CAFCA Public Policy Committee Minutes

January 3, 2006

Present: Ruth Ann Russell (Family Tree), Kurt Olsson (LDS Family Services), Arnie Goldstein (Excelsior YC), Tami Lack (Third Way Center), Susan Krill-Smith (Synergy), Fofi Mendez (Mendez Steadman), Skip Barber (CCM/Coalition of Accredited Agencies), Susannah Carroll, Katie Mason & Peg Long (CAFCA)

In Cyndi’s absence, Peg called the meeting to order at 12:10 pm and introductions were done.

Legislative Luncheon Committees/Volunteers

The Public Policy Committee is charged with planning and hosting the annual CAFCA Legislative Luncheon. It will be February 15, 2006 at the Colorado History Museum, 11:00 – 1:30. A hot buffet will be served. Members are asked to arrive between 11:00-11:30 a.m. Barring party caucuses or committee hearings that run over, legislators should arrive around noon. Katie passed around a sign-up sheet for various tasks. She may be calling Public Policy committee members to assist with identified tasks if there are not sufficient volunteers.

SFY 2006-07 Child Welfare Budget Briefings & Hearings

Fofi prepared, and Peg has emailed to all CAFCA members, summaries of the Child Welfare and Division of Youth Corrections 12/22 budget hearings. Anyone who did not receive copies or would like another copy should email Peg requesting such. Not in the summaries is a recently announced $37 million reversion in funds to HCPF, related to the projected CBMS applicants. Unless these funds are earmarked by the legislature for other purposes, Fofi said the funds would be divided 2/3 to the highway fund and 1/3 to the transportation fund. These dollars could be used to fund residential treatment services in SFY 2006-07, and we will discuss that with JBC members. Also, analysts now project that an additional $300 million in TABOR hold-back funds may be available over the 5-year time span. Other budget highlights include a 3% child welfare provider increase (which counties have discretion whether or not to pass it on to providers) and an increase in child welfare caseload. In responding to JBC questions posed at the earlier budget briefing, DYC noted in its written response to questions that it plans to use more evidence-based programs and alternatives to incarceration.

More than 40 pages of the 110-page CW/DYC budget responses focused on the RTC program. If the JBC/legislature believes that PRTFs are necessary, a bill creating PRTFs will need to pass. The biggest issue regarding the proposed new Treatment Residential Child Care Facilities (TRCCFs), which can bill Medicaid as Fee-for-Service providers, will be the county share. Currently, counties pay about 6.5% of the costs of residential treatment. The JBC has been advised by its own budget analysts that this share should be increased incrementally. If the legislature does not statutorily address county share for the TRCCF program, the share will default to the 20% share now in statute. The JBC is still gathering information about the RTC redesign process and related data. Peg and Fofi have been meeting with the JBC members to answer questions and provide a fact sheet regarding the issues related to the redesign proposals. The JBC is also exploring the feasibility of placing the residential mental health services under the state’s Behavioral Health Organizations (BHOs). This would require amending the managed care statute to delete the current RTC managed care carve-out provision. An additional concern is how the redesigned program would impact the CDHS and counties’ Program Improvement Plans.

2006 Legislative Outlook & CAFCA Agenda

Weekly bill reviews for the 2006 session begin Friday, January 13^th.  These will be held for at least the first 6 weeks of the session. The location of all review meetings is the office of Mendez Steadman, 1370 Pennsylvania. Participants should enter through the ground level north door of the building and use the buzzer to be admitted. CAFCA’s Salaried Foster Parent bill is in draft form. Our proposed sponsor was Rep. Fran Coleman. She has requested that we first invite a freshman legislator to sponsor this, hopefully, non-contested bill as she has been asked to carry some other legislation.

 We have not yet seen a draft of the CDHS licensing bill which most likely will include our dual licensing (day care-foster adopt) and cradle care training issues. A potential adoption bill may address protecting the confidentiality of relinquishing birth parents, most likely in response to last session’s open access to original birth certificate proposal.

Fofi announced that Senator Norma Anderson has resigned and will not complete her term. She has decided that life is too short and she would like to enjoy her grandchildren and a great grandchild rather than continue with the heavy demands of being a public servant. CAFCA will send her a thank note for her conscientious and thoughtful service.

Rules Update

On Friday, January 6^th, the Human Services Board will hear a proposed rule to [temporarily] reduce the background check fee from $35 to $10. CDHS has collected more in fees than the program spent, largely due to the lack of approval for additional FTEs. Once the situation is corrected, we will likely see an increase in the fee.

RTC Redesign Update

The RTC Redesign group did not meet the last half of December to allow CDHS to address its presentation to the JBC budget presentation and respond to questions. The next meeting is January 5^th. The focus is shifting to the legislature as the JBC gathers information about the program redesign, the associated costs and data. A major issue will be deciding what should be the county share of the TRCCF costs.

Old Business

None.

New Business

Committee members agreed to continue using “Have a Heart for Kids” for the legislative luncheon. Fofi also suggested that we revive the campaign notifying legislators, post-November 2006 elections, that they have just become the “parents” of 13,000+ children in out-of-home care.

Adjourned 1:10 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Peg Long