Building a New Model for Child Well-Being in Oregon: OPT-In Initiative

Challenge:

• The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) wants to strengthen their efforts to support families without child welfare system involvement whenever possible.
• Two regions in the state have established initiatives to support families who are reported to the hotline but whose situations do not require a child protection response.
• This includes family coaches from ODHS and a community-based organization reaching out to offer support.
• The GPL is working with the Doris Duke Foundation on their Opportunities for Prevention & Transformation Initiative (OPT-In for Families), which focuses on identifying families that may be at higher risk of child protection interactions and then connecting them to voluntary, community-based supports. Oregon is one of the demonstration sites. 

Innovation:

• The GPL analyzed calls that were “screened-out” at the child protection hotline to enable the agency to identify families at higher risk of child welfare involvement that could benefit from community resources. 
• With GPL support, Oregon DHS refined their process for referring families identified at the child protection hotline to community resources. 
• The GPL aided community resource providers in redesigning their data management process so that they are better equipped to track, analyze, and report program outcomes. 
• A GPL-facilitated community of practice allowed community resource providers to share, learn, and workshop together on ways to strengthen outreach and engagement with families.