SSIS is seeking three agencies to pilot SSIS version 21.3 (v21.3).
Pilot dates are August 18th through September 14th, 2021; statewide release is scheduled for September 15th, 2021.
Pilot agencies receive weekly phone calls, priority response from the SSIS help desk, and provide application input during the piloting period.
V21.3 will include significant changes for child welfare related to Family First Prevention and Service Act.
For more information about items in the v21.3 release, please see: overview of items in the 21.3 release.
Contact Lisa Litchfield if your agency is interested in piloting.
When multiple PMIs are assigned to one client the numbers should be merged through MAXIS PF11, or by completing the DHS-SIR Merge Request Form. One of these two options should be used rather than contacting the SSIS Help Desk. This is especially important when prior Child Foster Care (CFC) claims are involved.
The SSIS Training Unit is happy to announce that previously recorded SSIS Mentor Coffee Talks and ICWA Coffee Talks can now be viewed here:
SSIS Training Unit | MN Child Welfare Workforce Training Academy (mnchildwelfaretraining.com)
Links to presentation material or other related SSIS Tutorials can be found within the description of the presentations. Two Fiscal Webinars will be added soon.
The Improve Group (as you may recall from a prior communication from us) is conducting a case and workload study of child welfare services across the state on behalf of DHS. We completed a series of workshops on workload intensity variables and have 2 new opportunities to engage in the study. You are eligible to participate if you are a caseworker, supervisor, or other professional with a caseload in Child Welfare Services.
We created a survey that allows more caseworkers and supervisors to participate and weigh in on what variables create an intense workload. This should take 10 minutes or less. Please forward this on to your colleagues; if you already attended a previous workshop, you are still welcome to participate in this survey.
Please complete the survey by Friday July 9th: https://wh1.snapsurveys.com/s.asp?k=162439661095
We also invite you to a two-hour workshop in July to tell us what you think an ongoing MN-wide monitoring system should look like to capture workload. There are three different options for workshops to try and best accommodate your schedule.
Before attending the workshop, you must register in advance using one of the links below:
For more information on the study, visit our website at: https://www.theimprovegroup.com/child-welfare-caseload-study
The SSIS Training team, particularly in light of the unprecedented times of the past 18 months, has had the opportunity to reevaluate the training plan. We have worked to leverage the feedback from the SSIS Mentor assessment to inform planning on multiple topics.
In response to the assessment, 14 live SSIS Coffee Talk webinars have been provided. We’ve received positive feedback regarding these and hope to produce more in the future. These represent a partnership between SSIS Training, policy staff from various program areas, and SSIS Business Operations staff. Mentors are encouraged to reach out to the SSIS Help Desk or Heide Moris, Mentor Coordinator, with suggestions for future topics. SSIS Training has worked with the Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy to create a landing page for previous SSIS Mentor Coffee Talks and ICWA Coffee Talks. The Coffee Talk Videos along with updated SSIS Content and resource information can be found at the SSIS Training Unit | MN Child Welfare Workforce Training Academy site.
Despite limited resources, the SSIS Adult Protection Training has been moved to a virtual platform. With this virtual training, training attendance increased as well as overall satisfaction with, a minority of attendees still preferring in-person training.
SSIS Adult Protection Training:
The SSIS Training Team, in partnership with Aging and Adult Services, provides virtual Adult Protection trainings. Each training takes place over two day, with each daily session lasting 3.5 hours. The training is delivered in a “life of the case” format, demonstrating data entry functionality in SSIS for intake and assessment workgroups. Upcoming trainings for the remainder of 2021 and first part of 2022 are listed below. Current modules listed on the SSIS Adult Protection eLearning Suite (state.mn.us) contain content for the Adult Protection Assessment and Structured Decision Making ® Tools. Additional modules related to Adult Protection Intake and Assessment are in development. The SSIS Adult Maltreatment Module SSIS Adult Maltreatment Module (state.mn.us) will go from annual updates to quarterly updates beginning this fall, coinciding with SSIS Release Dates.
SSIS Adult Protection Virtual Trainings 2021/2022 SSIS Adult Protection Worker Training (state.mn.us)
- September 20, 2021 and September 23, 2021--9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- October 11, 2021 and October 14, 2021—9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- January 10, 2022 and January 13, 2022—9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- February 14, 2022 and February 17, 2022—9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- April 11, 2022 and April 14, 2022—9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- June 6, 2022 and June 9, 2022—9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
SSIS Child Protection Worker Training
To meet the need for users who support child welfare work, but do not have to attend Child Welfare Foundations Training (required for new child welfare case workers which contains a significant amount of SSIS training), a stand-alone virtual training focusing on Intake, Assessment, and Case Management is in development. We are currently in the internal piloting phase of this project; training dates will be available soon.
SSIS Fiscal New Worker Training
There are two active Fiscal training efforts underway. First is the development of a virtual Fiscal New Worker Training. Second, is the development of self-paced e-Learning modules for many of the components of Fiscal New Worker Training. Stay tuned for release dates.
Family First Prevention Services Act and the upcoming SSIS v21.3 Release
SSIS trainers are developing documentation for our agency, Tribal, and regional partners. The major changes in SSIS associated to FFPSA and other major system enhancements are to be released in SSIS v 21.3 (September 2021). We are partnering with Child Welfare policy staff in Child Safety and Permanency Division to coordinate training these changes. Information sessions will be announced once coordinated.
Training information, including registration instructions, can be found on the SSIS Resource Page
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.
This information was also published in the SSIS Permanency Update, April 1, 2021.
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.
Click here for an updated list of facilities in compliance
|