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ASK-Y Meeting Minutes: 11/24/03

Discussion: focus for Advocacy Day

Areas of interest from group:

The ASK-Y participants are very concerned about an apparent emerging trend that has been reported from several areas of the state and that is the de-prioritization of adolescents within the DCFS system. There have been several reports of CPS is not investigating reports of abuse toward adolescents. Several antidotal stories emerged where individuals calling CPS were told that if the alleged victim is an adolescent--particularly middle or older adolescents (age 15 and up) that the adolescent is old enough to manage the situation.

Of further concern and perhaps a mixed message to department staff is that the CPS intake has a Risk Factor Matrix in which simply by being over age 11 or 12 the alleged victim is by virtue of age scored as a lower priority for urgency and investigation.

Other issues were discussed and the group identified the following as the 2004 ASK-Y Advocacy Agenda:

1. Re-prioritizing adolescents within CWS: specific request is to ask legislature to command DCFS to conduct full review of CPS/FRS/CHINS and other petitions to determine/ensure adolescents are receiving appropriates services and not being de-prioritized. The basic request will be that DCFS conducts a complete review of services to adolescents including CPS investigations, utilization of FRS and ensuring FRS workers comply with mandated reporter expectations, the filing of CHINS and Dependency petitions on behalf of adolescents.
2. Change stature re: sealing juvenile records: to ensure that 18 and over individuals are not denied housing/employment secondary to misdemeanor or other crimes committed as an adolescent--Casey Trupin (SYLAW) will provide more specific information.
3. Continue to press to extend the 8-hour notification to parents, police or DSHS when youth under 18 utilize licensed facility.

Additionally, there will undoubtedly be some effort toward "playing defense" regarding any particular budget cuts or other proposed legislation that the group wants to educate lawmakers on regarding the impact on children, adolescents and families.

Important factors to remember:

• Shorter session this year
• Stories from young people impacted by decisions of lawmakers are always a powerful tool in effecting change.
• Important to call legislators early
• Get lots of people involved
• News angle key in influencing public perception (example is Raphael Gomez case).
• We are organizing an advocacy day, not a lobby day

Sub-Committees Reports

Advocacy Training for Youth Committee

• Will be meeting bi-monthly
• First meeting covered recruitment, training ideas and areas of focus.
• All meeting notes for sub-committee will be available online at www.mockingbirdsociety.org/asky.php

Advocacy Day Committee

• Working with youth committee on plans for advocacy day.

Final Notes

• Casey (SYLAW) will provide info on sealing juvenile records for next meeting; we can join with other groups working on this issue.
• Members from the Youth and Young Adult Committee will chair sub-committee about runaway reporting.