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220 West Exchange Street, Suite 007
Providence, Rhode Island 02903
Telephone: 401-274-4940
Facsimile: 401-274-4941

Date:March 6, 2014

To:Senator Daniel DaPonte, Chairperson of the Senate Finance Committee, Members of the Committee

From: The National Association of Social Workers – Rhode Island Chapter

Concerns:

The Governor’s 2015 recommended budget recommends a cut of $800,000 in the Phase I: Family Care Community Partners program. This program which has responsibility for coordinating and providing community support services for families experiencing difficulties and preventing them from entering the DCYF. NASW believes that this program was under funded to begin with and these additional cuts will further jeopardize the four regional lead agencies ability to successfully develop this prevention network.

NASW continues to believe that current Phase II system of care involving 2 new Networks [RI Care Management and Ocean State Network for Children and Families] to become the major providers of services for DCYF involved familiescontinues to be inadequately funded. The concern is that there was never adequate money available to fund the services required. Most of the current funds are being used to fund congregate care. As a result there is not enough money to develop sufficient community based programs that will supplement the existing services.

The estimate is that 80% of the current available funds are used for residential, shelter and foster care programs. When the RIPEC Study was presented to the Governor and General Assembly in January 2001a major concern was that 80% of the money was going to less than 20% of the youth. This was the result of the high costs for youth in congregate care. The data was also very clear that this was contrary to outcome studies showing that residential was the least effective mode of treatment.

Recommendation:

Phase I and Phase II of the system of care should not be cut and additional money is need if these programs are to be effective. The allocation of additional money this year and in next year’s budget specifically earmarked for community based service. Communitydevelopment is crucial for the success of these new initiatives.

Professional Literature

  • RIPEC Study 2001 – 80% of the $ went to 20% of the kids – System based on Beds
  • CHARTING A NEW COURSE: A Blueprint for Transforming Juvenile Justice in NYS - 2009 Patterson Report.
  • NYS -- 89% of boys and 81% of girls re-arrested by age 28. (page 14)
  • 53% of youth placed for a misdemeanor or less. (page 14)
  • Afro-American and Latino youth represent only 44% of New York’s total youth population and comprise more than 80% of youth in state’s institutional facilities. RI - - Over-represented in RI facilities. (page 14)
  • Research shows that linking youth coming out of placement facilities to schools can be critical to ensuring their success in the community. (page 14)
  • Institutionalizing young people should be the choice of absolute last resort, reserved for those who pose such a serious threat that no other solution would protect public safety. (page 11)
  • In all other cases, young people can be well served, and the public kept safe, by community-based supports and services that align with best practices in the field. (page 11)
  • Redirect cost savings into neighborhoods that are home to the highest number of youth in the juvenile justice system. (page 45)

Previous cuts from DCYF’s providers programs (2012 Budget) seriously jeopardizes all the good that has been done over the past several years. If we can’t stabilize families and service these youth in community settings, the Family

Court will have no choice but to revert to placements. This also puts our FSU youngsters (non-delinquent) at greater risk.

OJJDP – Pathways to Desistance: A Longitudinal Study of Serious Adolescent Offenders, March 2011.

Key Findings:

Most youth who commit felonies greatly reduce their offending over time.

Longer stays in Juvenile facilities do not reduce recidivism.

In the period after incarceration, community-based supervision is effective for youth who have committed serious offenses.

Substance abuse treatment reduces both substance use and criminal offending for a limited time.

Youth who received community-based supervision and aftercare services were more likely to attend school, go to work, and avoid further offending during the 6 months after release, and longer supervision periods increased these benefits.

It’s All Stabilizing Families

  • Key Risk Factors - Low Attachment to Family/School/Work
  • Traumatized - Never Treated
  • No High School Diploma
  • If you never graduated from High School orwere never parented,

how do you know how to parent when your child reaches adolescence?

  • What is it like to have all of the responsibility all of the time?

Rhode Island is already heading in this direction:

  • Key Risk Factors
  • Low Attachment to Family
  • Low Attachment to School.
  • Low attachment to work.

All of the studies emphasize the need to reinvest money in high-risk communities. Without adequate reinvestment into community based services, we will not be able to stabilize families and school placements.

Rhode Islander’s can no longer afford $42,000 a year at the ACI for our failures…

Michael Reis, LICSW

Vice President

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