Department of Social Services

Department of Social Services.

Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the department of social services shall report monthly to the house and senate committees on ways and means and the secretary of administration and finance the following: (i) the current social worker caseloads by type of case and level of social worker assigned to cases; (ii) the amount expended on permanency services; provided, that said report shall include the total number of children with the goal of adoption and guardianship by region, the number of new cases with the goal of adoption and guardianship by region and the number of adoptions finalized by region; (iii) the amount expended on group care services; provided, that said report shall detail separately, monthly expenditures and number of children served in commonworks, so-called, authorized, and contracted group care placements; (iv) the amount expended for purchased services from item 4800-0018 of this act; provided, that said report shall detail monthly expenditures, number of families served, and average cost per individual or family by category of purchased service so provided; and (v) case load ratio of each individual social worker with a caseload ratio in excess of the contractual ratio of 18 to 1, the office in which they work and the total number of said social workers.
Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the department of social services shall report quarterly to the house and senate committees on ways and means and the secretary of administration and finance the amount expended on women-at-risk services; provided, that said report shall include the number of service units by category, utilization by category, and cost by category.
Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the department of social services shall not authorize purchased social services at a level that will cause expenditures to exceed appropriations; provided, that social services shall be maintained and expenditures allocated in such a manner that will not cause said services to be terminated prior to the end of the fiscal year

4800-0014

For costs of the revenue management contract, so-called; provided, that the costs of said contract shall be funded entirely from this item and from no other source

...............................................................$3,400,000

General Fund............................................................. 60.0%

Social Services Program Fund............................................................. 40.0%

4800-0015

For central and area office administration; provided, that associated expenses of employees whose AA subsidiary costs, so-called, are paid from items 4800-1100 and 4800-1101 shall be paid from this item; provided further, that no funds shall be expended from this item for the compensation of unit eight employees, so-called; provided further, that the department shall maintain a sufficient number of registered nurses to provide medical case management for medically involved children in foster care; provided further, that an area office shall be maintained in the Beverly area; provided further, that the department shall not place a child or adolescent referred by or discharged from the care of the department of mental health until said latter department forwards an assessment and recommendation as to whether the child or adolescent may be appropriately placed in foster care or, if due to severe emotional disturbance, is only appropriate for group care; provided further, that the department, in consultation with the department of mental health, shall establish guidelines to assist said latter department in making such assessments and recommendations; provided further, that not more than $100,000 shall be expended from this item for the costs of attaining licensure as a licensed social worker associate for those social workers whose date of employment is prior to July 1, 1997 and who are not licensed by the board of registration of social workers; provided further, that said expenditures shall only be made pursuant to section 564 of chapter 151 of the acts of 1996, to the extent that the provisions of said section do not violate existing collective bargaining agreements; provided further, that no funds shall be expended for the costs of attaining said licensure prior to submission of the staffing plan, so-called, required by said section 564; provided further, that social workers who have received financial assistance from the department for obtaining said license must remain with the department for such reasonable minimum duration as established by the department or refund part or all of said financial assistance; provided further, that said costs of attaining licensure shall be funded solely from this item; and provided further, that unless otherwise authorized, all funds including federal reimbursements received by the department shall be credited to the general fund

...............................................................$46,570,759

General Fund............................................................. 86.80%

Social Services Program Fund............................................................. 13.20%

4800-0018

N.B. - The Acting Governor has struck the italicized language and reduced the appropriation for this item by $499,193 to $36,760,398

For the family stabilization, unification and reunification programs for non-placement families, families experiencing instability and families whose children are expected to return home following placement, including, but not limited to, shelter services, substance abuse treatment, respite care, family reunification networks, and not less than $2,613,654 for school and community-based young parent programs, parent aides, and education and counseling services; provided, that the department shall pursue the establishment of public/private partnership agreements established for family stabilization services funded from sources other than the commonwealth; provided further, that not less than $30,000 shall be expended for a contract with big brothers and sisters of Cape Cod and the islands; provided further, that not less than $69,193 shall be expended for the school age parenting project at Framingham high school; provided further, that not less than $1,500,000 shall be expended for intensive and expanded parent aid and other support services for families requiring such services for family preservation due to acute conditions; provided further, that not less than $35,000 shall be expended by the Framingham office of the department of social services for the metro-west campership program operated by the Ashland youth advisory board in partnership with said department; provided further, that $50,000 shall be expended for the purpose of providing case management services for the Amity Transitional Housing Program, so-called, of Lynn; provided further, that the department shall expend a sum of not less than $40,000 in region 1 for a community-based family unification counseling program to prevent juvenile delinquency; provided further, that the department shall pursue the establishment of public/private partnership agreements established for family unification and reunification services funded from sources other than the commonwealth; provided further, that not less than $250,000 shall be expended for a contract for an integrated family services team in region 6; provided further, that not less than $150,000 shall be expended for a contract with Julie's family learning program in South Boston; provided further, that not less than $298,000 shall be expended for alternative schools for students aged 14 to 16, inclusive, who are placed before the court on children in need of services petitions (CHINS) in region 6; provided further, that not less than $15,000 shall be expended for a contract with Child and Family Service of Cape Cod for the Court Diversion Program; provided further, the department shall expend $110,000 to establish a pilot feasibility study by providing that not less than $75,000 shall be expended for Latinas y Ninos and Casa Esparanza to explore family stabilization and reunification through expanded economic and training opportunities and that $35,000 shall be expended for contracted services to be provided to the same for programmatic and capital development; and provided further, that not less than $100,000 be expended at the direction of the Cape and Islands district attorney for the Cape and Islands Children's Cove

...............................................................$37,259,591

General Fund............................................................. 70.0%

Social Services Program Fund............................................................. 30.0%

4800-0025

For foster care review services

...............................................................$2,149,388

4800-0031

For permanency, adoption, and foster care services, including foster care, adoption, and guardianship subsidies, services to foster families, and reimbursements to foster parents for extraordinary expenses incurred; provided, that no funds shall be expended to provide subsidies to adoptive parents for children no longer in their care; provided further, that the department shall assess all children in its care for longer than 12 months for the appropriateness of adoption; provided further, that the department shall maintain a central registry and tracking system to monitor the progress of such children in the adoption process; provided further, that the department may contract with community-based agencies for the purpose of providing adoption and special needs adoption services; provided further, that the department shall establish a schedule of fees for services which shall vary with the ability of the recipient's legal family to pay; provided further, that said fees shall be imposed regardless of whether a placement is voluntary or results from an order of a court of competent jurisdiction; provided further, that no fees shall be charged to individuals and families with incomes at or below 150 per cent of the federal poverty level; provided further, that the foster care daily rate paid for subsidies in fiscal year 1999 shall be equal to the daily rate paid in fiscal year 1998, except those rate increases made pursuant to the tiered reimbursement system, so-called, established pursuant to section 566 of chapter 151 of the acts of 1996; and provided further, that the department shall expend not less than $3,200,000 for the purchase of special needs adoption contracts located at community-based agencies

...............................................................$148,024,978

General Fund............................................................. 87.55%

Social Services Program Fund............................................................. 12.45%

4800-0036

For a sexual abuse intervention network (SAIN) program to be administered in conjunction with the district attorneys; provided further, that each district attorney shall receive not less than the amount it received in fiscal year 1998 for the Sexual Abuse Intervention Program

...............................................................$695,783

Social Services Program Fund............................................................. 100.0%

4800-0041

For group care services; provided, that the department shall establish a schedule of fees for services which shall vary with the ability of the recipient's legal family to pay; provided further, that said fees shall be imposed regardless of whether the placement is voluntary or results from an order of a court of competent jurisdiction; provided further, that no fees shall be charged to individuals and families with incomes at or below 150 per cent of the federal poverty level; provided further, that unless otherwise authorized to be expended, any federal reimbursements received for this purpose shall be credited to the general fund; and provided further, that the department shall pursue the establishment of a managed care network for the commonworks program

...............................................................$114,527,361

General Fund............................................................. 72.0%

Social Services Program Fund............................................................. 28.0%

4800-0050

For the operation of the New Chardon street home for women located in the city of Boston

...............................................................$773,368

4800-0151

For a program to provide alternative overnight non-secure placements for status offenders and nonviolent delinquent youth up to the age of 17 in order to prevent the inappropriate use of juvenile cells in police stations for such offenders, in compliance with the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended; provided, that the programs which provide such alternative non-secure placement collaborate with the county sheriff's office to provide referrals of said offenders and delinquent youth to any programs within the sheriff's office designed to positively influence youth or reduce, if not altogether eliminate, juvenile crime

...............................................................$767,320

4800-1100

For the AA subsidiary costs, so-called, of the department's social workers, so-called; provided, that only employees of bargaining unit eight, so called, as identified in the Massachusetts personnel administrative reporting and information system, so-called, shall be paid from this item; provided further, that the department is hereby authorized and directed to provide the house and senate committees on ways and means with a cost analysis of attaining caseload ratios in accordance with the Governor's Special Commission on Foster Care; provided further, that said report shall be filed with said committees not later than September 1, 1998; and provided further, that any other payroll or administrative expenses associated with the management or support of said employees shall be paid from item 4800-0015

...............................................................$84,195,936

General Fund............................................................. 95.0%

Social Services Program Fund............................................................. 5.0%

4800-1101

For social worker caseload mitigation; provided, that funds from this item shall be expended for the AA subsidiary payroll costs, so-called, of new social workers for the explicit purpose of mitigating social worker caseloads in those area offices furthest above the statewide weighted caseload standard, so-called; provided further, that the annualized value of this item shall not exceed in fiscal year 2000 the amount appropriated herein; and provided further, that no funds from this item shall be expended for any purpose not specifically referenced herein

...............................................................$1,944,329

4800-1200

For partnership agencies to provide protective services; provided, that the funds appropriated herein may be expended on contracts serving minority and mentally retarded or handicapped clients; and provided further, that all expenditures from this item shall be made from the MM subsidiary, so-called

...............................................................$3,018,368

General Fund............................................................. 80.0%

Social Services Program Fund............................................................. 20.0%

4800-1400

For women-at-risk shelters and services, including supervised visitation programs; provided, that the department shall pursue the establishment of public/private partnership agreements established for family stabilization services funded from sources other than the commonwealth; provided further, that not less than $416,850 shall be expended for a contract with the YWCA battered women's shelter in Springfield; provided further, that not less than $450,000 shall be expended for visitation centers receiving funds from this item in fiscal year 1998; provided further, that $442,500 shall be expended for the establishment of additional visitation centers; provided further, that more than one visitation center may be funded in Middlesex County; provided further, that not less than $10,000 shall be expended for the Melrose alliance against violence; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended for Children's Supervised Visitations, Inc. of Framingham; provided further, that not less than $65,205 shall be expended for the North Quabbin Domestic Violence Prevention Program; provided further, that not less than $95,000 shall be expended for a contract with Sylvia's Haven at Devens to provide transitional housing to pregnant and parenting women and girls; provided further, that not less than $630,000 shall be used to enhance services at domestic violence shelters and counseling sites for children who have witnessed domestic violence; provided further, that $110,700 shall be expended for the New England Learning Center for Women in Transition; and provided further, that not more than $270,000 shall be expended for the purposes of improving the ability of the department to identify those victims of domestic violence who may be in need of emergency service from said department

...............................................................$13,604,303

Social Services Program Fund.............................................................100.0%

4800-1500

For domestic violence prevention specialists in the department's area offices; provided, that expenditures from this item shall not exceed the amount appropriated herein

...............................................................$541,911

4800-1997

For a reserve to improve the quality of services provided by the department to children in the care of the commonwealth, including, but not limited to, an enhanced program for recruiting and retaining foster families, including but not limited to, the use of tiered reimbursement, so-called, to promote the placement of children with special medical and social needs who would otherwise be placed in structured group care facilities and the coordination of services provided by the department and the departments of public health, education, transitional assistance, mental health and mental retardation, and the juvenile courts; provided, that not more than $1,391,429 shall be obligated for the costs of consolidated foster care and adoption recruitment units to allow for targeted recruitment, including the need for cultural and ethnic diversity; provided further, that such units shall recruit, screen, license, and provide Massachusetts approaches to partnership in parenting training for all foster and pre-adoptive families; provided further, that not more than $175,000 shall be expended for the purchase of office equipment; provided further, that not more than $250,000 shall be expended for foster care parenting and adoption recruitment campaign; provided further, that not more than $8,000,000 shall be obligated for the purpose of developing a tiered reimbursement system for foster care pursuant to section 566 of chapter 151 of the acts of 1996; provided further, that the commissioner is directed to provide quarterly reports to the joint committee on health and human services and elderly affairs and to the house and senate committees on ways and means detailing the total number of additional foster care placements made during fiscal year 1999 as a result of enhanced recruitment activities; provided further, that said report shall include a separate section detailing the number of additional placements for children with special medical, psychological or social needs that have resulted from said initiatives, and any reduction in group care placements for children with such needs that have resulted from these initiatives; provided further, that the department is authorized and directed to work with law enforcement authorities including the attorney general and district attorneys to identify any need for additional legal staffing to eliminate any such backlog of adoption and care and protection cases and shall develop a plan to eliminate any such backlog through the use of contracted or temporary legal services; provided further, that not more than $275,000 shall be obligated for an enhanced training program for social workers and investigators, so-called; provided further, that not more than $5,028,388 shall be obligated for the operation of bridge homes, so-called, in each region; provided further, that said bridge homes shall provide extended diagnostic services not to exceed 90 days for any child and shall be geographically distributed to allow children in said placements to attend their pre-placement public school whenever possible; provided further, that said bridge homes shall be funded solely from this item; provided further, that not less than $666,667 shall be obligated for child care and respite care services for foster families; provided further, that $1,250,000 shall be expended for post-adoption services, so-called; and provided further, that no funds shall be transferred from this item to other items for purposes other than those listed herein

...............................................................$17,247,645

General Fund............................................................. 70.0%

Social Services Program Fund............................................................. 30.0%

4800-2000

For lawyers employed by or under contract with the department, legal services and related expenses

...............................................................$7,502,646

General Fund............................................................. 90.0%

Social Services Program Fund............................................................. 10.0%