Report 2019-116 Recommendation 16 Responses

Report 2019-116: Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act: Weak Oversight Has Hindered Its Meaningful Implementation (Release Date: May 2020)

Recommendation #16 To: Santa Barbara County Probation Department

To accurately assess the effectiveness of its programs, Santa Barbara should determine how to accurately identify in its case management system the JJCPA programs and services in which each individual participates or should enhance its system to provide this capability.

6-Month Agency Response

Program selection options within the Santa Barbara County Probation Department's case management system (IMPACT) now include funding identifiers for all JJCPA funded programs. Upon enrollment in a funded program, Probation Department staff update the youth's record in IMPACT by selecting the specific program name and entering the enrollment date. As shown in figures provided to the State Auditor, the program name now includes the funding source as part of the nomenclature and identifies the JJCPA funded programs and services in which each youth participates (e.g. Multidimensional Family Therapy-JJCPA). This system enhancement also includes a 'program' selection for youth receiving a Behavioral Wellness JJCPA assessment. The 'program' is opened when the assessment is requested, and closed when the completed assessment is received.

On a monthly basis, staff also receive up-to-date enrollment information from community-based organizations (i.e. providers) delivering JJCPA funded programs (figures provided to the State Auditor). As an additional QA check, Probation staff verify that each youth's file in IMPACT matches the provider's enrollment information. Inconsistencies are communicated to staff and errors are corrected.

Also on a monthly basis, staff run a data query identifying all youth active in the various JJCPA funded programs (figures provided to the State Auditor). This data is reviewed to ensure youth are showing as enrolled in the correct programs (with correct nomenclature), that totals from the query are consistent with providers' records (and vice versa), that any outdated programs are removed from the IMPACT selection options and that programs are closed once the service has ended.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Fully Implemented

60-Day Agency Response

In June 2020, the Probation Department convened an internal workgroup to examine categories of JJCPA-funded programs and services, and determine how best to track individual youth receiving services. The workgroup identified the following changes to be made within IMPACT, the department's case management system:

1) Modify existing program selection options within IMPACT to ensure that JJCPA funded programs are automatically identified and memorialized when officers select funded community-based organization services as a 'program', and close that 'program' once the service has ended. This links the service to the youth within a specified date range. Program nomenclature will include the specific identifier "JJCPA."

2) Designate specific JJCPA-funded officer caseloads as JJCPA caseloads within IMPACT, and ensure that this designation does not change over time. Youth assigned to these caseloads will be easily identifiable as receiving supervision services funded by JJCPA.

3) Ensure a 'program' selection is available for a youth receiving a Behavioral Wellness JJCPA assessment. The 'program' would be opened when the assessment is requested, and closed when the completed assessment is received.

We anticipate these changes will be implemented by September 1, 2020. The Department's Research team will design a quality assurance (QA) schedule to ensure data is being entered according to instructions.

In addition, the Department identified data elements to be provided on an ongoing basis by the Department of Behavioral Wellness, in order to track the assessments provided by JJCPA-funded practitioners, and those data elements will be included in a forthcoming Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Departments. This MOU is anticipated to be in place by September 1, 2020.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2019-116

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.