FAQs for Child and Youth Investment Teams

Child and Youth Investment Team Frequently Asked Questions

                             CAYIT Frequently Asked Questions

8-26-05: 

Do I need a CAYIT if the youth is stepping down from residential to specialized foster care?

No. If the youth is stepping down from a group home or residential facility to specialized foster care, the youth is automatically approved for specialized foster care. The caseworker is responsible for presenting the case at Regional Quarterly Matching meetings (QMM) as outlined in Policy Guide 2003.07.

If custody is taken of a child/youth who has special needs and these are know at the time of placement, do I have to have a CAYIT before the child/youth can be approved for specialized foster care?

No, Procedures for matching children to special services at time of initial placement have not changed. In every case, DCP or the screening worker should submit the CFS 418-J, Checklist for Children at Initial Placement, to the regional assignment unit (CAPU for Cook County, APT for Downstate Regions) for all children entering substitute care, even if the child was previously placed in substitute care, will remain the same.

If a child is identified with having a severe or chronic condition that requires a highly structured program (i.e., if ANY of the items other than �none� are selected on the CFS418J), the worker making the decision to place a child MUST fax this form AND supporting documentation to the DCFS Specialized Foster Care Unit at 312-814-1905.

The fax must include the following information: 

CFS 418-J, Checklist for Children at Initial Placement

Recent supporting documentation from the providers that describe the child�s identified needs, including diagnosis, what services are (or have been) put in place, and what additional services the child needs.

The DCFS Specialized Foster Care Unit will assess the case and will work with the worker to match the child to appropriate programs that are responsive to the child�s special need. If you have questions, please contact Kara Teeple at 312.814.6880.

Who should attend these meetings?

At each meeting, in addition to CAYIT staff, caseworker and supervisor are expected to attend.  It is also critical that the current caregiver(s) or other caregiver(s) attend along with biological parents when appropriate.  All children age 12 and older are expected to participate in the staffing and it is the responsibility of the worker to arrange the child�s participation. If the worker believes there is clinical reason that the child should not participate, the worker should contact the Reviewer scheduled for that case to discuss the clinical issues. The Reviewer will make the final determination as to whether or not the child should participate in the staffing. In addition, psychologists, therapists, educational staff, System of Care providers, SASS providers, child�s guardian ad litem or other significant others in the child or youth�s life may participate.  Each team meeting will be individualized to include those with relevant, current information about the child or youth and those in a professional capacity who can contribute to informed, sound decision-making and service planning for the child or youth.

8-12-05

I sent a referral for a CAYIT staffing more than two weeks ago and I am unclear as to the status of the referral?

CAYIT became operational on 7/11/05 and cases are being prioritized and processed for scheduling.  We are aware that there are that are cases in which the referring worker has not yet been contacted. Efforts are underway to process all pending referrals.  Thank you for your patience as we roll out this CAYIT process.

Do I have to staff a pregnant and parenting teen for placement in a TLP or ILO? 

Yes, those youth who are pregnant and/or parenting need to have a staffing.  If the youth the caseworker is referring is pregnant and/or parenting, this includes females and males, please indicate this on the CAYIT Universal Referral Form, page 1 block 23, Brief Description for Referral.

Should children and youth attend the CAYIT staffing?

All children age 12 and older are expected to participate in the staffing and it is the responsibility of the worker to arrange the child�s participation.  If the worker believes there is clinical reason that the child should not participate, the worker should contact the Reviewer scheduled for that case to discuss the clinical issues.  The Reviewer will make the final determination as to whether or not the child should participate in the staffing. 

How long should I expect the CAYIT staffing to take? 

Those participating should anticipate that the staffing would take 2 hours; however, there may be some variance in this based on the complexity of the case being staffed. 

July 15, 2005

HOW DO I MAKE A REFERRAL FOR A CAYIT STAFFING?

To make a referral for a CAYIT staffing, the CAYIT Universal Referral Form

 (CFS 1452-1) is available in the SACWIS templates.  Please fill out the form completely and e-mail to CAYIT Intake Staff.  All referrals in Cook regions should be e-mailed to Charmin Jones at [email protected].  Her phone number is 312/814-6868.  For a referral in a downstate region, please e-mail the referral form to [email protected].  She may be contacted at 312/814-6838.    For non-SACWIS users, the child should be identified only by first name and first initial of the last name and the social security number should be omitted.  Intake staff will acknowledge receipt of the CAYIT referral and initiate the scheduling of the CAYIT staffing.  The CAYIT Action Plan

(CFS 1452-2) does not need to be completed by the caseworker but rather will be completed by the Implementation Coordinator at the CAYIT staffing. 

WHO DO I CONTACT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT CAYIT OR THE REFERRAL PROCESS?

The CAYIT Question Line continues to be available to answer any questions about the new process.  This Question Line will remain operational for sixty days following implementation.  To contact the Information Line, please email or call Jill Tichenor at 217/278-5534 or [email protected] or Lori Gray at 217/785-9240 or [email protected].

MAY DECISIONS THAT RESULT FROM A CAYIT STAFFING BE APPEALED?

Decisions may be appealed by filing an appeal through the Department�s service appeal process.   The service appeal for child welfare services provided either directly or through a provider agency is governed by Rule 337, Service Appeal Process. 

CAYIT UNIVERSAL REFERRAL FORM

The CAYIT Universal Referral Form (CFS 1452-1) can be obtained from DCFS or found on the CCAI web site at cca-il.org.  This form is to be used when making any type of referral for a CAYIT staffing.  This form replaces all forms previously used when requesting approval for residential, group home, ILO/TLP and specialized foster care.  This form is now available on the SACWIS T drive.

 

CAYIT STAFFING REQUESTS FOR IPA/GRH, ILO/TLP AND SPECIALIZED FOSTER CARE:
Casework staff who are SACWIS users and who are requesting a CAYIT staffing will complete this form electronically and send the completed form to the Intake staff via Outlook.  For all Cook regions the referral form should be sent to Charmin Jones, [email protected], (312) 814-4131 and for all downstate regions it should be sent to Bobbie Reeves, [email protected].,  312 814 6838. Private agency staff who are non-SACWIS users should save the attached form electronically as a Word document so that it can be sent electronically to the designated Intake staff.  For non-SACWIS users the child's last name should be only represented by an initial and the social security number should be omitted.

Upon receipt of the referral form, the Intake staff will contact the referring caseworker for additional referral information and to set up a time and location for the CAYIT staffing. Attached to the CAYIT Universal Referral form is the list of supportive documentation that will need to be gathered and provided. The caseworker should begin gathering the supportive documentation as soon as the referral is made.  Within two business days of contact from the Intake staff to confirm referral receipt, the caseworker should submit supportive documentation to CAYIT Intake Staff, DCFS, JRTC, 100 W. Randolph 6-100, Chicago, IL 60601.

 

MULTIPLE MOVE CAYIT STAFFINGS:
The multiple move case staffing process will now be a part of CAYIT. As before, if a child on your caseload meets the multiple move criteria, an automatic trigger is generated to intake staff.  Intake staff will contact the assigned worker of the need for a CAYIT stafffing.  At this time, intake for CAYIT multiple move staffings will be managed by Missy Wind, [email protected]., (217) 785-5691.  The process for documentation submission and time frames is the same as for other CAYIT staffings outlined above. 

SHELTER PLACEMENT CAYIT STAFFINGS:
Children who require a CAYIT staffing as a result of an emergency shelter placement will be processed as stated above for multiple move staffings.  The intake functions for emergency shelter placement will be managed by Charmin Jones for all Cook regions and by Bobbie Reeves for all downstate regions.  Again, the instructions for documentation submission and time frames are the same as for other CAYIT staffings.   It is imperative that the referral form and supportive documentation be sent within the established timeframes (2 business days) as these staffings must be scheduled within 7 days of notification to intake staff of the shelter placement.

 CAYIT QUESTION LINE

A CAYIT Question Line is currently operational to answer questions about the new process and to direct pending cases during the transition. The Question Line will continue to operate for 60 days after implementation.   To contact the Question line, please call or e-mail Jill Tichenor at 217/278-5534 or [email protected]  or Lori Gray at 217/785-9240 or [email protected].
 

July 8, 2005

FAQs for Child and Youth Investment Teams

CAYIT FAQs will be posted on the DCFS D-Net and sent as Announcement via Outlook every Wednesday and Friday.  Please review past Announcements for previously answered questions. 

Who can request a CAYIT meeting?

Only a caseworker or supervisor are to contact the Intake Coordinator to request a  CAYIT meeting.  If a CAYIT meeting is requested by a person with interest or involvement, the worker should review this request with their supervisor and chain of command within their agency.   

What is the role of the Implementation Coordinator?

The Implementation Coordinator is responsible for writing the action plan as developed during the course of the CAYIT meeting.  They will also assist, intervene and problem-solve to facilitate successful implementation of the action plan.  The implementation coordinator will also monitor and evaluate implementation of the CAYIT action plan. 

What information must I provide to the CAYIT team after the referral is made?

The Intake Coordinator will provide the referring caseworker or supervisor with a list supportive documentation needed and where those documents should be sent. 

 If I request residential care for my youth and the CAYIT team recommends this as the course of action, how long will it take me to get approval?

The CAYIT members are empowered through the team decision-making model to make final recommendation and approval for residential treatment, group home, specialized foster care, transitional living and independent living.  No additional approvals outside of the CAYIT meeting are necessary.   Goals of the CAYIT process are to streamline decision-making processes, deliver services earlier and subsequently stabilize youth in out-of-home placements.    

Multiple moves are a trigger for a CAYIT staffing.  What is a multiple move?

Multiple moves is the terminology used when a DCFS youth experiences a third placement in foster care after having experienced two other permanency placements within the previous 18 months.  The previous placement must have been from a foster home or relative home placement. 

FAQs for Child and Youth Investment Teams

 July 11, 2005

CAYIT FAQs will be posted on the DCFS D-Net and sent as Announcement via Outlook every Wednesday and Friday.  Please review past Announcements for previously answered questions.   

How can I schedule a CAYIT meeting? 

Effective today, those needing to schedule a CAYIT meeting in the Northern, Central and Southern regions should contact Bobbie Reeves at 312/814-6838, fax number is 312/814-4131.  Bobbie is located at the James R. Thompson Center at 100 West Randolph, 6-100, Chicago, Illinois 60601.  For those needing to schedule in any Cook region, please contact Charmin Jones at 312/814-6868, fax # 312/814-4131 at the same address.  The intake team will provide you with direction on the next steps that need to be taken. 

 I understand that the CANS will be used in the CAYIT process.  What is the CANS? 

The CANS is a Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Comprehensive assessment.  This informational integration tool is designed to support individual case planning and the planning and evaluation of service systems.  The CANS will be completed on each youth staffed through the CAYIT process by the Reviewer.  This will be one tool used to identify strengths and needs of the child as well as service needs. 

In the previous process, when conducting the staffing for TLP/ILO the worker and supervisor had already made a critical decision that this was the most appropriate level of care and identified an agency to best serve the youth and that agency was at the staffing.  Will this be the same procedure with CAYIT? 

Since the decision to proceed to TLP/ILO is made at CAYIT, no pre-identification of agencies or sending of packets should occur.  The CAYIT will determine first that TLP/ILO is the best course of action and will then determine what program(s) is/are available to meet youth's needs.  A packet will be directed to those programs only.  

What is the role of the facilitator in the CAYIT process? 

The goal of the facilitator is to focus the groups� energy on a common task - to reach a decision about service needs that protects and provides safety for the child in the least restrictive/intrusive manner appropriate utilizing a team decision-making approach.  The facilitator manages the process and structure of the meeting.  They are responsible to ensure that a high quality decision results from the meeting and that the decision is a consensus decision with all participants.   

If I have a disputed move, do I utilize the CAYIT process? 

Clinical Placement Reviews (Procedure 301.65, Policy Guide 2003.01 and Rule 337) will continue for disputed moves between foster care placements unless the move meets the criteria for CAYIT intervention.

CAYIT FAQs will be posted on the DCFS D-Net and sent as Announcement via Outlook every Wednesday and Friday.  Please review past Announcements for previously answered questions.   

When will the DCFS regional Child and Youth Investment Teams (CAYIT) begin taking referrals? 

Effective July 11, 2005, the CAYIT process will replace the Placement Review Team (PRT), Specialized Foster Care Review, ILO/TLP staffings, emergency shelter placement 72-hour staffings and the Multiple Move staffing process.   

July 5, 2005

Who do I call to schedule a CAYIT meeting? 

Each region will have Intake Coordinators who will be responsible for the scheduling of CAYIT meetings and these numbers will be provided to staff prior to the implementation on July 11, 2005.  Initially, there will be centralized intake process and information on the contacts will be sent out and shared in upcoming informational meetings.  The CAYIT Intake staff  are responsible for determining whether referred cases meet CAYIT eligibility criteria and for working with the caseworker and supervisor to collect all required records and reports for the CAYIT meetings. 

What will be the responsibilities of the caseworker in this process? 

Caseworker and supervisors play a critical role in the multi-disciplinary planning, decision-making and follow up process for children and youth.  The caseworker will be responsible for providing all the required records and reports for the CAYIT meeting, participating in the meeting and ensuring follow-up on recommendations agreed upon.  Supervisory staff  are also required to participate the meetings. Caseworkers and supervisors will be responsible for assisting in determining who should participate in the CAYIT meeting and communicating this to the intake staff. 

Who should attend these meetings? 

At each meeting, in addition to CAYIT staff, caseworker and supervisor are expected to attend.  It is also critical that the current caregiver(s) or other caregiver(s) attend along with biological parents when appropriate.  Youth may also attend when appropriate as well as psychologist, therapists, educational staff, System of Care provider, child�s guardian ad litem and/or any relevant DCFS specialist.  Each team meeting will be individualized to include those with relevant, current information about the child or youth and those with a professional capacity that is critical to make informed, sound decision-making about the child or youth. 

Will staff receive training on this new process? 

Yes, DCFS and POS supervisory staff in each region will be trained by CAYIT staff prior to implementation. Notification of the training will be forthcoming.   Supervisory staff will be responsible for ensuring that caseworkers are familiar with process and procedures.   

If I have a youth on my caseload that is in need of a lateral move from one institution group home to another, must this youth be staffed by the CAYIT team? 

Yes, all lateral moves from one institution to another institution (IPA to IPA), one group home to another group home (GRH and GRH) and institution to group home (IPA to GRH) must be staffed.   

What role will CAYIT play in intact family cases and post-adoption cases. 

The CAYIT process if designed to plan for children and youth who are in the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services.