Family First and Program Area 3
- How does your county utilize core through an open PA3? If PA3 isn’t an option in your county, do you know the reason behind this? If you could wave a magic wand to make core services through an open PA3 everything your community needs, what would that look like? Would it be housed in Human Services or a community-organization and what would the difference be? Is your Collaborative Management Program (CMP) a partner in prevention support? PA3 and Core use continues to evolve so please, email Amy Sciangula with your thoughts.
- The Colorado Department of Human Services contracts with State Program Intermediaries to administer Family First-approved services across the state. As experts in evidence-based service models, these organizations help ensure services are implemented effectively and achieve their intended results. To expand services to more communities, the Colorado Implementation Science Unit (CISU) partnered with the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab to interview State Program Intermediaries and identify their needs. Addressing these needs will help increase the number of families served both across the state and within existing service areas. For more details, read the report, “Scaling Family First Prevention Services: Needs of State Program Intermediaries,” by the Colorado Implementation Science Unit.
Core
- Thank you to everyone involved in submitting your county’s SFY 2024-25 Core Services Plan. All Counties and Tribes have either submitted their plans or requested an extension.
- Check out the Core Dashboard to view the status of submitted plans!
- CDHS is currently reviewing SFY 2024-25 Core Services Plans and we appreciate your patience during this process.
- After Human Services State Board approval on October 4, County Human Services Departments will receive either a Pending Approval letter outlining what is missing or needed from your plan or an Approval letter confirming your allocation amounts. If you have any questions, please email Yerson Padilla.
- Marc Winokur with the Social Work Research Center at Colorado State University (CSU) completed the Annual Core Evaluation at the end of August. Thank you for completing your Family Preservation Report, which is required in rule and informs the evaluation. By October 1st of each year, Governor Polis receives the report and we then release it to the counties and public. Keep an eye out for an email with the link to the full report.
- The final Core Quarterly of 2024 will be held on Friday, October 11th from 9:00 am – 11:00 at the Fremont County Department of Human Services in beautiful Cañon City. The agenda can be viewed here [Link] and you can email Yerson with any accommodation requests or questions. We are excited to meet with you all in-person or see you in the Google Meet.
- We heard from several counties and professionals that they are closed on Fridays or have recurring, conflicting meetings. We just closed the Doodle Poll to determine the best day of the month for Core Quarterly as we prepare for the 2025 schedule. THANK YOU to the 40 individuals that took the time to respond to the poll. Please take a moment to complete this poll to select the day and time for 2025. Keep in mind, our group meets every 3 months and not monthly. The hope is by moving to a day/time where closures aren’t a barrier to attending, participants can block this time on their calendars well in advance.
- Are you getting Core updates/communications from CDHS? Please double-check the Core Distribution List, let us know the names and emails of employees in your County who work with Core Services, and need to be added to the list to receive Core updates.
All About Core Corner
- Friendly reminder, reimbursement under Core Services as defined in Vol. VII Rule. 7.414 includes specific reimbursement requirements and timelines. We have bolded certain lines in the rule that counties have found helpful when there are questions about what is and is not reimbursed:
7.414 Reimbursement For Core Services Program
A. The State shall reimburse counties for expenditures in approved Core Services Program Plans to include the following:
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- Salaries, fringe and operating costs directly related to the Core Service funded FTE positions;
- Rent and utilities for facilities which are for the sole and separate use of a Core Services Program;
- Contracted services authorized by an approved Core Services Program Plan and contained in a written contract between the individual contractor and the county department; contractors must perform as an independent business entity;
- Program services purchased from an agency as outlined in an approved Core Services Program Plan when a written contractual agreement exists between the provider agency and the county department;
- Capital expenditures on items that are for the appropriate, necessary and justifiable use of the approved Core service;
- Consultation, training, and staff development for county Core service staff when necessary for the delivery of a Core service;
- Program expenses such as training supplies, films, or publications necessary for the delivery of Core Services Program services;
- Travel and per-diem expenses directly related to program delivery or administration;
- Travel for children in out-of-home care or their parents is allowed if part of an approved Core Services Plan;
- Space guarantees necessary to maintain program availability not to exceed 50 percent capacity of a facility. Space guarantees up to 100 percent capacity of a facility may be paid for no more than three months when initiating a new program.
 B. Core Services Program Care expenditures not reimbursable by the State include:
- Contractual program services such as child care services and physical exams;
- Foster care costs for placement in facilities operating under the supervision of the county department, for placement in residential child care facilities or child placement agencies on the State approved vendor list or for supervised independent living placement funds;
- Those expenditures that may be reimbursed by some other source;
- Other expenditures not permitted by the fiscal rules or procedures.
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C. Any expenditure other than those defined in this section as reimbursable shall be non reimbursable unless specifically identified in an approved Core Services Program Plan.
D. The county department shall only be reimbursed for the current (month being paid) and two months preceding.
E. The county department shall only purchase services from facilities other than those on the State department’s vendor list, if the approved Core Services Program Plan provides for the expenditure.
F. The county department shall meet all State fiscal reporting requirements before being reimbursed for expenditures in its plan. The State may withhold or reduce reimbursement to counties for expenditures not in compliance with programs as described in the approved Core Services Program Plan.
G. County departments assessing fees for Core Services shall set these fees and the method of computation in their Core Services plans for consideration of the State Board of Human Services.
County Spotlight: Fremont County
 Nestled in the heart of Colorado, Fremont County is filled with rich history, natural beauty, and outdoor recreation. The Royal Gorge Canyon is a must-see, whether by train or the Royal Gorge Bridge. CDHS appreciates Fremont County hosting the October 11th Core Quarterly and their hospitality. During the month of October (4-25), Fremont Center for the Arts will host a Ghost Towns of Colorado exhibit and admission is free! If you are joining us in-person on October 11th, consider staying for the weekend and visiting the different opportunities in this area. You may catch a rare sighting of Amy and Yerson riding the Cloudscraper Zip Line. |
County Question of the Month: Tutoring
Q: A mentoring program provides school tutoring but their focus is on foster youth. They do mentoring (emotional regulation, skill building, time management) for the first 10 min or so of each session and then focus on school work for the next 50 min. Most school districts in the area do not provide a similar service. This is a gap in services. Is this a service that could be covered under Core? How do other counties address this?
CDHS A: Tutoring is not considered a Core Service, as it isn’t something that would prevent out of home placement for a child or provide a needed support to get a child home safely. Please reach out to Amy or Yerson with your thoughts about the question and tips you have about how the county can approach the gap. Your responses will be shared in the next newsletter.
Email Amy Sciangula or Yerson Padilla your news, ideas, or questions for the October edition.
Resources
- Data can be a powerful tool to improve the health and well-being of children, families, and communities. Counties can utilize the Results Oriented Management (ROM) website to obtain various reports. In Trails Legacy the ‘Core Services Report’ under ‘Fiscal’ and then ‘Reports.’ The report highlights how much counties are spending on MH and SA treatments. This can be helpful with tracking how much counties in the region are spending.
- Do you have questions about Core, Core Services, Core Contracts, Core Reports, and more? We invite you to attend the Core Open Hours happening every other week from 2pm – 3pm via Google Meet. Here are the upcoming dates in September and October: 9/18, 10/02, 10/16, and 10/30.
- Did you know that Colorado has a Child Welfare Family Advisory Group. The role of the Family Advisory Council is to include family voice and lived experience in providing feedback on Division of Child Welfare planning, policies and procedures in order to improve the design and delivery of high-quality child welfare services to the youth and families in Colorado. If you would like more information on how to access or join the group, or how to start a group in your community, please visit their site.
- The Core Services Handbook is a living document, meaning it is updated when new information or processes happen. If you have a question not currently addressed in the handbook, please let Yerson Padilla know.
Training, Funding, and Job Opportunities
Training
The Colorado Youth Detention Continuum is excited to announce the 2024 training conference! The goal of this training conference is to provide sessions to anyone involved in the juvenile justice system. The agenda includes breakout sessions on self-care, emergency bed utilization, restorative justice, youth trafficking as well as gangs and youth violence to name a few.
Funding
Job Opportunities
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