X Missouri » Systems integration

Agency integration, 2016

• Child welfare

  Missouri Department of Social Services, Children's Division

  Centralizes child welfare administration services at the state level.

• Integration level

  Umbrella agency integration (separate division/offices)

• Juvenile corrections

  Missouri Department of Social Services, Division of Youth Services

  Does not centralize 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 Missouri, child welfare matters are handled by the Department of Social Services. Juvenile and family courts are divisions of the circuit court and hear a variety of matters specific to the family, including juvenile matters related to delinquency, status, child abuse and neglect, and termination of parental rights. However, there is very little coordination between dependency and delinquency systems.

While, there is very little state-level coordination between dependency and delinquency cases, Missouri has recently engaged a crossover youth initiative policy team to address coordination at the state and local level, data sharing, identification of dual status cases, and case management coordination.

Missouri does have a data querying tool included in the Missouri Juvenile Justice Information System (MOJJIS) which allows child welfare and juvenile justice staff to check on contacts and services a youth has received from other agencies. If child welfare files a formal case, the juvenile court could be aware of dual involvement. In addition, local courts may check in their local database or query Case.net for statewide searches. Case.net provides access to the Missouri state courts automated case management system. From Case.net probation officers and caseworkers are able to inquire about case records including docket entries, parties, judgments and charges in public court. Only courts that have implemented the case management software as part of the Missouri Court Automation Program and only cases that have been deemed public under the Missouri Revised Statutes can be accessed through Case.net. However, there is nothing routine or systematic about such searches at present.

On the delinquency side, Missouri's Juvenile Offender Risk & Needs Assessment and Classification System also includes items on child abuse and neglect history.

Two circuit courts have unified family courts but they have not had any particular focus on crossover youth

Reported data