The Oklahoma Pinnacle Plan - Oklahoma Department of Human ...

The Oklahoma Pinnacle Plan:
An Improvement Plan for Child Welfare Services
APPENDICES
March
2012
Communication
Communication strategies are being identified to ensure full integration of a trauma-informed child
welfare system. The Statewide Steering Committee consists of partners and representatives from the
CTISP and has a focus on overall transformation of the Oklahoma Child Serving System.
The Statewide Steering Committee serves as the review and development body for the quarterly
Trauma-Informed Care Newsletter. The inaugural newsletter was released in November 2011. The next
newsletter has a target release date of March 2012 with quarterly editions due June 2012, September
2012 and December 2012. The Newsletter will serve as a vehicle for providing the statewide perspective
on system transformation and movement toward being trauma-informed. The newsletter will be
distributed to all child serving systems and shared as part of the Steering Committee work. The goal is to
ensure consistent and clear communication around the Oklahoma Trauma-Informed System Project.
The Trauma-Informed Care Program Lead identified several additional communication strategies,
including but not limited to:
monthly updates at each Child Welfare Leadership meeting to work toward trauma-informed
system transformation;
meetings with each program area to review Trauma-Informed program goals, identify short
term program-specific goals, and offer the support of the Trauma-Informed Care Program Lead;
identify all ongoing forms of communication, quarterly provider meetings, community
workgroups and standing committees on which program staff serve so that information
regarding the Trauma-Informed work can be shared; and
share Statewide Steering Committee meeting notes with child welfare program administrators.
Communication will be ongoing with regular with direction provided by Statewide Steering committee
workgroup.
Screening Assessment (Children and Adult)
Upon full implementation, each child who enters OKDHS custody will receive a Trauma Screening and a
Developmental Screening/Assessment. Recognizing that an accurate and thorough assessment is the
foundation for sound case planning and measurement of progress, this component of the
Implementation Plan will help assure that children who need trauma-specific services are identified and
referred to appropriate providers to receive the best treatment available. These two screenings will be
conducted by child welfare staff trained to administer the tools, and the results will be utilized in case
planning and service plan development.
Currently, there are three Trauma Screening tools being piloted. The Tulsa site is utilizing a ten question
tool developed by Dr. Joseph Benamati, a tool from NCTSN North Carolina site and both the long version
and a shorter version screening tools from the CW trauma Toolkit. OKDHS is currently in the process of
identifying and testing tools that can be used to assess trauma exposure with birth parents, allowing
staff to make appropriate service referrals. A focus of year one will be to continue to test tools so that a
statewide practice protocol can be developed. Currently the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health
(ODMH) is training mental health providers in evidence-based treatment options for persons
experiencing adult trauma. OKDHS will partner with OKDMHSAS to locate trauma informed and trauma
trained therapist for children and adults.
Appendix C – Trauma-Informed System Implementation Plan
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