Chapin Hall, Maryland CANS, CANS-F Project

Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago Maryland Title IV-E Implementation Support, Department of Human Services Maryland CANS and CANS-F Implementation Support Purpose This proposal is to support the Maryland Department of Human Services in its ongoing implementation of the MD-CANS and CANS-F as assessment and referral/triage tools in its trauma informed, evidence-based child welfare services. The following steps are proposed in the use of the Transformational Collaborative Outcomes Management (TCOM) framework for this process. Qualifications The CANS is a functional assessment tool that has been in use in child welfare, children’s behavioral health, educational and juvenile justice systems since the late 1990s. Developed by John S. Lyons, PhD while at Northwestern University, the CANS is now used across the United States, Canada and over 10 countries internationally. It is estimated that 80% of children served in public behavioral health and child welfare systems in the United States have had a CANS. Since the development of the CANS, other similar tools have been created including the Adult Needs and Strengths Assessment (ANSA), Family Advocacy and Support Tool (FAST), Crisis Assessment Tool (CAT), and the Readiness Inventory for Successful Employment (RISE). During the last 30+ years Dr. Lyons’ work has received support from the organizations that he has worked in which contributed to the development of his team and the evolution of the Transformational Collaborative Outcomes Management (TCOM) approach: University of Ottawa, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, and most recently at the Center for Innovation in Population Health (IPH Center) at the University of Kentucky. Established in 2019, the IPH Center provides a platform for the TCOM approach to flourish in a research setting that can draw multi-sector collaborative relationships with key partners in the academy as well as throughout the human service sectors. Within the context of the IPH Center, TCOM and its tools, such as the CANS, broadens the strategy of personal transformation to addressing population health improvement. Methods 1. TCOM Implementation Support: a) CANS-F • Develop 24 quarterly county level CANS-F Data TA reports. • Develop 24 quarterly county level MD-CANS Data TA reports • Develop and deliver CANS-F Data TA Sessions meeting agendas and PowerPoint slides to facilitate understanding of CANS data for half of the local jurisdictions (12 sessions). b) MD-CANS • Develop and deliver MD-CANS Data TA Sessions meeting agendas and PowerPoint slides to facilitate understanding of CANS data for half of the local jurisdictions (12 sessions) 1 • Develop and deliver CANS-F booster sessions meeting agendas and PowerPoint slides to facilitate certification in the assessment tool. (approx. 40 sessions) • Develop and deliver MD-CANS booster sessions meeting agendas and PowerPoint slides to facilitate certification in the assessment tool. (approx. 36 sessions) c) Decision Support Models • Continued participation in the DHS-DJS QRTP implementation team to ensure successful QRTP implementation • Ongoing CQI support with the implementation of the QI Assessment process and QRTP pilot sites (e.g., preparation with agenda development, CQI reach and fidelity tools, training materials, etc.) • Conduct decision support model (aka algorithm) testing and develop CANS Placement Outcomes reports. • Provide updates to the CANS Decisions Support Model (aka algorithm) informed by CANS Placement Outcomes reports. d) Family Navigation • Quarterly training sessions for MCF navigators in the use of the Plan Builder Tool Qualifications of Key Staff Mark Lardner, MSW has been the TCOM tools (Maryland CANS, CANS-F) implementation lead in the state of Maryland for the past six years. Prior to his work at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, and now at the Center for Innovation in Population Health at the University of Kentucky, he led Maryland’s implementation of the CANS and oversaw both the training and the use of CANS-related data to inform quality improvement and policy formation. As the Principal Investigator (PI), Mr. Lardner will provide leadership on the project to Chapin Hall and the State of Maryland for training, coaching, and feedback on usage of the TCOM tools. 2