Title:
Grant Application - NC Governor’s Crime Commission - Juvenile Justice Planning Committee
Summary
ACTION:
1) Approve submission of a grant application for a total of $551,281 for the term of October 1, 2019 - September 30, 2021 to the US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in support of 3 DSS (YFS) positions; and
2) If awarded, recognize, receive and appropriate the grant funds; and
3) Authorize three additional positions in the Department of Social Services, Youth and Family Services Division: 3 Mental Health Licensed Clinicians (market rate: $67,507)
Staff Contact: Peggy Eagan, Director Department of Social Services
Presentation: No
BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION:
Child protective services social workers are often exposed to secondary traumatic stress (STS) during their work. STS is compounded when the workers are faced with a child fatality on a new or open case. Presently, Youth and Family Services (YFS) has no coordinated response for the benefit of workers responding to fatalities; and because of this, YFS does not consistently utilize best practices with staff to address and manage STS. Response to the effect of fatalities in a way that reduces STS and supports staff in the days following a fatality is necessary for staff's emotional and mental health, and ultimately reduces burnout and increases staff retention. This grant would allow for the creation of a team of clinicians who will immediately respond for the benefit of social workers who are faced with child fatalities and other critical incidents. The addition of a Fatality/Critical Incident Response Team will allow the agency to advance the agency’s Practice Model initiative and support the agency’s Organizational Health strategies.
The Fatality/Critical Incident Response Team will also work with the Mecklenburg County Child Fatality Prevention and Protection Team (CFPPT) to integrate and communicate ...
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