Statewide Quality Assurance Report

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Florida Department of Children and FamiliesCase Management Services - 2009-2010 Quality Assurance Reportand you that you’re looking at you future thieves, murderers, unemployed, drug dealers, drugpushers, drug uses, repeat felons, high school drop outs, jail population, and worse come toworse you body count in the morgue. I was asked personally by my Independent LivingCoordinator Mr. Eric Peterman to come to the meeting because I was the “house leader” in mygroup home and also the oldest, wises, and most well spoken. I wanted to attend this meetingbecause I know the board would appreciate what I had to say, the answers I provided, and Iseen it as a way to help out the youth that will be in group homes all over Florida after I leave.The age groups ranged from 14-21 I believe. I didn’t identify any missing age group orplacement. I hope that the youth will be looked at more a son or daughter instead of apaycheck. Really look at their needs and help them develop into men and women. I want theadults to feel the pain of a 12 year old boy that doesn’t have a home. Goes to school with thesame pair of shoes every day, isolated from everyone else because he isn’t “cool”. Pushedaround, bullied, kicked, punched, and jumped after school. Has to run home and can’t socialize,and even if he wanted to socialize cant because doesn’t anyone want to be around him.Neglected, disrespected, has one million secrets but can’t tell anyone because no one wants tolisten. Father beats him to straighten him to become a man. Mother is never home. Big brothertries to be a role model but is persuaded by the streets to be a gangster. Little sister is gone inthe wind with her friends. He tries to keep the family together but there is none. Out of all thathe is taken from one place to another and this place is called a group home. NOW AT THIS VERYPOINT I WANT THE ADULTS TO TELL ME EXACTLY HOW YOU WANT TO BE TREATED IN THIS NEWENVIORNMENT. See you have to put yourself in the youth shoes and walk the walk and not justtalk the talk. How would you want to be treated after all this? Would you like to be called goodnames and hugged and told that you’re loved? That’s what I want to happen then you will seean improvement in the staff then it will trickle down to the youth. Embrace our presence withlove. I believe the placement, services, Independent Living, and Community are great reallywouldn’t change too much. With Transportation, Education these are two things that we mustlook at and improve. You al can get involved by doing periodically checkups on certain youth inthe programs and also ask questions. In conclusion, all I would like to see youth be treatedbetter and molded into the fine adults they can be. Listen to the youth……. then act!Office of Family Safety | Page 41
Florida Department of Children and FamiliesCase Management Services - 2009-2010 Quality Assurance ReportPinellas & Pasco Counties Youth Perspective RoundtableThe group was called by ILS Director to come together and discuss the concerns, what worksand some possible solutions with DCF staff. We attended because our IL Specialist asked us toand we knew that we would have gotten fed. We had a wide range of participants from 15-18; we could have had a few younger teens to see how they felt the system has changed basedon the stories they have heard. Our hope is that out of this meeting, change can be made thatwould help us be great in life!We came together as a group of teens that have all aged out of foster care and reside inPinellas and Pasco counties. We receive Independent Living Services through CamelotCommunity Care and our CBC is Eckerd Youth Alternative. We believe that our voices areimportant because we are the ones that have experience the foster care system and know whatchanges are needed to assist us in obtaining our goals and dreams out of life.As you can see from our notes, some of the areas of concerns we identified were siblingsseparations, placements not being educated about who we are, being treated differently thanthe other children in the home (bio-kids), school records not being transferred to new schools,not passing FCAT, lack of proper transportation in our area; especially Pasco county, obtainingdrivers license/insurance, obtaining SS card/birth certificate and regular ID card to name a few.The areas that we saw as being important were placement, education, transportation,services, IL and our community since Pinellas has more resources than Pasco County andCamelot and ECA is aware of this fact. We never want to come off as if things aren’t working, sohere is a few that we identified: family centered practice, being supported by our placements,Pinellas bus pass (special cost only $4.20), having friends that has a car or just plain networking,GAL, Reach for the Stars program sponsored through Connected By 25, Medicaid until age 21,Gulf Coast Young Adult Transition Program, St. Petersburg College, Ready for Life CommunityOrganization, other community partnerships to much to mention and the check!Some solutions we thought that could be beneficial are teens assisting in choosingplacements, workers/group homes/foster parents being educated about the youths’ going intotheir home up front, in reference to education just better planning, improving transits system,taxi vouchers, communication with case workers can make some great changes, hands onbudgeting, maybe a grace period with having to enroll into post-secondary education just tomaintain RTI benefits after you graduate or receive your GED etc.Office of Family Safety | Page 42
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