Continuum of Care Reform

The Continuum of Care Reform (CCR) comprehensively reforms placement and treatment options for foster children. Many new and important permanent plan options and requirements related to achieving permanence for foster youth were created by Assembly Bill 403 (Stone; Stats. 2015, ch. 773) and Senate Bill 794 (Comm. on Hum. Srvcs; Stats. 2015, ch. 425). CCR provides the statutory and policy framework to ensure services and supports provided to the child or youth and his or her family are tailored toward the ultimate goal of achieving permanency in a stable permanent family. Resources on specific topics are below. Resources include webinars, podcasts, and other training materials on specific topics as well as materials from live trainings.

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Family First Prevention Services Act

The Evolving Landscape of Child Welfare Podcast (December 2019) - This podcast features an interview with Greg Rose, Deputy Director of the Children and Family Services Division at the California Department of Social Services overseeing the implementation of statewide child welfare policy. These policies include the Continuum of Care Reform (CCR), Resource Family Approval Act (RFA), Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI) and the Family First Prevention and Services Act (FFPSA). Mr. Rose serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Public Child Welfare, is on the national advisory committees for the Human Rights Campaign: All Children, All Families and the Chadwick Trauma-Informed Systems Project, and is the former President of the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators. Transcript

Overview of Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) (April 2019) - This self-study course previews the changes to the landscape of child welfare through the implementation of the Family First Preservation Services Act (FFPSA). FFPSA was passed by the federal government in February 2018 and allows states to defer implementation until 2021. Self-study course credit refers to self-verified participation. After finishing the entire course, please take a few minutes to complete the evaluation survey. After completing and submitting the evaluation, you will receive a confirmation of completion and you should record and maintain a record of completion of this course and the MCLE and MCLE specialty hours for which it qualifies. For all self-study courses, attorneys are required to maintain their self-study hours on their self-study log. This program meets the qualifications for a total of 1.0 hour of mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) credit. The Judicial Council of California is approved as a Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) provider by the State Bar of California, provider #4781.
Evaluation | Transcript

Understanding Benefits to Support Youth in Foster Care (May 2019) - This self-study webinar will give participants a basic understanding of foster care funding in California in all phases of a case including when a child exits foster care into permanency. Participants will be able to describe the eligibility requirements for different types of funding for children in foster care; describe the supplemental rates that support children in foster care; and describe funding for permanency for children exiting foster care. Self-study course credit refers to self-verified participation. After finishing the entire course, please take a few minutes to complete the evaluation survey. After completing and submitting the evaluation, you will receive a confirmation of completion and you should record and maintain a record of completion of this course and the MCLE and MCLE specialty hours for which it qualifies. For all self-study courses, attorneys are required to maintain their self-study hours on their self-study log. This program meets the qualifications for a total of 1.25 hours of mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) credit. The Judicial Council of California is approved as a Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) provider by the State Bar of California, provider #4781.
Additional Resources | Evaluation | Transcript

Health and Wellness

The Psychotropic Medication for Children and Youth in Out of Home Placements webinar (2021) provides a brief explanation of the abbreviations and jargon that can appear on the series of forms that are used to request that psychotropic medication be prescribed, or continue to be prescribed, to a child who is a ward or dependent of the court. This short video is primarily intended for judicial officers, attorneys, social workers and other court professionals who work with children in foster care.
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Understanding Trauma–Informed Practice Podcast (December 2019) - This podcast features an interview with Dr. Isaiah Pickens, licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Director of the Service Systems Program at the UCLA-Duke National Center for Child Traumatic Stress. Dr. Pickens specializes in consulting, counseling, and educational series for families, teens, and young adults. He works with researchers, frontline practitioners, family members and young adults, child trauma experts, and partners from juvenile justice, child welfare, education, healthcare, and mental health systems to identify gaps, establish priorities, and implement Network initiatives that will promote the identification, referral and appropriate support for culturally diverse children, adolescent, and families who have experienced trauma.
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Supporting the Healthy Sexual Development of Youth (October 2018) - This self-study course fulfills the requirements for Senate Bill 89 that requires juvenile court stakeholders to be trained on reproductive health rights requirements for children in foster care. Specifically, Welfare and Institutions Code section 304.7 requires judges to be trained on these issues. This webinar, delivered by the Judicial Council, National Center for Youth Rights, and Children’s Law Center, is intended to meet this requirement for judges and attorneys practicing in juvenile law.

Self-study course credit refers to self-verified participation. After finishing the entire course, please take a few minutes to complete the evaluation survey. After completing and submitting the evaluation, you will receive a confirmation of completion and you should record and maintain a record of completion of this course and the MCLE and MCLE specialty hours for which it qualifies. For all self-study courses, attorneys are required to maintain their self-study hours on their self-study log. This program meets the qualifications for a total of 1.75 hour of mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) credit. The Judicial Council of California is approved as a Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) provider by the State Bar of California, provider #4781.
Companion Materials | Additional Resources | Evaluation | Transcript

Reproductive Health Rights Podcast: Youth Perspective (November 2018) - This podcast features a discussion about the level of awareness of reproductive health rights for children in foster care. Featured in the podcast are Krystal, a former foster youth in both the juvenile justice and child welfare systems, from Los Angeles County and Valerie Esquivel, program associate from the National Center for Youth Law supporting the Los Angeles Reproductive Health Equity Project (LARHEP).

This podcast qualifies as a self-study course. Self-study course credit refers to self-verified participation. After finishing the entire podcast, please take a few minutes to complete the evaluation survey. After completing and submitting the evaluation, you will receive a confirmation of completion and you should record and maintain a record of completion of this course and the MCLE and MCLE specialty hours for which it qualifies. For all self-study courses, attorneys are required to maintain their self-study hours on their self-study log. This program meets the qualifications for a total of 0.50 hours of mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) credit. The Judicial Council of California is approved as a Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) provider by the State Bar of California, provider #4781.

Evaluation | Transcript

Psychotropic Medications Podcast (October 2018) This podcast features an interview with the late William L. Grimm. Mr. Grimm was an attorney and Senior Director of Strategic Advocacy and Child Welfare at the National Center for Youth Law. Mr. Grim was widely recognized as one of the leading experts in child welfare policy and helped to advocate changes in policy for prescribing psychotropic medications for children in foster care.

Older Youth Issues

Case Plans and Transitional Independent Living Plans (TILPs) for Older Youth (January 2018) - This self-study course is a webinar discussing transitional independent living plans (TILPs) and case planning for youth in out-of-home care. Self-study course credit refers to self-verified participation. After finishing the entire course, please take a few minutes to complete the evaluation survey. After completing and submitting the evaluation, you will receive a confirmation of completion and you should record and maintain a record of completion of this course and the MCLE and MCLE specialty hours for which it qualifies. For all self-study courses, attorneys are required to maintain their self-study hours on their self-study log. This program meets the qualifications for a total of 1.0 hour of mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) credit. The Judicial Council of California is approved as a Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) provider by the State Bar of California, provider #4781.
Additional Resources | Evaluation | Transcript

Podcast with Dr. Mark Courtney on Extended Foster Care and the CalYOUTH Study (September 2018) - This podcast features an interview with Dr. Mark Courtney from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. Dr. Courtney is the lead researcher of the CalYOUTH study. The CalYOUTH study examines the outcomes for youth in the extended foster care program in California. This podcast qualifies as a self-study course. Self-study course credit refers to self-verified participation. After finishing the entire podcast, please take a few minutes to complete the evaluation survey. After completing and submitting the evaluation, you will receive a confirmation of completion and you should record and maintain a record of completion of this course and the MCLE and MCLE specialty hours for which it qualifies. For all self-study courses, attorneys are required to maintain their self-study hours on their self-study log. This program meets the qualifications for a total of 0.50 hours of mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) credit. The Judicial Council of California is approved as a Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) provider by the State Bar of California, provider #4781.
Additional Resources | Evaluation | Transcript

Youth Voice (October 2018) - During a busy calendar in juvenile proceedings, it is often difficult to give youth the time they want or need to express themselves. The youth’s voice may get lost in a system of judges, lawyers, social workers, and advocates all trying to determine what is in the youth’s best interest. The Judicial Council’s Center for Families, Children & the Courts was fortunate enough to interview four youth who were willing to tell their stories and share their court experiences. Each podcast qualifies as a self-study course. Self-study course credit refers to self-verified participation. After finishing the entire podcast, please take a few minutes to complete the evaluation survey. After completing and submitting the evaluation, you will receive a confirmation of completion and you should record and maintain a record of completion of this course and the MCLE and MCLE specialty hours for which it qualifies. For all self-study courses, attorneys are required to maintain their self-study hours on their self-study log. This program meets the qualifications for a total of 0.50 hours of mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) credit. The Judicial Council of California is approved as a Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) provider by the State Bar of California, provider #4781.
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Daniella | Transcript
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Krystal | Transcript
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Regional Trainings 2017

The Judicial Council of California, Center for Families, Children & the Courts holds a series of regional trainings every year. Content for these regional trainings related to CCR can be found here.

Legal Updates

Resource Families

Family Finding and Engagement

Regional Trainings 2018

Regional Training 2018 e-Binder

Additional Materials

Regional Trainings 2019

Regional Training 2019 e-Binder

Continuum of Care Reform in CA: Overview and Implications for Local Court Partners

Resource Family Approval and Relative Placement: What Judges and Attorneys Need to Know (November 2018) - This self-study course is a webinar discussing what judges and attorneys need to know about the Resource Family Approval (RFA) process. After finishing the entire course, please take a few minutes to complete the evaluation survey. After completing and submitting the evaluation, you will receive a confirmation of completion and you should record and maintain a record of completion of this course and the MCLE and MCLE specialty hours for which it qualifies. For all self-study courses, attorneys are required to maintain their self-study hours on their self-study log. This program meets the qualifications for a total of 2.0 hours of mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) credit. The Judicial Council of California is approved as a Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) provider by the State Bar of California, provider #4781.

Additional Resources | Evaluation | Transcript

How can YOU support the core values of the Continuum of Care Reform (CCR)? This course will provide participants with an understanding of the principles of CCR and changes for group homes, providers, Resource Families, social workers, and probation officers, and will discuss how those changes may impact the court system. Participants will learn the fundamentals of child and family planning while incorporating the values of the Quality Parenting Initiative. Learn what tools and resources have been developed to support integrated and collaborative county-level systems of care.

Lupe Grimaldi, Manager, California Department of Social Services
Richard Knecht, Integrated Services Advisor, California Department of Social Services
Sara Rogers, Branch Chief of Continuum of Care Reform Branch, California Department of Social Services
Kim Wrigley, Program Implementation Bureau Chief, California Department of Social Services

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Families and Children