Court collaboration
The Minnesota Judicial Branch (MJB) and the Minnesota Department of Human Services (department) have a strong and effective collaborative history through formation of the Children’s Justice Initiative (CJI) more than 20 years ago. CJI members have also worked diligently to implement residential placement requirements of the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) since February 2018. The goal of this collaboration is to ensure achievement of children’s well-being when placed in residential facilities, group homes, or foster residence settings.
MJB and department staff worked with local juvenile courts, court administrators, social services agencies, county attorneys, guardians ad litem, attorneys for parents and children, tribes, and other stakeholders to provide information and guidance for implementation of the new federally required residential placement practices.
MJB and department staff identified and implemented court review processes for qualified residential treatment programs (QRTP) under FFPSA.
The Minnesota Judicial Branch developed statewide training materials specifically for the following three audiences:
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Judicial officers and judge teams
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CJI teams and other child welfare stakeholders, and
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Court administrative staff.
Webinars to prepare all parties were provided starting in September 2021 in preparation for Oct. 1, 2021, implementation. Written training tools specific to each audience were developed and accompany each webinar.
Below is a list of webinars provided virtually via Zoom and upcoming plans for more training opportunities:
Minnesota Judicial Branch staff is planning a round of follow-up training opportunities in January 2022 to revisit the above topics as a large group, talking through what is beginning to surface as frequently asked questions and best practices statewide for handling reviews.
Questions
CJI@courts.state.mn.us
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