Chapin Hall FY27 Deliverables 2-2-26

Department of Children and Family Services Statement of Work Section VI #1 Chapin Hall Sole Source

1. DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES AND SERVICES

1.1. GOAL: 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 and its obligations to the Federal court under the B.H. vs. Smith court decree.

In July 2015, a court appointed B.H. Expert Panel submitted a report making recommendations for systemic change at DCFS. The Court adopted the Expert Panel’s findings and asked for the collaboration of the parties and the Expert Panel to develop an implementation plan for DCFS to follow as it addresses systemic reform. The Parties jointly submitted the DCFS B.H. Amended and Revised Implementation Plan in 2016, in which Chapin Hall was specifically named as the research entity to support many aspects of the plan. This followed a long-standing role Chapin Hall played as an evaluator and thought partner around key reforms of Illinois and other state child welfare systems. Chapin Hall has authored contents for the reports and attachments provided by DCFS to the Federal court under the B.H. consent decree. Chapin Hall has been actively involved in the development, implementation, and evaluation planning of numerous workplans proposed under the B.H. superseding plan. Chapin Hall also provides other reports to DCFS as needed.

This Contract also assists the Department in meeting its federal reporting and funding requirements. First, several reform efforts that are part of the B.H. Implementation Plan are also part of the Department’s Program Improvement Plan (PIP) responding to the Children’s Bureau Child and Family Services Review findings. Chapin Hall is also supporting DCFS to comply with Federal requirements and developing a programmatic response and subsequent evaluation of the resources offered to States under the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA). 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, other Federal requirements and DCFS strategic initiatives.

1.2. SUPPLIES AND/OR SERVICES REQUIRED: There are a total of 21 projects in FY27, which continue from FY25. Projects include research, evaluation, continuous quality improvement projects and implementation support that rely upon complex longitudinal datasets and analysis, and subject matter and implementation expertise. Projects support State initiatives, Federal requirements, and consent decree obligations.

For purposes of this Contract, Videoconferencing, Teleconferencing and WebEx are used interchangeably and have the same meaning as Video(ing) in the scope of work below.

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 CQI

10. Youth Experiences Survey Support (YES)

11. Family Voice

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

13. Data Support

14. Family First

15. YV LifeSet Evaluation

16. Motivational Interviewing (MI) CQI

17. Multisystemic Therapy (MST) CQI

18. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT) Evaluation

19. Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation

20. Wraparound Evaluation

21. Access to Early Care and Education Services

1.2.1. Meta Model Evaluation/Core Practice Model Rollout

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 work will continue in FY27, adapting to the latest evaluation requirements under the B.H. consent decree.

FY27 Activities and Deliverables:

a. Attend and participate in project meetings.

b. Develop and revise evaluation plan, and other program evaluation documents for the Meta Model, as necessary, as required by the B.H. consent decree.

c. Obtain and revise project and data permissions, as necessary.

d. 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.

e. Provide data analytics for B.H. federal court reports: Overarching Outcomes

Report, Progress Report, and Integration Report.

f. Provide quarterly CQI reports for DCFS.

1.2.2. Families Together (F2G) Evaluation

In FY24, Chapin Hall became the designated evaluator of the Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) Families Together (F2G) 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 (GenerationPMTO), 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 FY27.

a. Pending execution of data sharing agreement between DCFS and KEEP and

GenerationPMTO, analyze model fidelity and process data to inform model implementation.

b. Continue qualitative study involving interviews and focus group with F2G staff and caregivers.

c. Conduct ongoing quantitative data analysis for monthly CQI tracking reports and quarterly outcome reports to summarize implementation and evaluation findings for LSSI, DCFS, and B.H. federal court reports.

d. 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.

1.2.3. 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. Since FY24, the work has shifted to help DCFS implement the new monitoring model with fidelity. Chapin Hall provides continuous quality improvement (CQI) support and data analytics to support successful implementation of the new model in the new workplan.

a. Support DCFS installation of a new residential monitoring process.

b. Evaluate the fidelity and reliability of the monitor rating scale to measure whether staff are implementing the new residential monitoring model as intended.

c. Conduct ongoing literature reviews, as necessary, to inform the new model and rating scale.

d. Provide learning community sessions with monitoring staff as requested.

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

f. 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.

g. 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.

h. In addition to administrative data, conduct analysis of data maintained in Qualtrics, REDCap and other databases.

i. Conduct qualitative studies as requested.

j. Provide periodic reports to DCFS.

k. 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.

l. Disseminate evaluation findings.

1.2.4. 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 analyses to inform the development of metrics and dashboards (Excel, Power BI) to monitor and guide performance (e.g., child and family team meetings [CFTMs]) 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 FY27, the Residential Care Research project will continue to 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 are guided by empirical research.

a. Conduct, write up, and present analyses for regular and ad hoc meetings with

DCFS, as requested and as necessary.

b. Develop and support the use of a QRTP dashboard (Excel, Power BI) by residential monitors and program administrators.

c. 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, including community-based services availability and gaps, as requested.

d. Develop and refine predictive models examining the impact of CFTMs in QRTP on post-QRTP outcomes, including positive discharges, placement stability in non-residential care settings, clinical stability per the CANS, time to exit from DCFS care, and likelihood of permanency exit from DCFS care.

e. Conduct relevant literature review of residential care best practices as necessary, present, and write up results of predictive models in briefs, reports, and peer-reviewed publications as appropriate.

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

g. Attend and participate in monthly project meetings and ad hoc meetings with DCFS in-person in Chicago, IL or virtually.

1.2.5. 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.

a. Provide targeted consultation to help DCFS meet its strategic objectives.

b. Conduct literature reviews on topics of strategic importance to the

Department.

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

d. Attend meetings with DCFS and the B.H. Expert Panel. These include integral participation in several implementation, evaluation, installation and CQI committees established pursuant to the B.H. superseding plan. Participate in workgroups and in planning calls as needs and circumstances arise.

e. Prepare biennial data and analysis for B.H. court reports.

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

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

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

i. 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, and upstream primary prevention efforts.

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

k. Facilitate connections with peer jurisdictions when relevant or useful to DCFS planning and monitoring efforts.

1.2.6. Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)

Chapin Hall provides support to DCFS to develop an enhanced statewide continuous quality improvement (CQI) process involving both DCFS and CWCA stakeholders and ensure that identified outcomes and benchmarks are aligned with Federal reporting requirements, court mandated system improvements, DCFS strategic objectives, and CQI related to various program interventions, including the use of artificial intelligence/large language models.

FY26 Activities and Deliverables:

a. Support the Department’s efforts to develop and refine enhanced CQI processes for DCFS and its CWCA agencies.

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

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

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

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

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

g. Provide strategic guidance, coordination, and data analytics for out-of-home care youth who are also involved in other youth-serving systems.

h. Conduct special studies and analysis of bias data.

1.2.7. Administrative Case Review (ACR) Evaluation

In FY24 and FY25, 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 FY26, Chapin Hall extended this work by incorporating findings from both validation studies and applying them to the outcome analysis phase of the evaluation.

In FY27, Chapin Hall will continue to focus on two evaluation objectives, including 1) identifying factors influencing ACR performance and 2) and 2) examining the relationships between ACR performance and child welfare outcomes (e.g., goals, length of stay, instances of maltreatment, and permanency exit). Chapin Hall will also adapt the ACR evaluation to the requirements of the B.H. consent decree.

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

b. 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.

c. 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.

d. Conduct, write up, and present analyses and evaluation findings for project meetings, ad hoc reports, and peer-reviewed publications as necessary.

Activities will include finalizing the remaining outcome analyses, preparing integrated analytic summaries from all ACR performance–outcome linkages, producing a formal written report for DCFS, and drafting manuscripts or presentations based on completed evaluation work.

1.2.8. 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 FY27, we will continue monitoring ECCT implementation in Cook County. We will also support DCFS’s expansion of ECCT into Winnebago County.

In light of our successful and productive work with the ECCT team over the past several years, in FY27, we will expand our work on two fronts:

(1) We will use the FCDA to develop tools for ORCW to use as it endeavors to limit its use of out-of-home care. This will involve developing products including heat maps, forecasting tools, and other workbooks designed to track changes in outcomes over time.

(2) We will use the Data Center’s Evidence-Driven Growth & Excellence (EDGE) curriculum to support skill development among ORCW staff and program staff. This support will address how to observe opportunities for improvement; how to develop evidence-based theories of change; how to articulate process, quality, and capacity expectations; how to understand the relationship between implementation and outcomes; and how to test theories of change using the Plan-Do-Study-Act process of improvement.

a. Use the Center for State Child Welfare Data’s Multistate Foster Care Data Archive (FCDA) to make observations about permanency outcomes for the target population.

b. Analyze implementation data regarding court processes, CFTMs, family time, and NPP/CPP in order to understand the relationship between implementation and outcomes.

c. Collect additional data required to evaluate the effectiveness of ECCT, as necessary.

d. Continue to evaluate the effectiveness of ECCT in Cook County using the

Center for State Child Welfare Data’s Baseline-Target-Actual (BTA) tool.

e. Support implementation and evaluation of ECCT in Winnebago County.

f. Participate in project implementation meetings.

g. Provide results to stakeholders to inform next steps in implementation.

h. Refine the theory of change that links the ECCT model to specific outcomes.

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

j. Continue to update the evaluation plan, as necessary.

k. Use the FCDA to develop tools that fuel decisions regarding investments designed to reduce the use of out-of-home care.

l. Help various ORCW programs and departments to articulate process, quality, and capacity expectations, and to understand the relationship between implementation and outcomes.

m. Deliver the EDGE curriculum at ORCW’s annual staff retreat.

1.2.9. Home Visiting CQI

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.

a. Participate in home visiting steering committee meetings.

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

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

d. Analyze data collected by the Home Visiting Specialists and the Illinois

Pregnant and Parenting Youth in Care Home Visiting (IPPYC-HV) Coordinator.

e. 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 CWCA Intact Families Services case managers, and DCFS and CWCA Intact Families Services supervisors and analyze those data.

f. Prepare a year-end report.

1.2.10. 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 DCFS Scholarship 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 report each year.

a. Analyze the YES survey data collected in FY 2026.

b. Prepare a written report on YES survey collected in FY 2026.

c. Present findings from the report based on FY 2026 data to relevant stakeholder groups.

d. Monitor YES survey completion for FY 2027.

e. Prepare the 5-year report to meet the legislative mandate.

1.2.11. Family Voice

Research indicates that Black families in Illinois have been 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 disproportionately overrepresented. To better understand families’ experiences and for systemic change to be informed by their experiences, Chapin Hall is conducting a qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with families who have been referred to 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 prevention service engagement could have been better managed or led to better outcomes for them and their children. Target families are those who received voluntary, 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.

a. Update project evaluation plan and timeline as needed.

b. Participate in regular project implementation meetings.

c. Conduct parent and caregiver interviews.

d. Implement additional sampling and recruitment strategies as needed.

e. Update permissions from appropriate IRB and DCFS Research Review

Committees as needed.

f. Analyze interim data, including race equity analysis.

g. Develop policy and practice recommendations from research findings.

h. Present, disseminate and publish findings.

1.2.12. 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. Chapin Hall also uses the FCDA to conduct analysis and evaluation of the ECCT (see 1.2.8).

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

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

c. Provide technical assistance and support to web tool users.

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

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

1.2.13. Data Support

Chapin Hall maintains the Chapin Hall Illinois DCFS Databases (CHILD) and DCFS schemas based on primary DCFS administrative data sources, to support rigorous research, analyses, data integration, and evaluations for DCFS on an ongoing basis. CHILD and DCFS schemas are also the primary information sources for other projects specified in this contract. Further, at the request of DCFS leadership, Chapin Hall provides prepared datasets derived from CHILD and DCFS schemas to other university and research partners of DCFS to support their work conducted for and on behalf of DCFS. In FY27, Chapin Hall will continue to serve as a steward of DCFS administrative data and pivot as necessary as DCFS continues to implement IllinoisConnect, including the SAFE model, to replace SACWIS in Azure. Chapin Hall will also play an active role in standardizing the processes for developing data dashboards by following DCFS guidelines and using DCFS-preferred platforms (e.g., DCFS PowerBI).

a. Maintain and update CHILD and DCFS schemas on a monthly basis, including data cleaning, linkage, reformatting, and documentation.

b. Continue to share CHILD and DCFS schemas data on a quarterly basis with other university and research partners, with permissions and approvals from

DCFS.

c. Support all other data tasks in this Contract, including combining DCFS administrative data with project-specific data, and other DCFS-related research that requires up-to-date and analyzable administrative data.

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

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

f. Monitor IllinoisConnect development to determine impact on future analytic needs by attending IllinoisConnect project committee, executive steering committee, and data management committee meetings. Pivot to new data sources as needed.

g. Modify data pipeline to access IllinoisConnect in Azure and retrieve monthly data and update CHILD and DCFS schemas.

1.2.14. Family First

Chapin Hall began working with Illinois in FY20 to plan for the implementation of services, interventions, and strategies to meet federal requirements around the Family First Prevention Services Act, in both the areas of family preventive services and community-based alternatives 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 in an attempt to include Wraparound as a promising practice. In FY27. Chapin Hall will continue to support efforts to build on the successes of early Family First implementation phases and address ongoing challenges in the next 5-year plan.

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

b. 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.

c. Provide consultation and support on Community Pathways to prevention services.

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

e. Support the implementation of additional candidacy groups into the existing and new prevention services continuum.

f. Provide strategic guidance and evidence base for additions to the prevention service array, including kinship navigator.

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

h. 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.

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

1.2.15. 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 examined the implementation of the new LifeSet continuum which includes three levels of service: Extended Foster Care (EFC), LifeSet, and Complex Care Coordination (CCC). During Phase IV, Chapin Hall focused on the characteristics of youth who enter CCC and on how LifeSet is preparing youth who will soon age out for life after foster care.

a. Conduct interviews or focus groups with LifeSet case specialists, supervisors, and youth.

b. Continue to receive and review Youth Villages program data quarterly.

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

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

e. Continue to analyze movement of youth from LifeSet into EFC and Complex

Care Coordination as well as from EFC or Complex Care Coordination into LifeSet.

f. Convene monthly evaluation planning meetings with DCFS and Youth Villages.

1.2.16. 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). 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. In FY27, Chapin will continue working with DCFS staff to support four domains of work: 1) Identify reporting elements and customize CQI reporting tools. 2) Support the implementation and monitoring of the Motivational Interviewing Competency Assessment Tool (MICA), DCFS’ selected MI fidelity instrument. 3) Harvest MI implementation and fidelity data from caseworker notes. 4) Analyze administrative data, including training and competency assessment data.

a. CQI Reporting

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

• Prepare quarterly data reports.

b. MICA Tool Implementation

• Support the MICA Fidelity workgroup,

• Provide consultation t on the evaluation plan, as needed

• Provide CQI-relevant data analysis of MICA observations,

• Analyze and develop summary reports of assessment data.

c. Support the development of new CQI fidelity and outcome measures,

d. Conduct ongoing analysis of administrative data, including training and competency data

• Support integration of training, employee services, and other data into CQI reporting by meeting with DCFS team members to reconcile data sources.

e. Support integration of MI into SAFE model implementation, as needed.

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

1.2.17. 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 1- 4 Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Plan Do Check Act (PDCA) sessions with the DCFS staff and Child Welfare Contributing Agencies.

a. Customize reporting tools.

b. Conduct qualitative and/or quantitative analysis, including race equity analysis done in alignment with DCFS’ Equity Plan.

c. Use/share MST race equity analyses will serve as the pilot for race equity analyses of other evidence-based services in DCFS’ Title IV-E Prevention Plan.

d. Prepare quarterly CQI updates.

e. Attend evaluation and implementation planning meetings.

f. Upon request, facilitate 1- 4 Continuous CQI PDCA sessions with DCFS and

CWCAs.

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

1.2.18. 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 CWCA agencies will work to implement TF-CBT with fidelity. Information collected by DCFS and selected CWCA 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.

a. Analyze qualitative interview data collected from families who participated in

TF-CBT through Family First.

b. Prepare a report on the qualitative interview findings.

c. Continue oversight of collection of TF-CBT assessment data.

d. Conduct quantitative analysis of fidelity and outcome data.

e. Attend evaluation and implementation planning meetings.

1.2.19. 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 emotional and behavioral health needs. In this role, Dr. Weiner engages State agencies, providers, families, experts, and other stakeholders as well as multiple data analytic activities in order to implement the 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 and FY26, Dr. Weiner’s team built numerous technological systems and associated processes to drive system change in partnership with the six Illinois child-serving agencies who have responsibilities for youth behavioral health care in Illinois. Much of this work takes place in the context of interagency meetings convened by Dr. Weiner and her team, as well as daily facilitations of conversations with providers and community stakeholders across the state.

a. Provider oversight and leadership of interagency efforts leveraging new technological tools (BEACON) to provide coordination, documentation, and continuous quality improvement for interagency staffing of Illinois youth with behavioral health needs.

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

• Development of multiple technological platforms, including a statewide

Resource Referral Tool and the integration of technology to facilitate universal school mental health screening.

• Oversight and leadership in the application of the Capacity Reporting Tool to inform capital grant distribution and speed residential placements.

c. Collaborate with ISBE on the development of policy guidance to inform the implementation of universal mental health screenings pursuant to Public Act 104-0032.

d. Collaborate with fiscal and program leaders across state agencies to develop a strategy for harmonizing rates and streamlining oversight of residential contracts, particularly related to new residential treatment resources for youth with developmental disabilities.

e. Apply data analytic findings to adjust capacity for both residential and outpatient services.

f. Assist IDHS in the oversight of a feasibility pilot of in-home behavioral health aides for youth with autism and mental health challenges.

g. Develop a standard protocol for partnering with providers on new programs.

h. Improve information sharing and data linkage to understand the lead indicators for behavioral health crises.

i. Support the development of community networks and parent leadership in partnership with private philanthropic organizations, IDHFS, and IDPH.

j. Identify lead indicators for HFS of Medicaid-enrolled children at risk of a mental health crisis to receive preventive metal health interventions and develop operational pathways to convey this information to Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs).

k. Assist DCFS leadership in the development of preventive services to de-couple poverty and neglect and serve families without unnecessary child welfare system involvement.

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

1.2.20. 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 FY25, Wraparound was expanded to over ½ of the counties in Illinois and was positioned to be offered as a prevention service under the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) in FY26. 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 FY27, Chapin Hall will complete 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.

a. Continue to produce quarterly CQI dashboards and reports to examine

Wraparound implementation fidelity, equity, process outputs, and youth and caregiver outcomes.

b. Complete qualitative study to complement ongoing quantitative analyses to measure Wraparound process and impact outcomes.

c. Support Wraparound providers to adjust their processes and practice necessary to refer and claim services for families under FFPSA.

d. Adjust evaluation plan as necessary to meet FFPSA evaluation requirements, align with evaluations of other evidence-based interventions offered under FFPSA, and support possible expansion of Wraparound to other targeted populations and FFPSA candidacy groups, disrupted intact families, and high need youth in care.

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

f. Present and publish annual evaluation reports.

1.2.21. Access to Early Care and Education Services

In 2023, Chapin Hall received a three-year grant from the Administration for Children and Families to develop strategies aimed at increasing participation in early care and education programs among children involved with the child welfare system in Illinois. As part of the project, we planned to use administrative data from three state agencies (ISBE, IDHS, and DCFS) that were part of the Illinois Longitudinal Data System (ILDS) to examine participation in early childhood programs among young children in foster care and young children whose families were receiving preventive services through the DCFS Intact Family Services program.

The DCFS Director of Translational Research was also planning to use ILDS data to examine how participation in early childhood programming among young children in state care varies across subgroups. Chapin Hall agreed to take over the project that the Director of Translational Research was going to lead.

The primary questions we will address are:

(1) To what extent are young children in foster care and young children whose families are receiving preventive services through the DCFS Intact Family Services program participating in early childhood programs?

(2) What are the characteristics of the children who are/are not participating?

(3) What early childhood programs are the children who are participating enrolled in?

(4) How does participation in early childhood programs among these children vary by race, ethnicity, and geographic area?

The results of the analysis will help DCFS make data driven decisions about how to increase participation in early childhood programs among young children in foster care and young children whose families are receiving preventive services through the DCFS Intact Family Services program, inform resource allocation, and improve internal processes and practices.

The results analysis will also provide a baseline against which the effects of those strategies could be measured

FY27 Activities and Deliverables:

a. Link the DCFS data to the data from the Illinois Department of Early Childhood.

b. Analyze the linked data to quantify participation in early care and education programs among children involved with the child welfare system in Illinois as well as variation in participation by case type, geographic region, and race/ethnicity.

c. Produce a report for DCFS based on the findings.