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Continued Conversations with Dr. Jeremy Kohomban

How is your vision for children impacted by the juvenile justice system? Any advice?

These are mostly the same children. They are either entering JJ after being identified and impacted by child welfare (approximately 25-40% depending on the municipality). We should treat children in JJ no differently. It is hard work but most important work. Here is recent (tragic) story about one of our JJ youth, published 3 weeks ago in NY Magazine. We lost Jayquan but we succeed with 90% of our youth every year https://www.vulture.com/article/jayquan-mckenley-chii-wvtzz-eric-adams-drill.html

Intervention/prevention seems to be the key for families experiencing hardship. How do we invest in intervention to prevent families from being separated?

FFPSA was designed to help states and municipalities that do not have a preventive network get the Federal funding needed to create this essential network. In fact, FFPSA’s MOE (Maintenance of Effort) standard skews investment toward states like SC. The foster care candidate provision allows for 12 months of Federal funding to keep families together and strong.

How does Children’s village address Hispanic immigrant youth who have been separated from their families?

We focus on reunification and long-term support. Same standard as any child we serve.

What does it look like for agencies and organizations to share the responsibility of care for our most challenging youth? (How do we all get “skin” in the game?)

It means that public agencies and the private charities who step-up do serve challenging youth agree that there are no perfect solutions. Only a shared commitment to work together to serve the child/youth (and family). It cannot be a blame game. If we agree to take a child/youth/family that everyone agrees is challenging/high-risk, we do so because we “believe” that we have the treatment and people capacity to help but if we are wrong in this assessment, we need the public agency to step-in and help us manage the situation before everything falls apart, hurting the child/youth and also hurting all of us who are trying to do the right thing.

What are the funding streams that support your residential program? What is your state rate structure for residential care?

The state establishes the residential rates, the local municipality pays. Our long-term aftercare programs are mostly supported with private funding.

What do you consider to be the most effective prevention services?

It varies depending on the need of families.

As preventions have increased, have you experienced a decrease in the need for residential services?

YES, YES, YES!

How is QRPT being implemented well? Where are mistakes being made? Where has the concept drifted away from the intention?

We were QRTP long before FFPSA, and it works well. Nationally, QRTP is in the implementation stage, AAP is currently conducting a study and is seeking answers to this question. Results expected in a few months.

How is the Children’s Village navigating IMD’s 16-bed cap?

NY submitted for the 2-year waiver. Our position is we will serve the highest need children/youth no matter what the outcome. IMD existed long prior to FFPSA and it is not existential.

What is your average length of stay at Children’s Village?

Depends on the populations. Lower end of LOS is 20 days, median is 5-6 months and always a few complex outliers at 1+ years.

What are your outcomes?

90% stable, in school or working, connected to a stable adult relationship. In certain cohorts recidivism under 2% year to year.

How does APPLA with DSS correlate with family and belonging? Especially when they cannot contact family.

We try not to get caught-up in the limits of APPLA. DSS has never opposed our requests for extended and intensive family finding and family engagement.