Re: Seeking info on states with decent risk assessments

["john murray" <psychometre@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Kimberly.
May I suggest that you don't do your study in this fashion, or perhaps do 
this as directed research looking for best practice, as well as simply 
picking State names out of a hat, to see what is actually occurring on the 
ground
.

The results could be rather enlightening!
I would also be inclined to look at what is happening in juvenile detention 
centers as well along similar topic lines. As I think you will find that the 
populations in CPS and Juv Just are very similar.

I understand that many US states run that old abusive model under which 
child protection, state care, and juvenile punishment operate under the one 
body.

Failure in one service often leads to work in another arm and visa 
versa-visa versa, so the need to provide effective services then becomes the 
self limiting factor that would see service budgets decline, whereas failure 
provides the incentive of increased funding and power for the body.

It could prove interesting to look at States where all these arms are 
contained in the one Department and compare them to other States where Juv 
Justice is a separate department from child welfare (State wards, sub care 
etc) and both are separate from services providing child protection 
(monitoring, investigating, prosecuting etc) if such a wonderful State 
exists!.

I think one would discover that economies of scale probably do not exist in 
this particular field, nor would the best outcomes obtained in States that 
have one department bearing overall 'responsibility'.

I would certainly be interested in seeing research along these lines!

A big ask I know, any takers out there?

Cheers
John Murray
Positive Justice Centre
NSW



From: Kim Murphy <KimM@AmericanHumane.org>
Reply-To: CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu
To: Child Maltreatment Researchers   
<CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu>
Subject: Seeking info on states with decent risk assessments for various p 
roblem areas
Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 14:12:29 -0700

Hello,

     My colleagues and I are in the process of looking through various state 
child welfare policy manuals for information on how states throughout the 
U.S. conduct risk assessments for the following areas: mental illness/mental 
health problems, substance abuse, domestic violence, and developmental 
disabilities.  We are looking for assessment tools, procedures, overall 
protocols, and training in these four areas.  Rather than take a few dozen 
stabs in the dark at states to explore (since we cannot look at all 50 
states), we thought we would see if any of you have ideas about which states
might have decent tools/procedures/training in place.  Thanks ahead of time
for any information you might have on this.  Kim Murphy

Kimberlee C. Murphy, Ph.D.
Research Associate
American Humane Association
Children's Services Division
63 Inverness Drive East
Englewood, CO  80112-5117
303-925-9427 (Direct)
303-792-9900 (Main)


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