Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Children's Justice Task Force met May 10.
Here are the minutes provided by the task force:
Children’s Justice Task Force Quarterly Meeting
I. Welcome: The Chair welcomed everyone about 9:06 AM.
II. Roll Call/Guests Introduced: See list under attendance.
III. Public Comment per Open Meetings Act : No public comment.
IV. Review February Minutes
Motion passed to approve the February minutes with corrections.
V. Task Force Recruitment Update - Kim Mangiaracino
• Kim Mangiaracino provided update on recruitment efforts. Need the task force to search their circle for potential recruits. Chris Cox has filled the homeless experience role. Need a defense attorney to be in compliance. Discussion of judges potentially sliding into the role if needed.
• Mari Christopherson suggested Whitney Kamperth Luebbers, GAL in Marion, and also ask the Illinois State Bar Child Task Force to publicize the open positions. Task Force has set the desired member level at 25 members we are only at 20 with open Federally required positions.
• Also need to replace the Parent Advocate Role and need a new Secretary.
• Vote was taken and Misty Mariner was unanimously elected Secretary of the Task Force Action Item: Publicize Task Force openings in the IL State Bar Association
VI. DCFS Updates – Charles Talbert and Kara Hamilton
• Charles encouraged the Task Force to keep each other in their thoughts and prayers as several members are dealing with personal issues.
• Reimbursement – Digital Signatures on Forms will be allowed, and new forms will be published. Charles will be sharing.
• Reminder – that the emergency order will expire tomorrow and Rules of procedure don’t align with proposed Task Force meeting dates related to in person and virtual meetings. Discussion related to in-person and virtual meeting required. Bylaws will need to be updated to align if Open Meetings act and Hybrid
• Ginny and Charles are attending the annual CJA Grantee meeting May 22-24 in Baltimore, MD.
o 3 year Needs Assessment is due May 31, 2024– If Outsourced we need to put the 3rd party out to Request for Proposal (RFP) which will take additional time. Feedback given that a shorter document is likely more functional.
Future Action Item – Bylaw to align with Open Meetings Act
Action Item – Charles to send to the last two Needs Assessments to the Group. Can these be put on the DCFS website?
VII. Citizen Review Panel Updates
CDRT – Child Death Review Team – Mary Stein
Mary will suggest that the CDRT invite the Children’s Justice Task Force to the CDRT Symposium. Two work groups have been formed to address 1) the administrative subpoena process to get the medical and law enforcement reports in real time and 2) closing out cases out as unfounded when a family is not able to be found and the hot line call is closed out as unfounded instead of undetermined. DCFS nursing consults procedure is also a hot topic.
VIII. Presentation on DCFS Hotline Lockout Reports – Tamela Atwood
Tamela provided an update on the concern that DCFS was not taking Lockout Reports. Lock Out, Neglect Allegation. – Parent refusing to pick up their child from a hospital or treatment facility and not making other arrangements.
At SCR, Tamela listens to and reads all calls and reports. Reports a new trend is parents are getting court orders of protection against their children, preventing them from coming home. Youth at risk of custody relinquishment due to limited resources available for mental health help, those are not taken as lock outs. Parents are not being required to relinquish custody to DCFS to access services.
Senate Bill 724 – response to Nationwide Mental Health Crisis. Mandates all state agencies come to together to serve these families. Created an interagency portal.
Law Enforcement has access to respite and crisis intervention. But there is a gap for the instance where minor requires authoritative intervention but there doesn’t seem to be a place in DCFS to call to investigate and hotline wouldn’t investigate as neglect or abuse.
Even if the call isn’t taken as a lock-out, the information for the interagency assistance is provided and passed on to connect for services.
Tamela shared the portal. Any parent can enter a youth into the portal to try to connect to services. CARES line would provide the portal information. DHS owns portal. Offered services within 24 hours.
Chris Cox, mentioned Pathways To Success as potential answer. Comments to continue pushing forward the progress.
Commentary that this portal seems like a good example of the MDT Model that was described in the 2016 Needs Assessment prior to the MDT Pilot model funding was pulled. Suggested that Task Force look back at that report and point to this portal as an example of the MDT model working and push toward progress in this area.
Action Item: Tamela to send the link the portal and blueprint.
IX. Summary of Recommendations from Task Force
Recommendations discussed.
X. Next meeting dates and times
• August 9, 2023 - Virtual
• November 8, 2023 – Chicago (Hosted by Mary Stein)
• February 14, 2024 - Virtual
• May 8, 2024 – In Person
• August 14, 2024
• November 13, 2024
XI. New Business/Current Events
• Legislative Updates – Request that the DCFS Liaison attend to provide updates.
o Channing Petrak provided information on Family Justice Resource Center and Senate Bill 376 Amendment 2. Request from Dr. Petrak and Dr. Glick request Task force to submit a Witness Slip.
XII. Meeting motioned and approved adjourned at about 12:08PM.
XIII. Attendance and Voting Record
| Name | Secretary Vote | May
Meeting Minutes Approved | 5/10/23 | 2/8/23 | 12/7/22
Attendance | Region |
| Atwood, Tamela | Yes | Yes | Present | Present | Absent | 4 |
| Name | Secretary Vote | May
Meeting Minutes Approved | 5/10/23 | 2/8/23 | 12/7/22
Attendance | Region |
| Baptist-Spruiell, Sandra | Yes | Yes | Present | Present | Present | 1 |
| Brandt, Michael | Yes | Yes | Present | Present | Present | 3 |
| Christopherson, Mari | Yes | Yes | Present | Absent | Absent | 1
(Statewide) |
| Cohan, Carrie | Yes | Yes | Present | Present | Absent | |
| Cowart, Lark | Absent | Absent | Present | Present | Present | 2 |
| Glick, Jill | Absent | Absent | Absent | Present | Present | 1 |
| Hofmann, Molly | Absent | Absent | Absent | Present | Absent | 3 |
| Karim, Elba | Absent | Absent | Present | Present | Present | 2 |
| Klahn, Matthew | Absent | Yes | Present | |||
| Mangiaracino, Kim | Yes | Yes | Present | Present | Present | 4
(Statewide) |
| Marinier, Misty | Abstain | Yes | Present | Present | Present | |
| McNamara, Kathy | Yes | Absent | Present | Present | Present | 2 |
| Petrak, Channing | Yes | Yes | Present | Present | Absent | 3 |
| Singleton, Prestina | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Present | 1 |
| Stein, Mary | Yes | Yes | Present | Present | Present | 1 |
| Theus, Frederika | Yes | Yes | Present | Present | Present | 1/2 |
| Torres, Rhiannon | Yes | Yes | Present | Present | Present | 2 |
| Trotter, Dion | Absent | Yes | Present | Present | Absent | 1 |
| Zic-Schlomas, Virginia | Yes | Yes | Present | Present | Present | 1 |
| Hamilton, Kara | Present | Present | Present | |||
| Stutz, Tierney | Absent | Absent | Absent | |||
| Talbert, Charles | Present | Present | Present |
Guests
Chris Cox, Hoyelton Youth & Family Services (Potential Member)
Mike Burns, CAC of Illinois (Potential Member)
Dr. Kimberly Schwartz, Child Abuse Pediatrician
https://dcfs.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/dcfs/documents/about-us/impact-public-policy/documents/cjtf/cjtf-minutes-051023.pdf
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