DCS Talks

In this episode of DCS Talks, we have Susan Kovac with us to discuss the Indian Child Welfare Act. Ms. Kovac has serves as General Counsel Emeritus at Department of Children’s Services where she served as the lead attorney for the Knox County Region as well as serving as an Associate Professor at the UT Knoxville School of Law for over 13 years. Ms. Kovac has many special interests around law and child welfare one of which is about the Indian Child Welfare Act or ICWA. ICWA provides guidance to States regarding the handling of child abuse and neglect and adoption cases involving Native children and sets minimum standards for the handling of these cases. This is November 2023 which is National Native or Indigenous American Heritage month

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness month, DCS Talks about the Caring Dads program.

Join DCS Foster Parent trainer Toney Horton as he interviews current foster parents on their experiences with daycare and childcare facilities. Through this discussion topics such as prioritizing children's individual needs, daycare disruptions due to trauma behavior, and staff improvement through being trauma informed.

DCS Talks with Laurie Ellington CEO & Founder, Ancient Science, Inc. Inner Alchemy and The Path to Human Flourishing about the importance of self care as a caregiver.

In this episode of DCS Talks, DCS podcaster, Sirena Wilson will discuss a basic concept in the Human Sciences, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Many of us who have placed a focus in human sciences by studying, social work, psychology, sociology, or health were introduced to Maslow’s concepts early on in our education, the ideas that are outlined are fundamental to understanding the basic needs of people. If you have a vocational path in these areas, you too are familiar with Maslow’s but if you are not we think a basic introduction would be very helpful in understanding the work we do in child welfare and we’d like to share that with you in this podcast.

Jennifer Drake Croft works as a Project Director in the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Technical Assistance Center at Georgetown University, she serves as a profession coach at the Association of Infant Mental Health in Tennessee (AIMHiTN), an Adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee, and where I first worked with Ms. Drake Croft she served as the Director of Child Well-Being at the TN Commission of Children and Youth and lead an extremely successful campaign to support local, state, and national response and knowledge mobilization to prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and promote resilience.

In this episode of DCS Talks we interview Melina Smith, the Program Manager of the Foster Home Quality Team at DCS. If there are concerns about a foster home, that home may be investigated by a special investigation unit, part of the process of that investigation includes that the case is reviewed by a group of child welfare professionals to help make determinations about the foster home that is in question. 

DCS Talks about the process of developing leadership at the department through the Mentorship Certification Program.

On this episode of DCS Talks, Foster Parent trainer Toney Horton sits down with Founder of Jonathan's Path, Carrie DuRard, as they discuss the importance of fostering, adopting, and advocating for our teens in care.

In this episode of DCS Talks, Courtney Matthews, the Director of Independent Living at DCS is interviewed. The Independent Living program offers help to youth who are in foster care and who may turn 18 and as an adult will “age out” of the child welfare system. These services include creating a personalized transition plan with each child that address topics such as education, housing, employment, finances, physical and mental health. The Independent Living program offers help through services designed to assist youth in foster care as they work toward self-sufficiency.

In this edition of DCS Talks, podcaster Anna Richmond discusses how human trafficking is addressed at the Tennessee Department of Children's Services with program leader, Kelli Germain.

On this Episode of DCS Talks, Toney Horton speaks with current foster parent co-trainer Megan Templeton about the importance of foster parent and birth parent relationships.

Description

DCS talks to Michelle Reiter and Nena Horton about the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths assessment or as we refer to it the CANS assessment. Michell Reiter serves as a program director that has a focus on formal and informal assessments. Nena Horton serves a senior mental health consultant with Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Both Ms. Reiter and Ms. Horton are experts as they have worked as CANS consultants and trainers for many years in child welfare. The CANS is a tool that is used nation wide in children’s service agencies to support decision making about the direction a family may go in their experiences with the child welfare system. The CANS helps our agency to make decisions about where a child is placed and what services they need if they come into foster care.

In this edition of DCS Talks, certified HeartMath practitioner, Sirena Wilson provides an overview of this system of stress management and nervous system regulation and applies it to the work done in child welfare. This is the first in a series about some of the HeartMath techniques that may help case managers, foster parents, providers or anyone. 

In this episode, our focus will be on recruiting future child welfare professionals at the Department of Children’s Services to assist us, we have, our recruiting and retention coordinator, Marc Giguere here to answer questions about joining the workforce at the Department. Recruiting qualified, talented, professionals is important for the children and families that are served by The work culture at DCS encourages self-expression, innovation, diversity, shared leadership and ongoing professional development. DCS is excited to have opportunities for professionals to advocate for children who are served by DCS.

DCS Podcaster, Toney Horton provides information to the public about the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Minors and how the Department responds.

March is national Social Work month which is a great time to celebrate the profession and contributions of the field of social work. In honor of national Social Work month, DCS Talks is interviewing Crystal Parker who is a Licensed Advanced Practitioner Social Worker or LAPSW who serves as an Executive Director at the Department of Children’s Services. Ms. Parker provides leadership and guidance at DCS in the Licensing Division, Provider Monitoring and Evaluation, Performance and Quality Improvement, Data Quality Team, Provider Quality Team, Accreditation and Policy. 

Jacquie Schultz  is the Statewide Child Protective Services Director in the Office of Child Safety. Ms. Shultz is director over the Special Investigations Unit or (SIU). SIU conducts investigations when the abuse or neglect involves children who are in foster care as well as those who are not in the legal custody of DCS but they are under the supervision or care of an individual(s)functioning in an official employment or volunteer capacity within some places such as, Detention and Youth Development Center (YDC) facilities, Licensed foster homes, Licensed day care/childcare agencies, Unlicensed daycare facilities, Schools, Religious organizations, Youth groups and others.

Learn more about Adoption Month and hear an interview with an adoptive parent about teen adoptions!

DCS Talks with Rebecca Bevans who is the Director of Training and Program Development in the Office of Child Safety at the Department of Children’s Services. The Office of Child Safety and its investigators train for and carry out the work of investigations, and they often coordinate their work with law enforcement, child advocacy centers and prosecutors. This division also supports the preservation of families and one way they incorporate that into their practice is through taking a deep look at recurring issues families face and take action in the way we approach our work. In honor of October being Domestic Violence Awareness month, we have asked Ms. Bevans to discuss the work the department is involved in around addressing domestic violence and how it intersects with child welfare.

In this edition of DCS Talks we would like to learn more about the legislative process and new laws are integrated into DCS policy and practice. We will discuss a few of the new laws that started in July of 2021 that impact DCS. 

In this edition of DCS Talsk, we interview Shay Jones the lead specialist of the TNDCS Non-Custodial Prevention Services program and this DCS program is established to provide resources for families to prevent children and youth coming into care. The focus on connecting families with prevention services not only aligns with research around permanency, but also supports the implementation of new federal legislation, Families First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA).

DCS Talks about ChildStat which is a collaborative process for data collection and reporting. ChildStat uses a case conferencing model where one case is seen as an opportunity to critically analyze practice, policy, and procedures from a systems perspective. It helps to identify specifically what steps can be taken to enhance practice and promote safety and permanency. 

The Family First Prevention Act (FFPSA) was passed by Congress in 2018 as part of the bi-artisan spending bill.  FFPSA encourages child welfare agencies to join together with community partners to envision a new way of working together and supporting families.

Join the DCS Assistant Commissioner of Administration, Julie Rotella to learn about the importance of adoption as a permanency option for children who are in full guardianship in Tennessee. Ms. Rotella interviews DCS child welfare professionals and adoptive parents who share success stories and positive outcomes for children who have found forever families. 

In this edition of DCS Talks we speak with Mr. Roger Waynick who is a management consultant at the State of Tennessee in the Office of Customer Focused Government and Mr. Ben Lackner who serves as the Governor’s Management Fellow for the State of Tennessee about a new resource for ALL the citizens of Tennessee! No matter if you are a foster parent, a DCS employee, a private provider or member of the community, MyTN is a one stop location for many resources Tennesseans can find helpful! MyTN is a mobile application that can be uploaded onto our phones or tablets. MyTN provides personalized delivery of services that may be accessed 24/7 through the use of technology! Some of the services that may be used on the app are to apply for unemployment benefits, report child abuse, support for COVID-19 related concerns, locating child care, foster parent verification portal, a link to kidcentral tn and many other services!!

DCS Talks podcaster and director, Kate Greer interviews professional social workers that work at the Department of Children's Services in honor of Social Worker Month. Social Work Month in March is a time to celebrate the great profession of social work.  According to the National Association of Social Work, "As practitioners, social workers are trained to help people address personal and systemic barriers to optimal living. They are employed to effect positive change with individuals, families, groups and entire communities." The theme for Social Work Month 2021 is Social Workers Are Essential.

In this edition DCS Talks to Sammi Maifair the Senior Associate Counsel at DCS and Lindsay Coleman the Director of Permanency Planning in the Office of Child Programs about confidentiality and building teams with families. Children, youth and families involved with DCS have the right to the privacy of their records and personal information. DCS has a coordinated system of policies and practices in place that guide confidential information sharing throughout the policies that are in DCS Chapter 31 which are on the DCS public website and available for all citizens. Recently, DCS leadership and staff took a deeper look into ways to maintain confidentiality and Ms. Maifair and Ms. Coleman discuss the analysis.

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and DCS Talks invited two subject matter experts, Pierce Beckham  the Senior Director of Investigations in the Office of Child Safety and Dr. Martha Wike a clinical psychologist in the Knoxville region at DCS. Both guests are instrumental in policy development, training delivery, service provisions and data analysis to address the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Minors in Tennessee. Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Minors involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of commercial sex act with a minor. It can happen in any community and victims can be any race, gender, or nationality. Traffickers might use violence, manipulation, or false promises of romantic relationships to lure victims into trafficking situations. DCS works with a wide network of partners to address CSEM including state and federal law enforcement, court systems, legislators, service providers and community members to address this complex social problem.

DCS Director and podcaster, Kate Greer interviews Child Protective Services supervisor, Dale Lynn about mitigating bias in reports of child abuse and neglect. Mr. Lynn explains how being evidenced based is key to mitigating unconscious bias.  Mr. Lynn discusses understanding the history of a family while also having a fresh perspective and the ongoing understanding that people can make changes for the good in their lives. 

DCS Talks podcaster and Assistant Commissioner, Julie Rotella asks child welfare professionals and foster parents, "Can there be too much holiday joy?" While the holidays are joyful for many there may also be times when the holidays may be stressful, especially in the child welfare community! Listeners will hear about ways to mitigate holiday stress as well as ideas from child welfare professionals and foster parents about ways to have just enough joy during the holidays!

November is National Adoption Month! Each year, the Children's Bureau and child welfare agencies and across the country focus outreach and awareness-raising efforts around a new adoption-related theme to help support professionals working each day to find permanency for children and youth in foster care in their community. This year's National Adoption Month theme is "Engage Youth: Listen and Learn." In honor of this year's theme, DCS Talks with six youth about what a forever family means to them.

DCS Talks to the Executive Director in the Office of Child Safety, Carla Aaron about exciting changes in the Child Protective Services program area.  The program area is currently being re-designed based on data and research around best practices in child welfare. Ms. Aaron provides information about this exciting approach to serving children and families.

In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness month, we are interviewing DCS case manager, Zanetta Williamson and two domestic violence liaisons, Valerie Conley and Elizabeth Vickers. Domestic violence is a social problem that affects families from all walks of life. Many families that experience domestic violence also come to the attention of the child welfare system. Our guests today are on the frontlines of those experiences where domestic violence intersects with child welfare and we have asked them to share information about their work and experiences and how find assistance. 

Rosie Heath  is the Deputy Compact Administrator for the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) at the Department of Children’s Services. The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children is an agreement between all fifty states, Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Compact Agreement provides for the movement and safe placement of children between states when the children are in the custody of a state, being placed for private/independent adoption, or under certain circumstances, being placed by a parent or guardian in a residential treatment facility. The process involves several steps and Ms. Heath provides us with information about this important work.

In this edition DCS Talks to Mr. Donovan Haynes who is the Director of Affirmative Action at DCS in the Office of Internal Affairs. Mr. Haynes has many duties as the Affirmative Action Director and one of the most important roles he oversees is as the Title VI Coordinator for DCS. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity that receives Federal funds. Mr. Haynes describes meaning of this law, discusses his career in child welfare and even shares an inspiring story about the time he met, Nelson Mandela!  

DCS Talks to Corrie Copeland  who serves as the Commissioner for the Interstate Commission for Juveniles at the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services in the Office of Juvenile Justice. The Interstate Commission for Juvenile it is the governing body of laws that regulates the interstate movement of juveniles who are under court supervision or have run away to another state. Ms. Copeland provides information about ICJ, some examples of situations that are under the purview of ICJ and how to find training and support to learn more.  

DCS Talks About Transitioning to Adulthood in this edition, Tristan Slough discusses the importance of transitioning youth from DCS custody to adulthood. Tristan spent time in DCS custody and speaks from first hand experience. He currently serves as a Peer Support Worker with Monroe Harding.  Tristan shares his wisdom as he outlines the key principles of preparation and planning for our youth.

Join DCS Talks to discuss the importance of Full Disclosure with Director of Permanency Planning, Lindsay Coleman.  When a child comes to the attention of the DCS  and is potentially in need of out-of-home care, DCS takes responsibility to engage the family in identifying relatives or kin who may support the child and family.  As part of the process of building a team around the family, DCS informs  caregivers about the different types of legal permanency options and provides relatives or kin the Disclosure of Legal Permanency Options Video and the Guide to Full Disclosure of Permanency Options.  Ms. Coleman provides information about this process, resources, where to find the video and discusses ways relatives and kin help to reduce trauma for children who are in the care of DCS. 

In this edition of DCS Talks, training manager, Sheneka Morgan interviews ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­a  staff who serve a variety of roles at the Department of Children’s Services. These staff ensure that safety remains a top priority in not only conducting field visits but also in reducing trauma to the children and families we serve. June is National Safety Month and with respect to the important work that DCS case managers do we want to focus on ways to stay safe while serving children and families.

Diligent search is a process through which child welfare agencies recruit, retain, and support foster and adoptive families that reflect the ethnic diversity of children and build family teams. In this edition we will interview two subject matter experts on the topic of diligent searches in child welfare, first we talk to Alicia Wright who provides direct service to children and families as a case manager and supervisor she lets our listeners know about what conducting diligent searches for families is like for her and her team and why they are important and then we continue the discussion with the Director of Permanency Planning at DCS, Lindsay Coleman who has served in many program areas at DCS during her career and she provides our listeners with a global perspective of diligent searches as well as key points about building support networks when a child is in full guardianship at the department, Lindsay also raises awareness of the importance of diligent searches as the pertain to teenagers and young adults who age out of foster care.

In this edition of DCS Talks,  DCS Assistant Commissioner, Julie Rotella interviews Jon Ebert, PsyD and Tarah Kuhn, Ph.D., psychologists from the Vanderbilt Center of Excellence, to discuss the virtual sessions, Roots of Resiliency that are currently being offered weekly for parents to ask questions, gather resources and interact around shared experiences.

DCS Talks about the laws around mandated reporting of child abuse and neglect in the state of Tennessee. This discussion lets the listener know that it is everyone's responsibility to report child abuse and neglect. Listeners will also be informed about what to expect when they call the child abuse hotline  and how to make a report.  

In recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month. join DCS Talks pod-caster and Assistant Commissioner of Administrative Services, Julie Rotella, LCSW as she discusses factors that contribute to child abuse and neglect. Did you know that two-thirds of children who were abused DO NOT grow up to be maltreating parents? Learn about this information as well as resiliency strategies to mitigate the potential of child maltreatment. 

The Child and Family Services Review (CFSR)  is a review process including an assessment and case reviews for the Children’s Bureau to monitor state child welfare programs and compliance with federal regulations. Program Director, Tony Nease explains the process and it supports the DCS principles of Safety, Permanency and Well-Being. 

Brenda Carpenter  serves as a Director of in the Office of Training and Professional Development at Department of Children’s Services. Ms. Carpenter has significant experience in child welfare and higher education. She recently attended the Strong Relationships: Strengthening Individual and Family Well-Being conference which was sponsored by the National Resource Center for Healthy Marriage and Families. With respect to Valentines’ day and honoring partnerships DCS Talks asks Ms. Carpenter to take a focus on  characteristics associated with healthy families and relationships.

Join Amanda Law, Coach and Trainer in the Office of Training and Professional Development, to learn about how to make and achieve your goals.

Join Julie Rotella, Executive Director of the Office of Training and Professional Development, as she discusses family assessments (CANS, FAST) and how the information from those assessments is integrated into case planning and case work within DCS.