Final Report - RI Department of Children, Youth & Families

CHAPTER 3: STRENGTHENING DCYF
and procedures relating to Independent Living focus great attention on transition
efforts to assist youth in out-of-home placement, ages 16 and above, to become selfsufficient
as they prepare for adulthood. This preparation includes departmental staff,
family and/or primary caregivers and other individuals involved in the care and
treatment of the youth.
However, it is recognized that youth who are aging out of DCYF services often do not
have a significant biological family connection and there is a growing awareness that
important connections for these youth must be cultivated to assist with their transition
from DCYF care. As part of its Family Centered Practice implementation and training,
the Department will focus more attention on ways in which youth may be assisted in
identifying and making valuable connections to caring individuals who will be an
important and necessary support for them ongoing.
3. DCYF must continue to expand efforts toward developing cultural competence
among agency staff and vendors.
DCYF has also made significant strides over the past two years in developing within
the agency a stronger atmosphere of culturally competent practice (see Appendix C).
However, the agency recognizes and understands that there is still much progress to be
made and that achieving cultural competency is a journey, not a destination. DCYF is
strongly encouraged to continue on this journey.
4. DCYF must continue to expand efforts toward developing gender-specific
programs and gender competent staff among agency staff and vendors.
DCYF is beginning to make significant strides in moving the agency to a service
delivery model based on the principles of gender-specific programming for females
(See Appendix N). The Task Force strongly encourages DCYF to continue these
efforts internally and with external stakeholders. While gender-specific programming
applies to specialized programming for either gender group, the Department’s current
focus is on gender-specific programming for females because females’ involvement in
the juvenile justice system has been increasing and program models and intervention
modalities have been geared toward the needs of a predominantly male population.
Specifically, in collaboration with the Rhode Island Justice Commission (RIJC), DCYF
is working to develop a stronger culture of gender specific practice at the Training
School and provide preliminary assessments of contracted programs. DCYF
recognizes, however, that cultural change occurs over time and with sustained effort.
DCYF has created the Advisory Committee on Effective Programming for Young
Women in Rhode Island to spearhead this effort. There is still much progress to be
made, as well as a need to begin a DCYF-wide initiative to enhance gender
competency among internal and external staff and providers and to develop and
implement gender-specific programming for females.
System of Care Task Force Report (January 2003) 32