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SIUC to head statewide project with DCFS

With the help of a $2.93 million grant, the SIUC School of Social Work will lead efforts to restructure the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

The ability to jumpstart the Illinois Model of Integrated Assessment Program, a new statewide program that plans to improve the organization's evaluative efforts, is only one use of the grant.

According to Keith Hillkirk, dean of the College of Education and Human Services, the grant, which was awarded last week by DCFS, will not only allow the school to help DCFS with its improvements, but also to help the social work program with self-improvement. The grant will also provide $50,000 worth of fellowship money, as well as $50,000 toward faculty research.

"Social work has a program here that is very strong," Hillkirk said. "There is a connection in the field that is built when working with families to provide support for the families and their children. What this will do is link the two even more closely."

The School of Social Work will be in charge of the progress and hiring of 84 of the 102 counties in the state. The program is a collaborative effort between the School of Social work and DCFS, a government organization that provides outlets such as counseling and guidance for families in need.

With the help of the grant, the School of Social Work will attempt to put the finishing touches on the new program, and according to Shari Selander, provide more extensive, quicker clinical assessments following a clients introduction into the program.

"This project will work closely with caseworkers to collect critical family information in the early stages of the case," said Selander, the acting director of the Integrated Assessment Program. "Clinical screeners will make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of the children and families and they will identify appropriate services to stabilize and improve family functioning."

SIUC will hire licensed clinical screeners and psychiatrists, social workers and child specialists to evaluate the behavioral, mental and psychological state of DCFS clients. The assessments would include interviews of children, parents, caregivers and anyone else who may help the program to better evaluate clients.

Extensive evaluations will be performed within the first 45 days following entrance into the program. Implementing this change would begin with 27 new hires to help with the development. Mizanur Miah, director of the School of Social Work, said he hopes to have the hires in place by Nov. 15 to assist with the various aspects of the program.

Performance in the program would be broken down into one group of clinical screeners to assist those up to 5 years old, and with another group catering to those in between the ages of six and 18.

Selander emphasized the importance of the program statewide, in particular, the effects these changes would have not only on the DCFS, but the relationship between client and workers.

"As we strengthen the family unit, we strengthen our communities and society," Selander said.

 

 

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