A Alaska » Systems integration

Agency integration, 2016

• Child welfare

  Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Office of Children’s Services (OCS)

  Centralizes child welfare administration services at the state level.

• Integration level

  Umbrella agency integration (separate division/offices)

• Juvenile corrections

  Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) 

  Centralizes administration of delinquency services at the state level.

Coordination, 2014

• Uses for coordination
• Does not use for coordination

• Data sharing

  Facilitated through the use of statewide information systems allowing for consistent data sharing between systems.

• Committees or advisory groups

  Multidisciplinary groups that often have regularly scheduled meetings to brainstorm ways to improve systems integration.

• Formal interagency MOUs

  Collaborative agreements to guide systems integration efforts

• Informal interagency agreements

  Commonly based on historical practice, mutual trust, and recognition of the need to collaborate in order to serve dual-status youth.

• Statute and/or rules

  Rules that mandate systems integration efforts

Summary

In Alaska, the Department of Health and Social Services houses both the Office of Children's Services (OCS), which administers child welfare, and the Department of Juvenile Justice. Both agencies have their own databases, and there are instances where youth are manually matched across systems. However, the Department is currently funding a Master Client Index (MCI) that will allow for the more efficient identifying of youth who are receiving services from multiple state agencies. At the practice level, all probation officers are required to collaborate with OCS caseworker in shared custody cases. While the specific practices and levels of this collaboration may vary by office or officer, probation officers are required to include case workers in court hearings and case-planning. Probation officers have log-in and view access to the OCS's data system, ORCA. It is part of the intake protocol for probation officer's to check in ORCA to see if the youth and their family have a past or current case with OCS. The DJJ also has many foster homes reserved for community housing for delinquent youth. These foster homes are licensed through OCS, and there is a Foster Care Coordinator in each probation office and coordinates the foster care process with OCS.

Reported data

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