Justification
Governor's Recommendations 2023-24

The Governor's Budget Recommendation for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 includes $1,115,069 department-wide for ten positions to
facilitate a multi-disciplinary teaming model to connect high-risk families, children, and vulnerable adults to resources
and supports that promote long-term well-being.  This issue provides high-risk families with the appropriate care and
coordination of services to change behavior and prevent abuse, neglect, or fatalities. A review of child fatalities found
common threads of maltreatment, lack of engagement of families with services, and lack of coordination of services.

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is undergoing a change in culture that focuses on integration of services
and a transformational shift to a child and family well-being system of care that values holistic and family-centered
services to improve outcomes for children and families. This integration of services involves coordination of resources,
subject matter experts, and stakeholders to provide integrated services across programs and disciplines to families in
need.

The current system of care relies on overburdened Child Protective Investigators (CPIs) and case managers to connect
families to resources. Cultivating positive behavior change to promote long-term well-being for the family unit is often
dependent upon provider networks, services, and resources that are often not coordinated, accessible, or meaningful.
There is a need for enhanced identification of cases that have a higher propensity for risk earlier in the process to
provide more emergent activation of resources/supports, and ongoing connection to resources to support and facilitate
behavioral change.  Families, children, and vulnerable adults have limited access to integrated and coordinated services
and supports that assist with crisis stabilization.  Limited access may result in increased removals, increased trauma,
and longer lengths of stay in deep end crisis services.

This issue provides ten Family Navigator positions to support a trauma-responsive system of care and a multi-disciplinary
teaming model that brings subject matter experts and collaborators together with a shared goal of holistic family
well-being.  The Family Navigator will partner with the CPI and families in the identification of barriers and challenges
and provide insight into familial behavioral changes and their connection to successful outcomes and more safe and stable
families.