A pilot project authorized as part of the Legislature\u2019s response to the state\u2019s troubled child welfare reform effort would be extended under a bill heard by the Health and Human Services Committee Jan. 22.<\/p>\n
Efforts undertaken by the 2012 Legislature to address child welfare reform included returning child welfare case management to the state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) except in the eastern service area (ESA), where the department was allowed to contract for lead agency case management as a pilot project.<\/p>\n
As introduced by Omaha Sen. Bob Krist, LB660 would extend that pilot project, currently under contract with the Nebraska Families Collaborative (NFC).<\/p>\n
Krist offered an amendment to the committee that would allow DHHS to extend the contract before June 30, 2014. The amendment also would require that the pilot project be evaluated to determine whether case management should be returned to DHHS and whether private contractors should be utilized in the case management process.<\/p>\n
Evaluation results would be reported to the committee, DHHS and NFC by Dec. 31, 2014.<\/p>\n
Krist said extending the pilot project would provide stability and continuity to case management in the ESA, which contains approximately 40 percent of the child welfare cases in the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t afford any more destabilizing efforts,\u201d Krist said.<\/p>\n
Lawrence Kelley, an ESA foster parent for over 10 years, testified in support of the bill. Kelley said the more than 100 children he and his wife have cared for in that time have suffered from continued disruptions in the child welfare system.<\/p>\n
\u201cStability is the greatest gift we can offer a child while they are in care,\u201d Kelley said. \u201cTheir world is already rocked when they come into care; they\u2019ve lost everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sara Forrest of Voices for Children in Nebraska also supported the bill, saying continued evaluation of service provision in the ESA will assist with ongoing reforms in the system.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need the best information to make those improvements and decisions,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
William Reay, CEO of OMNI Behavioral Health, testified in opposition, saying he believes the bill violates a constitutional prohibition against special legislation.<\/p>\n
Reay said the state\u2019s \u201congoing favoritism\u201d toward NFC would be perpetuated by LB660.<\/p>\n
\u201cLegislation that benefits a single entity \u2026 is unconstitutional,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Krist said the amended version of the bill would give DHHS the option to extend the pilot project and would not require that the contract be awarded to NFC. As a result, he said, the bill would appear to be constitutional.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe we\u2019re on solid ground with that,\u201d Krist said.<\/p>\n
The committee took no immediate action on the bill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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