice system.

7. Administrative Case Review (ACR) Evaluation

In FY22 and FY23, Chapin Hall conducted and completed a validation, interrater relatability study of the new Administrative Case Review (ACR) process that includes five case priority areas, including child and family team meeting, supervision, case plan, in person-contact and family visitation. In late FY23, DCFS prepared an ACR workplan under the B.H. consent decree superseding implementation plan, which will assess the quality of core casework practice in the five priority areas by incorporating a structured interview process into each ACR and monitoring timely and progressive movement towards permanency for each child in substitute care. The ACR process will produce critical information and data to inform and enhance continuous quality improvement efforts throughout the system. Chapin Hall was named as the evaluator of the ACR workplan. The ACR evaluation will continue in FY25.

FY25 Activities and Deliverables:

Lead project evaluation meetings with DCFS, B.H. experts and other stakeholders. Attend and participate in monthly implementation meetings and ad hoc meetings as requested.

Update and refine outcome study plan, and other program evaluation documents, as required to keep documents aligned with changes to the implementation or evaluation plans.

Obtain and revise project permissions with the appropriate IRB and DCFS Research Review Committee, as required to keep permissions aligned with changes to the implementation or evaluation plans.

Conduct, write up, and present analyses and evaluation findings for project meetings and ad hoc reports, as necessary.

8. Early Childhood Court Team (ECCT) Evaluation

The Early Childhood Court Team (ECCT) is a therapeutic dependency court that utilizes judicial leadership informed by the developmental needs of infants and toddlers. The therapeutic court model was initiated in Miami, Florida and later adopted by Zero-to-

Three as the Safe Babies Court Teams (SBCT; Zero to Three, 2014). SBCTs seek to minimize the inherently adversarial nature of court processes through increased communication, knowledge of child development, and mediation and coordination that prioritizes the urgency of this developmental period and expedites permanency.

Evaluation of the Illinois ECCT Project includes process and outcome studies. The outcome study focuses on permanency rates and whether in the ECCT context permanency rates change. The theory of change frames the evaluation. In FY25, DCFS is considering expansion of the ECCT to other court jurisdictions and the evaluation will adjust accordingly.

FY25 Activities and Deliverables:

Continue to update evaluation plan and timeline, as necessary.

Collect data for study including demographic and outcomes data as specified above.

Participate in project implementation meetings.

Conduct interim analyses.

Provide results to inform next steps in implementation.

Refine the theory of change that links the ECCT model to specific exit rate probabilities.

Revise Baseline, Target and Actual reports (BTA-R) to provide real-time input into the pace of discharges.

Integrate the foregoing with the improvement cycle and promote operational adjustments aligned with the theory of change.

9. Home Visiting Evaluation

DCFS requested an evaluation waiver for the two home visiting interventions, Healthy Families America (HFA) and Parents as Teachers (PAT), which are both listed as "well-supported" on the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse. Chapin Hall is responsible for implementing the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) plan for both home visiting interventions to monitor fidelity to the HFA and PAT models, to ensure that results of that monitoring will be used to improve practices, and to measure the outcomes that are achieved.

FY25 Activities and Deliverables:

Participate in bi-monthly home visiting steering committee meetings.

Participate in monthly FFPSA evaluators meetings.

Participate in monthly FFPSA steering committee meetings.

Co-chair the CQI/evaluation subcommittee and participate in subcommittee meetings.

Analyze DCFS administrative data for the intact families and pregnant and parenting youth in care referred for or receiving home visiting services.

Analyze data collected by the Home Visiting Specialists and the Illinois Pregnant and Parenting Youth in Care Home Visiting (IPPYC-HV) Coordinator.

Analyze data collected by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) on the home visiting services families receive.

Collect survey and/or interview data from (1) families receiving home visiting services;

(2) home visitors and home visiting supervisors from HFA and PAT programs; and (3) OCFS Early Childhood Project Home Visiting Specialists, DCFS and POS Intact Families Services case managers, and DCFS and POS Intact Families Services supervisors and analyze those data.

Prepare a year-end report.

10. Youth Experiences Survey Support (YES)

The Illinois State Legislature enacted SBl743 (P.A. 101-166) which requires the Department "to develop and process a standardized survey to gather feedback from children who are aging out of foster care and from children who have transitioned out of the foster care system" in coordination with the Foster Care Alumni of America Illinois Chapter, the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, and the Department's Statewide Youth Advisory Board. " The Department is required to administer the survey to "all youth participating in transitional living programs, independent living programs, or Youth in College and to all youth receiving scholarships or tuition waivers under the DCFSScholarship Program" every 5 years and submit a report based on the survey results to the Governor and the General Assembly. Chapin Hall prepared the first report and subsequently, the Department has decided to administer the survey annually, rather than every five years, and has asked Chapin Hall to revise the survey, analyze the survey data, and prepare an annual reporteach year.

FY25 Activities and Deliverables:

Monitor YES survey completion.

Analyze the YES survey data.

Prepare a written report on YES survey.

11. Family Voices

Research indicates that between 2013 and 2019, African American families in Illinois were disproportionately subject to a child abuse or neglect investigation. Racial disparities are an enduring feature of child welfare systems, yet very little is known about the experiences and perspectives of families, especially those who are from overrepresented groups. To better understand families’ experiences and for systemic change to be informed by their experiences, Chapin Hall will conduct a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with families who have been involved with the Illinois child welfare system. We will hear directly from families about their experiences; what—from their perspectives—led up to their involvement; their needs at the time; and how child welfare engagement could have been better managed or led to better outcomes for them and their children. Target families will be those who received short-term Child Welfare Services (CWS) from DCFS child welfare contributing agencies (CWCAs). We are especially interested in families’ initial interactions with the child welfare system and the factors that prompted their involvement, as well as factors that can inform prevention efforts and prevent recidivism.

Develop and refine a project evaluation plan and timeline.

Participate in project implementation meeting.

Develop sampling plan.

Update permissions from appropriate IRB and DCFS Research Review Committee as needed.

Recruit interviewers with lived experiences and families to participate in the study.

Conduct parent and youth interviews.

Analyze interim data, including race equity analysis.

12. Center for State Foster Care and Adoption Data (FCDA)

As part of its membership to Chapin Hall's Center for State Child Welfare Data, DCFS provides Chapin Hall electronic foster care records. Chapin Hall transforms those records into a longitudinal file that is uploaded to a web-based analytic interface that allows authorized users to answer mission-critical questions about trajectories and outcomes for children in foster care. The tool enables analysis at the state, county, and child level as well as comparisons to other jurisdictions.

FY25 Activities and Deliverables:

Provide DCFS with a basic subscription to the Multistate Foster Care Date Archive (FCDA), which allows comparisons at the state, county, and child level.

Generate a state specific file; develop programs to regularly update the agency file.

Provide technical assistance and support to web tool users.

Upon request, further develop a state-customized longitudinal file and upload it to the web-based interface.

13. Data Support

Chapin Hall maintains an Integrated Database that is based on DCFS administrative data.

Chapin Hall maintains the Integrated Database to have an available and supported file of DCFS data by which it can complete rigorous research, analyses, data integration, and evaluations for DCFS on an ongoing basis. The Integrated Database is also the primary information source for the other projects specified in this contract, although additional data sets, e.g., Chicago Public Schools, IL Department of Human Services, and other state agency data are often leveraged and linked to DCFS data to deepen and enrich analyses. Further, at the request of DCFS leadership, Chapin Hall provides prepared datasets derived from the Integrated Database to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Child and Family Research Center; the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Social Work; and others to support work those institutions conduct for and on behalf of the Illinois child welfare system.

FY25 Activities and Deliverables:

Clean, link data elements in data files, reformat and document DCFS data on a as needed basis.

Support all other tasks in this Contract and other DCFS-related research that requires up-to-date state and administrative data.

Continue to conduct quality control on data that is provided to Chapin Hall from DCFS and provide DCFS with specific information on the quality of data items.

Geo-code all DCFS data so that geographic data can be included, and spatial analysis can be conducted when needed.

Combine administrative data with data that is collected in each of the Programs in this contract as appropriate.

Produce a cohesive set of state administrative data.

A secondary outcome is to combine this data with other data being collected by researchers and determine how it might become a regular part of the overall database.

Monitor IllinoisConnect development to determine impact on future analytic needs.

14. Safety Assessment

After review of the CERAP by Chapin Hall and the Department’s decision to move forward with a new safety assessment approach, Chapin Hall has worked collaborative with the Department and the purveyor of the SAFE Model, Action for Child Protection, in their implementation strategies over the last year. Chapin Hall will continue to collaborate with the purveyor, in providing technical assistance and project management support to ensure the model’s implementation. Chapin Hall is committed to supporting changes in business processes, which may involve guidance for training, policy refinement, and continuous quality improvement.

FY25 Activities and Deliverables:

Attend and participate in SAFE Model Steering Committee meetings. When meetings are in-person in Chicago, IL or by WebEx, depending on meeting details.

Continue support of the implementation of the SAFE Model through collaboration with the purveyor, ACTION for Child Protection.

Collaborate with providing any guidance and support for new protocols, policies and procedures, training curriculums and business processes.

Attend and participate in project implementation meetings such as Curriculum Design, Legislative/Policy Subcommittee, Judicial Subcommittee. When meetings are in-person in Chicago or by WebEx, depending on meeting details.

15. Family First

Chapin Hall began working with Illinois in FY20 to plan for the implementation of services, interventions, and strategies to meet upcoming federal requirements around the Family First Prevention Services Act, in both the areas of family preventive services and community-basedalternatives to congregate care for youth in care. In FY22, the state implemented the prevention plan as well as the shift to Qualified Residential Treatment Providers (QRTPs) to reduce its reliance on congregate care. In FY23, the state submitted an amendment to include Wraparound as a promising practice. These streams of work continue in FY25 as the state continues to build on the successes of initial implementation phases and address ongoing challenges.

Assist in revision to the state’s 5-year prevention plan as needed.

Support the ongoing refinement of SACWIS and the Provider Portal to document imminent risk, child specific prevention plans, and referral to and receipt of evidence-based interventions.

Support the ongoing implementation of practice changes related to children in QRTP.

Assist with developing infrastructure to submit child-level prevention services federal reporting requirements.

Support the implementation of additional candidacy groups (i.e., Extended Family Support Program, Post-Adoption, and Subsidized Guardianship families) into the existing and new prevention services continuum.

Consult and provided CQI and evaluation support for new candidacy groups, specifically Extended Family Support program participants pursuant to SB 3853.

Provide strategic guidance and evidence base for additions to the prevention service array.

Assist the Department with the development of ongoing training efforts for both QRTP and prevention services audiences.

Support the Department’s ongoing implementation of technical and adaptative changes necessary to realign congregate care services and increase the unitization of community placement services.

Participate in meetings, prepare, review, and present materials as requested.

16. LifeSet Evaluation

Chapin Hall is evaluating Youth Villages' LifeSet, an intensive case management program for transition age youth in care that is being implemented by selected transitional living program (TLP) and independent living opportunity (ILO) providers. The evaluation includes three phases. During Phase I, which was completed in FY22, Chapin Hall conducted interviews with the LifeSet supervisors and provider agency administrators to learn about program implementation. Chapin Hall also used DCFS administrative data and program data collected by Youth Villages to describe the youth who enrolled in LifeSet. During Phase II, which was completed in FY23, Chapin Hall conducted interviews with youth enrolled in LifeSet and focus groups with case specialists to learn about their experiences with the program. Chapin Hall also used DCFS administrative data, Youth Villages program data, and data from the National Student Clearinghouse to assess the impact of LifeSet on placement stability, non-placement events (unauthorized absences, detentions, and psychiatric hospitalizations), independent living skills, and postsecondary educational attainment. During Phase III, Chapin Hall will examine the implementation of the new LifeSet continuum which includes three levels of service: Extended Foster Care (EFC), LifeSet, and Complex Care Coordination (CCC).

FY25 Activities and Deliverables

Conduct interviews or focus groups with LifeSet case specialists and supervisors from new LifeSet provider agencies.

Conduct interviews with case specialists who work with youth receiving Complex Care Coordination services.

Conduct interviews with youth receiving Complex Care Coordination services.

Continue to receive and review Youth Villages program data quarterly.

Continue to link the Youth Villages program data with DCFS administrative data and work with Youth Villages to resolve any discrepancies.

Create a data dashboard for tracking LifeSet entries, exits and caseloads over time.

Analyze movement of youth from LifeSet into Extended Foster Care and Complex Care Coordination as well as from Extended Foster Care or Complex Care Coordination into LifeSet.

Convene monthly evaluation planning meetings with DCFS and Youth Villages.

17. Motivational Interviewing (Ml) CQI

DCFS is implementing Motivational Interviewing (Ml) as a core service activity across the agency as well as a prevention service under the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA). Because Ml has been rated as Well-Supported by the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse, the evaluation is conducted under an evaluation waiver and is called a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) plan. Selected CQI measures will include capacity, reach, fidelity, and outcome measures. In the early implementation phase, implementation process measures such as case note counts and worker training data will also be monitored. Chapin will continue working with DCFS staff to identify reporting elements and customize CQI reporting tools. In FY25, Chapin’s efforts will focus on supporting efforts by DCFS to develop fidelity measures (e.g.

Motivational Interviewing Competency Assessment Scores), analytic strategies to harvest fidelity data from caseworker notes, and analysis of new administrative data (including training and competency assessment data).

FY25 Activities and Deliverables:

Conduct qualitative and/or quantitative analysis, including where possible race equity analysis.

Prepare monthly CQI updates (e.g. interactive reports built on Shiny) hosted on password-protected web platforms.

Attend CQI and implementation planning meetings.

Support the development of new CQI measures by:

Developing a strategy for analyzing case note data (e.g. using Natural Language Processing) and identifying fidelity criteria.

• Supporting the Fidelity Pilot workgroup through consulting on the evaluation plan, providing CQI data analysis of pilot participants, working with contracted evaluation and fidelity partners to gain access to assessment scoring data, working with the Office of Learning and Professional Development to gain access to reporting data and consult on report development, and analyzing and developing summary reports of assessment data

18. Multisystemic Therapy (MST) CQI

DCFS and selected Child Welfare Contributing Agencies (CWCA’s) agencies are implementing Multisystemic Therapy (MST) as a prevention service under the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA). Because MST has been rated as Well-Supported by the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse, the evaluation will be conducted under an evaluation waiver and be called a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) plan. Selected CQI measures include capacity, reach, fidelity, and outcome measures. Chapin will continue customizing reporting tools highlighting the CQI measures. Quarterly, Chapin will produce CQI updates. By request, Chapin will facilitate up 1- 4 Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) sessions with the DCFS staff and Child Welfare Contributing Agencies.

FY25 Activities and Deliverables:

Customize reporting tools (e.g. Interactive Report) Conduct qualitative and/or quantitative analysis, including race equity analysis.

Prepare quarterly CQI updates.

Attend evaluation and implementation planning meetings.

Facilitate 1- 4 Continuous CQI PDCA sessions with DCFS and CWCA’s

19. Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) Evaluation

DCFS and selected child welfare contributing agencies are implementing Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) as a prevention service under the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), rated as Promising by the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse and therefore requiring an evaluation. The evaluation will include a process study and an outcome study. DCFS and selected POS agencies will work to implement TF-CBT with fidelity. Information collected by DCFS and selected POS agencies for that purpose will be shared with Chapin Hall for use in the process study. In addition to documenting implementation fidelity, the process study will describe child, family, and staff experiences with TF-CBT through focus groups and interviews. For the outcome study, Chapin Hall will describe outcomes for children and families receiving TF-CBT in comparison to similar children and families.

FY25 Activities and Deliverables:

Plan for conducting qualitative interviews with families who participated in TF-CBT through Family First.

Create and finalize interview protocols for families with the goal of starting family interviews in FY2026.

Continue oversight of collection of TF-CBT assessment data.

Conduct quantitative analysis of fidelity and outcome data.

Provide quarterly reports of assessment monitoring to TF-CBT implementation specialists.

Attend evaluation andimplementationplanning meetings.

20. Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation

Effective March 1, 2022, the Governor appointed Dana Weiner (Senior Policy Fellow at Chapin Hall) as the Director of the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative and engaged Chapin Hall to provide research and data support to this important initiative. Dr.

Weiner’s appointment follows the recommendation of an interagency workgroup consisting of all Illinois child serving agencies – DJJ, HFS, DHS, DCFS, ISBE and Public Health. Illinois recognizes that there are longstanding issues with how these agency’s programs are designed and funded to provide support and resources for youth with the most complex emotional and behavioral health needs. In this role, Dr. Weiner engaged State agencies, providers, families, experts, and other stakeholders as well as multiple data analytic activities which informed a Blueprint for Transformation released in February 2023. In FY24, Dr.

Weiner’s team released the implementation plan for the Blueprint recommendations in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order. In FY25, Dr. Weiner’s team will continue to implement the Blueprint recommendations with the addition of developing predictive models to assist HFS in identifying Medicaid-enrolled youth who are at risk of experiencing a mental health crisis, using pooled interagency data.

FY25 Activities and Deliverables:

Provide coordination, documentation, and continuous quality improvement for interagency crisis staffing.

Continue to lead the implementation of Blueprint recommendations, to include:

- The development of multiple technological platforms, including a Care Portal and a Resource Referral Tool;

- Collaborate with ISBE on a landscape scan and pilot design for universal school-based mental health screenings;

- Collaborate with fiscal and program leaders across state agencies to develop a strategy for centralizing oversight of residential contracts;

- Apply data analytic findings to adjust capacity for both residential and outpatient services;

- Develop a standard protocol for partnering with providers on new programs;

- Improve information sharing and data linkage;

- Support the development of community networks and parent leadership.

Identify lead indicators for HFS of Medicaid-enrolled children at risk of a mental health crisis to receive preventive metal health interventions.

Conduct other analyses and support implementation of policies, processes and programs as requested.

21. Wraparound Evaluation

DCFS is implementing Wraparound to provide coordinated and supportive, family-driven, and strengths-based planning for youth and families in DCFS care. In FY24, Wraparound is being offered in roughly ½ of the counties in Illinois and will be offered as a prevention service under the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA). Chapin Hall works with DCFS, and Wraparound provider agencies to support the implementation of High-Fidelity Wraparound and conduct a process and outcome study. Chapin Hall uses fidelity assessment data and client information submitted to WrapStat, the national Wraparound evaluation data tracking system, to examine implementation. We review program monitoring data and other DCFS administrative records to describe the array of support services and use of flex funds. In FY25, Chapin Hall will begin a qualitative study via interviews and focus groups to gather input and feedback on program activities, training, challenges, and perceived benefits of Wraparound from the perspective of staff and clients. Chapin Hall will continue to use administrative and program data to provide ongoing CQI reports and outcome evaluation of referred youth and families. For the outcome study, Chapin Hall will examine youth strengths and needs, caregiver strengths and needs, reunification, and placement rates among clients who received Wraparound. The evaluation is designed to reinforce and build upon the existing evidence on the effectiveness of Wraparound, rated as Promising, by the Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse, which requires an evaluation.

FY25 Activities and Deliverables:

Refine the evaluation plan to examine Wraparound implementation fidelity, process outputs, and youth and caregiver outcomes.

Use quantitative data to measure fidelity and provide a descriptive analysis of Wraparound clients.

Use qualitative and quantitative analyses to measure Wraparound process and impact outcomes.

Provide monthly CQI reports for use by program administrators.

Develop processes and practice necessary to refer and claim services for families though the Family First provider portal.

Participate in strategic planning, implementation, evaluation and CQI meetings.

Prepare and deliver annual evaluation reports.

Provide analytics to support possible expansion of wraparound to other targeted populations and Family First candidacy groups, disrupted intact families, and high need youth in care.