EVERY CASEWORKER HAS THAT CASE THAT SHE'LL NEVER FORGET.

AND JACINTA WAS THAT CASE FOR ME.

DESPITE SEVERAL CHALLENGES,

I KNOW THAT FOR JACINTA AND HER FAMILY, WHAT I DID MADE

A REAL DIFFERENCE, AND THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM WORKED,

LIKE IT'S SUPPOSED TO.

JACINTA IS MY SUCCESS STORY.

BY THE TIME I MET THE FAMILY, THE GIRLS WERE BOTH TEENAGERS,

AND THEIR LIFE'S JOURNEY HAD TAKEN ITS TOLL.

THEY HAD BEEN IN AND OUT OF FOSTER CARE.

JACINTA HAD BEEN HOSPITALIZED NUMEROUS TIMES

FOR AN EATING DISORDER;

HER SISTER PRISCILLA WAS PLACED INTO A GROUP HOME

AND STRUGGLED WITH SEVERE ANXIETY.

AND THEIR MOM HAD

HER OWN SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES.

THIS FAMILY HAD IT ROUGH.

JACINTA HAD BEEN THROUGH MULTIPLE PLACEMENTS,

INCLUDING A CONGREGATE CARE FACILITY.

HER INDIVIDUAL NEEDS WERE SO UNIQUE THAT FINDING

A FAMILY PLACEMENT, MUCH LESS MAINTAINING ONE,

WAS DIFFICULT AT BEST.

THE ONE BRIGHT SPOT IN JACINTA'S LIFE WAS HER SCHOOL.

SHE WAS A BRILLIANT YOUNG WOMAN--

NATURALLY SMART IN VIRTUALLY EVERY SUBJECT,

CREATIVE, REALLY A FORCE.

BUT THERE WAS ONLY ONE-- ONE FOSTER HOME

THAT WOULD ACCEPT THIS CHILD

AND IT WAS 20 MILES FROM HER SCHOOL,

WHICH MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN IN ANOTHER CITY,

TAKING OVER AN HOUR'S TRAVEL TIME EACH WAY IN CITY TRAFFIC.

BUT THE SCHOOL WAS HER ONE BRIGHT SPOT.

I HEARD ABOUT A NEW PROGRAM IN THE COUNTY

THAT JACINTA AND HER FAMILY MIGHT BENEFIT FROM.

IT INVOLVED A TEAM APPROACH WITH SPECIALISTS

FROM MULTIPLE DISCIPLINES--

SCHOOL, MENTAL HEALTH, AND MEDICAID--

THAT PROVIDED INTENSIVE SERVICES

AND HAD ADDITIONAL FLEXIBLE FUNDING

FOR OTHER EXPENSES TO HELP SUPPORT JACINTA.

THERE WAS A LOT OF PAPERWORK TO FILL OUT,

AND I HAD TO PULL TOGETHER EVERY PIECE

OF MEDICAL AND SOCIAL HISTORY I COULD FIND,

AND THEN CROSSED MY FINGERS

THAT THIS WOULD BE THE THING THAT WORKED.

JACINTA WAS ASSIGNED A TEAM OF SPECIALISTS--

ONE WHO WORKED WITH THE SCHOOL

TO PAY FOR JACINTA TO HAVE DAILY TRANSPORTATION;

A THERAPIST WHO VISITED BOTH HER AND HER MOTHER WEEKLY;

AND A PSYCHIATRIST TO SEE HER MONTHLY.

THERE WAS A STIPEND FOR THE FOSTER PARENTS TO BUY

THE FOOD THAT JACINTA COULD EAT.

THERE WAS A PARENT MENTOR TO HELP HER MOM GET THE SUPPORT

SHE NEEDED TO WORK TOWARD REUNIFICATION

AND A COORDINATOR TO MAKE ALL OF THIS HAPPEN.

THEY EVEN FROZE MY OWN CASELOAD AT A LOW OF 17 KIDS

SO I COULD MANAGE WEEKLY HOME VISITS

WITH JACINTA, PRISCILLA, AND HER MOM,

AS WELL AS KEEP UP WITH THE FREQUENT COURT HEARINGS

AND REPORTS THAT THE JUDGE WAS REQUIRING

OF THIS VERY SPECIAL CASE.

I COULD TELL THAT ALL OF THESE THINGS WORKED.

JACINTA WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE IN HER SCHOOL,

WHERE SHE CONTINUED TO MAKE HIGH MARKS

AND EVEN PARTICIPATED IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.

HER MOM'S SYMPTOMS AND BEHAVIOR STABILIZED,

AND JACINTA AND PRISCILLA WERE EVENTUALLY ABLE TO RETURN HOME.

THE FAMILY REMAINED RESILIENT AND LEARNED HOW TO SEEK HELP

EARLIER, AND HOW TO RECOGNIZE WHEN THEY NEEDED MORE HELP

AND HOW TO GET THAT HELP.

THINGS WEREN'T PERFECT,

BUT THERE WEREN'T ANY MORE HOSPITALIZATIONS,

AND THEY DIDN'T REENTER THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM.

I EVEN RAN INTO JACINTA'S FAMILY ON THE BUS ONE DAY

A FEW YEARS LATER.

EVERYONE ACTUALLY LOOKED HAPPY TO SEE ME,

AND JACINTA LOOKED PHYSICALLY HEALTHY

AND EVEN SMILED-- SOMETHING I ALMOST NEVER SAW

WHEN I WORKED WITH HER.

WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW AT THE TIME WAS THAT THE PROGRAM

THAT I REFERRED THIS FAMILY TO WAS A PILOT PROGRAM

BEING TESTED IN OUR COUNTY OFFICE.

THAT'S WHY THERE WAS SO MUCH EXTRA PAPERWORK.

I HAD TO KEEP TRACK OF HOW I SPENT MY TIME

SO MY SUPERVISOR COULD JUSTIFY MY LOWER CASELOAD.

AND CONSTANT SURVEYS AND REPORTS HAD TO BE COMPLETED

BY EVERYONE INVOLVED.

THE THERAPIST AND PSYCHIATRIST HAD TO PROVIDE

MONTHLY WRITTEN PROGRESS REPORTS.

THE COORDINATOR NEEDED DOCUMENTATION AND RECEIPTS

FOR VIRTUALLY EVERY INTERACTION OR CONCRETE SERVICE.

AND THE FAMILY WAS SO OVERBURDENED THAT THIS WAS

MORE THAN THEY COULD MANAGE, EVEN WITH THE EXTRA SUPPORT.

TRUTH BE TOLD AFTER A FEW MONTHS OF THIS,

PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE STOPPED COMPLETING THE PAPERWORK,

DESPITE THE COORDINATOR TRYING EVERYTHING SHE COULD TO HELP US

TURN IN WHAT SHE NEEDED.

OF COURSE, THIS WAS ALL PART OF THE EVALUATION OF THE PILOT,

AND WHETHER OR NOT

THOSE SERVICES WERE GOING TO BE

CONTINUED OR EXPANDED COMPLETELY

DEPENDED UPON THE EVALUATION

FINDINGS, WHICH COMPLETELY

DEPENDED UPON FINISHING

THE SURVEYS; THE RECEIPTS

FOR CONCRETE SERVICES;

THE MULTIPLE PROGRESS REPORTS,

ALL OF THOSE THINGS

THAT I CHALKED UP

TO TYPICAL BUREAUCRATIC TASKS

THAT NO ONE WOULD NOTICE

IN THE SEA OF CASES AND PAPERWORK.

BUT I DIDN'T GET IT AT THE TIME.

I DON'T THINK

ANY OF US UNDERSTOOD THAT.

SO ALTHOUGH I KNEW THAT THE

PROGRAM GAVE JACINTA, PRISCILLA,

AND THEIR MOM THE SUPPORT THEY NEEDED, EVEN THOUGH I KNEW IT

WAS THE REASON THEY WERE ABLE TO REUNIFY,

THE STORY OF MY BRIGHT SPOT WAS NOT CAPTURED.

AND SHORTLY AFTER JACINTA AND HER FAMILY'S CASE WAS CLOSED,

THESE SERVICES WERE DISCONTINUED IN OUR OFFICE

FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

I WISH I KNEW THEN WHAT I KNOW NOW

ABOUT HOW ALL OF THESE THINGS CONNECT.

AND THAT MIGHT HAVE ALLOWED US TO BUILD A BETTER PROGRAM

FOR OTHER KIDS AND FAMILIES.

IF I HAD ONLY KNOWN WHO THE EVALUATORS WERE

OR WHO IN MY OFFICE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EVALUATION,

I MIGHT HAVE ASKED A LOT MORE QUESTIONS,

AND MAYBE I COULD HAVE BEEN MORE HELPFUL OR USEFUL.

I MIGHT HAVE SHARED MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE KINDS OF PROGRAMS

MY FAMILIES NEEDED AND WHAT SEEMED TO BE WORKING.

I COULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT INFORMATION WAS

MOST IMPORTANT FOR US TO COLLECT.

I MIGHT HAVE SHARED MY THOUGHTS

ABOUT HOW THE EVALUATION ACTIVITIES

COULD HAVE FIT BETTER WITH MY CASEWORK PRACTICES.

I COULD HAVE HELPED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION

THE EVALUATORS GOT WAS GOOD INFORMATION.

I WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE COMMITTED TO UNDERSTANDING AND COMPLETING

ALL OF THAT PAPERWORK

AND TO HELPING THE FAMILY COMPLETE THEIRS

AND TO DO WHATEVER I COULD TO GET ALL OF THE PROVIDERS

TO COMPLETE THEIRS, TOO.

I COULD HAVE SUGGESTED HOW WE COULD ASK QUESTIONS ON SURVEYS

AND FORMS SO THAT EVERYONE INVOLVED COULD ACTUALLY

UNDERSTAND AND COMPLETE THEM.

LUCKILY, SOMEONE SOMEWHERE MUST'VE UNDERSTOOD

THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE THINGS, BECAUSE WE NOW KNOW TODAY

THAT THE APPROACH MY OFFICE TOOK PROVES HIGHLY EFFECTIVE.

WE SEE FEWER MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES;

IMPROVEMENTS IN SCHOOL PERFORMANCE;

AND FEWER KIDS PLACED IN CONGREGATE CARE SETTINGS

TO NAME JUST A FEW POSITIVE THINGS.

THIS WAS ALL POSSIBLE BECAUSE LOTS OF CASEWORKERS,

SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND FAMILIES CAME TOGETHER

TO CRAFT EVALUATIONS THAT EVERYONE COULD UNDERSTAND,

EVERYONE VALUED, AND EVERYONE COMPLETED,

YIELDING A WEALTH OF USEABLE DATA.

I KNOW NOW THAT IF EVALUATION IS REALLY GOING TO WORK

AND HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE, IT RELIES ON PEOPLE LIKE ME.

OUR AGENCIES HAVE TO COMMUNICATE AND EXPLAIN HOW AND WHY

WE'RE COLLECTING INFORMATION, AND WE HAVE TO ASK QUESTIONS

AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR PARTICIPATION.

WHAT I SAY AND DO AS A CASEWORKER IS IMPORTANT

NOT JUST TO THE KIDS AND FAMILIES I WORK WITH,

BUT IT CAN ALSO IMPACT FUTURE SERVICES

FOR OTHER CHILDREN AND FAMILIES--

AND IT CAN AFFECT WHAT OTHER CHILD WELFARE PROFESSIONALS

ACROSS THE COUNTRY LEARN, TOO.

JACINTA AND HER FAMILY ARE ONE SUCCESS STORY,

AND I WANT TO BE A PART OF SO MANY MORE.