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HomeMy WebLinkAboutC12-174 Garfield and Pitkin County Tri-County Foster Care Collaboration MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN EAGLE COUNTY, GARFIELD COUNTY AND PITKIN COUNTY FOR TRI- COUNTY FOSTER CARE COLLABORATION This MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING (MOU) is hereby entered into by and between Eagle County, Garfield County and Pitkin County, each a body corporate and politic, hereinafter referred to as "Eagle ", "Garfield" and "Pitkin" respectively or collectively the "Counties ". A. PURPOSE: The purpose of this MOU is to formalize a cooperative relationship between the aforementioned Counties for the purpose of cooperating to identify and increase efficiency and effectiveness for foster care and kinship placement services for children and families in Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin Counties (hereinafter Tri- County Region "PEG Project "). B. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this MOU is to establish a working relationship between the Counties to identify and contribute resources and develop a coordinated program for the efficient management of foster care and kinship placements while ensuring compliance with state and federal requirements and mandates. C. BENEFITS: 1. Provide foster care placement for children within their community to minimize trauma related to removal from parents. 2. Promote accessibility of services for parents and children to maximize contact and potential for reunification. 3. Recruit and retain licensed, certified foster parents who endorse a best practice approach to caring for children and encourage principles to promote safe and healthy transitions and potential reunification with family when possible. 4. Increase the quality, appropriateness, and effectiveness of services delivered to children and families who would benefit from foster care services. 5. Encourage cost and resource sharing among the Counties to maximize efficiencies. D. THE COUNTIES AGREE TO: 1. Provide oversight through the establishment of a certification team (hereinafter "Certification Team ") to review and manage each foster care or kinship placement as required by C.R.S. C.R.S. 26 -6 -104 (1)(a) and (1)(b). 2. The Certification Team shall be comprised of members of Garfield's Child Welfare management team. Garfield may appoint foster care coordinators or caseworkers from Eagle and Pitkin to serve on the Certification Team. e) 1?11 3. The Certification Team shall meet one (1) time per month or as needed, or at such other times as may be agreed between the Certification Team members. 4. The meeting location for the Certification Team shall be in Garfield unless otherwise scheduled. Meetings may occur by telephone. 5. The Certification Team shall provide Eagle and Pitkin with a list of certified foster homes each time the list is changed or updated. 6. The Certification Team shall provide oversight of each placement made within the Tri- County Region to ensure compliance with state and federal requirements and mandates including compliance with Title 19 of the Colorado Revised Statues and Volume 7 of CCR. The Certification Team will provide final approval of all home studies. 7. The Counties shall further identify an oversight committee ( "Oversight Committee "), which will consist of manager's from each county to perform the following tasks: a. Establish policies and procedures to govern foster care and kinship placements in the Tri- County Region to ensure compliance with all legal requirements, approval or disapproval of homes, and plan for a central call system or single point of entry. b. Establish and implement recruitment and retention policies for foster families across the Tri- County Region. c. Establish and implement training for caseworkers and staff in Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin to ensure compliance with Title 19, C.R.S. and CCR, Volume 7. d. Identify and implement training for families to serve as foster families. e. Identify and implement training required for retention and on -going certification of foster families. f. Determine financial, in -kind and staff resources necessary to implement and administer the policies and training. 8. Members of the Oversight Committee shall be responsible for ensuring that leadership within Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin Departments of Health and Human Services consider, approve and adopt the proposed policies and procedures. In the event that any one county does not approve of, or cannot agree to the proposed policies and procedures, then the Counties shall work together in an effort to develop policies and procedures that are acceptable to each county. 9. Each County shall be responsible for ensuring that its citizens who require a foster care or kinship placement are placed and provided necessary services. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Counties agree that a primary goal of this cooperative effort is to establish the foundation for the creation of a separate entity for the Tri - County Region that will be responsible for the on -going implementation of the policies and procedures adopted by the Counties. 10. Each County shall be responsible for contributing one -third of the cost of funding needed for foster care training for families and staff in an amount to be determined in an annual program budget approved by members of the Oversight Committee. The budget adopted for each County by the Oversight Committee must also be included in a budget approved by the Board of County Commissioners for each County. Upon such budgeting, Eagle and Pitkin Counties will pay Garfield upon receipt of a bill for services. 11. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, no county shall have any obligations under this MOU after, nor shall any payments be made in respect of any period after December 31, 2012 without an appropriation therefore by a county in accordance with a budget adopted by the Board of Commissioners in compliance with Article 25, Title 30 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, the Local Government Budget Law (C.R.S. § 29 -1 -101 et seq.) and the TABOR Amendment (Colorado Constitution, Article X, Sec. 20). 12. The principal contacts for this instrument are: Pitkin County Kim DuBois, MSW 0405 Castle Creek Road Suite 8 Aspen, CO 81611 970- 429 -2043 Eagle County Dorothy Wilson, MSW 551 Broadway, PO Box 660 Eagle, CO 81631 970 - 328 -8827 Garfield County Susan Garcia, MSW 195 West 14th Street Rifle, CO 81650 970 - 625 -5282 13. This MOU and the Counties conduct hereunder shall be subject to local, state and federal laws and regulations, including requirements associated with confidentiality of information and HIPPA privacy requirements. 14. This MOU takes effect upon the signature of the Counties and shall remain in effect for one year from the date of execution. This MOU may be extended for additional terms or amended upon written agreement of the Counties. Any of the Counties may terminate this MOU with a 30 day written notice to the others. In the event of such termination the Counties agree to work cooperatively to ensure the on -going delivery of services to children and families within the Tri- County Region. 15. This MOU is not intended to create any agency or employment relationships between the parties nor is it intended to create any third party rights or beneficiaries. // SIGNATURE PAGE TO FOLLOW // . . COUNTY OF EAGLE, STATE OF COLORADO, by its : oard of County Commissioners I By NINA • . ,. rVii .,.. ' i` j ' �ti"1 ..` 11. (. i7 ct._ t t ypre' `- -, vi , 1 ATTEST: d /' c - - e , . _. Clerk to the Bo afd p COUNTY OF GARFIELD, STATE OF COLORADO, by its Board of County Commissioners By: ATTEST: Clerk to the Board COUNTY OF PITK1N, STATE OF COLORADO, by its Board of County Commissioners By: Michael M. Owsley, Chairman ATTEST: Clerk to the Board