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The Improve Group is in partnership with DHS to conduct a study on caseworker caseloads and workloads commissioned on behalf of the legislature. We invite you to a two-hour workshop to tell us about your workload. We recognize that your workload is high and fluctuates, and want to hear from you about why that is. There are four different options for workshops to try and best accommodate your schedule.
You must register in advance using one of the links below -
Please forward this invitation to any other colleagues who do or supervise child welfare casework! Thank you in advance for your time, and please reach out to Kayla Meyers with any questions at KaylaM@theimprovegroup.com
All agency SSIS databases are uploaded by state staff at least two times per month per the 2021 Reporting Schedule. Agency staff should continue to generate “Validate only” reads regularly to check for and correct errors in SSIS. The SSIS Help Desk should be contacted if assistance is needed.
Washington, Nicollet and St. Louis Counties kicked off SSIS Pilot v21.2 Wednesday, April 28. SSIS general release information can be found on the SSIS Resources page.
All agencies are eligible to participate in upcoming pilots. Pilot agencies receive weekly phone calls, priority help desk calls, and provide application input during the piloting period. If interested in piloting a future release, contact Lisa Litchfield.
Northstar and Group Facility rates for SFY’21-22 have been published and entered into SSIS.
The Basic and Supplemental rates were published April 23, 2021, in Bulletin 21-32-02. Rates are effective July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022.
The Title IV-E Foster Care Per Diem Rates & Percentage Report was also published April 23, 2021.
Questions can be directed to the SSIS Help Desk
Emergency Background Studies
Instructions with the steps and information entities need to submit an emergency background study are available on NETStudy 2. Frequently asked questions about emergency background studies are also available on the background studies COVID-19 webpage.
Adoption-only background studies and emergency background studies for foster care
This information was originally released in the February 2021 Permanency Support Issue of the CSP Update.
When a child foster care provider is planning to adopt a child under guardianship of the commissioner, but their foster care home study was approved using emergency background studies, adoption-only background studies can be completed on each prospective adoptive parent and all required household members to fulfill background study requirements for adoption and Northstar Adoption Assistance eligibility. This option is only currently available to foster families who are adopting a child under guardianship of the commissioner and whose foster care license was issued using emergency background studies.
Adoption-only background studies have different procedures than child foster care and emergency background studies. Adoption-only background studies are completed using hard fingerprint cards, where fingerprints are taken manually, not electronically, and processed via the former NETStudy system (not NETStudy 2.0). Gemalto Thales fingerprinting sites cannot be used for fingerprint requests for adoption-only background studies, as those locations are for electronic fingerprinting for NETStudy 2.0.
If pursuing this option, agencies should provide fingerprint authorization forms to prospective adoptive parents and all required household members, and direct them to take the form to a location that will complete hard fingerprint cards, such as a local law enforcement or sheriff’s office. The agency who completed the foster care home study for a family must complete a home study update upon receiving the adoption-only background study results.
When submitting Adoption Placement Agreements (APA) to DHS staff in this situation, results from both types of background studies (emergency and adoption-only) must be submitted with the APA.
If you have questions about this option, contact Kathleen Hiniker, permanency unit supervisor, at kathleen.a.hiniker@state.mn.us.
Family First Prevention Services Act
The Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) requires that all staff working in a Title IV-E Group Children’s Residential Facility (CRF) receive fingerprint-based “Adam Walsh” background checks in order to meet Title IV-E child safety requirements.
To assist counties and initiative tribes with claiming Title IV-E reimbursements for these placements, we will periodically update the list of facilities that have met the background checks safety requirements.
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