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July 3, 2024                                                                                                              Volume 3, Issue 7

• Announcements
• We are Children's Division Podcast
• CD in the News
• DSS Monthly Characteristic Challenge
• Permanency
• Prevention and Response
• Recruitment
• CCU and You
• Legal Aspects

Announcements

Learn about the New Case Management System Project

The Missouri Comprehensive Child Welfare Information Systems (CCWIS) project team is working to improve outcomes for Missouri children and families by providing the Children’s Division with a modern, user-friendly case management system. Our goal is to promote efficiency and effectiveness in the work of the Children’s Division by simplifying data from all angles, ensuring the processes within the CCWIS accurately reflect the practice of child welfare in Missouri, and encouraging collaboration inside and outside the agency. To that end, we plan to purchase a base system that we will then further develop and modify to meet the specific needs of Missouri Children’s Division. This purchase will be completed through the Request for Proposals (RFP) process, with the goal of replacing the current FACES application.

Learn more on the intranet!

We are Children's Division Podcast

Season 3, Episode 7: SOUND OF HOPE: The Story of Possum Trot The fight for children starts July 4, 2024. In this bonus episode of the We Are Children's Division Podcast, our hosts are joined by Shasta Miller and Jessica Huckstep, the hosts of the Call to Foster Podcast, and Rebekah Weigel, Writer and Producer of "SOUND OF HOPE: The Story of Possum Trot". Hear from Rebekah about the writing process, the characters, and the true story of Possum Trot, Texas, as well as her experience as a foster parent and social worker. Rebekah has great advice and practical solutions that you need to hear. You don't want to miss this movie - get your tickets today! Want more information about how you can host a private showing of this film? Learn more on the Angel Studios website. LISTENING TIP: The podcast is available on most popular podcast apps and you can listen and subscribe wherever you like to listen to podcasts at this link.

How can you claim credit for your “We Are Children’s Division Podcast” listening?

1. Log into your Employee Self Service portal (ESS)
2. Hover over the “My Information” tab at the top right corner
3. Click on “My Development” at the bottom of the list
4. Click “Add Training”
5. Fill out the fields and click “Submit”

Yes! It is that easy. If you want to know how you’re doing on  your professional development hours (specifically supervisors) you can click “View Training Log.”

CD in the News

Bipartisan Effort in Congress Aims to Steer Impoverished Families Away From Foster Care Systems

DSS Monthly Characteristic Challenge

Our DSS MO Appreciation Team encourages you to recognize team members that possess the identified monthly trait as a formal opportunity of recognition on the Cheers for Peers platform. There will be a new trait highlighted each month throughout the year.  Submissions will be reviewed each month by the DSS MO Appreciation Internal Team and of those submissions one team member will be recognized each month as the challenge winner and will receive a certificate of recognition, highlighted in the DSS Snapshot Newsletter as well as on the DSS Podcast, The Common Thread.

Characteristic Traits of the Month

Permanency

The CD Podcast and The Call to Foster teamed up this month for a special episode! Both episodes are the same, but we prefer that you share "The Call to Foster" on social media if you'd like to help spread the word and recruit foster parents!

The Call to Foster Podcast S2E5 "SOUND OF HOPE: The Story of Possum Trot" The fight for children starts July 4, 2024. In this episode of the Call to Foster, our hosts are joined by Darrell Missey, the Director of Children's Division, and Rebekah Weigel, Writer and Producer of "SOUND OF HOPE: The Story of Possum Trot". Hear from the writer of this incredible film about the writing process, the characters, and the true story of Possum Trot, Texas, as well as her experience as a foster parent and social worker. Rebekah has great advice and practical solutions that you need to hear. You don't want to miss this movie - get your tickets today! Want more information about how you can host a private showing of this film? Learn more on the Angel Studios website. Be sure to subscribe on your preferred podcast platform and use this as a resource when speaking with anyone interested in foster parenting! Feel free to leave a review so this podcast can reach a larger audience and help recruit more foster parents.

SOUND OF HOPE: The Story of Possum Trot Recruitment Opportunity

On July 4, 2024, the movie, "SOUND OF HOPE: The Story of Possum Trot," will be released in theaters across the country. This film will be an opportunity to recruit foster and adoptive parents and we want to be prepared and create as many touchpoints as possible for the public. 

Do you know of an event happening in your area? Let us know so we can share the event opportunities on our Missouri Heart Gallery Calendar! 

Children's Division has approved this movie for in-service training credit for foster and adoptive parents! We hope our team members and foster families will bring a friend, or two,  when going to see the movie!

Prevention and Response

TDM Implementation Continues

We are excited to share that Team Decision Making® implementation continues across the state. The last of the facilitator trainings in wave one have been completed. Worker/Supervisor and Community Orientation trainings are occurring throughout the summer. Your regional and statewide implementation teams are working hard to get TDM™ meetings started across the state. We’re excited to see the progress forward in bringing this important model to our work with families and children.

"No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world." - Robin Williams

Success Story: 

Southeast- Prevention staff had worked with a father 2 or 3 months ago. The father reached out to the prevention worker asking for help with his children. He has struggled with alcohol and was wanting to enter treatment and had no where for his kids to go so he was asking if they could just come into foster care. The prevention worker met with the father and they identify an aunt and uncle that would be willing to take the children but were lacking some resources to be able to take care of them and provide care. The prevention worker opened an FCS case with the father and family to help the father create a safety network while working through treatment as well as to support the aunt and uncle and connect them with community resources to care for the children.

Recruitment

Host Your Own Recruitment Event!

Would you like to schedule or have scheduled an event at a community college, local university, or within you community? To better support our team and to track engagement across the State for new talent, a Microsoft Form has been created.  After obtaining approval from your leadership team for the event, just use your employee issued phone to scan the QR code or click the quick link and complete the form to notify your recruitment team of an upcoming event and if support is needed!  Please contact Christine Steele at Christine.E.Steele@dss.mo.gov with questions.

https://forms.office.com/g/54UdnR5sNx

Upcoming Recruitment Events

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CCU and You

CCU strives to review NMIs within 72 hours; however, CCU Specialists have a limited about of time per day to review NMIs emails. In order to expedite the review process, please:

• Insure the entire NMI has been completed prior to emailing CCU
• Include the full/correct call number and the name of the Specialist that you spoke to
  • The Specialist information can be located in the admin box on the conclusion page. it is also in the contact log and the CPS1 as we always include the name of the Specialist in our template.
• If you have not received a response after 72 hours and you need to check on the status of case, please email DSS.CD.CCUSUP@dss.mo.gov so that the Specialist’s Supervisor can follow up and get back to you so that it will be addressed.

CCU would also like to ask Supervisors and Management to please alert CCU Supervisors immediately of any cases were TIC or MDT contacts have been entered incorrectly by CCU so that they can be corrected ASAP. Please send case numbers to DSS.CD.CCUSUP@dss.mo.gov.

In order to assure that we are able to provide quality consultations and staffing with as many callers as we can, please make sure that the cases that you are calling into CCU are clear safe cases, and meet criteria for calling CCU. If you have questions or needs clarification on which cases are appropriate for CCU, please utilize the CCU consultation guide or feel free to reach out the CCU Management team at DSS.CD.CCUSUP@dss.mo.gov. 

As always, we thank you for allowing CCU to assist you.

CCU Shining Star Bradley Goldie CCU would like to congratulate this month’s Shining Star Bradley Goldie! Here are a few words so you can get to know Bradley: I have been with CD for about 10 months. For the better part of my adult life I worked in finance in Arizona and moved back to the Midwest in 2022 with my husband, we have been together for almost 20 years. My intention in college was always to teach or do social work, so when I moved back to St. Louis that’s what I chose to do. What keeps me motivated is knowing what we all do makes an impact in kids’ lives. CCU has really allowed for more efficient and standardized way of consulting and concluding cases. Much Appreciated!

Legal Aspects

Lunch and Learn

Legal Aspects hosts a Lunch and Learn opportunity on the first Tuesday of every month from 12-1 pm. If you have specific questions you would like to see addressed during the lunch and learn please email Meaghan Forck.

Because we only have an hour to begin discussing some very nuanced topics, we encourage circuit managers and supervisors to continue these discussions with those in the field. As we all know, child welfare work rarely fits neatly into any black and white category and as such we hope these lunch and learns will begin many great discussions in your local area.

Please register in the ELC for the class as well, course code: CD000782. If you have trouble registering please feel free to reach out with questions, but you may also attend regardless of registration status. You may also attend without registering using this webex link. 

Do you have a Lunch and Learn topic you’d like to see? Please feel free to email them to Meaghan Forck.

Training Updates

In-Person Supervisor Courses:  Please make plans for your supervisors to attend.  These are required trainings for Investigations and Alternative Care Supervisors

• SEPT 25-26 Legal Aspects for Investigations Supervisors CD000657
• NOV 20-21 Legal Aspects for Foster Care and Adoption Supervisors CD000658 

Upcoming Training Schedule

The following is the Legal Aspects schedule and other relevant trainings for the rest of the year. To access the trainings, click on the course ID or links listed below. 

NOTE: If you are a supervisor, please take a moment to register for one of the supervisor courses below. They are required to be taken by new supervisors within 6 months of employment. Openings in both are currently available! 

If you have trouble enrolling in a legal aspects course, please contact CD.latrainingteam@dss.mo.gov. For trouble enrolling in other courses please contact, cd.profdevelopment@dss.mo.gov. 

We Want to Hear From You!

If you have something you would like to share in the next newsletter issue, please email Ashton Kever at ashton.kever@dss.mo.gov. 

Our Mission: Empower Missourians to live safe, healthy, and productive lives.

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