February 17, 2023 Redeploy Illinois Oversight Board Meeting

Audience

Redeploy Illinois Oversight Board Members and Staff. The public is welcome to attend.

Date/Time

• Friday, February 17, 2023
• 9:30am to 11:30am

Location

• Chicago: 401 S. Clinton, 7th Floor Executive Video Conference Room
• Springfield: 100 South Grand Avenue East, 3rd Floor Executive Conference Room
• Call in number: (312) 626-6799
• Meeting ID: 810 1283 0597
• Meeting Passcode: 874632 

Agenda

1. Call to order/Roll call/Approval of Minutes
   1. December 16th RIOB Meeting
2. DHS Updates
3. FY23 Program and Expenditures updates
   1. Redeploy Illinois Expenditures, Commitments, & Number Served
   2. FY23 ICOY Expenditures
4. Planning Grant Updates
   1. Peoria County Planning Grant Final Report discussion/decision
   2. Champaign County Planning Grant Phase 1 update
   3. Cook County Planning Grant Phase 2 update
5. Orbis update
6. Redeploy Evaluation update
7. Redeploy Focus update
8. RIOB Planning Meeting discussion
9. RIOB Membership Work Group Update
10. RIOB Data Work Group Update
11. Adjourn

Upcoming meetings/events (if approved):

• Redeploy Illinois All Sites Meeting (Bloomington): Tuesday & Wednesday, March 14th-15th, 2023
• Executive Committee Meeting (if necessary): Friday, March 17th, 2023
• Membership Work Group Meeting: Tuesday, March 14th, 2023
• Data Work Group Meeting: Tuesday, April 4th, 2023
• Full Board Meeting: Friday, April 21st, 2023

Minutes

1. Call to order/Roll call/Approval of Minutes
   Secretary Grace Hou called the meeting to order at 9:35 am and stated that the roll call and approval of the December 16, 2022, Redeploy Illinois Oversight Board (RIOB) meeting minutes would be called together.
   Anne Studzinski moved for roll call and approval of minutes from the December meeting. Rick Velasquez seconded the motion. Kristen Marshall called the roll. Motion carries
   Guests: Mark Bronke, Erika Cornejo, Jessica Durbin, Dawn Haskins, Taiwan, and Monnee
   Staff: Erica Hughes, Kelsey Kleidon, Kristen Marshall, Susie Schoenrock, Karrie Reuter Ms. Marshall announced a quorum was present.
   Secretary Hou announced Paula Wolff was one of six recipients of the Order of Lincoln Award, an honor that recognizes residents whose work and effort had an immense impact on the state of Illinois. Rick Velasquez asked that the announcement of the award to Ms. Wolff be included in the minutes and reflect the board's congratulations and Ms. Wolf's many years of service and devotion to children and young people.
2. DHS Updates
   Department of Human Services (DHS) Updates Secretary Hou announced that DHS has ensured that a copy of the RIOB multi-year annual report was available to members of the General Assembly upon their swearing-in. She added that Board member John Rekowski had written an article about the report for the Illinois State Bar Child Law Newsletter in December. In addition, staff member Colleen Sheehan had written an article on the report for the Illinois Judges Association, Gavel Winter 2023 Newsletter. Secretary Hou provided highlights of the Fiscal Year 2024 State budget that had recently been introduced in the General Assembly. She noted that all Health and Human Services Budget Overview PowerPoints were available on the DHS website. Individuals and organizations may submit questions and public responses will be posted over the next few weeks. She pointed out that:
   • The DHS budget has doubled since 2019. She said that it was a testament to DHS leadership and trust-building between the agency and communities. 
   • The budget, as introduced, will make sure the state is compliant with the Olmstead consent decrees ensuring people with disabilities have the opportunity to live in the community.
   • The Governor announced a new initiative, Smart Start Illinois to enroll more young children in early care and education programs. Secretary Hou acknowledged the support that was received from Krish Mohip and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Childcare is critically important to working families in Illinois. One pillar includes making sure there is base-level funding for community organizations to flourish, grow, and develop particularly in childcare deserts.
   • The budget proposes an increase in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits for the very poorest families in Illinois.
   • Launching transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary wellness and equity grants for programs focused on coordinating inclusive health, wellness, employment, housing supports, education, and other services to individuals who identify as LGBTQA+. - The budget calls for a $10 million expansion of Comprehensive Community Based Youth Services (CCBYS). Karrie Rueter explained that this money is intended to go toward the changes in the state behavioral health placement process that Dana Weiner has been tasked with putting together. The funding enables CCBYS providers to hold youth in placement longer than the current 48 hours to allow time for state systems and placement options to better transition youth into the appropriate care setting. Andrea Lubelfeld raised a question. She explained that children under 13 years old by law should not be placed in detention. If a child under 13 years old is arrested and not released to their parents, the police department contacts CCBYS for placement. However, there is no placement available for these youth because CCBYS will not take them if they are being considered for detention. She asked if the proposed funding will be used for alternative placement for under 13-year-olds. Ms. Rueter responded that the funding and accompanying legislation being proposed will eliminate the issues between probation, the state's attorney, law enforcement, and CCBYS because those youth will be able to be served by CCBYS directly. Ms. Lubelfeld stated that House Bill 2328, filed by majority leader Representative Robyn Gabel [D] would set the minimum age of detention at 14 years old. She said that the bill, with additional funding, systemic reforms, and behavioral health provisions will break the cycle seen in Redeploy of arrest and detention of young children leading them deeper and deeper into the system. Mr. Velasquez pointed out that in Cook County probation does not direct youth to CCBYS but requires law enforcement to contact a CCBYS agency. He continued that their failure to reach out to CCBYS providers has led to a threefold increase in children under age 13 held in detention in the last year, increasing from 40 to 135.
     Ms. Rueter announced that the FY24 budget for Redeploy is level funding. Ms. Marshall added that an estimation of FY24 funding including expenses related to planning grants, Orbis, evaluations, Illinois Collaboration on Youth (ICOY) support, and DHS staff and support, there is ample funding with healthy reserve to continue Redeploy into the next year.
     Secretary Hou invited Krish Mohip to discuss the proposed Illinois State Board of Education budget. He highlighted three items:
   • Increase in Evidence-Based Funding, a standard to provide funding to programs and practices that are evidence-based, of $350 million to make an impact on school districts. In 2018, approximately 168 districts were below 60% of adequacy. Today, there are two districts below that threshold.
   • Teacher Pipeline Grant allocating $70 million to districts with the highest levels of teacher vacancies with maximum flexibility for the next three years.
   • $75 million investment in early education over the next 4 years.
     Secretary Hou invited Mary Ann Dyar to provide an update on the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority budget. Ms. Dyar noted the agency's growth, including a doubling of staff in the last four years. Current agency efforts are focused on distributing federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to create a more equitable economy in the wake of a pandemic. ICJIA also administers the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) program, funded with 25% of the marijuana sales tax revenue, which has expanded from $70 million last year to over $200 million in SFY24. This money offers all kinds of opportunities for investment in civil and legal aid, reentry, youth development, economic development, and violence prevention. Adult Redeploy Illinois got a bump in the proposed budget from $12 to $13 million.
     Kristen Marshall announced that applications from the Redeploy Sites for FY24 funding will be presented for board approval at the April meeting. In the past, applications have been presented at the June meeting but, she explained that reviewing and approving the applications sooner will assist in the contract process and ensure that they are awarded by July 1st.
3. FY23 Program and Expenditures updates
   1. Redeploy Illinois Expenditures, Commitments, & Number Served
      Erica Hughes reported that sites are on track based on expenditures, commitments, and number served. She noted that some sites are a little low on spending as they fill vacant positions. She pointed out that Macon County is over their baseline for commitments, noting that staff has been in communication about this throughout the fiscal year. At the start of FY23, a new judge was appointed to Juvenile Court and started handing down commitments without engaging with the Macon County site staff. The judge stepped down on January 1st and commitments have decreased. Staff will continue to monitor the situation through the rest of FY23, but it is expected that it will resolve in the next few months. Ms. Hughes pointed out that currently two sites have had zero commitments and one site with one commitment to DJJ this fiscal year. Ms. Dyar asked how the numbers served in this fiscal year compared with last year at the same time. Ms. Hughes responded that overall, the numbers are similar but have gone up a little bit because there are new sites. The new sites are working on building their population. Ms. Hughes reported that the data work group has been reviewing the expenditure/commitment and number served report for ways to better present the data. She said that redesigned reports, highlighting site-specific information over comparative data will be presented at the next RIOB meeting.
   2. FY23 ICOY Expenditures Susie Schoenrock provided a corrected ICOY Expenditures document reflecting monies attributed to the contractual line item that had previously appeared in the consultant line item.
4. Planning Grant Updates
   1. Champaign County Ms. Hughes reported that, since the end of November, Champaign County has seen the appointment of a new chief judge, juvenile judge, public defender, and director of probation. She continued that a lot of work has been done by social services providers to bring the new courtroom stakeholders on board. She attended a meeting on Wednesday, February 15 between Redeploy staff and these individuals to address questions and get things moving forward. She said that the new stakeholders are very receptive to the program. 
   2. Cook County Ms. Marshall indicated that following approval of their Juvenile Redeploy Grant in October, the Cook County Board of Commissioners voted to accept the grant on November 17, 2022, effective December 1, 2022. Cook County Probation and Court Services are working to process subcontracts with Youth Outreach Services and National Youth Advocate Program through the county contracting process. Ms. Lubelfeld asked if there was any further approval needed by the Cook County Board of Commissioners to move forward. Ms. Marshall said she would reach out to Mark Werner in Juvenile Probation to find out. Ms. Lubelfeld affirmed that Redeploy is not intended for children who are currently incarcerated in the Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) but questioned if the funds could be used for youth who are in detention. Ms. Studzinski stated that she was reminded of that when looking at the minutes from the last meeting. In the minutes, Paula Wolff and Avik Das reported that they had clarified for the Chief Judge that the intent of this grant is not to move minors out of the detention center, but that once the program stabilized, that possibility could be explored. Mr. Das confirmed this statement. 
   3. Peoria County Planning Grant Final Report Discussion/Decision Ms. Marshall introduced the team from Peoria County to present their final report. Mark Bronke, Director of Probation and Court Services Jessica Durbin, Chief Juvenile Probation Officer Erika Cornejo, Probation Supervisor Dawn Haskins, Probation Supervisor
      Ms. Durbin thanked Ms. Hughes and the Winnebago, Macon, and Champaign County sites for their support through the planning and preparation process and proceeded to present their request for $373,500.00. They will begin serving 25 youths in the first year while assessing the appropriate length of programming and commitment reduction.
      She continued that staff would include one dedicated Redeploy Officer, a Case Manager employed by an outside agency, two part-time Engagement Specialists employed by the same agency, and a full-time therapist who will work directly with youth on Redeploy to provide immediate needs and eliminate the barrier of a waitlist. Tutoring and mentorship services will be available through a partner agency. The Case Manager will conduct casework and administer the Youth Assessment and Screening Instrument (YASI) while Engagement Specialists provide transportation, and work with service providers and families. The therapist will conduct individual, family, and substance abuse counseling. Peoria Grown will provide vouchers for families to shop at farmer's markets and cooking classes for youth to address food insecurity issues. OctApp will provide an online based application that allows Redeploy Staff to communicate with Redeploy clients easily. Youth are technologically dependent so incorporating technology to engage and communicate with them while in the program helps eliminate barriers often seen with youth on supervision with appointment reminders, journaling, and other interactive functions. Youth self-determine access for caregivers and staff.
      Mr. Velasquez asked for clarification on Juvenile Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT). Ms. Durbin explained that all program staff will be trained in Juvenile MRT to provide group sessions targeting the development of pro-social skills, attitudes, values, and beliefs in alignment with the matrices developed by Redeploy and the services they are providing. MRT is an open group, as opposed to others like Thinking for Change which requires a complete restart of the program after two missed sessions.
      Betsy Clarke asked how youth will get to and from meetings given that transportation is a common barrier to participation. Ms. Durbin answered that Engagement Specialists are there to mitigate any issues and will meet clients in their homes. Additionally, some of the requested funding is allocated to transportation costs like bus passes and prepaid ride-sharing apps. The intention is to meet the youth where they are and make sure that transportation does not become a barrier to participation. Mr. Bronke added that through their partnership with the Peoria Public School District, there is a wraparound center on the south side of Peoria to host groups. That location is within walking distance from schools as opposed to the courts or some other location in downtown Peoria.
      Ms. Studzinski commended the use of language identifying what is elsewhere considered "flex funds" as "family support." Ms. Hughes asked why Peoria County decided to re-apply to be a site for Redeploy. Ms. Durbin responded that shifting to a pay-for-service model so they can lead the grant helps. There were reservations before about using both the Juvenile Risk Assessment (JRA) and YASI. She added that they are looking forward to the Orbis-designed assessment. She said that the introduction of the matrix showed the importance of the program. Redeploy addresses the structural limitations of the role of probation in community involvement. Mr. Bronke continued by saying that before Peoria County was a pass-through grant and now, they will be developing actual partnerships with the community providers. He concluded that partnerships were a driving force in coming back.
      Ms. Hughes noted that Mr. Bronke will be retiring and expressed her thanks for his hard work on Redeploy and in Peoria probation.
      Mr. Das moved for approval of $373,500 to advance Peoria County to Phase Two. John Rekowski seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously. 
5. Orbis Update
   Ms. Marshall shared that Orbis partners are completing the new data collection and assessment tool and presented it to the Evaluation Work Group. They are currently designing a feedback system with currently or formerly justice-involved youth to gather input on assessment content and methods. Orbis and DHS have met with Redeploy Case Managers to discuss adaptations to the tool to best serve youth across a spectrum of racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. Input will be addressed and incorporated into the design efforts of the tool.
6. Redeploy Evaluation Update
   Tracy Senica shared that David Robinson of Orbis joined the Evaluation Work Group Meeting on February 7, 2023, to discuss the finalization of the new tool with a tentative launch in July. The goal of the redesign of YASI is to align the tool with the Redeploy matrix to focus on strengths, shifting away from risks and needs to assess success based on outcomes beyond recidivism. Ms. Senica continued by saying that the discussion focused on the language to be used, the relevance of including legal history, and responsivity factors such as motivation level and world outlook. She continued explaining that the new domains for the assessment will incorporate all areas of the matrix: Domain Redeploy IL Core Service Area (Matrix) Social Permanent Connections/Relationships Civic Engagement Self-Development Education Life Skills Health and Wellness Health/Wellness Safety Ms. Senica finished by explaining that the next Evaluation Work Group meeting was set for the week of February 20, 2023, and will focus on how YASI complements JRA and a beginning discussion on what would be required of ICJIA for the evaluation.
7. Redeploy Focus Update
   Ms. Schoenrock provided an update on the return of Redeploy Focus. ICOY has moved forward in creating the procedures and products discussed. Five areas of concentration include:
   1. Outreach/Promotion
   2. County Referral Process
   3. Submitting/Receiving Funding Requests
   4. ICOY Contracting Process
   5. Committee Reviews
      Within these areas, ICOY has been creating promotional materials and process documents to share with probation departments and post on the Redeploy website.
      ICOY will meet with Dan Hunt the week of February 20, 2023, to discuss the process and communication needs for probation and how to best encourage Chief Managing Officers to use Focus in their jurisdictions.
      Ms. Schoenrock and Ms. Hughes will attend the Illinois Probation and Court Services Association Conference in April to present on the Redeploy Illinois and Focus program. Additionally, Ms. Schoenrock is conducting internal meetings with the ICOY CEO and Program Officer to discuss and standardize the contracting process ahead of any outreach.
      John Johnson stated that he will be meeting with Boone County on February 21, 2023, and would like information and guidance to explain the process and ensure smooth onboarding. Ms. Schoenrock will share the draft Fact Sheet and link to the website with more information following this meeting.
      Ms. Studzinski reminded the group that John Rekowski and Colleen Sheehan have had articles published based on the annual report and wondered if, when materials are in place, they would be open to writing about Focus. Mr. Rekowski agreed.
      Secretary Hou announced her departure from the meeting and transferred the chair to Ms. Studzinski to continue. 
8. RIOB Planning Meeting Discussion
   Ms. Marshall shared results from a poll to the RIOB members regarding preferences for in- person or virtual planning meetings and educational topics. The poll found that the board prefers a virtual planning meeting, addressing sites with zero commitments as well as the commitment reduction requirement.
   Ms. Studzinski proposed attaching a planning meeting to the June 2023 RIOB meeting to discuss what happens when a site reaches zero commitments and what happens when they go from zero commitments to one or two.
   Ms. Lubelfeld asked why zero commitments are considered problematic. Ms. Hughes explained that sites become Established Sites after five years of successful reduction in commitments. Once a site is designated as an Established Site, it has a rolling baseline determined by the average number of commitments over the previous three years. Maintenance of zero, one, or two commitment baselines can be challenging. Not meeting the baseline by statute requires a fine and in past years has resulted in reductions in grant funding to avoid fines. This has not happened in over a decade. Ms. Studzinski stated that she does not want a site with zero commitments over three years, afraid of repercussions for even the lowest possible increase in their number of commitments.
   Heidi Mueller shared that two of her interns from the Department of Juvenile Justice, Monnee and Taiwan, were attending the meeting and had questions for the board. Monnee asked what sorts of opportunities have been discussed in RIOB meetings to make available to youth in the community. Ms. Hughes responded explaining that Redeploy is intended to put youth and families in a position to be successful beyond the scope of the program by looking at individuals holistically rather than defining youth by the crime that they commit. Meeting the immediate needs of the family the youth is a part of is the first step and can often include stabilizing factors like ensuring utilities are turned on, food is available, and youth have a bed to sleep on. Programs work directly with youth and families so they can decide what they need to be successful including how they may choose to be creative or professional.
   Taiwan expressed his appreciation for the forethought to consider different types of communication styles of individuals.
   Ms. Dyar suggested connecting Monnee and Taiwan with policy leaders and youth to share the language used to describe the program.
9. RIOB Membership Work Group Update
   Mr. Velasquez reported on the work of the Membership Work Group which has focused on three priority areas: recruitment, orientation, and ongoing learning processes. The group has moved forward with onboarding and the creation and preparation of materials including a 51-page manual, a presentation deck for a webinar, and infrastructure for a mentorship program.
   Mr. Velasquez asked for three or four existing board members to consider becoming mentors to welcome and connect with new board members for a period of one year. The purpose would be to create personal contact between new and senior members of the board. He also reminded the board to complete and submit to Ms. Hughes a short biography for inclusion in Member Roster and asked for review, comments, and questions surrounding onboarding materials.
   Future Membership Work Group meetings will shift focus from onboarding to the recruitment priority area in March of 2023 with the goal to fill the six open discretionary positions by January 2024.
10. RIOB Data Work Group Update
    Ms. Studzinski suggested that, since it was close to the scheduled end of the meeting, the Data Work Group update be sent to the members after the meeting.
11. Adjourn
    The meeting adjourned at 11:34 am.