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State trying to evaluate system
Saturday, November 26, 2005 | 1 comment(s)
Oregon has a process for evaluating the Department of Human Services and Child Welfare’s handling of certain child abuse cases. It was initiated one year ago at the request of Gov. Ted Kulongoski.
The handful of cases DHS opts to review involve child fatalities or near fatalities.
In such cases, a Critical Incidence Response Team determines how the agency responded and what it could have done differently. The team is made up mainly of DHS employees and possibly some court and law enforcement officials
Some of that CIRT information becomes public record, but not all.
According to Anna Richter Taylor, Kulongoski’s deputy communications director, the goal is accountability. In changes over the past year, the agency has moved to create clearer channel of communication with supervisors.
“We try to be as open and transparent as possible, but it is critical that we don’t violate the safety and the privacy of the children involved in the cases,” she said.
CIRT teams have been called out seven times in the past year. One case involved a fatality, in which a 15-month-old boy died of head injuries after being returned to his parents. The team found agency workers didn’t do a good enough job determining whether the parents could care for the child, who had special medical needs. A second CIRT investigation involved the foster care case of a 5-year-old girl who was starved but survived the abuse.
The CIRT process wasn’t used in Ina Rose’s case, DHS spokeswoman Patricia Feeny said in an interview last summer.
“It has to be an open case,” she said, adding that means those children must be known to the department.
Child Welfare officially opened a case on Ina Rose on March 1, 2005.
DHS’ new director, Bruce Goldberg, M.D., said managers notify him of sensitive child abuse cases and cases with potential to become controversial. He decides whether to appoint a CIRT team.
Cases, such as this Coos County case that wasn’t officially in the Child Welfare system when the child was taken into custody, indicate the state may need to consider other criteria on when to send out a CIRT team, he said. The challenge is making sure the department doesn’t bog down in that review process.
“Over-reporting takes people away from the work people need to do to keep children safe,” he said, adding the key is finding a balance and make needed changes.
The handful of cases DHS opts to review involve child fatalities or near fatalities.
In such cases, a Critical Incidence Response Team determines how the agency responded and what it could have done differently. The team is made up mainly of DHS employees and possibly some court and law enforcement officials
Some of that CIRT information becomes public record, but not all.
According to Anna Richter Taylor, Kulongoski’s deputy communications director, the goal is accountability. In changes over the past year, the agency has moved to create clearer channel of communication with supervisors.
“We try to be as open and transparent as possible, but it is critical that we don’t violate the safety and the privacy of the children involved in the cases,” she said.
CIRT teams have been called out seven times in the past year. One case involved a fatality, in which a 15-month-old boy died of head injuries after being returned to his parents. The team found agency workers didn’t do a good enough job determining whether the parents could care for the child, who had special medical needs. A second CIRT investigation involved the foster care case of a 5-year-old girl who was starved but survived the abuse.
The CIRT process wasn’t used in Ina Rose’s case, DHS spokeswoman Patricia Feeny said in an interview last summer.
“It has to be an open case,” she said, adding that means those children must be known to the department.
Child Welfare officially opened a case on Ina Rose on March 1, 2005.
DHS’ new director, Bruce Goldberg, M.D., said managers notify him of sensitive child abuse cases and cases with potential to become controversial. He decides whether to appoint a CIRT team.
Cases, such as this Coos County case that wasn’t officially in the Child Welfare system when the child was taken into custody, indicate the state may need to consider other criteria on when to send out a CIRT team, he said. The challenge is making sure the department doesn’t bog down in that review process.
“Over-reporting takes people away from the work people need to do to keep children safe,” he said, adding the key is finding a balance and make needed changes.
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