Teen Parenting Service Network - UCAN

Teen Parenting Service Network

What is the Teen ParentingService Network?UCAN’s Teen Parenting Service Network(TPSN) is a COA certified Network responsiblefor monitoring all pregnant and parenting teenwards of the State of Illinois and their children.We are responsible for ensuring client rights asdescribed by the Hill-Erickson Consent Decree.In 1998, Illinois Department ofChildren and Family Services(DCFS) contracted with UCANdue to our extensive childwelfare service experience andtechnological resources. The TeenParenting Service Network (TPSN)was developed to become theLead Agency responsible forupholding the mandates of theHill-Erickson Consent Decree.The Hill-Erickson Consent Decreedefines the legal rights andprovides for community-basedprograms and services for allpregnant and parenting teens whoare wards of the state, includingplacement, education, day care,independent living programs,and health care.From 1998 through 2009, TPSNonly monitored and served thecase management agencieslocated in Cook, DuPage, Kane,Lake, McHenry, and Will counties.In June of 2009, a supplementto the Hill-Erickson ConsentDecree was filed. The result ofthis motion was the expansion ofTPSN monitoring and services tothe entire state of Illinois. TPSNis responsible for the overallplanning, delivery, and evaluationof comprehensive, quality servicesto pregnant and parenting wardsand their children in the Stateof Illinois.For more information about theTeen Parenting Service Networkvisit us at: www.ucanchicago.orgor www.facebook/ucantpsn.com.

TPSN’s Core ValuesAs network partners, we believe integrity and accountability arevital to the provision of quality services. We respect the diversity ofself-expression. Therefore, we promote family-driven practices. Webelieve every youth has a voice and the capacity for self-sufficiencyand every youth has a unique set of strengths. Therefore, we arecommitted to enhancing the success of young families through thecollaborative efforts of youth, families and community partners.

What are the client rightsaccording to the Hill-Erickson Consent Decree?Under the Hill-Erickson ConsentDecree, pregnant and parentingclients and their children have thefollowing rights:• To live in a stable and safeplacement with their child unlessa separate placement is necessaryfor safety or treatment reasons• To continue their education andobtain a high school diplomaeven though you are pregnantor a parent• To receive necessary day carefor their child or children• To receive information andservices to prevent pregnancy ormake decisions about pregnancyand parenting• To actively participate in the careand support of their child/childrenby having appropriate regular visitswhen they do not have physicalcustody of them• To receive supportive services suchas counseling, prenatal, medicalor dental care, assistance witheducation, day care, parenting,or preparation for independence,and linkage with Public Aid• To be free of discrimination basedon their status as being pregnantor a parentHow is TPSN Structured?All pregnant and parenting wardsin Illinois are brought under theTPSN umbrella of services and assuch are served by case managementand/or placement agenciesdirectly contracted by TPSN orDCFS. Case management agenciescontracted directly though TPSNspecialize in providing qualitycase management services to thepregnant and parenting populationand their children.DCFS also contracts with agenciesthroughout the state that provideplacement and case managementservices to pregnant and parentingwards. Some agencies specializein working with pregnant andparenting wards and their childrenand some do not.All pregnant and parenting wardsand their children have the right toaccess specialized services. TPSNoffers supportive services to casemanagement agencies throughoutthe State. TPSN also offers directservices which are available onlyin Cook and the collar counties.For clients living outside of thisservice area, all efforts are madeto link the client with communityresources offering similar services.The services described in thisbrochure outline what is providedby TPSN personnel.

Statewide services available to cliIntake DepartmentThe Intake department receives its referrals from DCFS or current caseworkeragency via an unusual incident report (UIR) detailing client’s current pregnancy orchild information. Intake staff contact the current worker to verify the referral,collect important demographic information, and complete a comprehensive intakeassessment. This information will determine which agency will be assigned casemanagement responsibility.Resources Consultation ServicesResource staff are available to assist workers in locating resources in thecommunities where their clients live. The resource staff also produce and distributeresource manuals for staff and clients to meet the different needs of the pregnantand parenting population.Education Consultation ServicesTPSN Education/Vocation Liaisons provide consultation relating to education,employment and/or emancipation to clients and/or caseworkers and the serviceteam. This can include but is not limited to, identifying local schools and vocationalprograms, assistance with the DCFS Youth in College program, and preparationfor employment including help with resume writing and locating job fairs and othercommunity resources. Education/Vocation Liaisons provide phone consultationto statewide clients and caseworkers.Specialty Training ServicesTPSN offers specialty trainings developed specifically for staff who work withpregnant and parenting teens. The training sessions are available to all workersand are offered throughout the year both in Chicago and Downstate.

ents and their childrenQuality Improvement DepartmentThe Quality Improvement (QI) department functions as a monitor to ensure clientsand their children are receiving appropriate services. They collect and report on thedata and outcomes of all TPSN clients throughout the state. This helps in identifyingtrends, gaps in services, and allows us to make recommendations on the improvementor development of new services. QI also conducts file reviews, annual clientand provider satisfaction surveys as well as writes monthly, quarterly and annualoutcomes reports. This allows us to advocate more effectively for TPSN clients.Coordinators of Downstate Program SupportThe Coordinators of Downstate Program Support and Development act as liaisonsand serve as consultants to agencies servicing pregnant/parenting clients. TheCoordinators network with DCFS, Pregnant and Parenting case managementagencies, and PPT providers. They monitor services to the programs to ensureproper interventions are implemented and provide ongoing consultation to staffregarding strategic planning and crisis interventions. The Coordinators also facilitateclinical staffings and provide expertise to staff when the individual teen or theirplacement is unstable or in crisis. They are available to assist any agency workingwith pregnant and parenting clients within downstate Illinois.Clinical Consultant ServicesTPSN Clinical Consultants are responsible for conducting staffings to ensure thatpregnant and parenting clients are receiving quality services needed to succeed.Staffings also take place to discuss how TPSN can assist the clients and caseworkersin the areas of resources, placement stabilization, advocacy and discharge planning.Clinical Consultants are available either in person or by phone to provide consultationservices to cases served statewide.

Services provided in Cook andcollar countiesCoordinators ofProgram SupportThe Program Coordinators act asliaisons for agencies contractedthrough DCFS who provide casemanagement and/or placementservices for pregnant and parentingclients and their children. TheCoordinators offer programmaticsupport and consultation. Theycollaborate with DCFS and communityresources to ensure appropriateservices and policy & proceduralchanges are in place to better serveclients in regards to:• Safe Sex and Family Planning• Prenatal Care and Education• Parenting Assessment and Education• Infant and Child Well Being and Safety• Father Engagement(wards and non-wards)Clinical TherapyTPSN Therapists provide individual,couples, and family therapy as wellas creative/expressive therapy withthe teen parent and child. Therapistsbuild upon clients’ strengths whileaddressing issues such as:• Anger Management• Domestic Violence• Mental Health Diagnoses• Past Traumas and BehavioralTherapy groups can be developedfor an agency/program, specificto unique client needs.Educational MentoringTPSN Education Mentors assist clientswith developing educational, vocational,and life goals. They assist by:• Identifying and maintainingenrollment in appropriate educationand vocational programs• Employment readiness such ascompleting applications, interviewpreparation and follow up• Developing and enhancingindependent living skillsAdditionally, mentors continueto provide services when clientsbecome engaged in a job or schoolsetting to model appropriatesocial skills and act as a source ofmotivation. Mentors encourage theclient in areas of school completion,job retention, and/or progresstowards living independently.Family Support ServicesFamily Support Specialists (FSS)work directly with the teen parentsto promote healthy connectionswith their children by building skills,confidence, knowledge, and offeringsupport in parenting. Family SupportSpecialists provide:• Parenting Coaching• Prenatal Support and Family Planning• Information on Basic Baby Care,Child Development, and AppropriateDiscipline• Assistance with Day Care Selection• New Birth Assessments• Parenting groups can be developedfor an agency/program, specific tounique client needs.*Youth that live outside Cook and collar counties have similar resources through communityproviders. Please contact the Resource Department.

Our Vision:Youth who have suffered trauma can become our future leadersA premier social service agency since its founding in 1869,UCAN’s mission to heal trauma, educate youth and families,and prevent violence through empowerment has led us todevelop a continuum of more than 30 innovative and awardwinningprograms and services. UCAN has extensiveexperience and success working with at-risk youth in Chicago,and has been providing violence prevention services inChicago Public Schools since 1997. We serve more than13,000 at-risk children, youth and families annually across allof our programs, and our clients are 86% African-American,7% Hispanic and 7% other ethnicities. To ensure we servicethis population with culturally relevant programming, wehave developed and implemented a comprehensive agencywidediversity & inclusion strategy.Recognizing that experiences of trauma underlie thebehavioral and life challenges of many of our youth growingup in dangerous city neighborhoods, our staff is trained inthe elements of our clinical philosophy that incorporatestheories of human development, trust & attachment, trauma,violence & loss, and systems theory in clinical practice. Thisclinical philosophy unites and guides all of our programsunder a cohesive approach to intervening with youth whoare challenged by their histories of trauma. This forms thebasis for the 360° Model services which we offer schools.UCAN is a leader in social service data tracking andevaluation, assisted in part by our internally designed andmaintained Child & Family Profile software. Our QualityImprovement department incorporates program evaluationexpertise throughout all programs. UCAN is accredited bythe Council on Accreditation, Inc. which provides a goldstandard for meeting best practices in the field, ensuringthat UCAN meets comprehensive requirements for programand organizational operations.UCAN believes that everyone has a voice and the rightto realize their full potential. To learn more about our workand our impact, please visit www.ucanchicago.org.3737 N. Mozart Street Chicago, IL 60618 773.290.5850 www.ucanchicago.org