HomeMy WebLinkAbout991267.tiff RESOLUTION
RE: APPROVE FOUR NOTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AWARDS FOR
CORE SERVICES FUNDS AND AUTHORIZE CHAIR TO SIGN -ACKERMAN AND
ASSOCIATES, P.C.
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, pursuant to
Colorado statute and the Weld County Home Rule Charter, is vested with the authority of
administering the affairs of Weld County, Colorado, and
WHEREAS, the Board has been presented with four Notification of Financial Assistance
Awards for Core Services Funds between the County of Weld, State of Colorado, by and
through the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, on behalf of the Department of
Social Services, and Ackerman and Associates, P.C., commencing June 1, 1999, and ending
May 31, 2000, with further terms and conditions being as stated in said awards, and
WHEREAS, after review, the Board deems it advisable to approve said awards, copies
of which are attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of
Weld County, Colorado, ex-officio Board of Social Services, that the four Notification of
Financial Assistance Awards for Core Services Funds between the County of Weld, State of
Colorado, by and through the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, on behalf of the
Department of Social Services, and Ackerman and Associates, P.C., be, and hereby is,
approved.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Board that the Chair be, and hereby is. authorized
to sign said awards. .
The above and foregoing Resolution was, on motion duly made and seconded, adopted
by the following vote on the 2nd day of June, A.D., 1999, nunc pro tunc June 1, 1999.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
LD COUNTY, CO RADO
ATTEST: LV �� f' �� „..._
���i%��'= F a Dale K. Hall, Chair
cr Weld County Clerk to the ar'
icci A\,, ..� XCUSED DATE OF SIGNING (AYE)
ff }h; _
��. arbara J. Kirkmeyer, Pro-Tem
BY: 7,.' '�;2: , w . ,,� ' i
e XCUSED ATE OF SIGNING (AYE
)
Clerk to the Bo�( O/�, nt � ( )
NI George Baxter
,PfskOV � -�:TO FORM:
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oum Attorney p7j� 1/4,�
Glenn V
991267
OC- . D SS0026
144tAttd DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
PO BOX A
IGREELEY, CO 80632
Administration and Public Assistance (970) 352-1551
C. Child Support es (970) 352-6933
1
Protective and Youth Services (970)352-1923
COLORADO MEMORANDUM
TO: Dale K. Hall, Chair Date: May 24, 1999
Board of County Commissioners
FR: Judy A. Griego, Director, and Social Service ,t 0quit.
11 b
RE: Core Services Notification of Financial Assista c Awards
between the Weld County Department of Socia Services
and Ackerman and Associates, P.C.
Enclosed for Board approval is Core Services Notification of Financial Assistance
Awards (NOFFAs) between the Weld County Department of Social Services and
Ackerman and Associates, P.C. The purposes of the NOFAAs are to conclude our
Request for Proposal Process for vendors under the Core Services Funds. The Families,
Youth, and Children (FYC) Commission has recommended approval of the NOFAAs.
1. The terms of the NOFAAs are from June 1, 1999 through May 31, 2000.
2. The source of funds is Core Services, Family Issues Cash Fund. Social Services
agrees to pay Ackerman and Associates unit costs as outlined in this Memorandum.
3. Ackerman and Associates will provide four programs to families and children in need
of child protection services as follows:
A. Home-Based Intensive Family Intervention Program— Option B:
1) Description: The program is an intensive home-based intervention
program. A maximum of 60 families will be served an average of three
hours per week of in-home services for a 20-week period. Follow-up
services are provided at six and twelve month intervals
2) Cost Per Unit of Service: $97.50 an hour.
B. Intensive Family Therapy - Mediation:
1) Description: The mediation program will serve a maximum of 36
families per year in three two-hour sessions with two mediators at each
session. The final mediation session will result in a written contractual
agreement between the family members concerning the child.
2) Cost Per Unit of Service: $195.00 an hour.
C. Intensive Family Therapy—Family Group Decision Making:
14
991267
1) Description: The program will serve a maximum of 60 families per year
in a mediation conference. The program involves extensive planning with
the nuclear family of the child, coordination with all the professionals
involved in the case, and consultation with individual members of the
extended family.
2) Cost Per Unit of Service: $1,875.00 per conference.
D. Intensive Family Therapy—Goal Achievement Program:
1) Description: The program is a short-term intensive family therapy
program for a maximum of 36 families for a two-month period. The
family is involved in an average of two hours weekly in solution-focused
treatment.
2) Cost Per Unit of Service: $97.50 an hour.
If you have any questions, please telephone me at extension 6510.
Weld County Department of Social Services
Notification of Financial Assistance Award
for Families,Youth and Children Commission (Core) Funds
Type of Action Contract Award No.
X Initial Award FY99-PAC-18000
Revision (RFP-FYC-99010)
Contract Award Period Name and Address of Contractor
Beginning 06/01/1999 and Ackerman and Associates, P.C.-Option B
Ending 05/31/2000 1750 25th Avenue, Suite 101
Greeley, CO 80631
Computation of Awards Description
Unit of Service The issuance of the Notification of Financial Assistance
Award is based upon your Request for Proposal (RFT).
Service to a maximum of 60 families. The service offers The RFP specifies the scope of services and conditions
a range, on average, of three hours per week of in-home of award. Except where it is in conflict with this
services for a 20-week period,plus follow-up at six and NOFAA in which case the NOFAA governs, the RFP
12 months. upon which this award is based is an integral part of the
action.
Cyst Per Unit of Service
Special conditions
Hourly Rate Per $ 97.50
Unit of Service Based on Approved Plan 1) Reimbursement for the Unit of Services will be based
on an hourly rate per child or per family.
Enclosyres: 2) The hourly rate will be paid for only direct face to face
Signed RFP:Exhibit A contact with the child and/or family, as evidenced by
1/Supplemental Narrative to RFP: Exhibit B client-signed verification form, and as specified in the
IvRecommendation(s) unit of cost computation.
3) Unit of service costs cannot exceed the hourly and
1/Conditions of Approval
yearly cost per child and/or family.
4) Payment will only be remitted on cases open with, and
referrals made by the Weld County Department of
Social Services.
5) Requests for payment must be an original submitted to
the Weld County Department of Social Services by the
end of the 25i° calendar day following the end of the
month of service. The provider must submit requests
for payment on forms approved by Weld County
Department of Social Services.
Appr als: Program Official:
I
By` By
Dale K. Hall, Chair Judy Grieg Director
Board of Weld County Commissioners Weld ounty Department of Social Services
Date: eifr 9 Date:
99/_2 � 7 >
INVITATION TO BID
DATE: February 26, 1999 BID NO: RFP-FYC-99010
RETURN BID TO: Pat Persichino, Director of General Services
915 10th Street, P.O. Box 758, Greeley, CO 80632
SUMMARY
Request for Proposal (RFP-FYC-99010) for: Family Preservation Program--Home Based Intensive V
Family Intervention Program Family Issues Cash Fund or
Family Preservation Program Funds
Deadline: March 23, 1999, Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.
The Families, Youth and Children Commission, an advisory commission to the Weld County Department of
Social Services, announces that competing applications will be accepted for approved vendors pursuant to the
Board of Weld County Commissioners' authority under the Statewide Family Preservation Program (C.R.S.
26-5.5-101) and Emergency Assistance for Families with Children at Imminent Risk of Out-of-Home
Placement (C.R.S. 26-5.3-101). The Families, Youth and Children Commission wishes to approve services
targeted to run from June 1, 1999, through May 31, 2000, at specific rates for different types of service. The
County will authorize approved vendors and rates for services only. The Home Based Intensive Family
Intervention Program is a family strength focused home-based services to families in crisis which are time
limited, phased in intensity, and produce positive change which protects children, prevents or ends placement,
and preserves families. This program announcement consists of five parts, as follows:
PART A...Administrative Information PART D...Bidder Response Format
PART B...Background, Overview and Goals PART E...Bid Evaluation Process
PART C...Statement of Work
Delivery Date f t /ll[arc% 19•9
(After receipt of order) B ST BE SIGNED IN INK
k ap t Acke /my, bet) .
TYPED OR PRINTED SIGNATURE
ke n-r( L �--/VENDOR G �I'hr.� SSG'c C
(Name) Han writ en Signature By Authorized
Officer or Agent of Vender
ADDRESS / � 5-0 9—ft* g0 7 �C�� TITLE Pre S t G'
0(✓ 31 DATE :)O i(f_
PHONE # t )o 3' T - 3D3
The above bid is subject to Terms and Conditions as attached hereto and incorporated.
Page 1 of 35
RFP-FYC-99010 Attached A
HOME BASED INTENSIVE FAMILY INTERVENTION PROGRAM BID PROPOSAL AND
REQUEST FOR CONTINUATION OF AWARD UNDER FPP CORE SERVICES FUNDING
FAMILY PRESERVATION PROGRAM
1999/2000 BID PROPOSAL APPLICATION
PROGRAM FUNDS YEAR 1999-2000
/p n
BID#RFP-FYC-99010
NAME OF AGENCY: C "��An L�` /(�l S S O G + s� / .� p
L .
ADDRESS: / ) C 0 4-yf f fi-to-e_ st f of G,-Qe (pc r 6 -s i
PHONE: ( `/)0) 3 S3- 3373
CONTACT PERSON: V D Y C e S/W le r A k/n e°{P TITLE: fires t ` r
DESCRIPTION OF FAMILY/PRESERVATION PROGRAM CATEGORY: The Home Based Intensive Family Intervention
Program is a family strength focused home-based services to families in crisis which are time limited,phased intensity_and
produce positive change which protects children prevents or ends placement and preserves families.
12-Month approximate Project Dates: _ 12-month contract with actual time lines of:
Start June 1. 1999 Start
End May 31 2000 End /�
TITLE OF PROJECT: AC /Yl.c - c / /7SSG C_[_-C. . got. o'/ Di-1,j
/-X.i ' '�"�"lC)Nam andVSignature of Person Preparing Document Date
%tt
ignature Chief Administrative Officer Ap)plicant Agency Date
MANDATORY PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
For both new bids and renewal bids,please initial to indicate that the following required sections are included in this Proposal for
Bid.For renewal bids,please indicate which of the required sections have not changed from Program Fund Year 1998-1999 to
Program Fund year 1999-2000. fie/ C" f (,rte, Sc 6,,hA .L- Ire 4 (779 A,„--
Indicate No Change from FY 1998-1999
/ Project Description - ?Le Chrtc A., ..
Target/Eligibility Populations T*'t fit.
&� -
7 Types of services Provided c teJ L
/- Measurable Outcomes _ �t rk' /1..0cP, z_
/ Service Objectives pr�T„ 0 � �- O
/ Workload Standards /� IH7 '
3 Staff Qualifications liFF-�'°'�i �et- �9iY
Unit of Service Rate Computation I rA et-52-- �fi''�"-
-7 Program Capacity per Month '- C " re D1 St cit..
•
✓ Certificate of Insurance ,
a`P ge29of35
2-I ( X74/
RFP-FYC-99010 Attached A
Date of Meeting(s)with Social Services Division Supervisor: 3 1-- 97
Comments by SDfupervisor "1?-112/64, / ,m
",,,..4.7-A L)C /,...4 --). _ k i
iff__e-Cnictr �P lirte ,
Name and Signature of SSD Supervisor Date
Page 30 of 35
RFP-FYC-99010 Attached A
Program Category Home Based Intensive Family Intervention Program Bid Category
Project Title (�.l Ll�1Ln —nom arrt /Von<
Vendor PG
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Please provide a one page brief description of the project.
• II. TARGET/ELIGIBILITY POPULATIONS
Please provide a one page brief description of the proposed target/eligibility populations. At a
minimum your description must address:
A. Total number of clients to be served.
B. Total individual clients and the children's ages.
C. Total family units.
D. Sub-total of individuals who will receive bicultural/bilingual services.
E. Sub-total of individuals who will receive services in South Weld County.
F. Sub-total of Individuals who will have access to 24 hour service.
G. The monthly maximum program capacity.
H. The monthly average capacity.
I. Average stay in the program(weeks).
J. Average hours per week in the program.
III. TYPE OF SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED
Please provide a two-page description of the types of services to be provided. Please address if your
project will provide the service minimums as follows:
A. Therapeutic Services - includes re-parenting, family therapy, support groups, problem solving,
communication skills, parent-child conflict management, etc.
B. Concrete Services - means concentrated assistance in the development and enhancement of
parenting skills, stress reduction, problem solving, hands-on parenting, budget management,
recreational activities, etc.
C. Collateral Services -teaching families to work with other community agencies such as drug
and alcohol, health care,job training, information and referral, advocacy, etc.
D. Crisis Intervention Services - including in-home counseling and other interventions available on
a 24-hour basis.
Also, provide your quantitative measures as they directly relate to each service. At a minimum,
include a number to be served in each service component. Describe your internal process to assure that
FYC resources will not supplant existing and available services in the community; e.g. mental health
capitation services, ADAD and professional services otherwise funded.
Page 31 of 35
RFP-FYC-99010 Attached A
IV. MEASURABLE OUTCOMES
Please provide a two-page description of your expected measurable outcomes of the project. Please
address the following measurable outcomes:
A. Child remains in home at time case is closed.
B. Improvements in parental competency, parent/child conflict management and household
management competency as measured by pre and post placement functional tests.
C. Children who are currently in their own home will remain in their own home 12 months after
the completion of Home Based Intensive Family Intervention family preservation services.
D. Children currently in long-term placement who are provided reunification Home Based
Intensive Family Intervention services will return to their own home and not reenter out-of-
home placement 12 months after completion of Home Based Intensive Family Intervention
services.
E. Families who receive either family preservation or reunification services will not have a
substantiated abuse or neglect 12 months after completion of Home Based Intensive Family
Intervention services.
F. Cases which receive either family preservation or reunification services by Home Based
Intensive Family Intervention will measure "LOW' on the risk assessment devise at service
closure.
Describe your quantitative measures: Also, describe the methods you will use to measure, evaluate,
and monitor each quantitative measure.
V. SERVICE OBJECTIVES
Please provide a one page description of your expected service objectives and quantitative measures.
Please address, at a minimum, the following ways the project will:
A. Improve Family Conflict Management - Mediation and counseling designed to resolve conflicts
and disagreements between parents and their children contributing to child maltreatment,
running away and other status offenses.
• B. Improve Parental Competency- capacity of parents to maintain sound relationships with their
children and provide care, nutrition, hygiene, discipline, protection, instructions, and
supervision.
C. Improve Household Management Competency - capacity of parents to provide a safe
household environment for their children through competent household cleaning and
maintenance, budgeting and purchasing.
D. Improve Ability to Access Resources - services shall assist parents in learning to obtain help
from other sources in the community and within the local, state, and federal governments.
Describe the methods you will use to measure, evaluate, and monitor each service objective.
Page 32 of 35
RFP-FYC-99010 Attached A
VI. WORKLOAD STANDARDS
Please provide a one page description of the project's work load standards and quantitative measures.
Please address, at a minimum, the following areas:
A. Number of hours per day, week or month. (Minimum intensity of 3 hours per week per
family.)
B. Number of individuals providing the services.
C. Maximum caseload per worker. (Minimum family caseload of 8-10.)
D. Modality of treatment.
E. Total number of hours per day/week/month.
F. Total number of individuals providing these services.
G. The maximum caseload per supervisor.
H. Insurance.
VII. STAFF QUALIFICATIONS
Please provide a one page description of staff qualifications and address, at a minimum, the following:
A. Will your staff who are providing direct services have the minimum qualifications in education
and experience? Describe.
B. Total number of staff available for the project.
C. Will your staff have received mandated new caseworker training?
D. Will your staff have knowledge in risk assessment?
E. Will your staff have completed the required State Home Based Intensive Family Services
training component?
Page 33 of 35
RFP-FYC-99010 Attached A
VIII. COMPUTATION OF DIRECT SERVICE RATE
This form is to be used to provide detailed explanation of the hourly rate your
organization will charge the Core Services Program for the services offered in
this Request for Proposal. This rate may only be used to bill the Weld County
Department of Social Services for direct, face-to-face services provided to
clients referred for these services by the Department. Requests for payment based
on units of service such as telephone calls, no shows, travel time, mileage
reimbursement, preparation, documentation, and other costs not involving direct
face-to-face services will not be honored. Likewise, billings must be for hours
of direct service to the client, regardless of the number of staff involved in
providing those services. Therefore, it is imperative that this rate be
sufficient to cover all costs associated with this client, regardless of the
number of staff involved in providing these services.
(Explanations for these Lines are Provided on the Following Page)
Total Hours of Direct Service per Client Hours [A]
Total Clients to be Served 61O Clients [B]
Total Hours of Direct Service for Year 3 b U D Hours [C]
(Line [A] Multiplied by Line [B]
Cost per Hour of Direct Services $ '5-8 ,5-0 Per Hour [D]
Total Direct Service Costs $ ,Z 1C C C. 00
[E]
(Line [C] Multiplied by Line [D] ) 5-13--/ ro O =
/
Administration Costs Allocable to Program $ ry 3 S C . ctv [F]
H � OOO
Overhead Costs Allocable to Program $ D C' f 3COD [G]
Total Cost, Direct and Allocated, of Program$ #'"3i1 i C C3 [H]
Line [E] Plus Line [F] Plus Line [G] ) - /9. (D c O, ow
Anticipated Profits Contributed by this Program $ 3. SC f 3160 [I]
[I]
Total Costs and Profits to be Covered fl OD
I
by this Program(Line [H] Plus Line [I] ) $ / n, _ [J]
Total Hours of Direct Service for Year V ,O [K]
(Must Equal Line [C] )
Rate per Hour of Direct, Face-to-Face Service
to be Charged to Weld County Department of �J 1 J-0
Social Services $ / _ [L]
Day Treatment Programs Only:
Direct Service House Per Client Per Month [M]
Monthly Direct Service Rate $ [N]
Page 34 of35
Project Description, 1999 - 2000
Option B Home Based Services
Overview: Ackerman and Associates, P.C. proposes to continue to deliver an option
B intensive Home Based program. We have had a very successful first and second
year of operation. Lori Kochevar, an associate with us, conducted a similar program in
the San Luis Valley region, treating approximately one hundred and twenty five cases
over a six year period using this model of services and we have successfully adapted
this experience to the Weld County setting. To date we have treated approximately 60
additional cases here in Weld County. The model presented here is adapted from
these combined experiences. Target families are either facing imminent out of home
placement or the family has a member who has returned from foster placement and
these services are designed to help reunification succeed.
Purpose: We propose to continue to provide home-based services in Weld county
that :
1. are strongly based in the principles of bilingual/ bicultural treatment,
2. are based upon a nationally recognized model for home-based family
preservation called the home builders strategy,
3. continue to be promptly responsive to the needs of Social Services for feedback on
the enrollment of families and the progress of families in the home-based
treatment process,
4. continue to be effective at preventing placement of referred children.
5. place the needs of the child first while simultaneously being valued and appreciated
by caseworkers, social services supervisors and the families that are being served.
Our target for prevention of placement for the past year was 85% which means of the
projected up to 60 families in our program, no more than nine families should have to
ultimately receive placement during the program period.
Design: Our program is designed around the Home Builders model which Lori
Kochevar used in delivery of services in the San Luis Valley. Lori is trained as a
supervisor in this method of home-based intervention. Implementation in Weld County
has been quite successful in the last two years.
Other Considerations: The strength of our staff in this project, in experience, in
bilingual/ bicultural service delivery and in the delivery of home-based services to over
one hundred fifty client families are considerations we think are important for the
reviewers of this proposal.
1
Lori Kochevar has extensive experience in home-based placement prevention/ Home
Based programs. As well, she has extensive training in cultural competency issues.
She was the chair of the multicultural committee of a group called the Youth Coalition
that successfully implemented multicultural trainings throughout the San Luis Valley.
Emily Jaramillo -Bansberg is a bilingual provider from the Greeley community with a
master's degree in counseling. She also self identifies as Hispanic. She has worked in
the Family Recovery Center and in educational support for minority students at UNC
as well as in private practice, including work for Home Based clients in the past year.
Sherri Malloy Ph. D. has brought doctoral level expertise to the program over the past
year. She has considerable early childhood expertise and is the former director of the
Boulder Mental Health Center's children's team.
We seek to continue to be on the list of approved vendors for the provision of these
services.
Target/Eligibility Populations
A. Total number of clients to be served . Five families per month times twelve
months equals sixty families per year. If we assume a family size of six, two adults and
four children, then the total client pool to be served is 360 individuals. That number
includes at least 60 individuals who face either imminent out of home placement or
who need reunification services.
B. Distribution of clients. Total number of clients we will serve is approximately
360 as calculated above. Our experience suggests we would expect approximately
120 of these would be adult members of the family and approximately 240 would be
minors. The age distribution of the index case children would tend toward the younger
children based on our experience with home-based intensive therapy. We estimate
that about one third of the index children would be older than ten with an average age
of about 14 and about two thirds would be under ten. The older group would most
likely be teenagers in conflict with their family. The younger group will consist of
children of no particularly predictable age whose parents are in conflict usually in
relation to instability in the marriage.
C. Families Served. We would anticipate serving up to 60 family units.
D. Sub total who will receive bicultural/bilingual services. As stated above,
Emily Jaramillo -Bansberg is a master's level counselor (who is also Hispanic) who
can provide services in Spanish or English. She will serve one third of the projected
caseload. This represents a maximum of 20 families. Thus, one third of the projected
total will be able to be conducted bilingually. All of the services provided (for a
maximum of 60 families) will be done in a manner which is sensitive to the culture of
origin of the family. Both Lori and Emily have extensive experience in bicultural
2
settings.
E. We can provide services in South County and have done so in the last year. We
anticipate that up to one third of the projected case load or 20 families may reside in
the South County Area.
F Accessibility. On weekdays all providers of Ackerman and Associates are
accessible through a 24 hour answering service and pager system. On weekends,
this 24 hour access reaches the provider on call who is always a licensed Mental
Health Provider. In this program, four additional providers, all licensed psychologists,
will share weekend call. Those psychologists are Laurence Kerrigan, Susan Bromley,
Steven Patrick and Joyce Ackerman, all of Ackerman and Associates P.C. Two
additional providers, Denise Wunderle, Licensed Psychiatric Nurse and Sherri Malloy
Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist are also part of the call team. G. Maximum per
month. The program maximum is five families accepted into the program per month.
This could be increased if there was increased demand.
H. The monthly average capacity is two to five families per month. This could be
increased if there was increased demand.
I. The average stay in the program is three hours per week over an average of a
twenty week period, (sixty hours). For some families the sixty hours of treatment may
be delivered over a longer or shorter period with more services delivered early in the
program and less per week toward the end of the treatment. This is a design where
services are more intense during a crisis and decrease gradually as clinically
appropriate. The average length of stay will be sixty hours.
Types of Services Provided
We will provide the following services to all families in the program. Specific details
which further define these services are in the section of this bid called service
objectives.
Our proposal is based on the Home Builders model summarized below:
The Home Builders model of Home Based Services uses the following strategies to
increase effectiveness with families:
1. An immediate initial response to the crisis is made because people who are
in crisis are often more motivated to change. This has proven to be an excellent
opportunity for client therapist bonding.
3
2. The therapist focuses on the family's presenting problem. This increases the
clients motivation to work on that problem. Clients are perceived in this model as
having the best information about themselves and their lives. Everyone has
strengths, skills and unique cultural experiences. Recognition of these experiences
and respect for the family usually lead to positive working relationships.
3. Services are provided in the client's natural environment to increase accurate
assessment, therapist credibility with the client, and the probability the client
will incorporate the material they learn into daily family activities.
4. The therapist is available on a 24 hour basis to address client concerns. Such
access increases the ability to monitor for potentially dangerous situations and
provide immediate assistance in crisis situations.
5. Home Based Services uses skills based intervention to empower the
client to handle life situations without the help of others. This also lessens the
need for ongoing long term intervention.
6. Provision of concrete services for meeting basic needs is a cornerstone
of this model. Delivery of concrete services is a powerful way to build
relationships with the family. It also helps meet basic need such as food,
clothing, housing and transportation so the family is better able to focus
on new skill acquisition and address emotional difficulties.
The Home Builders model follows established standards for Home Based Services. A
copy of the topic outline for these standards is in the appendix to this document. Our
internal process so that these funds will not duplicate or supplant otherwise funded
services available in the community will be through the referral mechanism we use. If
services are available at a subsidized rate and the client can afford those services,
they will be referred to such a service for treatment.
A. Therapeutic Services: We will provide the following services and document the
delivery of these services using an individualized treatment plan for each family.
The family treatment plan will be developed by combining the concerns identified by
the WCDSS caseworker who fills out the family referral form with a clinical assessment
of the family by the either Lori or Emily or Sherri. Clinically appropriate intervention
strategies will be chosen by the therapist working with the family from the Family
Intervention Modalities Treatment Inventory.
In most families served by this program the following modalities will be utilized
based on the individualized list of identified family needs:
1. Reparenting including emotional support to address those
issues related to the parents' family of origin, and parenting role models.
4
2. Family therapy to address structural and issue related difficulties
the family is experiencing.
3. Support Groups to address couples' communication, alcohol and
drug issues and other issues as identified.
4. Problem solving and negotiation skills to enhance the clients'
interpersonal effectiveness in implementing change.
5. Communications skills to enhance general aspects
of interpersonal effectiveness.
6. Parent child conflict management skills to enhance the parents'
ability to set effective limits for the child in a nurturing manner.
B. Concrete Services: In addition to the therapeutic interventions described above
client families must be able to apply those concepts and skills to their own specific
needs and experiences. They must be able to put these ideals into practice in their
own family. Their ability to do so is what we term concrete skills acquisition. We use the
term concrete skills acquisition to describe the incorporation of behavioral
management practices into the daily life of the family. This is distinct from the functional
aspects of concrete services which are described later.
Progress in this area and in other aspects of treatment will be documented in the
family treatment chart.
Behavioral Components of Concrete Services:
Specific aspects of the family behavior where concrete skill acquisition is
documentable and necessary for family success to either prevent placement or retain
a child who has been returned to the home include:
1. Development/enhancement and maintenance of parenting skills including
nurturing, limit setting and appropriate child management.
2. Stress Reduction and Anger Management Skills.
3. Communications , problem solving and negotiation skills to
enhance interpersonal effectiveness.
4. Practice in hands on parenting skills using a coaching model
to provide feedback, reinforcement and clarification as to
5
appropriate child management skills.
5. Money management including budgeting and resource acquisition.
6. Other activities of daily living including recreational activities related
to enhancing family development, spiritual support, community involvement
and maintenance of physical and emotional well being.
Functional Aspects of Concrete Services
In addition to helping clients learn and use concrete behavioral skills as described
above, many client families need what we term functional concrete skills. These are
skills at meeting the physical needs of daily living. By providing improved access to
the basic needs of daily living the therapist helps provide basic support for the family.
When a family's basic needs for food, shelter and safety are met they better able to
focus on acquisition of skills and on emotional recovery. We will seek to help families
budget so that they can meet basic needs from the list below from within the income
available to them. This allows the family to prioritize within the following categories:
_ Transportation _ Housework/cleaning
_ Financial assistance _ Childcare/babysitting
_ Clothing _ Legal aid
Housing _ Utility benefits or services
_ Food _ Medical/dental services
Client employment _ Furniture/household goods
_ Toys/recreational equipment
C. Collateral Services: Collateral services involve connecting the family with the
services they need in the community. Such services may include
• Drug and Alcohol Services. Such services are available on an intensive
outpatient basis through Ackerman and Associates P.C.. Referrals to other alcohol and
drug treatment programs including Island Grove and Family Recovery Center are
available as well.
• Health Care Referrals are also routinely available in our practice. Referrals to
Sunrise Health Center and The Family Residency program are also available. General
psychiatric services can be provided at our location by James Medelman M.D. P.C.
• Job training referrals are available through the Job Services and through
Vocational Rehabilitation.
• WIRS will be a major resource for information and referral for clients. Lori has
directed an agency similar to United Way in Alamosa and served part time on the staff
of Weld County United Way as Volunteer Resource Coordinator before becoming full
6
time with Ackerman and Associates.
Advocacy and case management are roles for the providers of the home-based
services in that our providers will help the family access services they need and
advocate with them for access to such services.
D. Crisis intervention: Twenty four hour access is assured for the families to reach
the providers. We have secretarial and office staff support at Ackerman and Associates
9-5 Monday through Friday at Ackerman and Associates P.C. We maintain a twenty
four hour, 365 day a year access system through our answering service. All providers
can be reached through pagers by the answering service. In - home services for crisis
intervention are available through this on call system. The Home Based specialists are
on call during the week nights and on weekends we have a rotating call system within
the providers of Ackerman and Associates.
Measurable Outcomes
Measurable outcomes are of two varieties. One type is termed formative outcomes and
the other type is called summative outcomes. Formative outcomes measure how the
program is proceeding while the treatment takes place. Summative outcomes are the
results of the treatment.
In terms of formative measures we have the following:
1. Did the family accept the referral from their caseworker?
2. Did we accept the family to our program?
3. Is the family making progress with the treatment plan
for each component as outlined in the service objectives?
4. Has the family followed through with recommendations and referrals
during the course of treatment?
5. Has the family completed a Family Satisfaction Questionnaire to provide the
Home Based Specialist feedback on the clients perceptions of improvement
and change and to monitor the perceived effectiveness of treatment.
Summative outcomes:
Over the duration of the five month treatment, we determine the following information.
Is the child still in the home? How well are the changes from treatment persisting? This
measures if family behavior is different compared to their behavior before treatment.
Specific summative outcomes are listed below.
A. The child receiving services does not go into placement and remains
at home at the time the case is closed. This will be measured by recording the
7
status of the child at the time the case is closed
B. Improvement In Parental competency and parent child conflict
management will be measured by pre and post clinical assessment. A
narrative which we term the discharge summary of pre and post treatment family
conditions will be constructed based on a review of the treatment when the case is
closed. This narrative will document the therapist's judgement of changes in parental
competency compared to baseline.
C. Children will remain in the home twelve months after the case is
closed. This criterion will be measured at the twelve month follow up contact with the
caseworker.
D. Children who were reunified will still be in the home twelve months
after the case is closed . This criterion will be measured at the twelve month
follow up contact with the caseworker.
E. Treated families will not have a substantiated abuse or neglect twelve
months after the case is closed. This information will be obtained by checking
with the referring caseworker at Social Services at the same time as points C and D
above are assessed.
F. Families will be rated "low" on the risk assessment device at closure of
the case. The providers will rate the family at the time of case closure on
1. adherence and success with the treatment plan,
2. Pre post changes as documented in the discharge summary
3. clinical impression of future success.
As well, other rating instruments in use by social services for monitoring home-based
programs will be completed as requested.
Service objectives
We have the following service objectives:
A. Improvement of family conflict management. The program is specifically
designed to resolve conflicts that either precipitated the likely imminent placement of
the child or which prevent the reunification of the child with the family. The initial goal
of FPS services is to assist the family in finding behavioral solutions to the existing
conflict. Each provider is skilled in family systems work through their participation in
our intensive family mediation program and this program as well as by experience and
training. Other aspects of conflict management include the following areas:
8
Family Therapy
Parent child conflict clarification
Problem solving skills
Negotiation Skills
Communication Skills
Re-parenting /emotional support
Multifamily Communications Group
Intensive Adult Drug and Alcohol Treatment Group
Intensive Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Treatment Group
B. Improved parental competency in this treatment model centers on the parents
developing more age appropriate strategies. In dealing with conflicts with their child
especially with teenagers, the areas of discipline, protection, instruction and
supervision seem most responsive to improvement. With younger children the
treatment gives the parents the opportunity in their own home to practice and to clarify
the roles each parent expects of the other and what is expected of the child. Relative
to expectations concerning child rearing practices and in age appropriate expectations
they can have for the child, this model of home-based care is able to improve parental
performance based on the experience that this staff brings to this proposal. Specific
aspects of these service objective include delivery of services in the following areas
Parenting:
_ Schedule of reinforcement __ _ Active listening skills
_ Charting behaviors "I" statements
_ NaturalAogical consequences _ Problem-solving strategies
_ Time out _ Coaching
Nurturing
Emotional Issues:
_ Anger management _ Use of crisis card
_ Depression management ___ Rational Emotive Therapy concepts
_ Anxiety/confusion management Rational Emotive Therapy techniques
Sell-criticism reduction Recreation
_ Building self-esteem __ _ Relaxation
_ Handling frustration _ Tracking emotions
Impulse management Defusing anger
Interpersonal Skills Training
___ Social skills Appropriate sexual behavior
Problem-solving _ Accepting "No"
_ Negotiation skills Other _
__ _ Giving/accepting feedback
Assertiveness:
9
_ Aggressive v. assertive __ Other
_ Fair fighting
Other Intervention Topics:
_ Use of a journal _ Coordinating treatment plans
_ Encouraging/building hope _ Setting treatment goals/objectives
_ Monitoring client ___ Providing reinforcers
___ Developing academic skills _ Counseling
_ Relationship building _ Deescalating
___ Clarifying family roles _ Values clarification
_ Coping with change _ Providing support/understanding
Child/adolescent development _ Establishing structure/routine
_ Clarifying problem behaviors _ Establishing family rules
_ Defusing crises _ Role playing
_ Reframing _ Providing literature
_ Managing money _ Pursuing leisure activities
_ Managing time _ Job hunting/interviewing
_ Identify client strengths _ Teach parenting skills
C. Improve household safety. One aspect of the treatment plan is associated with
maintaining a safe household environment, adequately cleaned and maintained and
stocked with food and supplies. Service objectives assisting in the acquisition of the
following areas as appropriate to the needs of a family.
_ Transportation ___ Housework/cleaning
_ Financial assistance Childcare/babysitting
_ Clothing Legal aid
Housing _ Utility benefits or services
_ Food _ Medical/dental services
_ Client employment Furniture/household goods
_ Toys/recreational equipment ___ Brokering services
D. The program will provide access to needed services as documented in the
treatment plan for each family. Specific types of referrals may include the following
Referral to counseling Working with schools
Referral to drug/alcohol program _ Referral to social services
Using support groups ___ Implementing court orders
_ Negotiating with utility companies __ _ Coordinating with diversion/probation
_ Recognizing potential suicide ___ Coping with domestic violence
_ Risk assessment
10
Workload Standards
A. The program has a capacity of five families per month with an average of two to
five families per month. The families will receive an average of three hours per week
for twenty weeks with a maximum length of service being five months and a maximum
number of hours per family being sixty. All families will be treated within this framework
regardless of the family composition.
B. We have three providers for this program who will be home based specialists.
They are Lori Kochevar, Emily Jaramillo -Bansberg and Sherri Malloy Gonzales.
Lori Kochevar has a B.A. from the University of Northern Colorado and an M.S. in
counseling psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi. She is a Licensed
Professional Counselor in Colorado. She has extensive experience in Home Based
Services. She is a supervisor in the Home Based Service System.
Emily Jaramillo -Bansberg received her masters in counseling from UNC. Prior to
joining Ackerman and Associates, she had a wide range of work in mental health
including treatment for alcoholic patients and support of minority college students. She
is fluent in Spanish.
Sherri Malloy Gonzales is a licensed psychologist specializing in children. She was
director of the Children's Team at the Boulder Mental Health Center and a new
Associate of Ackerman and Associates who has performed extremely well in the Home
Based program during the past year. All of our staff are highly regarded by the
caseworkers based on feedback we have received from supervisors.
The four psychologists who complete the Staff of Ackerman and Associates serve as
back up and support for the Home Based Specialists and are available on call to
assist them as well as to consult on intervention strategies on an anonymous case
presentation basis. The psychologists are Joyce Ackerman Ed.D., Laurence Kerrigan
Ph.D., Steven Patrick Ph.D. and Susan Bromley Psy.D. Denise Wunderle is a licensed
psychiatric nurse who is also an associate of Ackerman and Associates and who will
assist with medical and psychosocial needs of the family as well as be on call rotation.
C. Of the up to 60 families the caseload is projected at twenty families with each
provider.
D. The modality of treatment is home-based care using our adaptation of the home
builders model. As well, referral and group treatment and support will be offered as
described above.
E. Hours /weeks The total number of therapist hours is 60 per family over twenty
weeks or a total for the budget calculation of 3600 per year based on our projected
average. Maximum capacity is the same as this level. The hourly fee is requested at
11
$97.50 as documented in the rate calculation section.
F. Staff There are three individual providers supported by two secretaries in the
practice, and there are four psychologists and a psychiatric nurse specialist who
provide on call support and back up services.
G. Supervisor- This contract would be supervised by Joyce Shohet Ackerman Ed.D.
who would monitor the project for compliance. Clinical supervision would be by Lori
Kochevar who is trained as a Home Based Services supervisor. The maximum
caseload for each type of supervisor is five families per month.
H. Insurance- Ackerman and Associates P.C. carries one million three million liability
coverage for professional liability on the corporation and its associates and each
associate also carries the same level of coverage individually. In addition, Ackerman
and Associates P.C. carries a general liability policy related to accident or injury on our
premises through Farmer's insurance.
Staff Qualifications
A. All staff members who will be Home Based Specialists exceed the minimum
qualifications needed for this project in both education and experience as described
above.
B. Staff available for the project consist of the three Home Based specialists and
four licensed psychologists and a psychiatric nurse.
C. Current Mandated Training: Lori Kochevar is a supervisor in Home Based
programs. Emily Jaramillo -Bansberg and Sherri Malloy Gonzales both trained under
Lori's supervision in this model.
D. All of the Home Based specialists and all the psychologists have knowledge of risk
assessment and are skilled in the application of that knowledge especially in relation
to the assessment of risk of harm to self or others.
E. Will staff have required state home based training? The exact and current
requirements of this training need to be fully ascertained, but Lori Kochevar should be
up to date. Emily and Sherri have been trained by Lori who is a supervisor in the home
based system.
Unit of service rate computation
We have calculated the unit of service rate based on the instructions . We used 1998
data for our agency
12
Unit of service rate computation
We have calculated the unit of service rate based on the instructions . We used 1998
data for our agency
Using overall figures for the agency we arrived at a figure of $97.50. Overall in 1995
our expense related to providers salaries were that providers salaries were 65 % of
costs and non-providers salaries and overhead were 35% of the costs. The formula
used in the PAC format produces a provider contribution of 49.72 /94.33 or 53% in
1995 and a rate of 54.23/93.99 for 1996 or 58% of costs. In 1998 under this revision
we would be operating at a ratio of 58/97.50 or 59% provider costs and 41% indirect
and support costs.
Our calculation using the format requested is to set payment to the providers at $58.50
per hour with total overhead for the practice being 40% yields a total of $97.50 per
therapist per hour. The estimate of profit from this particular service is less than 5%.
We had submitted this change as of February 1998 for the last quarter of 1998-99, but
that change has not yet been acted upon. We have held all other fees at the 98-99
levels and want to emphasize the importance of raising the fees for home based to be
compatible with our other programs.
The volume of services for the home based program has been substantial and we
anticipate it increasing based on the success and popularity of the program with both
families and caseworkers. This has also increased travel time and other costs not
covered in the face to face fee structure at the current rate of $57.00.
The proposed cost is $97.50 per face to face contact hour. This is consistent with our
operating fees for face to face therapy hour as allowed in other protocols we do with
WCDSS and provides essentially the same provider fees of approximately $60.00 per
contact hour consistent with the goals we set for all contractual relationships for
providers.
Budget Justification
PAC money is tracked through a computer data base system called MediMac which
we have used for the past 48 months. The system allows us to track payments by client
and by source of payment and any payment through the PAC will be tracked in this
manner. No special issues are present related to project audit to our knowledge.
Ackerman and Associates mediation program was audited in a random audit
(conducted by Anderson and Whitney) after its first year of operation with no
deficiencies.
Ackerman and Associates P.C. is a type S professional for profit corporation and not a
501.c.3.
13
Our proposed revised direct service rate based on 1997 fiscal year figures was $
97.50 . Our Rate based on 1996 figures was $93.99 and our rate based on 1995
figures was $94.33 . Our rate based on 1994 figures was $89.22. To date we have
operated at the rate we originally proposed $57.00. The purpose of this major
change is to make the fee for this program equivalent to the other fees we have
calculated are needed by our agency and that are paid for in other programs we have
with WCDSS.
14
Appendix
Problem list for Family Referred by
Weld County Department of Social Services to
Ackerman and Associates P.C. Family Preservation Services
Family Name Address
Phone
Caseworker filling out this form Extension #
Date
The family presents the following concerns or needs
check all appropriate items optional space for brief keywords/description
[ ] Family conflict
[ ] Parenting issue_
[ ] Child abuse
[ ] Child neglect
[ ] Sexual abuselncest
[ ] Alcohol abuse
[ ] Drug abuse
[ ] Criminal/Police records
[ ] Physical/domestic violence
[ ] Divorce/separation issues
[ ] Financial hardship
[ ] Concrete/direct service needs
[ ] Home management issues
[ ] Medical illnesses/disabilities
[ ] Developmental disabilities
[ ] Mental health issues
[ ] Suicidal tendencies
[ ] Past suicides/attempts
[ ] Child behavior problems
[ ] Delinquency
[ ] Truancy/School problems
[ ] Teen pregnancy
[ ] Runaway history
[ ] Other
Thank you for this referral.
Please fax this completed form to
Lori Kochevar, M.S., L.P.C.
Ackerman and Associates P.C. Fax # 353-3374
15
Ackerman and Associates P.C.
Home Based Services Treatment Modality Inventory
Therapeutic services
Home based
Family Therapy
Parent child conflict
Problem solving skills
Negotiation Skills
Communication Skills
Re-parenting /emotional support
Intensive group services ( with Ackerman and Associates PC.)
multifamily communications group
Intensive adult drug and alcohol treatment group
intensive adolescent drug and alcohol treatment group
Concrete intervention services
Behavior Management Approaches:
Parenting:
_ Schedule of reinforcement Active listening skills
_ Charting behaviors "I" statements
_ Natural/logical consequences _ Problem-solving strategies
_ Time out _ coaching
Nurturing
Emotional Issues:
Anger management ___ Use of crisis card
Depression management R.E.T. concepts
_ Anxiety/confusion management R.E.T. techniques
_ Self-criticism reduction ___ Recreation
Building self-esteem _ Relaxation
Handling frustration _ Tracking emotions
_ Impulse management ___ Defusing anger
Interpersonal Skills Training
Social skills ___ Appropriate sexual behavior
Problem-solving _ Accepting "No"
Negotiation skills Other _
_ Giving/accepting feedback
16
Assertiveness:
_ Aggressive v. assertive _ Other
_ Fair fighting
Other Intervention Topics:
_ Use of journal _ Coordinating treatment plans
Encouraging/building hope _ Setting treatment goals/objectives
_ Monitoring client __ _ Providing reinforcers
___ Developing academic skills ___ Counseling
_ Relationship building Deescalating
_ Clarifying family roles _ Values clarification
_ Coping with change _ Providing support/understanding
_ Child/adolescent development Establishing structure/routine
Clarifying problem behaviors Establishing family rules
_ Defusing crises Role playing
_ Reframing Providing literature
_ Managing money _ Pursuing leisure activities
_ Managing time Job hunting/interviewing
___ Identify client strengths _ Teach parenting skills
Concrete Services - Functional aspects of services:
__ Transportation _ Housework/cleaning
_ Financial assistance _ Childcare/babysitting
_ Clothing _ Legal aid
__ _ Housing _ Utility benefits or services
__ _ Food Medical/dental services
_ Client employment _ Furniture/household goods
_ Toys/recreational equipment Brokering services
Access to Community Services
Referrals / Case Management
_ Referral to counseling _ Working with schools
_ Referral to drug/alcohol program Referral to social services
___ Using support groups _ Implementing court orders
_ Negotiating with utility companies _ Coordinating with diversion/probation
_ Recognizing potential suicide _ Coping with domestic violence
___ Risk assessment
17
Branch _fi/A I'ioduce' # _Issue Date RenewalRej Iacement No.
I. 32— A 0002360 05/U8/91
RENEWAL
I'?
PSYCI IOLOGISTS PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY
y CLAIMS-MADE INSURANCE POLICY
I'URCIIASING GROUP POLICY NUMIiNR: 452-0002000
e
E' NOTICE: Till : IS A CLAIMS-MADE POLICY, PLEASE READ THE POLICY CAREFULLY. -
i Item DECLAR , PIONS CERTIFICATE NUMI3IIR: 45P- 2032570
? I. NAMED INSURED: Ai KERMAN AND ASSOCIATES PC
ADORES' 1750 25TH AVENUE
(Number : Street, Town, UPEELEY CO 80631
:r County, Si •ie & Zip No.)
2. POLICY I NRIOD: From 05/01/97 1.30,444"-ii— et/.1:24t1//,/97 e'--c
rot
t' lb US/UI/98 p
(12:01 A.M. Standard Time At Location Of Oesigitated ('remises) SA/,"aoo
3. COVIERA iN: LIMITS OF LIAIlil_TI'Y PREMIUM
I'rolessioi' it Liability $1 ,000,000 $3.000,000 $1,826.00
each Incident Aggregate
k.
- 4. BUSINES' OF THE INSURED: Psychology
5. THE NA1N ED INSURED IS:
( ) Sole I roptietor (including Independent Contractors) ( ) Partnership (X ) Corporation
( ) OTII R:
6. This policy shall only apply to incidents which happen on or after: a) the policy effective
date show' on the Declarations; or b) the effective date of the earliest claims-made policy
f:. issued by I le Company to which this policy is a renewal; or e) the date specified in any
is endorsenn nt hereto. 05/01/92
7. This pulie, is made and accepted subject to the printed conditions of this policy together with
i the provist ms, stipulations and agreements contained in the following form(s) or endorsement(s):
'' PLJ-2008 ( 10/94 ) POE-0004 PLE-2147 PLE-2081
P0N-2003
� CIIICAGO INSURANCE COMPANY
{C 55 E. MONROE STREET, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60603
`i.
,' REPRESI 1TATIVE: Agent or Broker: Kirke-Van Orsdel, Incorporated
Office Address: 1776 West Lakes Parkway
r Town and State: West Des Moines, IA. 50398
i, "Poll-free Number: 1-800-852-9987
i
-
' n Each Associate of Ackerman and Associates carries an - -
LI
INTERSTATE additional 1,000,000/ 3,000,000 personal liability •
} INSURANCE policy in addition to this policy for the corporation.
i4:;, GROUT'
•
mamas®
E,.
P. PLP-2O12 (06/93) • ! .Icc.)
r..' PLP-6003(7/94)(Ed. I ' Fin)
Joyce Shohet Ackerman Ed.D. Susan Bromley, Psy. D.
Licensed Psychologist Licensed Psychologist
Ackerman and Associates, P.C. Ackerman and Associates, P.C.
1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101 1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101
Greeley, Colorado 80631 Greeley, Colorado 80631
(970) 353 - 3373 (970) 353 - 3373
Laurence P. Kerrigan, Ph.D. Lori Kochevar, M.S. L.P.C.
Licensed Psychologist Licensed Professional Counselor
Ackerman and Associates, P.C. Ackerman and Associates, P.C.
1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101 1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101
Greeley, Colorado 80631 Greeley, Colorado 80631
(970) 353 - 3373 (970) 353 • 3373
Emily Jaramillo-Bansberg, M.A.
Therapist Sherri Malloy, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Ackerman and Associates, P.C.
1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101 Ackerman & Associates, P.C.
Greeley, Colorado 80631 1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101
(970) 353 - 3373 Greeley, CO 80631
(970) 353-3373
Steven Patrick, Ph. D. Denise Wunderle, CNS
Licensed Psychologist Clinical Nurse Specialist
Ackerman and Associates, P.C. Ackerman & Associates, PC.
1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101 1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101
Greeley, Colorado 80631 Greeley, CO 80631
(970) 353 - 3373 (970) 353-3373
ECLARAT1ONS ElTRUCK INSURANCE EXCHANGE X❑ FARMERS INSURANCE EXCHANGE E FIRE INSURANCE EXCHANGE
PECIAL ❑
uwus
ENTINEL MEMBERS of FARMERS INSURANCE GROUP OF COMPANIES ,E�4T E►�R
ACKAGE HOME OFFICE:4680 WILSHIRE BLVD.,LOS ANGELES,CALIFORNIA 90010 �` '
UPER
Named . DR JOYCE SHOHET ACKERMAN PC Coouop.
unt
Insured Prematic Acc't No.
Mailing . 1750 25TH AVE SUITE 101
Address . 07-04-362 114576-38-07
GREELEY CO 80631 Agent Policy Number
Type of
he named insured is an individual unless otherwise stated: ❑ Partnership_ ® Corp. Business OFFICE
❑ Joint Venture Organization (Other than Partnership or Joint Venture)
. Policy Period from 07/01/97 (not prior to time applied for)
to 07/01/98 12:01 a.m.Standard Time.
this policy replaces other coverages that end at noon standard time on the same day this policy begins, this policy will N.,t take effect until the other
overage ends. This policy will continue for successive policy periods as follows: If we elect to continue this insurance; we will renew this policy if
ou pay the required renewal premium for each successive policy period subject to our premiums, rules and forms then in effect.
i. Insured location same as mailing address unless otherwise stated: 1750 25TH AVE SUITE 101
Pc /lc,/ LS GREELEY CO 80631
Mortgage Holders ( ,, ,, , t - _ _ _ 7///n . wry/ k /Y/to ,.w-4_ t--- 7////��vo
Loan# Loan# -3/v--0/9q
i. Premium$ 492.00 ❑ "X"if Mortgage Holder Pays
Policy Forms and Endorsements attached at inception: E0079-ED1 E6040-ED2 2521551290 565310-ED2
S0700-ED3 E6036-ED1 E4168-ED1 E4004-ED1 E4216-ED1 E4103-ED2
'. We provide insurance only for those coverages indicated by a specific limit or by an Dil
COVERAGES LIMITS OF INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE
A-Building $ 1250 applies unless other
SECTION 1 B-Business Personal Property $ 50,000 tion indicated,_o)' an®
k1$100❑Sso0 Us
C-Loss of Income (Not exceeding 12 consecutive months) ACTUAL LOSS SUSTAINED NONE
Properly OPTIONAL COVERAGES
and Swimming Pool/Fences and Walkways - $ ,-Dovededuc-$
Loss of Y Building Glass(Blanket) REPLACEMENT COST iible applies $ 100
Income X Outdoor Sign Coverage $ 100 unless other $
Valuable Papers(In addition to$1000 included.) $ .,piton Ind- $
aced
❑ Earthquake Damage See Coverages x
A.B,&C 5.1 the applicable ins. limit.
SECTION II 0-Business Liability-Including Products and Completed LIMITS OF LIABILITY
Operations.(Annual aggregate applies for all occurrences (Annual Aggregate)
during the policy period.) $ 1 ,000,000
Liability E-Fire Legal Liability$75,000 included unless other option indicated by an ❑X
and 0$100.000❑$150,000 each occurrence(Subject to the annual aggreagate shown for Coy. D)
Medicals F-Medical Payments to Others(Subject to the annual aggregate $5,000 each person
shown for Coverage 0.)
Limit of Liability
(Annual Aggregate)
0 Professional Liability(see attached endorsement) $
El-V COVERED DEDUCTIBLE
SECTION III Agreement I-Employee Dishonesty $5,000 NONE
Agreement II-Broad Form Money and Securities-Inside $1,000 $250
Agreement III-Broad Form Money and Securities-Outside $1,000 $250
Crime Agreement IV-Medical Payments $500 each person NONE
Agreement V-Forgery or Alterations $2,500 NONE
/-5309 2-92 2ND EDITION Countersigned
Alithnri'erl Renree.Rntn11Ve
Ackerman and Associates, P. C .
1750 25th Avenue, Suite 101
Greeley, Colorado 80631
(970) 353-3373
fax: (970)353-3374
May 19, 1999
Dave Aldrich
Weld County Department of Social Services
PO Box A
Greeley CO 80632
Dear Dave:
This letter responds to conditions and recommendations set forth in Judy Griego's
memo of May 14, 1999 regarding the results of the RFP bid process in relation to
Ackerman and Associates PC. bids for PY 1999-2000. We accept the
recommendations and conditions set forth.
Specifically:
1. We will arrange for gap services to be available through the WCDSS Fort Lupton
Office.
2. We accept the condition of the $195 per contact hour for mediation . Please note
that this is a two therapist per contact hour model so that the actual fee per therapist
per hour is as we stated in the proposal. Thus this is a change in how this number is
expressed not a change in the fee.
3. The role of Ackerman and Associates, the family group decision making staff and
the family group conference are explained in detail in the proposal and are
summarized here.
These roles are
a. to receive the referral ,
b. to meet with the caseworker,
c. to develop a genogram of the family.
d. using a sociographic technique to identify participants to be invited to the
conference from extended family and other interested parties.
e. contact potential participants and explain the process and obtain information.
f. contact involved professionals and obtain their input / participation in the
conference.
g. Contact those excluded from the conference or unable to attend and get their views.
h. set a time and place for the conference.
i. facilitate the FGDM conference to produce a written safety plan
j. prepare the written plan for distribution to family. parents, caseworker and the court.
k. Submit charges for payment per the payment mechanisms established for the
expedited permanency FGDM contract PY 99-CPS-5 which parallels this service for
non expedited cases.
4. We will continue to account for staff time to maintain coverage. In the last year one
provider got married and another had a baby. Both circumstances were covered fully.
One provider ended her relationship with Ackerman and Associates and two new
providers have been retained to expand coverage and to provide full time availability
of services delivered in Spanish. The program functions in a goal driven format set by
the needs of WCDSS. The proposal is not a list of all services delivered to all families
but an outline of the types of responses we deliver in any area of need. It is not the
case that all clients need all possible services we can provide.
5. In regard to no services for therapy being for less that 45 minutes duration, we
accept this provision. Note that the FGDM services contain a specific exception as
regard to face to face work and are set at a flat fee in conjunction to PY 99 - CPS -5 in
order to allow all the contact necessary to establish and run the conference. We expect
to continue under this established protocol.
The only other exception is in mediation where there is a meeting at one month after
the agreement is reached. This meeting is one half hour in length with two therapists
and is charged at $97.50. This is the same format that has been used since the
inception of this model in 1994.
Please contact Joyce Ackerman if there are any questions or concerns. We look
forward to working with WCDSS in these diverse and important programs for 1999-
2000.
Sincerely,
Alan Ackerman Ph.D.
Treasurer
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
PO BOX A
GREELEY, CO 80632
Administration and Public Assistance(970)352-1551
Child Support(970)352-6933
o Protective and Youth Services(970)352-1923
•
COLORADO May 14, 1999
Ms. Joyce Ackerman, Ed. D.
Ackerman and Associates, P.C.
1750 25 Avenue Suite 101
Greeley CO 80631
Re: RFP 99008 (GAP) Intensive Family Therapy
RFP 99008 (Mediation) Intensive Family Therapy
RFP 99008 (Family Group Decision Making) Intensive Family Therapy
RFP 99010 Option B
Dear Ms. Ackerman:
The purpose of this letter is to outline the results of the RFP Bid process for PY1999-2000 and to
request written information or confirmation from you by May 20, 1999.
A. Results of the RFP Bid Process for PY1999-2000
On April 7, 1999, the Families, Youth and Children (FYC) Commission approved the
RFP(s) listed above for inclusion on our vendor list. The FYC Commission attached the
following recommendations and/or conditions regarding your RFP bid(s).
1. RFP 99008, Intensive Family Therapy (GAP):
Recommendation: Ackerman and Associates provide services to South County.
This may be arranged through the Weld County Department of Social Services
Fort Lupton Office.
Condition: Payment will be denied to Intensive Family Therapy providers for any
charge submitted for therapy 45 minutes or less unless cleared by explanation and
approved by the program area supervisor.
2. RFP 99008, Intensive Family Therapy (Mediation):
Condition: (a) The hourly rate on the Notice of Financial Assistance Award shall
read $195 per hour. (b) Payment will be denied to Intensive Family Therapy
providers for any charge submitted for therapy 45 minutes or less unless cleared
Page 2
Ackerman and Associates, P.C., May 14, 1999
RFP 99008, IFT (GAP); RFP 99008, 1FT (Mediation), RFP 99008 (FGDM), RFP 99010, Opt. B
by explanation and approved by the program area supervisor.
3. RFP 99008 Intensive Family Therapy(Family Group Decision Making):
Recommendation: Define the role of Ackerman and Associates, P.C., Family
Group Decision Making staff, and the role of the Family Group Decision Making
conference.
Condition: Payment will be denied to Intensive Family Therapy providers
for any charge submitted for therapy 45 minutes or less unless cleared by
explanation and approved by the program area supervisor.
4. RFP, Option B:
Recommendations: (a) Account for staff on leave and continue to provide service
to the client; (b) The program needs to be goal oriented. The program should
address the specific needs identified by the caseworker rather than addressing all
problems of the client.
B. Required Response by RFP Bidders Concerning FYC Commission
Recommendations and Conditions.
The Weld County Department of Social Services is requesting your written response to
the FYC Commission's recommendations and conditions. Please respond in writing to
David Aldridge, Weld County Department of Social Services, P.O. Box A, Greeley, CO,
80632, by May 20, 1999, close of business, as follows:
1. FYC Commission Recommendations:
You are requested to review the FYC Commission recommendations and to:
a. accept the recommendation(s) as written by the FYC Commission; or
b. request alternatives to the FYC Commission's recommendation(s); or
c. not accept the recommendation(s) of the FYC Commission.
Please provide in writing how you will incorporate the recommendation(s) into
your bid. If you do not accept the recommendation, please provide written
reasons why. All approved recommendations under the NOFAA will be
monitored and evaluated by the FYC Commission.
Page 3
Ackerman and Associates, P.C., May 14, 1999
RFP 99008, IFT (GAP); RFP 99008,IFT (Mediation), RFP 99008 (FGDM), RFP 99010, Opt. B
2. FYC Commission Conditions:
All conditions will be incorporated as part of your RFP Bid and Notification of
Financial Assistance Award (NOFAA). If you do not accept the condition(s),
you will not be authorized as a vendor unless your mitigating circumstances are
accepted by the FYC Commission and the Weld County Department of Social
Services. If you do not accept the condition, you must provide in writing reasons
why. A meeting will be arranged to discuss your response. Your response to the
above conditions will be incorporated in the RFP Bid and Notification of
Financial Assistance Award.
If you wish to arrange a meeting to discuss the above conditions and/or recommendations, please
do so through Elaine Furister, 352.1551, extension 6295, and one will be arranged prior to May
20, 1999.
Sincerely,
a
J y A. ego, Di ctor
cc: Mike Hoover, Chair, FYC Commission
David Aldridge, Social Service Manager II
JG:ef
Weld County Department of Social Services
Notification of Financial Assistance Award
for Families,Youth and Children Commission (Core) Funds
Type of Action Contract Award No.
X Initial Award FY99-PAC-4000
Revision (RFP-FYC-99008)
Contract Award Period Name and Address of Contractor
Beginning 06/01/1999 and Ackerman and Associates P.C.
Ending 05/31/2000 Intensive Family Therapy - Mediation
1750 25th Avenue, Suite 101
Greeley, CO 80631
Computation of Awards Description
Unit of Service The issuance of the Notification of Financial Assistance
The mediation consists of two-three families per Award is based upon your Request for Proposal (RFP).
month (36 per year), three two-hour sessions with The RFP specifies the scope of services and conditions
two mediators at each session. The first session of award. Except where it is in conflict with this
consists of establishing the setting for mediation NOFAA in which case the NOFAA governs, the RFP
and the second session consists in large part of upon which this award is based is an integral part of the
mediation of short term solution focused goals action.
between the family members, and the final
mediation session in establishing a written Special conditions
contractual agreement between the family
members as to what they will do. 1) Reimbursement for the Unit of Services will be based
Cost Per Unit of Service on an hourly rate per child or per family.
Hourly Rate Per $ 195.00 2) The hourly rate will be paid for only direct face to face
Unit of Service Based on Approved Plan contact with the child and/or family as evidenced by
client-signed verification form, and as specified in the
Enclosures: unit of cost computation.
Signed RFP:Exhibit A 3) Unit of service costs cannot exceed the hourly and
✓Supplemental Narrative to RFP: Exhibit B yearly cost per child and/or family.
Recommendation(s) 4) Rates will only be remitted on cases open with, and
referrals made by the Weld County Department of
Conditions of Approval
Social Services.
5) Requests for payment must be an original and submitted
to the Weld County Department of Social Services by
the end of the 25th calendar day following the end of
the month of service. The provider must submit
requests for payment on forms approved by Weld
County Department of Social Services.
A vals: Program Official:
By By —
Dale K. Hall, Chair Judy . Grie , Direc r
Board of Weld County Commissioners Wel Cop ty Depa
rtment of Social Services
Date: f%G/i� 3/99 Date: _Ora y
INVITATION TO BID
DATE: February 26, 1999 BID NO: RFP-FYC-99008 °�/LI 2 2',J-S
RETURN BID TO: Pat Persichino, Director of General Services
915 10th Street, P.O. Box 758, Greeley, CO 80632
SUMMARY
Request for Proposal (RFP-FYC-99008) for: Family Preservation Program--IntensiveYamily Therapy
Program Family Issues Cash Fund or Family Preservation
Program Funds
Deadline: March 23, 1999, Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.
The Placement Alternatives Commission, an advisory commission to the Weld County Department of Social
Services, announces that competing applications will be accepted for approved vendors pursuant to the Board
of Weld County Commissioners authority under the Statewide Family Preservation Program(C.R.S. 26-5.5-
101) and Emergency Assistance for Families with Children at Imminent Risk of Out-of-Home Placement
(C.R.S. 26-5.3-101). The Placement Alternatives Commission wishes to approve services targeted to run
from June 1, 1999, through May 31, 2000, at specific rates for different types of service, the County will
authorize approved vendors and rates for services only. The Intensive Family Therapy Program must provide
for therapeutic intervention through one or more qualified family therapists, typically with all family members,
to improve family communication, function, and relationships. This program announcement consists of five
parts, as follows:
PART A...Administrative Information PART D...Bidder Response Format
PART B...Background, Overview and Goals PART E...Bid Evaluation Process
PART C...Statement of Work
Delivery Date Mp,,ae- 2� Marc/ (r f7
(After rece f of order) B MUST BE SIGNED IN INK
oyc-e SkokeT ado rma„ Ed t
TYPED OR PRINTED SIGNATURE
Q � fin[ ,N
VENDOR IttvK-e�mn av—.( Asou
(Name) Hand 'tt4n Signature By Authorized
�1
r� Officer or Agent of Vender
ADDRESS I �v � #(6/ TITLE , re 31 GQ"st"
-e-e_ Co roCD' / DATE f� l�(Lfc �?J
PHONE # (q 70 3X5
9w-33 3— 33 �3
The above bid is subject to Terms and Conditions as attached hereto and incorporated.
n_.__ I _c,c
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
INTENSIVE FAMILY I IIERAPY PROGRAM BID PROPOSAL
FAMILY PRESERVATION PROGRAM
1999/2000 BID PROPOSAL APPLICATION
PROGRAM FUNDS YEAR 1999-2000
BID tIRFP-FYC-99008
NAME OF AGENCY: cm`' ark Ass SS o-c-ces-ro_c_
ADDRESS: 19 S0 a9-5--c-7‘ O / 6-f
PHONE:j 170 i 3x33393
CONTACT PERSON: 1-
J 1421" r — Ece TITLE: ER
S .
DESCRIPTION OF FAMILY PRESERVATION PROGRAM CATEGORY: The Intensive Family Therapy Program must
provide for therapeutic intervention through one or more qualified family therapists typically with all family members.to
improve family communication.functioning-and relationships
12-Month approximate Project Dates: _ 12-month contract with actual time lines of:
Start June 1. 1999 Start
End May 31. 1999 End
TITLE OF PROJECT: FCc-n-' / V l ia-r C m< SQ T✓t O2_ S 19.9-q- a°
%tt 1NA,L1C=V2'\
-- i9k C a-o ma-k.Q /9 F9
Name and Signature of Person Preparing Document Date
kName d Sii nature Chief Administrative Officer Applicant Agency Date
MANDATORY PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
For both new bids and renewal bids,please initial to indicate that the following required sections are included in this Proposal for
Bid. For renewal bids,please indicate which of the required sections have not changed from Program Fund Year 1998-1999 to
Program Fund Year 1999-2000.
Indicate No Change from FY 1998-1999
V Project Description 71-1, t -r.
Target/Eligibility Populations
Types of services Provided
Measurable Outcomes
Service Objectives
✓ Workload Standards
_L Staff Qualifications
Unit of Service Rate Computation
Program Capacity per Month
Certificate of Insurance
(1-1
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
-------------------------------------
Date of Meeting(s)with Social Services Division Supervisor:
Comments by SSD Superviso :
aki
a4,51„ 3
Name and Signature of SSD Supervisor Date
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
Program Category Intensive Family Therapy Program Bid Category _
Project Title RckA,n,%s F/1 111 e.1-crr,a,:‘ Ptura,.,
Vendor _ Ackern,.,_ w A /9ssou. e.c .
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Please provide a one page brief description of the project.
II. TARGET/ELIGIBILITY POPULATIONS
Please provide a one page brief description of the proposed target/eligibility populations. At a
minimum your description must address:
A. Total number of clients to be served.
B. Total individual clients and the children's ages.
C. Total family units.
D. Sub-total of individuals who will receive bicultural/bilingual services.
E. Sub-total of individuals who will receive services in South Weld County.
F. Sub-total of individuals who will have access to 24 hour services.
G. The monthly maximum program capacity.
H. The monthly average capacity.
I. Average stay in the program(weeks).
J. Average hours per week in the program.
III. TYPE OF SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED
Please provide a two page description of the types of services to be provided. Please address if your
project will provide the service minimums as follows:
A. Comprehensive, diagnostic and treatment planning with the family and other service providers.
B. Therapeutic intervention with flexibility to bring in other services, if needed.
C. Co-facilitated therapeutic services provided by one or more qualified family therapists.
D. Therapy that is designed to resolve conflicts and disagreement within the family, contributing
to child maltreatment, running away, and to the behavior constituting status offenses.
Also, provide your quantitative measures as they directly relate to each service. At a minimum,
include a number to be served in each service component. Describe your internal process to assure that
PAC resources will not supplant existing and available services in the community; e.g. mental health
capitation services, ADAD and professional services otherwise funded.
IV. MEASURABLE OUTCOMES
Please provide a two page description of your expected measurable outcomes of the project. Please
address the measurable outcomes for each area as described below.
A. Children receiving services do not go into placement.
Pane 31 of 1 S
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
B. Families remain intact.
C. Reunification of children with families.
D. Improvements in parental competency, parent/child conflict management as determined or
measured by pre and post placement functional tests.
E. More cost efficient services through the Intensive Family Therapy Program than the placement
of the child.
F. Therapeutic outcomes include fundamental changes in the family functioning and dynamics.
Describe your quantitative measures: Also, describe the methods you will use to measure, evaluate,
and monitor each quantitative measure.
V. SERVICE OBJECTIVES
Please provide a one page description of your expected service objectives and quantitative measures.
Please address, at a minimum, the following ways the project will:
A. Improve Family Conflict Management - Mediation and counseling designed to resolve conflicts
and disagreement within the family contributing to child maltreatment, running away and other
offenses.
B. Improve Parental Competency- capacity of parents to maintain sound relationships with their
children and provide care, nutrition, hygiene, discipline, protection, instructions, and
supervision.
C. Improve Ability to Access Resources - services shall assist parents to work with other sources
in the community and ahead the local, state, and federal governments.
Describe the methods you will use to measure, evaluate, and monitor each service objective.
VI. WORKLOAD STANDARDS
Please provide a one page description of the project's work load standards and quantitative measures.
Please address, at a minimum, the following areas:
A. Number of hours per day, week or month.
B. Number of individuals providing the services.
C. Maximum caseload per worker. (Generally 12 families per worker. Eight to 10 families per
worker if the worker provides case management services to the families on the caseload.)
D. Modality of treatment
E. Total number of hours per day/week/month (Minimum average of two hours of service per
family per week.
F. Total number of individuals providing these services.
G. The maximum caseload per supervisor. (Minimum of 6 workers per supervisor )
H. Insurance.
Page 32 of 35
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
VII. STAFF QUALIFICATIONS
Please provide a one page description of staff qualifications and address, at a minimum, the following:
A. Will your staff who are providing direct services have the minimum qualifications in education
and experience. Describe.
B. Total number of staff available for the project.
C. Will staff have expertise in family therapy as demonstrated by specialized training, workshops
and experience.
D. Will staff have a minimum of eight hours per year of continuing education; i.e. courses,
workshops, and/or review of literature to be documented by county.
E. Will staff have a minimum of one hour per week of clinical supervision provided by someone
with advanced skills in Intensive Family Therapy.
F. Will the clinical supervisor(s)be involved in regular training to keep current in state-of-the-art
counseling modalities and findings.
Pane 33 of 35
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
VIII. COMPUTATION OF DIRECT SERVICE RATE
This form is to be used to provide detailed explanation of the hourly rate your
organization will charge the Core Services Program for the services offered in
this Request for Proposal. This rate may only be used to bill the Weld County
Department of Social Services for direct, face-to-face services provided to
clients referred for these services by the Department. Requests for payment based
on units of service such as telephone calls, no shows, travel time, mileage
reimbursement, preparation, documentation, and other costs not involving direct
face-to-face services will not be honored. Likewise, billings must be for hours
of direct service to the client, regardless of the number of staff involved in
providing those services. Therefore, it is imperative that this rate be
sufficient to cover all costs associated with this client, regardless of the
number of staff involved in providing these services.
(Explanations for these Lines are Provided on the Following Page)
Total Hours of Direct Service per Client 13 Hours [A]
Total Clients to be Served 3(e> Clients [B]
Total Hours of Direct Service for Year ! Coe Hours [C]
(Line (A] Multiplied by Line [B]
Cost per Hour of Direct Services $ • Per� Hour [D]
o
Total Direct Service Costs $ j1 O� / 3 S 0 [E]
(Line [C] Multiplied by Line [D] ) / y/1t
Administration Costs Allocable to Program $ 148 X t5 .ra �.3y [F]
19 P
Overhead Costs Allocable to Program $ YGPX ID. oo ="" 7 GOD [G]
Total Cost, Direct and Allocated, of Program$ N / L G. IV _ [H]
Line [E] Plus Line [F] Plus Line [G] ) /
Anticipated Profits Contributed by this Program $ 3.10 • 468 -1G 38 [I]
Total Costs and Profits to be Covered (J
by this Program(Line [H] Plus Line [I] ) $ Vs t / v [J]
(,(/I p
Total Hours of Direct Service for Year G p [K]
(Must Equal Line [C] )
Rate per Hour of Direct, Face-to-Face Service
to be Charged to Weld County Department of 9 '� S
Social Services
Day Treatment Programs Only:
Direct Service House Per Client Per Month [M]
Monthly Direct Service Rate $ [N)
Paee 34 of 35
Family Mediation Project Description 1999-2000
Overview: Ackerman and Associates P.C. proposes to continue its program of
intensive mediation begun in 1994. We will continue to use the short term mediation
model we created with some minor improvements over our last submission. The
mediation model involves meetings with a family unit whose internal conflicts have
caused them to be imminently at risk. They are either imminently facing out of home
placement or the family has a member in foster placement and the purpose of the
mediation is to reunify that family. Modifications developed over the last year have
involved on a few occasions extending the mediation model to eight hours instead of
six. This was done only when it seems clinically appropriate to achieve a lasting
agreement. This has happened approximately in ten percent of the cases.
Caseworkers are encouraged to explore with us if in any situation they face that meets
PAC Criteria whether mediation could assist them on a case by case basis. With more
than five years of use of this model with WCDSS, we have continued to be impressed
by the responsiveness that families in crisis have had to the opportunity to mediate
their difficulties and in the stability of the results of many of these mediations.
Purpose: The purpose of the mediation is to reach agreement among the family
members on the behavioral changes that are needed within the family. Such changes
have a very clear purpose. That purpose is to either prevent outplacement or to return
the child from outplacement. Our experience in the past four years has demonstrated
a very high success rate with families who have been referred by the caseworkers for
these services. A very high success rate at continuing to avoid outplacement that
persists at least six months after the end of the mediation has also been demonstrated.
Fewer families have been referred for reunification than for avoiding placement.
Reunification has also been very successful. An additional goal for this year is to
increase use of these services for smoothing and speeding the process of
reunification. Overall, the purpose of this request is to continue this program for the
next twelve month period under a renewal bid as permitted by the application rules
Design: The mediation consists of three, two hour sessions with two mediators at
each session. Rarely we extend to eight hours for the mediation if the progress has
been difficult. Typically, the first session consists of establishing the setting for the
mediation. At the first session the family members each present their own viewpoint
concerning the conflicts that have brought them into mediation. What does each
member need changed so that the family either avoids placement or achieves
reunification? The second session consists in large part of mediation of short term
solution focused goals between the family members. It is this second phase that is
sometimes extended when families have difficulty defining agreement areas they can
work on. The final mediation session has involved establishing a written contractual
agreement between the family members as to what they will do to either avoid
placement or achieve reunification. One month after the contract is developed the
family has a short follow up session to ascertain their status and to refer them to
1
additional resources as needed.
Other Considerations: We have had the capacity to serve two or three families per
month in this program. The majority of our referrals have been for adolescents rather
than for young children. We are able to operate at a higher capacity that this limit if the
demand for these services is present. However, it may take a period of a week or two
to schedule above the two family per month target. Within the two family per month
range we expect to continue being able to respond to requests from the caseworker
by the next business day and to contact the family to set up schedules within a few
days of accepting the case.
While maintaining the level of adolescent referral, we would like to continue to make
an enhanced effort to bring the success of the program to the attention to the
caseworkers who serve younger children. A few of the younger child cases are not
appropriate for prevention of immediate outplacement through mediation due to the
need to physically or sexually protect the children. Those children may benefit from
expedited permanency planning usingFfamily Group Decision Making services we
have proposed separately.
However, the short term intensive mediation model described here is also particularly
useful with families of younger children in the area of reunifying families. By the family
members explicitly clarifying their own specific behaviors needed for reunification to
occur, mediation would be expected to shorten the time between placement and
reunification. In the case of impending divorce the family is not reunifying, but
mediation can creating ongoing relationships that preserve the psychological concept
of family. For example we have used the mediation process to work out the details of
open adoptions that preserve the psychological concept of the extended family.
In addition, we document the outcome of the mediation on two separate time points.
One is immediately at the contract signing. The second is at one month after the
contract was completed. By ascertaining success at these discrete times, the project
is very easily evaluated. We can also report a very high level of client satisfaction with
the mediation services they have received under this program.
Target/Eligibility Populations
A. Total number of clients to be served in this twelve month program has been
calculated as follows. Three families per month times twelve months equals thirty six
families per year. If we assume a family size of five, two adults and three children, then
the total client pool to be served is 180 individuals. That number includes at least 36
individuals who face either imminent outplacement or need reunification. Over the past
years, we did about two thirds of our work related to prevention of outplacement.
B. Distribution of clients. Total number of clients we will serve is approximately
180 as calculated above. Our experience suggests we would expect approximately
2
72 of these would be adult members of the family and approximately 108 would be
minors. The age distribution of the children would tend toward the older children
based on our history with Weld County Social Services. We estimate that about 50
would be older than ten with an average age of about 14 and about twenty would be
under ten. The older group would most likely be teenagers in conflict with their family
most often concerning issues related to their maturation into adults. The younger
group will consist of children of no particularly predictable age whose parents are in
conflict usually in relation to instability in the marriage. We prefer to not attempt
mediation in a case of ongoing spouse abuse or sexual abuse. This is because one of
the requirements for mediation to succeed is the ability of the parties to speak without
inherent threat of retribution. However, individual cases should be discussed with us
by the caseworker. We have learned that our initial guarded impression of a case's
potential for success based on the written record has often proved to be pessimistic.
IT appears that where intensive family mediation is concerned, an analysis of the
written record alone occasionally undervalues surprising problem solving strengths of
even very dysfunctional families.
C. Families Served. We would anticipate serving 24 -36 family units. Occasionally,
we find that the family mediation may involve extended family members who might be
considered a separate family unit. For simplicity, we count the referred family as the
family unit. We can increase the number of families served if the need is present.
D. Sub total who will receive biculturalbilinpual services. We have a
Hispanic member of the staff , Emily Jaramillo- Bansberg who is a psychotherapist
fluent in Spanish. One of the mediator's (JSA) doctoral work was on Hispanic
patient's mental health treatment patterns compared to Anglo patients in Weld County.
We anticipate we can serve up to one hundred percent of the total referred in a
bicultural manner and, with the proviso stated below, up to 25% or more in a bilingual
setting.
We can provide bicultural/bilingual services for any family who needs them so long as
there is sufficient English proficiency to conduct the mediation primarily in English with
occasional Spanish translation. We can provide services completely in Spanish for
other types of counseling. However, mediation requires a very high level of fluency on
the part of both mediators for the complete mediation to be conducted in Spanish.
Those families who are strictly monolingual in Spanish may be served by other
modalities within Ackerman and Associates, such as short term solution focused
therapy. To date this has not been a barrier to mediations we have been referred.
E. We can provide services in South County if Social Services can provide a site to
do such work. If that were available, we would schedule several mediations on the
same day. Therefore, we would have to have at least two referrals for mediation in
South County each time we traveled there. Alternatively, we are able to provide
services on every Saturday in our Greeley location for any family. This may assist
South County families in scheduling without interference with work schedules.
3
Perhaps the Department has a small allocation of transportation funds for families that
need them that may apply to this circumstance of needing to come to Greeley for
mediation. To date this mechanism has not been utilized and we would be willing to
examine other possible means of delivering mediations to South County populations.
The families from South County have come to Greeley for these mediations.
F. Accessibility. On weekdays all providers of Ackerman and Associates are
accessible through a 24 hour answering service and pager system. On weekends, this
24 hour access reaches the provider on call all of whom are Ackerman and Associates
providers and all Associates on call are licensed Mental Health providers.
G. Maximum per month. The program maximum is two families per month. This
capacity can be increased by one family per month if the demand is present.
H. The monthly average capacity is two families per month.
I. The average stay in the program is six hours over a three week period (one two
hour session per week). This is followed by a follow up at one month. The case is
closed at the one month follow up. Even though a few cases go to eight hours we do
not expect the average to change as we have had a few cases that complete the
mediation in less than six hours.
Types of Services Provided
We will continue to provide mediation services for referred families using meetings
with the family for two hour periods over a three week period. At the first meeting,
each family member states their viewpoint about the conflict and what they feel needs
to change to avoid placement outside the home or to achieve reunification. The
second and third sessions are when we clarify the various positions taken and
negotiate agreement. These agreements have usually resulted in maintaining the
child in the home environment. Occasionally, the family agrees to avoid involuntary
outplacement by soliciting the voluntary assistance of other family members for a
place for the child to live temporarily.
Every time we have reached agreement we have either prevented outplacement to
foster care or achieved reunification. Historically ,the only failures that have resulted in
this process occur when one party midway into the mediation refuses to participate
further. This has happened twice in about one time in ten mediations. Over the past
year, the program's success rate is again approximately 85- 90% as measured by the
achievement of an effective written agreement to avoid placement or return the child to
the home. Nearly all participants who reach agreement have a very high level of
satisfaction with the mediation process.
4
In terms of the criteria for the PAC process:
A. Comprehensiveness: Mediation does not attempt to provide a comprehensive
assessment or diagnosis of the family in a traditional psychotherapeutic model. It does
allow the family assisted by the mediators to develop a contractual agreement for what
the family must do to either avoid outplacement or achieve reunification. This results in
an outcome, that is a treatment plan the family has a high level of commitment to.
Mediation brings "ownership" of the treatment plan because of the process through
which it was developed. In our experience, 85-90% of the families so far treated have
developed a treatment plan in the form of a contract.
B. Access to other services: The therapeutic interventions that the family specifies
in their contract go back to the caseworker. We have the flexibility to include in the
agreement the family reaches, the services the family feels it needs, to implement their
contractual goals.This is often done in final mediated agreements. The caseworker
can then match up these services with the goals stated. Over the course of the past
four years nearly all the families who reached the contracting stage of the process
avoided out placement or achieved reunification, most on a permanent basis as far as
we know.
C. Co-Facillitation: All mediations are co-facillitated by two therapist/mediators. All
providers are mental health providers in their own categories of Psychology,
Professional Counselor or therapist. Currently five psychologists, a professional
counselor, a therapist and a psychiiatric nurse make up the teams. All the providers
have extensive experience in family therapy. One hundred percent of the 24 - 36
families projected for 98-99 will be treated within a co-facillitated model as has always
been the pattern of practice in this program.
D. Conflict Resolution: The mediations are designed specifically to resolve conflict
within a family unit. Running away, threats of running away and other acting out
behaviors of teenagers are particularly amenable to mediation. Where child
maltreatment is due to neglect rather than active abuse, neglectful behavior has also
been treatable within the mediation model. Spouse Abuse and sexual abuse of a child
are usually not treatable within the framework of the mediation model. However, we
have succeeded in mediations where the adults were separated by a restraining order
and the mediation took place in the presence of an officer of the jail. We expect that
one hundred percent of the clients accepted by the program will fit within this form of
treatment
We intend to provide the types of services described above to 24-36 families in the
99-00 grant year.
5
Measurable outcomes
Measurable outcomes are of two varieties. One type is termed formative outcomes
and the other type is called summative outcomes. Formative outcomes measure how
the program is proceeding while the treatment takes place. Summative outcomes are
the results of the treatment.
In terms of formative measures we have the following...
1. Did the family follow through with the referral from their caseworker?
2. Did the family attend the three mediation sessions.
3. Did the family produce a final contract agreement for preventing placement
or achieving reunification?
4. Did the family attend a one month follow up session?
In our experience we have had an excellent follow through for contacting us (above
90% over the life of the program). This data is based on a comparison of referral
documents received compared to the record of appointments of the family. Nearly all
who we schedule attended a first session. 95% attended a second session. 85-90%
attended the third session and completed contracts. Of those completing contracts, all
complete the one month follow up. The data on attendance and production of
contracts and follow up are from the family's records.
Summative outcomes
At one month after completion of the contract we determine the following information.
Is the child still in the home? How well has the contract been adhered to? This
measures if family behavior is different compared to their behavior before mediation.
The other long term or summative outcomes listed below.
A. The child receiving services does not go into placement. We estimate
that four of five index children referred to the program stay out of placement. The
majority of those placed are from families that do not complete the mediation process.
For those who complete the process we estimate that 95% avoid placement at one
month an that the majority avoid placement on a permanent basis. It would be useful to
evaluate this with all the families that have participated in this process since its
inception in 1994. If funds we available for such an evaluation we would undertake it
and report the results to WCDSS. We expect similar results in our proposed project for
1998-99 for families who negotiate a mediated contract.
B. Families remain intact. The concept of remaining intact has at least two
components. One is does the family remain psychologically intact. Specifically even if
the child is not living at the parents physical residence, the family unit (including the
index child) maintains the psychological goal of staying a family unit. Since 1994 in at
least one case of reunification and a number of cases of avoiding placement, we
found that the families' solution was the index child living with a relative or friend rather
6
than using Social Services placement mechanisms.
Aside from cases described above, nearly all of those who completed mediated
agreements meet the criteria of the family remaining physically intact. Physically intact
means the child remained or returned to the parent's residence based upon the one
month follow up. We expect at least an 80% success rate on these criteria of families
remaining physically intact for families who complete the program in 1998-99. Our
success rate on these criteria over the past four years has been better than 90%
remained physically intact at the one moth visit.
C. Reunification of children with their families. While fewer referrals have been
made to our program for reunification, those referrals have achieved reunification in
all cases based on the one month follow up. In the next year we would collect this data
in the same manner and expect the rate of success to be 80% or better.
D. Improvement in parental competency and parent child conflict
management are expected to occur in all families who complete treatment. The
persistence of these changes can be measured at one month and anecdotal evidence
is that the majority persist much longer than this. We examine the satisfaction level of
the parents with the mediation process and determine the parent's relationship with
the index child at those times. We will measure these criteria by parental self report
and by their reported satisfaction with the mediation process at one month after the
contract is completed.
E. Cost effectiveness. Our mediation program appears quite successful in
preventing outplacement or to assist reunification and these effects last for at least six
months. The cost of one family's treatment (approximately $1,200) could be compared
to the cost for at least six months of foster care at $3000 per month or $15,000. We
would call this the maximum cost effectiveness ratio. In that situation, approximately 12
placement dollars would be spent compared to every one spent on mediation. A
minimum cost effectiveness might be calculated as follows. The mediation process
takes at least three weeks and costs approximately $1,200 at that point. Three weeks
of foster care costs approximately $1,900. a ratio of about 1.6 foster care dollars to
each mediation dollar for even a minimal delay in entering foster care.
Let us consider a third possibility. We will assume a figure between the minimum and
maximum values used above. Such an assumption might be that the child would have
been in placement an average of two months if mediation did not occur. Using that
scenario, the cost of placement would be about $5000 while the cost of mediation
would be about $1,200, a saving using mediation of $3800 dollars. and a cost ratio of
about 4.2 foster care dollars for each mediation dollar spent. These calculations
suggest the cost effectiveness of this program is very substantial. Of course the longer
the child is not in foster placement ( hopefully and presumably permanently) the more
valuable the mediation dollars are in generating savings. We can demonstrate this
high rate of cost effectiveness because we provide a carefully structured time limited
7
intensive service and have a very high success rate with this program..
F Does this program produce fundamental change in family dynamics?
Let's define fundamental changes as those changes that persist to the one month
follow up. We measure based on self reported behaviors and compare to those
behaviors the family agreed to in the contract. Using this method we can measure if
fundamental change has occurred. Using the one month criteria, we set the goal that
75% of the families will have the changes persist to one month. In fact a larger number
than this have reported persistent change at one month. The nature of the change
appears to be in the problem solving styles and skills the families take out of the
mediation experience. The modeling of a successful method of negotiation and
problem solving seems to lower the level of conflict within the home. No one is
suggesting that the mediation solves the families problems. Rather, a method of
conflict minimization and reduced conflict has been apparently acquired by some of
the families who go through the mediation experience.
Service objectives
We have the following service objectives:
A. Improvement of family conflict management. The mediation program is
specifically designed to resolve conflicts that either precipitated the likely imminent
placement of the child or which prevent the reunification of the child with the family. So
long as the conflict does not center specifically on sexual abuse of the child or ongoing
serious physical abuse of a child or spouse, mediation can assist the family in finding
behavioral solutions to the existing conflict. Further, mediation provides a
demonstration to the family that even serious long standing difficulties can be worked
out or at least not precipitated. Mediation should encourage the family members to
work toward a structure in which more open communication can be encouraged.
B. Improved parental competency in this treatment model seems to center on the
parents developing more age appropriate strategies. In dealing with conflicts with their
child especially with teenagers, the areas of discipline, protection, instruction and
supervision seem most responsive to improvement. With younger children the
mediation gives the parents the opportunity in a relatively formal setting to clarify the
roles each parent expects of the other. In their relationship relative to expectations
concerning child rearing practices and in age appropriate expectations they can have
for the child, mediation seems able to improve parental performance.
C. The ability of the family to access resources is enhanced by the mediation
process. When the need for a specific service becomes apparent to the family during
the mediation, that need is written down as an item for the family contract. The strength
of the mediation process is the identification by the family of the resources they need
to gain access to. The contract is sent to Social Services that assists in follow up. We
have a separate program called the GAP program to promote implementation of the
8
goals families make.
The methods used to ascertain if the service objectives are met include the reported
satisfaction level of the families with the mediation process at one month. At one month
we compare how the family reports it is doing to the objectives they set for themselves
in their contracts as well as to the criteria stated in the measurable objectives section
of this document.
Workload Standards
A. The program has a capacity of two families per month. This is approximately
thirteen hours of face to face meetings per month. At each meeting two mediators are
present. This represents 26 hours of therapist time per month or 312 hours of therapist
time per year. At$97.50 per hour (the same as last year) the cost is$30,420. If we
saw 36 families in mediation the maximum cost would be $45,630.
As a historical comparison, in 1994-96 rate our rate was 89.27 per hour and maximum
cost was projected at 27,852. Overall we have had an increase in costs of about nine
percent over five years or an increase in costs of about 1.85% per year over the length
of the projects including the proposed year of 98-99. We propose a zero percent
increase for 1999-2000.
B and C. There are seven licensed providers five psychologists, one professional
counselors and one psychiatric nurse, and a psychotherapist who will provide these
services. Joyce Ackerman who supervises this contract is certified as a mediator. We
reserve the right to add other qualified personnel at future times and notify our
supervisor at WCDSS of these additions to this contract and other PAC contracts.
D. The modality of treatment is an intensive mediation model for conflict resolution.
E. Hours /month The total number of therapist/mediator treatment hours is 26 -39
per month or 312- 468 per year.
F. Staff There are eight individual providers supported by two office staff workers in
the practice
G. Supervisor This contract would be supervised by Joyce Shohet Ackerman Ed.D.
who would monitor the project for compliance.
Staff Qualifications
A. and B. Staff Qualifications Eight staff are available for the project. They exceed
the minimum qualifications specified as documented below The staff are: Joyce
Shohet Ackerman, Ed.D., Licensed Psychologist and mediator; ,Lori Kochevar. M.S.
Licensed Professional Counselor Laurence P Kerrigan Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist;
9
Emily Jaramillo-Bansberg, psychotherapist, Steven Patrick Ph.D., Licensed
Psychologist, Denise Wunderle M.S. R.N., Licensed Psychiatric Nurse Specialist and
Susan Bromley, Psy. D, M.S.W., Licensed Psychologist./ Licensed Social Worker and
Sherri malloy Gonzales, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist.
C. Training The staff has extensive training in family therapy and mediation as
documented by their extensive work experience. Collectively, the eight providers have
practiced in their field for a total of more than 60 years with a range of 2 - more than
30 years and an average length of practice of about 12 years. Resumes are available
if desired.
D. Continuing education As a part of their work, all providers in this private
practice group maintain continuing education programs more than the minimum eight
hours required. They participate in workshops and other activities. These continuing
education requirements arise from other contractual arrangements with managed care
companies and from within their own professional societies.
E. Supervision All licensed providers are independent and not required to have
clinical supervision. Emily Jaramillo Bansberg is in process for licensure as a
professional counselor and is supervised by Sherri Malloy Gonzales, Ph.D in that
process. All the staff have advanced skills in intensive family therapy. The contract
supervisor (JSA) will monitor the specifications made in this proposal.
F. Supervisor continuing education. The supervisor of the project is involved in
ongoing training to keep current with her profession through advanced workshops and
seminars and as a member of the Colorado Council of Mediators and the American
Psychological Association.
Unit of service rate computation
We have calculated the unit of service rate based on the instructions. We used 1998
data for our agency which had eight direct service providers and two secretaries.
Based on last year's rate of $97.50, we have chosen to offer same rate of $97.50 per
hour of face to face therapist time per therapist. This represents a zero percent
increase over the rate established for the last period. This rate provides less than five
percent profit for the corporation.
Budget Justification
Each mediation uses twelve hours of therapist time and the one month follow up uses
one hour. We use the figure of twenty-four evaluations per year to generate the total
face to face hours of the project which equal 312 hours. 312 hours times $97.50
equals $30,420 as the maximum budget for the project. If three families per month
were seen this would be 468 hours and a total of $45, 630. These rates are
reasonable and customary for providers of the level and training assembled in this
10
proposal.
PAC money is tracked through a computer data base system called MediMac which
we have used for the past 48 months. The system allows us to track payments by client
and by source of payment and any payment through the PAC will be tracked in this
manner. No special issues are present related to project audit to our knowledge and a
random independent comprehensive audit of this program has been conducted in a
previous year for which no discrepancies were found.
Ackerman and Associates P.C. is a type S professional corporation and not a 501 .c.3.
11
Branch WA Pi mincer _Issue Date Renewal/Replacement No.
i —32 A 0002360 05/08/91
RENEWAL
l'? PSYCHOLOGISTS PROFESSIONAL. LIABILITY
CLAIMS-MADE INSURANCE POLICY
PURCI IASING GROUP POLICY NUS-IIH:R: 452-0002000
t
NOTICE: TI II : IS A CLAIMS-MADE POLICY, PLEASE READ THE POLICY CAREFULLY.
I Item I IECLAIt .TIOINS CERTIFICATE NUMBER: 45P- 2032570
1. NAMED 19SUREU: AC.KERHAN AND ASSOCIATES PC
ADDRES" 1750 25TH AVENUE
(:- (Number / Street, Town, GREELEY CO 80631
Comity, Si Ee & Lip No.)
�' 2. POLICY I IJUOD: From 05/01/97 To 05/01/98 Gw ,�. t 1 //9y ��
f. (12:01 A.M. Standard Time At Location Of Designated I'remisesr ski/"A"a
E 3. COVERA t1:: LIMITS OF LIABILITY PREMIUM
Profession II Liability $1 ,000,000 $3,000,000 $1,826.00
each Incident Aggregate
t1•- 4. BUSINES' OF THE INSURED: Psychology
5. THE NAN LSD INSURED IS:
( ) Sole I noprietor (including Independent Contractors) ( ) Partnership X
( ) O111 :R: ( ) Corporation
!, 6. This polio shall only apply to incidents which happen on or after: a) the policy effective •
date show, on the Declarations; or b) the effective date of the earliest claims-made policy
issued by , ne Company to which this policy is a renewal; or c) the date specified in any
endorsenu nt hereto. 05/01/92
7. This polin is made and accepted subject to the printed conditions of this policy together with
i the provis iris, stipulations and agreements contained in the following form(s) or endorsement(s):
h PLJ-2008 110/94 ) POE-8004
P0N-2003 PLE 2147 PLE-2081
CI IICAGO INSURANCE COMPANY
55 E. MONROE STREET, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60603
REPRE SI• I FATIVE: Agent or Broker: Kirke-Van Orsdel, Incorporated
Office Address: 1776 West Lakes Parkway
Town and State: West Des Moines, IA. 50398
f, loll-free Number: 1-800-852-9987
ifi<
€?jmormasirm Each Associate of Ackerman and Associates carries an
INTERSTATE 1 ,000,000/ 3,000,000 personal liability
INSURANCE policy in addition to this policy for the corporation.
},•: GROUP
i men •
L.
P PLP-2012 (06/93) I .Icc.)
%; PLP-0003(7/94)(Ed I ,-n(
Joyce Shohet Ackerman Ed.D. Susan Bromley, Psy. D.
Licensed Psychologist Licensed Psychologist
Ackerman and Associates, P.C. Ackerman and Associates, P.C.
1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101 1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101
Greeley, Colorado 80631 Greeley, Colorado 80631
(970) 353 - 3373 (970) 353 - 3373
Laurence P. Kerrigan, Ph.D. Lori Kochevar, M.S. L.P.C.
Licensed Psychologist Licensed Professional Counselor
Ackerman and Associates, P.C. Ackerman and Associates, P.C.
1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101 1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101
Greeley, Colorado 80631 Greeley, Colorado 80631
(970) 353 - 3373 (970) 353 - 3373
Emily Jaramillo-Bansberg, M.A.
Therapist Sherri Malloy, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Ackerman and Associates, P.C.
1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101 Ackerman & Associates, P.C.
Greeley, Colorado 80631 1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101
(970) 353 - 3373 Greeley, CO 80631
(970) 353-3373
Steven Patrick, Ph. D. Denise Wunderle, CNS
Licensed Psychologist Clinical Nurse Specialist
Ackerman and Associates, P.C. Ackerman & Associates, PC.
1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101 1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101
Greeley, Colorado 80631 Greeley, CO 80631
(970) 353 - 3373 (970) 353-3373
ECLARATIONS O TRUCK INSURANCE EXCHANGE E FARMERS INSURANCE EXCHANGE n FIRE INSIu1ANCE EXCHANGE
PECIAL O
ENTINEL
MEMBERS of FARMERS INSURANCE GROUP OF COMPANIES E!i�ui i R
ACKAGE HOME OFFICE:4680 WILSHIRE BLVD., LOS ANGELES,CALIFORNIA 90010
UPER
. Named . DR JOYCE SHOHET ACKERMAN PC Prod.
Insured _ Count
Mailing . 1750 25Th AVE SUITE 101 Prematic Acc't No.
Address . 07-04-362 1.4576-38-07
GREELEY CO 80631 Agent Policy Number
Type of
he named insured is an individual unless otherwise stated: ❑ Partnersh,_i2, ® Corp. Business OFFICE
El Joint Venture u Organization (Other than Partnership or joint Venture)
. Policy Period from 07/01/97 (not prior to time applied for)
to 07/01/98 12:01 a.m. Standard Time.
' this policy replaces other coverages that end at noon standard time on the same day this policy begins, this policy will kit take effect until the other
overage ends. This policy will continue for successive policy periods as follows: If we elect to continue this insuranc.. we will renew this policy if
ou pay the required renewal premium for each successive policy period subject to our premiums, rules and forms then in effect.
I. Insured location same as mailing address unless otherwise stated: 1750 25TH AVE SUITE 101
Pe bodyLS GREELEY CO 80631
r. Mortgage Holders �� t'/J '�-_{-^yA` ^ qq lieA-/// rieno civ-eC I— 24/..acso
Loan# Loan# 3,/, /9q
Premium$ 492.00 Cl "X'if Mortgage Holder Pays
Policy Forms and Endorsements attached at inception: E0079-ED1 E6040-£D2 2521551290 565310-ED2
S0700-ED3 E6036-ED1 E4168-ED1 E4004-ED1 E4216-ED1 E4103-ED2
'. We provide insurance only for those coverages indicated by a specific limit or by an 11
COVERAGES LIMITS OF INSURANCE _DEDUCTIBLE
A-Building $ 1.250 applies unless other
SECTION 1 B-Business Personal Property $ 50,000 lion indicated,,__b,,..))''an®
I his10oTsoo tJ$_
C-Loss of Income(Not exceeding 12 consecutive months) ACTUAL LOSS SUSTAINED NONE
Property OPTIONAL COVERAGES
and Swimming Pool/Fences and Walkways $ ,.bovededuc-:.
Loss of 'X Building Glass(Blanket) REPLACEMENT COST ume applies 100
Income X Outdoor Sign Coverage $ 100 winless other
—
Valuable Papers(Ir addition to$1000 included.) $ „Fluor'mdi-
❑ Earthquake Damage ,fed
See Coverages w;
A.B. &C ..t the a..licable ins. limit.
SECTION II 0-Business Liability-Including Products and Completed LIMITS OF LIABILITY
Operations. (Annual aggregate applies for all occurrences (Annual Aggregate)
during the policy period $ 1 000,000
Liability E-Fire Legal Liability$75,000 included unless other option indicated by an ❑X —c
and ❑$100,000❑$158000 each occurrence(Subject to the annual a rea ate shown for Coy. 0)
Medicals F-Medical Payments to Others(Subject to the annual aggregate $5,000 each person
shown for Coverage D.)
Limit of Liability
(Annual Aggregate)
❑Professional Liability(see attached endorsement) $
®I-V COVERED DEDUCTIBLE
SECTION III Agreement I-Employee Dishonesty $5 000 NONE
Agreement II-Broad Form Money and Securities-Inside $ 1,_000 $250
Agreement III-Broad Form Mone and Securities-Outside
$ 1 000 _$250
Crime Agreement IV-Medical Payments $500 each person NONE
Agreement V-Forgery or Alterations $2 500 NONE
Ackerman and Associates, P. C .
1750 25th Avenue, Suite 101
Greeley, Colorado 80631
(970) 353-3373
fax: (970)353-3374
May 19, 1999
Dave Aldrich
Weld County Department of Social Services
PO Box A
Greeley CO 80632
Dear Dave:
This letter responds to conditions and recommendations set forth in Judy Griego's
memo of May 14, 1999 regarding the results of the RFP bid process in relation to
Ackerman and Associates PC. bids for PY 1999-2000. We accept the
recommendations and conditions set forth.
Specifically:
1. We will arrange for gap services to be available through the WCDSS Fort Lupton
Office.
2. We accept the condition of the $195 per contact hour for mediation . Please note
that this is a two therapist per contact hour model so that the actual fee per therapist
per hour is as we stated in the proposal. Thus this is a change in how this number is
expressed not a change in the fee.
3. The role of Ackerman and Associates, the family group decision making staff and
the family group conference are explained in detail in the proposal and are
summarized here.
These roles are
a. to receive the referral ,
b. to meet with the caseworker,
c. to develop a genogram of the family.
d. using a sociographic technique to identify participants to be invited to the
conference from extended family and other interested parties.
e. contact potential participants and explain the process and obtain information.
f. contact involved professionals and obtain their input / participation in the
conference.
g. Contact those excluded from the conference or unable to attend and get their views.
h. set a time and place for the conference.
i. facilitate the FGDM conference to produce a written safety plan
j. prepare the written plan for distribution to family. parents, caseworker and the court.
k. Submit charges for payment per the payment mechanisms established for the
expedited permanency FGDM contract PY 99-CPS-5 which parallels this service for
non expedited cases.
4. We will continue to account for staff time to maintain coverage. In the last year one
provider got married and another had a baby. Both circumstances were covered fully.
One provider ended her relationship with Ackerman and Associates and two new
providers have been retained to expand coverage and to provide full time availability
of services delivered in Spanish. The program functions in a goal driven format set by
the needs of WCDSS. The proposal is not a list of all services delivered to all families
but an outline of the types of responses we deliver in any area of need. It is not the
case that all clients need all possible services we can provide.
5. In regard to no services for therapy being for less that 45 minutes duration, we
accept this provision. Note that the FGDM services contain a specific exception as
regard to face to face work and are set at a flat fee in conjunction to PY 99 - CPS -5 in
order to allow all the contact necessary to establish and run the conference. We expect
to continue under this established protocol.
The only other exception is in mediation where there is a meeting at one month after
the agreement is reached. This meeting is one half hour in length with two therapists
and is charged at $97.50. This is the same format that has been used since the
inception of this model in 1994.
Please contact Joyce Ackerman if there are any questions or concerns. We look
forward to working with WCDSS in these diverse and important programs for 1999-
2000.
Sincerely, I�
Alan Ackerman Ph.D.
Treasurer
•
T '
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
PO BOX A
gGREELEY, Co 80632
Administration and Public Assistance(970) 352-1551
Child Support(970) 352-6933
C Protective and Youth Services(970)352-1923
COLORADO May 14, 1999
Ms. Joyce Ackerman, Ed. D.
Ackerman and Associates, P.C.
1750 25 Avenue Sui:e 101
Greeley CO 80631
Re: RFP 99008 (GAP) Intensive Family Therapy
RFP 99008 (Mediation) Intensive Family Therapy
RFP 99008 (Family Group Decision Making) Intensive Family Therapy
RFP 99010 Option B
Dear Ms. Ackerman:
The purpose of this letter is to outline the results of the RFP Bid process for PY1999-2000 and to
request written information or confirmation from you by May 20, 1999.
A. Results of the RFP Bid Process for PY1999-2000
On April 7, 1999, the Families, Youth and Children (FYC) Commission approved the
RFP(s) listed, above for inclusion on our vendor list. The FYC Commission attached the
following recommendations and/or conditions regarding your RFP bid(s).
1. RFP 99008, Intensive Family Therapy (GAP):
Recommendation: Ackerman and Associates provide services to South County.
This maybe arranged through the Weld County Department of Social Services
Fort Lupton Office.
Condition: Payment will be denied to Intensive Family Therapy providers for any
charge submitted for therapy 45 minutes or less unless cleared by explanation and
approved by the program area supervisor.
2. RFP 99008, Intensive Family Therapy (Mediation):
Condition: (a) The hourly rate on the Notice of Financial Assistance Award shall
read $195 per hour. (b) Payment will be denied to Intensive Family Therapy
prov_ders for any charge submitted for therapy 45 minutes or less unless cleared
Page 2
Ackerman and Associates, P.C., May 14, 1999
RFP 99008, IFT (GAP); RFP 99008, IFT (Mediation), RFP 99008 (FGDM), RFP 99010, Opt. B
by explanation and approved by the program area supervisor.
3. RFP 99008,Intensive Family Therapy (Family Group Decision Makin*:
Recommendation: Define the role of Ackerman and Associates, P.C., Family
Group Decision Making staff, and the role of the Family Group Decision Making
conference.
Condition: Payment will be denied to Intensive Family Therapy providers
for any charge submitted for therapy 45 minutes or less unless cleared by
explanation and approved by the program area supervisor.
4. RFP, Option B:
Recommendations: (a) Account for staff on leave and continue to provide service
to the client; (b) The program needs to be goal oriented. The program should
address the specific needs identified by the caseworker rather than addressing all
problems of the client.
B. Required Response by RFP Bidders Concerning FYC Commission
Recommendations and Conditions.
The Weld County Department of Social Services is requesting your written response to
the FYC Commission's recommendations and conditions. Please respond in writing to
David Aldridge, Weld County Department of Social Services, P.O. Box A, Greeley, CO,
80632, by May 20, 1999, close of business, as follows:
1. FYC Commission Recommendations:
You are requested to review the FYC Commission recommendations and to:
a. accept the recommendation(s) as written by the FYC Commission; or
b. request alternatives to the FYC Commission's recommendation(s); or
c. not accept the recommendation(s) of the FYC Commission.
Please provide in writing how you will incorporate the recommendation(s) into
your bid. If you do not accept the recommendation, please provide written
reasons why. All approved recommendations under the NOFAA will be
monitored and evaluated by the FYC Commission.
Page 3
Ackerman and Associates, P.C., May 14, 1999
RFP 99008, IFT (GAP); RFP 99008, IFT (Mediation), RFP 99008 (FGDM), RFP 99010, Opt. B
2. FYC Commission Conditions:
All conditions will be incorporated as part of your RFP Bid and Notification of
Financial Assistance Award (NOFAA). If you do not accept the condition(s),
you will not be authorized as a vendor unless your mitigating circumstances are
accepted by the FYC Commission and the Weld County Department of Social
Services. If you do not accept the condition, you must provide in writing reasons
why. A meeting will be arranged to discuss your response. Your response to the
above conditions will be incorporated in the RFP Bid and Notification of
Financial Assistance Award.
If you wish to arrange a meeting to discuss the above conditions and/or recommendations, please
do so through Elaine Furister, 352.1551, extension 6295, and one will be arranged prior to May
20, 1999.
Sincerely,
J y A. ego, Di ctor
cc: Mike Hoover, Chair, FYC Commission
David Aldridge, Social Service Manager II
JG:ef
Weld County Department of Social Services
Notification of Financial Assistance Award
for Families,Youth and Children Commission (Core) Funds
Type of Action Contract Award No.
X Initial Award FY99-CORE-19,000
Revision (RFP-FYC-99008)
Contract Award Period Name and Address of Contractor
Beginning 06/01/1999 and Ackerman and Associates P.C.
Ending 05/31/2000 Intensive Family Therapy -Family Group Decision Making
1750 25th Avenue, Suite 101
Greeley, CO 80631
Computation of Awards Description
Unit of Service The issuance of the Notification of Financial Assistance
Award is based upon your Request for Proposal (RFP).
The Family Group Decision Making consists of The RFP specifies the scope of services and conditions
five families per month (60 per year). The family of award. Except where it is in conflict with this
group Decision Making model involves extensive NOFAA in which case the NOFAA governs, the RFP
planning with the nuclear family of the index upon which this award is based is an integral part of the
child, coordination with all the professionals action.
involved in the case, and consultation with
individual members of the extended family Special conditions
followed by a mediation style meeting with the
professionals and extended family 1) Reimbursement for the Unit of Services will be based
on an hourly rate per child or per family.
Cost Per Unit of Service 2) The hourly rate will be paid for only direct face to face
contact with the child and/or family, as evidenced by
Flat Rate Per Conference $ 1 875. client-signed verification form, and as specified in the
Unit of Service Based on Approved Plan unit of cost computation.
3) Unit of service costs cannot exceed the hourly and
Enclosures: yearly cost per child and/or family.
4) Payment will only be remitted on cases open with, and
/Signed RFP:Exhibit A referrals made by the Weld County Department of
Supplemental Narrative to RFP: Exhibit B Social Services.
Recommendation(s) 5) Requests for payment must be an original submitted to
the Weld County Department of Social Services by the
Conditions of Approval
end of the 25th calendar day following the end of the
month of service. The provider must submit requests
for payment on forms approved by 'Weld County
Department of Social Services.
A.•royals: Program Official:
By By
a e . Hall, Chair Judy . Grie , Director(
Board of Weld County Commissioners Wel oun epartment of Social Services
Date: o dy/O;3/499 Date: _ 5� C
q a / /__ 7 c')
INVITATION TO BID
DATE: February 26, 1999 BID NO: RFP-FYC-99008 tic-A- .( .3 6'�S
RETURN BID TO: Pat Persichino, Director of General Services
915 10th Street, P.O. Box 758, Greeley, CO 80632
SUMMARY
Request for Proposal (RFP-FYC-99008) for: Family Preservation Program--Intensive Family Therapy
Program Family Issues Cash Fund or Family Preservation
Program Funds
Deadline: March 23, 1999, Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.
The Placement Alternatives Commission, an advisory commission to the Weld County Department of Social
Services, announces that competing applications will be accepted for approved vendors pursuant to the Board
of Weld County Commissioners authority under the Statewide Family Preservation Program(C.R.S. 26-5.5-
101) and Emergency Assistance for Families with Children at Imminent Risk of Out-of-Home Placement
(C.R.S. 26-5.3-101). The Placement Alternatives Commission wishes to approve services targeted to run
from June I, 1999, through May 31, 2000, at specific rates for different types of service, the County will
authorize approved vendors and rates for services only. The Intensive Family Therapy Program must provide
for therapeutic intervention through one or more qualified family therapists, typically with all family members,
to improve family communication, function, and relationships. This program announcement consists of five
parts, as follows:
PART A..Administrative Information PART D...Bidder Response Format
PART B...Background, Overview and Goals PART E...Bid Evaluation Process
PART C...Statement of Work pp \, ,
Delivery Date o2. / L at-- _d ?f
(After receipt of order) BID MUS B SIGNED IN INK
TYPE OR PRINTED SIGNATURE
VENDOR
Mei � /JSO
{ /`t-
/r`Dt, S
_ (Name) Hai dwritt n Signature By Authorized
y Offi er or Agent of Vender
/'
ADDRESS /, le 7O/ TITLE %/ eSl
Greg 70;y Cp r&G j/ DATE re'.I 7
PHONE# / 7‘> --/35-
- , s^ 3 -,3303
The above bid is subject to Terms and Conditions as attached hereto and incorporated.
Page 1 of35
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
INTENSIVE FAMILY PHERAPY PROGRAM BID PROPOSAL
FAMILY PRESERVATION PROGRAM
1999/2000 BID PROPOSAL APPLICATION
PROGRAM FUNDS YEAR 1999-2000
BID #RFP-FYC-99008
NAME OF AGENCY:
ADDRESS:
PHONE: ( I
CONTACT PERSON: TITLE: -
DESCRIPTION OF FAMILY PRESERVATION PROGRAM CATEGORY: The Intensive Family Therapy Program must
provide for therapeutic intervention , ough one or more qualified family therapists.typically with all family members-to
improve family communication functioning.and relationships
12-Month approximate Project Dates: _ 12-month contract with actual time lines of:
Start June 1. 1999 Start
End May 31. 1999 End
TITLE OF PROJECT:
Name Si ature of Person Preparing Document I Date
®C'� � 1(h Bch a() 1)92 9
Name d Si ature Chief Administrative Officer Applicant Agency Date
MANDATORY PROPOSAL REOUIREMENTS
For both new bids and renewal bids,please initial to indicate that the following required sections are included in this Proposal for
Bid. For renewal bids,please indicate which of the required sections have not changed from Program Fund Year 1998-1999 to
Program Fund Year 1999-2000.
Indicate No Change from FY 1998-1999
Project Description _
Target/Eligibility Populations _
Types of services Provided _
Measurable Outcomes
_ Service Objectives _
Workload Standards _
Staff Qualifications _
Unit of Service Rate Computation _
Program Capacity per Month _
Certificate of Insurance
Page 29 of 35
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
Date of Meeting(s)with Social Services Division Supervisor: Y f — ''''7
Comments b SD Supervisor: �i G'��.
- ____Ie,'r (- . - -2:1 • eX ,.--27 ftk...,--e-c ez=„0„,
'
Sr
-e;e7CI fr,
3- A`'t< 4 („17-(c-- -ert--7 777/F=7
Name and Signature of SSD Supervisor Date
Page 30 of 35
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
Program Category Intensive Family Therapy Program Bid Category
Project Title _
Vendor
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Please provide a one page brief description of the project.
H. TARGET/ELIGIBILITY POPULATIONS
Please provide a one page brief description of the proposed target/eligibility populations. At a
minimum your description must address:
A. Total number of clients to be served.
B. Total individual clients and the children's ages.
C. Total family units.
D. Sub-total of individuals who will receive bicultural/bilingual services.
E. Sub-total of individuals who will receive services in South Weld County.
F. Sub-total of individuals who will have access to 24 hour services.
G. The monthly maximum program capacity.
H. The monthly average capacity.
I. Average stay in the program (weeks).
J. Average hours per week in the program.
III. TYPE OF SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED
Please provide a two page description of the types of services to be provided. Please address if your
project will provide the service minimums as follows:
A. Comprehensive, diagnostic and treatment planning with the family and other service providers.
B. Therapeutic intervention with flexibility to bring in other services, if needed.
C. Co-facilitated therapeutic services provided by one or more qualified family therapists.
D. Therapy that is designed to resolve conflicts and disagreement within the family, contributing
to child maltreatment, running away, and to the behavior constituting status offenses.
Also, provide your quantitative measures as they directly relate to each service. At a minimum,
include a number to be served in each service component. Describe your internal process to assure that
PAC resources will not supplant existing and available services in the community; e.g. mental health
capitation services, ADAD and professional services otherwise funded.
IV. MEASURABLE OUTCOMES
Please provide a two page description of your expected measurable outcomes of the project. Please
address the measurable outcomes for each area as described below:
A. Children receiving services do not go into placement.
Page 31 of 35
•
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
B. Families remain intact.
C. Reunification of children with families.
D. Improvements in parental competency, parent/child conflict management as determined or
measured by pre and post placement functional tests.
E. More cost efficient services through the Intensive Family Therapy Program than the placement
of the child.
F. Therapeutic outcomes include fundamental changes in the family functioning and dynamics.
Describe your quantitative measures: Also, describe the methods you will use to measure, evaluate,
and monitor each quantitative measure.
V. SERVICE OBJECTIVES
Please provide a one page description of your expected service objectives and quantitative measures.
Please address, at a minimum, the following ways the project will.
A. Improve Family Conflict Management -Mediation and counseling designed to resolve conflicts
and disagreement within the family contributing to child maltreatment, running away and other
offenses.
B. Improve]Parental Competency- capacity of parents to maintain sound relationships with their
children and provide care, nutrition, hygiene, discipline, protection, instructions, and
supervision.
C. Improve Ability to Access Resources- services shall assist parents to work with other sources
in the community and ahead the local, state, and federal governments.
Describe the methods you will use to measure, evaluate, and monitor each service objective.
VI. WORKLOAD STANDARDS
Please provide a one page description of the project's work load standards and quantitative measures.
Please address, at a minimum, the following areas:
A. Number of hours per day, week or month.
B. Number of individuals providing the services.
C. Maximum caseload per worker. (Generally 12 families per worker. Eight to 10 families per
worker if the worker provides case management services to the families on the caseload.)
D. Modality of treatment
E. Total number of hours per day/week/month (Minimum average of two hours of service per
family per week.
F. Total number of individuals providing these services.
G. The maximum caseload per supervisor. (Minimum of 6 workers per supervisor.)
H. Insurance.
Page 32 of 35
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
VII. STAFF QUALIFICATIONS
Please provide a one page description of staff qualifications and address, at a minimum, the following:
A. Will your staff who are providing direct services have the minimum qualifications in education
and experience. Describe.
B. Total number of staff available for the project.
C. Will staff have expertise in family therapy as demonstrated by specialized training, workshops
and experience.
D. Will staff have a minimum of eight hours per year of continuing education; i.e. courses,
workshops, and/or review of literature to be documented by county.
E. Will staff have a minimum of one hour per week of clinical supervision provided by someone
with advanced skills in Intensive Family Therapy.
F. Will the clinical supervisor(s) be involved in regular training to keep current in state-of-the-art
counseling modalities and findings.
Page 33 of 35
Family Group Decision Making
Project Description
Overview: Ackerman and Associates P.C. began its program of Family
Group Decision Making on February 1 , 1998 for families undergoing
expedited permanency planning. For other families that met PAC
eligibility criteria, we began offering these services on June 1 , 1998. This
is an application to continue these services to non expedited families or
other families caseworkers determine would benefit from the service. We
will continue to use formats and procedures developed for the contract
that began on February 1 , 1998 with the County. The Family Group Decision
Making model involves extensive planning with the nuclear family of the
index child, coordination among all professionals involved in the case and
• consultation with individual members of extended family followed by a
mediation style meeting with the professionals and the extended family
unit.
Criteria for a Family Group Decision Making conference will be
1 . that the family has been court ordered to participate in this process
2 at least one child of this extended family (the index child) will
immediately be placed or is already placed in foster care.
An analysis of our data over the last year of operation is attached for
purposes of providing more in depth information about this process to the
reviewer. The program has been very successful and highly regarded by
participants, WCDSS and the 19th Judicial District.
The purpose of the Family Group Decision Making model is to engage the
family in its broadest configuration of the extended family, to have them
determine their recommendations for the placement of the child that
meets the full requirements of the child protection statutes.
Purpose: The purpose of the the Family Group Decision Making conference
is for the familly members themselves to reach agreement on the
placement of the child and what is needed to permanently resolve the
problems that have caused this placement. The model was first developed
in New Zealand as an alternative to having the courts decide child
1
placement. The idea is that the extended family unit must take
responsibility for solving its own problems. The interest of the state is
the protection of the child. The extended family likely has substantial
strengths that can be utilized through this model to assist in protecting
the child. The Family Group Decision Making model may limit what may be
perceived by some as government sponsored intrusion into the family.
This mechanism of Family Group Decision Making grew out of mediation
especially victim - offender mediation. Home based intensive therapy
programs have also given professionals a better appreciation of the
strengths of extended families and the informal kinship networks that
they contain. We believe we are successful as the providers for the
expedited permanency planning contract and the past year's non expedited
Family Group Decision Making contract based on our extensive training
and success in mediation, our prior experience with victim offender
mediation programs, our home based program design and our training in
the Family Group Decision Making model coupled with extensive
professional training in psychology and counseling.
The model recognizes the need to involve parents and extended family
members in the process of protecting and recommending permanent plans
for these children. Details of how this process works are provided below.
Design: The Family Group Decision Making process consists of 25 hours
of billable services at a rate of $75.00 per hour, provided there are no
more that 25 subjects as specified in section 4A below This produces a
case rate maximum for each " average conference" of $1875. We have
used this flat rate per authorization by the county and would propose to
continue at the same flat rate. Typically the Decision Making is based upon
the following patterns of work.
1 . Once the referral is made to Ackerman and Associates, we will contact
the caseworker and identify the family history in terms of both mental
health and medical needs
2. An initial meeting will take place with the "nuclear" family At this
meeting the Family Group Decision Making model will be explained and the
family will help to identify the extended family members who will be
contacted.
2
3. Family members will be contacted. Also professionals involved in the
case such as the guardian ad litum, attorneys, caseworker, medical and
psychological providers will be contacted. Ideally all who are contacted
will be able to attend the next meeting. Those who cannot will be
represented based on their written report as best as possible by the team
of conference facilitators.
4. The Family Group Decision Making conference will take place as follows:
A. The first hour will be to establish the process and set the ground rules
for how the process will occur. Two trained facilitators will be present at
this stage. One will be have the role to guide the process and reports for
family members who could not be present. The other will represent the
professionals who have gathered the information who are not present. The
professionals will only be able to attend this first part of the Family
Group Decision Making. It is the responsibility of the facilitators to then
assist the family in finding the outcome likely to be acceptable in terms
of adequate detail and specificity to likely insure the protection of the
child.
The number at this conference is the total number of individuals
represented in person or by proxy through the facilitators . A typical
conference will have less than 25 represented. The average conference in
our experience has nine adult family members and five professionals who
present. The two facilitators are not counted in this total.
B. After this initial period of time and a period of time that allows the
facilitators to assess that there is a functional group process for this
task, the facilitators will leave the room but are available in the next
room. This second part of the meeting is the private Family Group Decision
Making conference. It is attended only by family members and no record is
kept of its discussions. The reasoning for this is it is an undeniable truth
that the family process will operate differently with outsiders present
than it will in private. If the family needs mediation assistance or
clarification of the previously discussed viewpoints the facilitator can be
called back in. In our experience this process varies in length with
different families. Where there is little connection with different kinship
units of the extended family, in some cases the facilitators are needed
3
through out the process.
C. When the family reaches a group decision, the plan is presented. The
facilitator responds to seek clarification and detail in the plan.
D. On those aspects that are not clear, the family has the opportunity to
rework the plain and present once more.
E. At the end of the complete process a written document containing the
plan is prepared for the court.
F .The plan is a recommendation to the court from the extended family
which can then be accepted, modified or rejected by the court.
G. WCDSS will need to follow the case for implementation compliance for
the period of time ordered by the court.
Target/Eligibility Populations
A. Total number of clients to be served in this twelve month
program has been calculated as follows. Five families per month times
twelve months equals sixty families per year. If we assume a nuclear
family size of five, two adults and three children, then the total client
pool to be served is 300 individuals. If we add to this five extended family
members for each parent this adds ten to the conference and 600 to the
yearly total which is now 900. If we assume there are at least five
professionals associated with a case this adds an additional 300 per year
for a total of 1200 people. This projects a typical family group conference
as consisting of 20 people plus the two facilitators. Our average family
group size last year was 14. This would be a projection of about 840
individuals at conferences if the five families per month were attained.
Depending on the ages of the children they may or may not be present.
The above calculation assumes we are dealing with a "single nuclear
family pattern". This assumption has often prove invalid. Most families
have been divorced and blended families, some divorced more than once.
Some will involve teens who had children with different partners outside
of the legal relationships of marriage and involve complexities as to who
should be attending. Some will involve grandparents or other more distant
4
relatives who desire custody. For purposes of this contract we will set an
upper limit of 25 people contacted for inclusion in the Family Group
process (as defined in the design section 4A of this document) as
constituting one unit. 26 - 50 at this stage would be two units( up to 50
hours of service). In thirty six conferences so far, we have used this
mechanism for very large conferences only once.
B. Distribution of clients. Total number of clients we will serve is
approximately 60 index children or more as calculated above. Our
experience suggests that for the nuclear family we would expect
approximately 120 of these would be adult members of the family and
approximately 150 would be minors. The age distribution of the children
would tend toward the very young children in expedited permanency
planning and to older children in CSP referrals.
A family group conference in a case of alleged ongoing spouse abuse or
incestual sexual abuse that has not been admitted to, needs to be
considered on a case by case basis. It is not the purpose of the
family group conference to determine guilt or innocence of any party in an
alleged criminal act. If this can be understood by all parties in the family,
the Family Group Decision Making conference could take place. It is the
purpose of the process to protect the child. No matter what has occurred
in the family as to the allegations and the outcome of any criminal
adjudication, the protection of the child is the primary purpose of the
Family Group Decision Making process.
We have learned that our initial guarded impression of a case's potential
for success in a mediation, based on the written record , has often proved
to be pessimistic. It appears that where intensive family mediation is
concerned and we have had the same experience now from Family Group
Decision Making Conferencing, that an analysis of the written record alone
often undervalues surprising problem solving strengths of even very
dysfunctional families.
C. Families Served. We would anticipate serving sixty family units. All
the Family Group Decision Making Conferences will involve extended
family members who might be considered a separate family unit. For
simplicity, we count the referred family and all its extended family unit
as one family unit.
5
D. Sub total who will receive bicultural/bilingual services. We
have a Hispanic member of the staff (Emily Jaramillo-Bansberg) who is
fluent in Spanish. Lori Kochevar LPC has been working in family
preservation with Hispanic families for eight years. One of the
facilitator's (JSA) doctoral work was on Hispanic patient's mental health
treatment patterns compared to Anglo patients in Weld County.. She also
has four years of direct cross cultural experience with an American Indian
population. We anticipate we can serve up to 100 percent of the total
referred in a bicultural manner.
We have been able to and will continue to provide bilingual services for
any family who needs them. As to the final document for the court, it can
be formulated in Spanish . However, an English translation of the
document must also be prepared at that time if the family has bilingual
members present. The reason for this is to avoid future disputes over
translation.
E. We can provide services in South County if Social Services can provide
a site to do such work. Alternatively, we are able to provide services on
Saturday in our Greeley location for any family. This may assist South
County families in scheduling without interference with work schedules.
F. Accessibility. On weekdays all providers of Ackerman and Associates
are accessible through a 24 hour answering service and pager system. On
weekends, this 24 hour access reaches the provider on call all of whom
are Ackerman and Associates providers.
G. Maximum per month. The program maximum is five families per
month.
H. The monthly average capacity is two - four families per month.
I. The average stay in the program is a maximum of eight weeks This is
from the time of referral to the completion of the Family Group Decision
Outcome : The Safety Plan for the Index child
Types of Services Provided
6
We will provide the services described in the sections above called the
Family Group Decision Making model. The basic assumptions that underlie
this model are:
1 . The people who get most deeply impassioned about a particular case of
child abuse are the parents and the relatives of the abused child.
2. The people who have the most investment in protecting the child are the
parents and relatives.
3. The people who understand the family structure and how decisions get
made are the members of the family.
4. Families hold information that social workers and other professionals
cannot access.
5. Harnessing forces related to kinship cannot be done by exerting legal
authority.
6. There are status structures within families that social workers and
other professionals may never know about or fully understand.
7. There are myths, stories, legends and secrets within families that
social workers may never know about.
8. Families make decisions behind closed doors regardless of what
professionals do or do not do.
In terms of the criteria for the CSP process:
A. Comprehensiveness Family Group Decision Making does not attempt
to provide a comprehensive assessment or diagnosis of the family in a
traditional psychotherapeutic model. It does allow the family assisted by
the facilitators to develop an offer to the court produced by the family
that addresses the placement needs of the child. Like meditation from
which it is derived, Family Group Decision Making brings "ownership" of
the treatment plan because of the process through which it was developed.
Further, it brings obligation to carry through with the plans that have been
formulated through a process with participation by all family members.
7
B. Access to other services: The therapeutic interventions that the
family specifies in the safety plan they produce go back to the caseworker
and to the Court. The family has flexibility to include in the agreement the
services it perceives it needs to implement successfully the actions they
specify. The caseworker can then match up these services with the goals
stated.
C. Team based Treatment: All Family Group Decision Making are co-
facilitated in part and all have a team of two therapists working with the
family. This forces the team to have a detailed level of communication and
is designed to keep the process operating on the projected expedited
timeline we have set forth. All providers are professionally trained
mental health providers in their own categories of Psychology,
Professional Counselor or therapist. Currently eight providers, including
five psychologists, one professional counselor, one psychotherapist and
one psychiatric nurse make up Ackerman and Associates. All the providers
have extensive experience in family therapy as well as specialty skills
that they might bring to a conference. One hundred percent of the 60
families projected for 1999-2000 will be treated within a team model.
D. Conflict Resolution: The Family Group Decision Making Model is
designed specifically to resolve the needs of a child for protection within
his or her extended family. In this mode, the emphasis is on the word
resolution. The extended family will sit together in what may likely be a
unique experience. The purpose of this project is for the family to focus
its combined effort to resolve a specific problem. The index child would
not have come into the Social Services system if there was not underlying
conflict or disorganization on the part of the index nuclear family.
Decisions about how to keep the child out of that conflict will be
developed by the extended family members.
This is an excellent model for reduction of conflict and provision of
resolution in a systematic way Many people state strong support for
family values as a slogan. As a society we have few mechanisms that
really allow families as units to uses their own value system to solve
their own problems. This is indeed one such opportunity for families to do
so.
8
Measurable outcomes
Measurable outcomes are of two varieties. One type is termed
formative outcomes and the other type is called summative outcomes.
Formative outcomes measure how the program is proceeding while the
treatment takes place. Summative outcomes are the results of the
treatment.
In terms of formative measures we have the following...
1 . Did the nuclear family accept the Family Group Decision Making format
and assist in setting up the conference?
2. Was contact successfully made with all specified parties and did those
who could not attend provide sufficient information to the conference.
3. Did the family produce a plan to prevent placement or achieve
reunification or set up a relative placement that was acceptable to social
services and to the court ?
This data will be extracted from the case file.
Summative outcomes
After the Family Group Decision Making meeting, the caseworker follows
the family for assurance that the courts recommendations are being
implemented. On a quarterly basis after the completion of the Family
Group Decision Making conference, we will contact the supervisor and
document for our file the status of the family at that time point. The
following four areas will be assessed at about 60 days after the Family
Group Decision Making meeting by asking the caseworker.
A. Did The child receiving services not go into placement? Was a
termination hearing avoided ?
B. Did the Families remain intact?. Did the index child find a
placement in the extended family? was a family Plan reflecting the
wishes of the extended family prepared before a permanency planning
hearing?
C. Was there Reunification of children with their families?. Did
9
this take place within the nuclear family or within the extended family?
D. Has there been an Improvement in parental competency and
parent child conflict management?
E. Cost effectiveness is very high. We will also ask the case worker
to make an estimate of what the length of time this family would have
been in placement if there had been no Family Group Decision Making.
Based on this estimate and using the rate per month for foster placement
costs compared to the cost of our program the projected savings from
avoiding foster placement could be determined.
Most families that reach this stage will be kept out of many months of
placement if an acceptable plan can be formulated that will decrease
resistance to family placement
F. Does this program produce fundamental change in family
dynamics? Let's define fundamental changes as those changes that
persist to two months after the conference. We will measure the
caseworker's perception of the family in relation to this question. We
expect to see basic change in family dynamics but these will be
hard to quantify. Certainly there are substantial changes in the
operating structure of the extended family in relation to the
index children the cases conducted to date.
Service obiectives
We have the following service objectives:
A. Improvement of family conflict management. Family Group
Decision Making is specifically designed to resolve conflicts that either
precipitated the likely imminent placement of the child or which prevent
the reunification of the child with the family. The model teaches the
family how to use its own strengths to resolve problems. The Family
Group Decision Making process provides a demonstration to the family
that even very serious long standing difficulties can be worked out
through this modification of the mediation process.
10
B. Improved parental competency In this treatment model Family
Group Decision Making should assist the parents in the nuclear family in
identifying sources of support and guidance in their own extended family.
The help that may be provided by strengthening such a link could include
modeling appropriate child rearing strategies of other relatives in areas
of discipline, protection, instruction and supervision. The Family Group
Decision Making conference can clarify how other members of the family
have handled child rearing practices and age appropriate expectations
different members of the family had for their own children. Some of these
parents are having their rights terminated and a relative of the index child
will assume the parenting responsibilities. In these cases it is not a
question of an improvement in competency for the biological parent.
Rather the family is selecting a more competent relative to assume the
nurturing roles the biological parent has failed to provide.
C. The ability of the family to access resources is enhanced by the
Family Group Decision Making process. The need for a specific service
should becomes apparent as the family develops the strategy to resolve
the immediate conflict. When, that need is written down as a component
of the offer for resolution, it can be followed up by the courts and the
caseworker. The strength of the Family Group Decision Making process,
like that of other mediation processes, is the identification by the
family of the resources they need to gain access to. Families that need
further assistance in implementing the goals that are set can be referred
to the GAP program or other resources to assist in implementation such as
life skills programs.
The methods used to ascertain if the service objectives are met will be
covered in the assessment with the caseworker at sixty days after the
completion of the Family Group Decision Making conference.
Workload Standards
A. The program has a capacity of five families per month. This is
approximately one hundred twenty five hours of therapist time per month.
There are four full time therapists available for this program. The
program will occupy about 17% of these four therapists time. Note that
there is a need to allow an exemption for this program in terms of the
Face to Face rule usual within the CSP programs. While there are
11
approximately 10 hours of face to face work there are at least six to
eight hours of direct data gathering and planning of the Family Group
Decision Making structure that should be counted as direct service and not
as indirect time in this model.The Family Group Decision Making model
relies upon telephone contact and written or faxed follow up. There are a
large number of the participants ( at least fifteen in the meeting on
average). The need for telephone data gathering is also crucial for
individuals of the extended family who live large distances away from
Weld County.
B and C. There are eight providers / five psychologists, one professional
counselor, one bilingual psychotherapist and a psychiatric nurse
specialist who make up Ackerman and Associates. Joyce Ackerman who
supervises this contract is certified as a mediator. Lori Kochevar is our
specialist with the home based program. This group will have conducted
about 45 FGDM conferences before June 1 , 1999.
D. The modality of treatment is the Family Group Decision Making
model described under the design section. A disclosure for all participants
in this process and other support documents are available upon request if
the reviewers wish to inspect them.
E. Hours /month The total number of therapist treatment hours is 25
per family. This totals to 125 hours per month for five families per
month. A total of 1500 hours per year is projected.Note that if family
group process size exceeds 25 as defined above there is a provision to
count these rarer very large units as two families in the billing process..
F. Staff There are eight individual providers supported by two office
staff workers in the practice.
G. Supervisor This contract would be supervised by Joyce Shohet
Ackerman Ed. D. who would monitor the project for compliance.
Staff Qualifications
A. and B. Staff Qualifications Eight staff are available for the project.
They exceed the minimum qualifications specified as documented below.
The staff are: Joyce Shohet Ackerman, Ed.D., Licensed Psychologist and
12
mediator; ,Lori Kochevar. M.S. Licensed Professional Counselor; Laurence
P. Kerrigan Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist; Emily Jaramillo Bansberg, MS,
psychotherapist; Steven Patrick, Licensed Psychologist; Denise Wunderle
M.S. RN, Licensed Psychiatric Nurse Specialist; Sherri Malloy Gonzales
Ph.D., licensed psychologist; and Susan Bromley, Psy. D, M.S.W., Licensed
Psychologist./ Licensed Social Worker. We anticipate the key staff in this
program to be Ackerman, Kochevar, Jaramillo-Bansberg and Malloy
Gonzales with utilization of other providers either in specialized roles or
in data gathering.
C. Training The staff has extensive training in family therapy and
mediation as documented by their extensive work experience. Collectively,
the eight providers have held licenses in their field for a total of more
than 60 years. Resumes are available if desired.
Specific training has been taken by Ackerman and Kochevar in the Family
Group Decision Making model. This model is related to victim offender
mediation. Ackerman and Associates was awarded a grant from the VALE
board several years ago to initiate victim offender mediation for the 19th
Judicial district.
In addition, we are the current contracted providers of Family Group
Decision Making Conferencing for expedited permanency planning. We also
have an additional year of experience in non expedited cases through last
years contract.
D. Continuing education As a part of their work in the private sector all
providers in this group maintain continuing education programs more than
the minimum eight hours required. They participate in workshops and
other activities. These continuing education requirements arise from
other contractual arrangements with managed care companies.
E. Supervision All providers, except one, are independently licensed and
not required to have clinical supervision. Emily Jaramillo Bansberg is
working toward professional licensure and is supervised by Sherri Malloy
Ph.D. in that process. All the staff have advanced skills in intensive family
therapy. The supervisor will monitor the specifications made in this
proposal.
13
F. Supervisor continuing education. The supervisor of the project is
involved in ongoing training to keep current with her profession through
advanced workshops and seminars and as a member of the Colorado Council
of Mediators and the American Psychological Association.
Unit of service rate computation
We have chosen to offer a rate of $75 per hour of total time per therapist.
We have capped the amount we can bill for any conference at $1875 as a
flat rate in the past year. Our rate for the county for the expedited
program uses this figure $1875 as the flat rate, as well. Only in that case
where the conference process exceeds 25 participants the rate rises for
these very large extended family units. The rate of compensation is $45
per therapist per hour and $30 indirect cost per hour for an hourly rate of
$75. Our usual rate for services is 97.50 per hour.
Budget Justification
Each Family Group Decision Making conference uses up to twenty five
hours (per family unit) of therapist time. We use the figure of sixty
evaluations per year to generate the total hours of the project which
equal 1500 hours. 1500 hours times $75 equals $112,500 as the maximum
budget for the project. These rates are reasonable and customary for
providers of the level and training assembled in this proposal. Note that
we are not increasing the total budget for the project by stating that a
family with a very large conference would be counted as two units. This
is only to cover the fact that we are voluntarily setting a cap of twenty
five hours of billable time for each unit.
CSP money is tracked through a computer data base system called MediMac
which we have used for the past 60 months. The system allows us to track
payments by client and by source of payment and any payment through the
CSP will be tracked in this manner. No special issues are present related
to project audit to our knowledge and a random independent comprehensive
audit of Ackerman and Associates programs has been conducted in a
previous year for which no discrepancies were found.
Ackerman and Associates P.C. is a type S professional for profit.
14
corporation and not a 501 .c.3. We are generating less than 5% profit
through any program with social services.
15
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
VIII. COMPUTATION OF DIRECT SERVICE RATE
This form is to be used to provide detailed explanation of the hourly rate your
organization will charge the Core Services Program for the services offered in
this Request for Proposal. This rate may only be used to bill the Weld County
Department of Social Services for direct, face-to-face services provided to
clients referred for these services by the Department. Requests for payment based
on units of service such as telephone calls, no shows, travel time, mileage
reimbursement, preparation, documentation, and other costs not involving direct
face-to-face services will not be honored. Likewise, billings must be for hours
of direct service to the client, regardless of the number of staff involved in
providing those services. Therefore, it is imperative that this rate be
sufficient to cover all costs associated with this client, regardless of the
number of staff involved in providing these services.
(Explanations for these Lines are Provided on the Following Page)
Total Hours of Direct Service per Client .S Hours [A]
//
Total Clients to be Served l2 O Clients [B]
Total Hours of Direct Service for Year /,) v t) Hours [C]
(Line [A] Multiplied by Line [B]
Cost per Hour of Direct Services $ /-1 J Per Hour [D]
Total Direct Service Costs $ cc ? Soo [E)
(Line [C] Multiplied by Line [D] ) t
Administration Costs Allocable to Program $ ](Or g I (/CV? [F]
Overhead Costs Allocable to Program $ /4.4er ,;2_ / O o [03
Total Cost, Direct and Allocated, of Program$ t 1 O7
sC C, [H]
Line [E] Plus Line [F] Plus Line [G] ) /
Anticipated Profits Contributed by this Program $ )/r'hog, 1:3000 [1]
Total Costs and Profits to be Covered
/19./5-
by this Program(Line [H] Plus Line [I] ) $_ _ _ RJ]
Total Hours of Direct Service for Year / G [Y]
(Must Equal Line [C] ) - ------ -- -- --
Rate per Hour of Direct, Face-to-Face Service
to be Charged to Weld County Department of $ �� D
Social Services IL]
Day Treatment Programs Only:
Direct Service House Per Client Per Month IM]
Monthly Direct Service Rate $ -__ IN]
Page 34 of 35
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
[A] This is an estimate of the total hours of direct, face-to-face service each
client will receive from the time he or she enters the program until completing
the program.
[B] This is an estimate of the number of clients who will be served during the period
from June 1, 1999, through May 31, 2000.
[D] This represents the average hourly salary and benefits that your organization
pays its direct service providers plus any costs which are directly attributable
to the face-to-face session with the client.
[F] This represents the salary and benefits of direct service, supervisory, and
clerical personnel which are not incurred in providing direct, face-to-face
service to the client, but can be allocated to this program for time spent on the
program for activities such as travel, phone conversations, "no-shows,"
discussions with involved parties, meeting preparation, and report completion.
[G] This represents the Agency Overhead costs, such as Rent, Utilities, Supplies,
Postage, Travel Reimbursement, Telephone Charges, Equipment, and Data Processing
which are not incurred in providing direct, face-to-face service to the client,
but can be allocated to this program for time spent on the program for activities
such as travel., phone conversations, "no-shows," discussions with involved
parties, meeting preparation, and report completion.
[H] This represents the Grand Total Costs directly attributable or allocable to this
program. It should be a reasonable assumption that if you decided to discontinue
this program, your agency would realize a reduction in costs approximately equal
to this amount..
[I] This represents the total amount of profit your firm expects to realize as a
result of operating this program. Any difference between Lines [H] and [J] must
be substantiated by an amount indicated on this line.
[L] This is the actual direct, face-to-face hourly service rate at which you will be
requesting payment for the services provided under the conditions of this Request.
for Proposal.
[M] To be completed by prospective providers of the Day Treatment Program only, this
line represents the estimated number of hours per month your organization will
provide direct, face-to-face services per client.
[N] To be completed by prospective providers of the Day Treatment Program services
only, this line represents the actual direct, face-to-face monthly service rate
at which you will be requesting payment for the services provided under the
conditions of this Request for Proposal. Calculated by multiplying Line [L] by
Line [M] .
Page 35 of 35
I3i,inch I1/A I'iodncei // Issue Dab: Renewal,/Replacement No.
i 32 A 0002360 05/08/9/ RENEWAL
iv
PSYCIIOLOGISTS PROFESSIONAL, I ,IABILITY
CLAIMS-MADE INSURANCE POLICY
7l'
PURCI IASING GROUP POLICY NUMBER: 452-0002000
t
f' NOTICE: TI II : IS A CLAIMS-MADE POLICY, PLEASE READ THE POLICY CAREFULLY.
Le. Item DECLAIt ."TONS CERTIFICATE NUMIH It: 45P- 2032570
t
1. NAMED i- SURED: A' KERIIAN AND ASSOCIATES PC
;. ADDRE.S' 1750 25TH AVENUE
E. (Number / Street, •lows, GREGLEY CO 80631
County, Su le &: Zip No.)
2. POLICY I LItIOD: From 05/01/97 �° r� .c r / of
To 05/UI/98 Lk' a ,Y! / S / 1007
,. (12:01 A.M. Standard Time At Luc:nion Of Liesigitatecl Premises) /�
eP, ode,
3. COVL=RA' 71i:
LIMITS OF LIABILITY PREMIUM
I'uofessioi' iI Liability $1 ,000,000 53,000,000 51,826.00
each Incident Aggregate
II- 4. BUSINLS' OF THE INSURED: Psychology
l
5. THE NAN liD INSURED IS:
( ) Sole 13np)ietor (including Independent Contractors) ( ) Partnership (X ) Corporation
( ) OTH It:
•
L 6. This polio shall only apply to incidents which happen on or after: a) the policy effective
l.
date show, on the Declarations; or b) the effective date of the earliest claims-made policy
issued by i re Company to which this policy is a renewal; or c) the date specified in any
C endorsem' Lit hereto. 05/01/92
r. 7. This polir' is made and accepted subject to the printed conditions of this policy together with
j the provisr ms, stipulations and agreements contained in the following form(s) or endorsement(s):
1' PIA-2008 ( 10/94 ) POE-8004 PLE-2147 PLE-2081
P0N-2003
r.
11-
CI IICAGO INSURANCE COMPANY
h , 55 E. MONROE STREET, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60603
c.
REPRESI 1TATIVE: Agent or Broker: Kirke-Van Orsdel, Incorporated
Office Address: 1776 West Lakes Parkway
k Town and State: West Des Moines, IA. 50398
( Toll-free Number: 1-800-852-9987
s:.
f7 sineur Each Associate of Ackerman and Associates carries an
Vt INTERSTATEadditional 1,000,000/ 3,000,000 personal liability
la INSURANCEpolicy in addition to this policy for the corporation.
GROUP
•
F, immilassmn,
i,.
PLP-2012 (06/93) 1 .Icc.)
9•- PLP.B003(7/91)IEd. -nt
Joyce Shohet Ackerman Ed.D. Susan Bromley, Psy. D.
Licensed Psychologist
Licensed Psychologist
Ackerman and Associates, P.C. Ackerman and Associates, P.C.
1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101 1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101
Greeley, Colorado 80631 Greeley, Colorado 80631
(970) 353 - 3373 (970) 353 - 3373
Laurence P. Kerrigan, Ph.D. Lori Kochevar, M.S. L.P.C.
Licensed Psychologist Licensed Professional Counselor
Ackerman and Associates, P.C. Ackerman and Associates, P.C.
1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101 1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101
Greeley, Colorado 80631 Greeley, Colorado 80631
(970) 353 - 337:. (970) 353 - 3373
Emily Jaramillo-Bansberg, M.A.
Therapist Sherri Malloy, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Ackerman and Associates, P.C.
1750 25th Avenue • Suite 101 Ackerman & Associates, P.C.
Greeley, Colorado 80631 1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101
(970) 353 - 3373 Greeley, CO 80631
(970) 353-3373
Steven Patrick, Ph. D. Denise Wunderle, CNS
Licensed Psychologist Clinical Nurse Specialist
Ackerman and Associates, P.C. Ackerman & Associates, PC.
1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101 1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101
Greeley, Colorado 80631 Greeley, CO 80631
(970) 353 - 3373 (970) 353-3373
ECLARATIONS E TRUCK INSURANCE EXCHANGE n FARMERS INSURANCE EXCHANGE O FIRE INSURANCE EXCHANGE
PECIAL ❑
's.wsn
ENTINEL MEMBERS of FARMERS INSURANCE GROUP OF COMPANIES ii R
ACKAGE HOME OFFICE: 4680 WILSHIRE BLVD.,LOS ANGELES,CALIFORNIA 90010 T—
UPER
Prod.
. Named . DR JOYCE SHOHET ACKERMAN PC Count
Insured Prematic Acc't No.
Mailing . 1750 25TH AVE SUITE 101
Address . 07-04-362 h4576-38-07
GREELEY CO 80631 Agent Policy Number
Type of
- he named insured is an individual unless otherwise stated: ❑ Partnership_ ® Corp. Business OFFICE
❑ Joint Venture Li Organization(Other than Partnership or mint Venture)
Policy Period from 07/01/97 (not prior to time applied for)
to 07/01/98 12:01 a.m. Standard Time.
' this policy replaces other coverages that end at noon standard time on the same day this policy begins, this policy will inn take effect until the other
overage ends. This policy will continue for successive policy periods as follows: If we elect to continue this insuranc; . we will renew this policy if
ou pay the required renewal premium for each successive policy period subject to our premiums, rules and forms then in effc.:t.
J. Insured location same as mailing address unless otherwise stated: 1750 25TH AVE SUITE 101
Po liciiis GREELEY CO 80631
Mortgage Holders artAVLE—t" tkeerie.. 7///77 /....-1/
tie fez's
GZ �-P,._ -
Loan # Loan# •-3/o/rr
I. Premium$ 492.00 C "X"if Mortgage Holder Pays
Policy Forms and Endorsements attached at inception: E0079-ED1 E6040-ED2 2521551290 5653 10-ED2
S0700-ED3 E6036-ED1 E4168-ED1 E4004-ED1 E4216-ED1 E4103-ED2
'. We provide insurance only for those coverages indicated by a specific limit or by an El
COVERAGES LIMITS OF INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE
A-Building $ 1.250 applies unless other
SECTION 1 B-Business Personal Property $ 50,000 non innrddlcated,r_-LJb.�)'en®
j1E1ooL355oo $_
C-Loss of Income (Not exceeding 12 consecutive months) ACTUAL Loss SUSTAINED - NONE
Property OPTIONAL COVERAGES
and Swimming Pool/Fences and Walkways $ ,.bovededuc-$
Loss of -X Building Glass(Blanket) REPLACEMENT COST obit applies $ 100
Income X Outdoor Sign Coverage $ 100 ,mless other $
Valuable Papers(In addition to$1000 included.) $ .,puon mdi- $
died
9 Earthquake Damage See Coverages x
A,B, 8 C _ i.1 the applicable ins. limit.
SECTION II D-Business Liability-Including Products and Completed LIMITS OF LIABILITY
Operations. (Annual aggregate applies for all occurrences (Annual Aggregate)
during the policy period.) $ 1,000,000
Liability E-Fire Legal Liability$75,000 included unless other option indicated by an QX
and ❑$100.000❑$151),000 each occurrence (Subject to the annual aggreagate shown for Coy. 0)
Medicals F-Medical Payments to Others(Subject to the annual aggregate $5,000 each person
shown for Coverage D.)
Limit of Liability
(Annual Aggregate)
❑Professional Liability(see attached endorsement) $ _
. El-V COVERED DEDUCTIBLE
SECTION III Agreement I-Employee Dishonesty $5,000 - NONE
Agreement II-Broad Form Money and Securities-Inside $1 ,000 $250
Agreement III-Broad Form Money and Securities-Outside $1 ,000 _ $250
Crime Agreement IV-Medical Payments $500 each person NONE
AgreementV-Forgery or Alterations $2,500 NONE
i-5308 2-92 1ND EDITION Countersigned
Report on the Family Group Decision Making Program
March 12, 1999
This preliminary report has been prepared for Frank Aaron of the
Weld County Department of Social Services by Joyce Ackerman Ed")
and Alan Ackerman Ph.D. of Ackerman and Associates P.C..
Ackerman and Associates P.C. has provided Family Group Decision
Making Services on an expedited and a non expedited basis for the
WCDSS for approximately nine months. The data for these
conferences is complex normative information and not easily reduced
to simple statistical statements. We expect to assemble the data thus
far collected into a more complete analysis over the next two
quarters.
The purposes of the conferences are:
• To bring together as much of the extended family as possible.
• To assemble professionals associated with the case to present
concerns to the family.
• To assist the family through a family group decision making
process to determine their recommendation for the best placement
for the child or children who need placement.
• To produce a written set of recommendations for WCDSS as to
the family's wishes in relation to child placement.
• to share this family produced plan with the court and the lawyers
for the disputing parties.
To date we have conducted thirty two family group decision making
conferences. Four additional conferences are pending and the
referral rate has been steady. Of these 32 we estimate
approximately two thirds have been expedited and one third have
been non expedited. Based on a sample analysis of 20 family group
decision folders selected at random, we estimate that a total of 288
family members attended these thirty two conferences. In total the
conferences brought in extended family members from approximately
170 nuclear family units. Usually, one or more sets of grandparents,
aunts and uncles attended. As well, the parents and siblings of the
parents and their spouses usually attended. The average conference
was attended by nine adult family members. In some cases, the
parties of the various sides of the extended families were meeting for
the first time. It may be worthwhile to note the complexity of the
family structures involved. Often these cases have involved multiple
marriages and offspring from several different fathers.
The index child has always been under the jurisdiction of the
WCDSS. A total of approximately eighty (80) children were affected
directly by the placement decisions that derived from these family
group conferences.
Most family members have been from Weld County. However.
extended family have attended from other counties of Colorado
including the Denver metro area and the western slope. There have
been family from western states including Arizona, Utah, Kansas,
Nebraska and California who drove or flew in for the conferences As
well some conferences had relatives from more distant states who
either came in or in one case who were connected by conference
call. An up coming conference will include family members in central
Mexico. Detailed letters from more geographically distant relatives as
far away as the eastern half of the county have been sent to the
conference and read to the family. The average conference had
reports from five professionals involved with the families. Most were
presented in person and some presented in writing. In total over 170
professional reports have been presented in family group
conferences.
In 31 of 32 cases, the meeting took place successfully resulting in a
written agreement. In 28 of the 32 cases, this agreement was
presented to the court intact and without subsequent dissent by the
parties involved at the time of the court date, to the best of our
knowledge at this time. A full analysis of the outcomes since the court
date is recommended, but is beyond the scope of the work we have
contracted for.
Using the measure of reaching an agreement and having it presented
to the court, this is approximately a ninety percent success rate.
Some families proposed two level plans — the first level being the
family's role if the parents of the index child successfully completed
their treatment plan. The second level selected the preferred child
placement option within the extended family if the parents failed at
their treatment plan. Other families presented only the second level
as the family in those instances concluded that the parents would not
succeed in their treatment plan or had already failed.
At onset, we had projected a sixty percent success rate given the fact
that the majority of these families were involved in permanent
placement: outside the parent's home, termination of parental rignts
and/ or other indicators of substantial legal involvement to protect the
index child.
Nearly uniformly, the process has been warmly and even
enthusiastically accepted by approximately 90-95% of the extended
families involved in conferences. Families express support and
appreciation to the County, the social service agency and the court
for allowing them the ability to be participants in the process.
Participants from other states have voiced the opinion that they
wished this process was in place at their locality. A selection of
comments by these families is attached.
This has been a new process and a learning experience for all parties
involved. There seems to be general agreement by the GAL s, the
19th Judicial District, lawyers and professionals who have worked
with the families at the conferences as to the merits and positive
features of this program. Formal meetings with the 19th Judical
district have begun and will continue. Barb Bosley has been very
helpful in this regard.
The process itself takes 25 hours of time for Ackerman and
Associates professionals. Approximately 15 hours go into set up of
the conference. The bulk of this time is with the family. The process
involves identification of the potential family participants through a
combination of genogram and sociogram techniques. The
development of a trust relationship with a neutral party (not employed
by the social service or the judicial system) is a significant aspect of
the success of the program.
The court order requiring the parents to list all potential participants
gives us a starting point in this process. However, the kinship
relationships that may be known to an older adult member of an intact
nuclear family are often not known or appreciated by younger
members. This fact is compounded by the blended and complex
nature of most of the index families. One part of the set up work is to
try and identify persons who know the kinship relationships on their
side of the family. We also look for relatives who have an
understanding of the extended family history and of the personalities
involved. The remainder of the set up is with the professionals who
will present the case to the family. Initially, obtaining information from
the parties in the legal case, specifically for each professional
involved was a logistical barrier. This has been resolved through the
obtaining a release from the parents specifically for professionals to
share the case with the extended family.
The conference generally takes four to five hours and is usually held
after 5:00 PM on a weekday. The conferences are usually held in the
Weld County Building on 10th Street. The two facilitators who have
set up the conference with the family and professionals run the
conference.
The conference itself is a very powerful and fascinating process.
Large extended families go from defensiveness and denial to taking
responsibility for the child over a period of a few hours. Families are
able to openly recognize the importance of working together and in
many cases put aside prior issues and /or anger for the sake of the
child. Examples of the type of commitments made in the family group
decision making documents that are produced through these
conferences include financial support, relative adoptions, respite care
/support and provision of shelter and clothing.
In summary, this program has generally been enthusiastically
accepted by families.involved, caseworkers, attorneys and judges
We plan to continue to evaluate the program and collect data
concerning results. At this time, we believe the benefits to children
and families are very significant. Weld County can be proud to be
supportive of and involved in such a positive activity for the
community.
FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION
TO: Joyce Ackerman FAX#: (970) 353-3374
Ackerman and Associates, P.C. PHONE: (970) 353-3373
FROM: 01" i. PHONE #: 6)
DATE: '/9,r Time: _a: . c
RE: Signature Page - . Family Conference
MESSAGE Attached please find the signature page executed by my husband and myself.
Please let us add that we felt the process provided to the extended family of
manamus ;n order to establish a plan for securing a safe and loving home for these
young children was unlike anything we have ever seen or heard. For the family to be totally
involved In the planning for Justin's and Amamda's future was gratifying, heart-warming, anc
provided hope to us concerning their lives. We would hope that many other states are using
or considering using a similar plan.
We look forward to receiving a copy of the final document as prepared on 0/99.
We are grateful to you and your staff for all your assistance which ultimately allowed us to be
included in the process and we wish you continued success with this program.
d \ ?2
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Ackerman and Associates, P. C .
1750 25th Avenue, Suite 101
Greeley, Colorado 80631
(970) 353-3373
fax: (970)353-3374
May 19, 1999
Dave Aldrich
Weld County Department of Social Services
PO Box A
Greeley CO 80632
Dear Dave:
This letter responds to conditions and recommendations set forth in Judy Griego's
memo of May 14, 1999 regarding the results of the RFP bid process in relation to
Ackerman and Associates P.C. bids for PY 1999-2000. We accept the
recommendations and conditions set forth.
Specifically:
1. We will arrange for gap services to be available through the WCDSS Fort Lupton
Office.
2. We accept the condition of the $195 per contact hour for mediation . Please note
that this is a two therapist per contact hour model so that the actual fee per therapist
per hour is as we stated in the proposal. Thus this is a change in how this number is
expressed not a change in the fee.
3. The role of Ackerman and Associates, the family group decision making staff and
the family group conference are explained in detail in the proposal and are
summarized here.
These roles are
a. to receive the referral ,
b. to meet with the caseworker,
c. to develop a genogram of the family.
d. using a sociographic technique to identify participants to be invited to the
conference from extended family and other interested parties.
e. contact potential participants and explain the process and obtain information.
f. contact involved professionals and obtain their input / participation in the
conference.
g. Contact those excluded from the conference or unable to attend and get their views.
h. set a time and place for the conference.
i. facilitate the FGDM conference to produce a written safety plan
j. prepare the written plan for distribution to family. parents, caseworker and the court
k. Submit charges for payment per the payment mechanisms established for the
expedited permanency FGDM contract PY 99-CPS-5 which parallels this service for
non expedited cases.
4. We will continue to account for staff time to maintain coverage. In the last year one
provider got married and another had a baby. Both circumstances were covered fully.
One provider ended her relationship with Ackerman and Associates and two new
providers have been retained to expand coverage and to provide full time availability
of services delivered in Spanish. The program functions in a goal driven format set by
the needs of WCDSS. The proposal is not a list of all services delivered to all families
but an outline of the types of responses we deliver in any area of need. It is not the
case that all clients need all possible services we can provide.
5. In regard to no services for therapy being for less that 45 minutes duration, we
accept this provision. Note that the FGDM services contain a specific exception as
regard to face to face work and are set at a flat fee in conjunction to PY 99 - CPS -5 in
order to allow all the contact necessary to establish and run the conference. We expect
to continue under this established protocol.
The only other exception is in mediation where there is a meeting at one month after
the agreement is reached. This meeting is one half hour in length with two therapists
and is charged at $97.50. This is the same format that has been used since the
inception of this model in 1994.
Please contact Joyce Ackerman if there are any questions or concerns. We look
forward to working with WCDSS in these diverse and important programs for 1999-
2000.
Sincerely,
Alan Ackerman Ph.D.
Treasurer
tgr\-(\ 4°1 •
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
PO BOX A
GREELEY, CO 80632
Administration and Public Assistance(970)352-1551
Will Child Support(970)352-6933
Protective and Youth Services (970) 352.1923
COLORADO May 14, 1999
Ms. Joyce Ackerman, Ed. D.
Ackerman and Associates, P.C.
1750 25 Avenue Suite 101
Greeley CO 80631
Re: RFP 99008 (GAP) Intensive Family Therapy
RFP 99008 (Mediation) Intensive Family Therapy
RFP 99008 (Family Group Decision Making) Intensive Family Therapy
RFP 99010 Option B
Dear Ms. Ackerman:
The purpose of this letter is to outline the results of the RFP Bid process for PY1999-2000 and to
request written information or confirmation from you by May 20, 1999.
A. Results of the RFP Bid Process for PY1999-2000
On April 7, 1999, the Families, Youth and Children (FYC) Commission approved the
RFP(s) listed above for inclusion on our vendor list. The FYC Commission attached the
following recommendations and/or conditions regarding your RFP bid(s).
1. RFP 99008,Intensive Family Therapy (GAP):
Recommendation: Ackerman and Associates provide services to South County.
This may be arranged through the Weld County Department of Social Services
Fort Lupton Office.
Condition: Payment will be denied to Intensive Family Therapy providers for any
charge submitted for therapy 45 minutes or less unless cleared by explanation and
approved by the program area supervisor.
2. RFP 99008, Intensive Family Therapy (Mediation):
Condition: (a) The hourly rate on the Notice of Financial Assistance Award shall
read $195 per hour. (h) Payment will be denied to Intensive Family Therapy
providers for any charge submitted for therapy 45 minutes or less unless cleared
Page 2
Ackerman and Associates, P.C., May 14, 1999
RFP 99008, IFT (GAP); RFP 99008, IFT (Mediation), RFP 99008 (FGDM), RFP 99010, Opt. B
by explanation and approved by the program area supervisor.
3. RFP 99008, Intensive Family Therapy (Family Group Decision Making):
Recommendation: Define the role of Ackerman and Associates, P.C., Family
Group Decision Making staff, and the role of the Family Group Decision Making
conference.
Condition: Payment will be denied to Intensive Family Therapy providers
for any charge submitted for therapy 45 minutes or less unless cleared by
explanation and approved by the program area supervisor.
4. RFP, Option B:
Recommendations: (a) Account for staff on leave and continue to provide service
to the client; (b) The program needs to be goal oriented. The program should
address the specific needs identified by the caseworker rather than addressing all
problems of the client.
B. Required Response by RFP Bidders Concerning FYC Commission
Recommendations and Conditions.
The Weld County Department of Social Services is requesting your written response to
the FYC Commission's recommendations and conditions. Please respond in writing to
David Aldridge, Weld County Department of Social Services, P.O. Box A, Greeley, CO,
80632, by May 20, 1999, close of business, as follows:
1. FYC Commission Recommendations:
You are requested to review the FYC Commission recommendations and to:
a. accept the recommendation(s) as written by the FYC Commission; or
b. request alternatives to the FYC Commission's recommendation(s); or
c. not accept the recommendation(s) of the FYC Commission.
Please provide in writing how- you will incorporate the recommendation(s) into
your bid. If you do not accept the recommendation, please provide written
reasons why. All approved recommendations under the NOFAA will be
monitored and evaluated by the FYC Commission.
Page 3
Ackerman and Associates, P.C., May 14, 1999
RFP 99008, IFT (GAP); RFP 99008, IFT (Mediation), RFP 99008 (FGDM), RFP 99010, Opt. B
2. FYC Commission Conditions:
All conditions will be incorporated as part of your RFP Bid and Notification of
Financial Assistance Award (NOFAA). If you do not accept the condition(s),
you will not be authorized as a vendor unless your mitigating circumstances are
accepted by the FYC Commission and the Weld County Department of Social
Services. If you do not accept the condition, you must provide in writing reasons
why. A meeting will be arranged to discuss your response. Your response to the
above conditions will be incorporated in the RFP Bid and Notification of
Financial Assistance Award.
If you wish to arrange a meeting to discuss the above conditions and/or recommendations, please
do so through Elaine Furister, 352.1551, extension 6295, and one will be arranged prior to May
20, 1999.
Sincerely,
J y A. 'ego, Di ctor
cc: Mike Hoover, Chair, FYC Commission
David Aldridge, Social Service Manager II
JG:ef
Weld County Department of Social Services
Notification of Financial Assistance Award
for Families,Youth and Children Commission (Core) Funds
Type of Action Contract Award No.
X Initial Award FY99-PAC-17000
Revision (RFP-FYC-99008)
Contract Award Period Name and Address of Contractor
Beginning 06/01/1999 and Ackerman and Associates, P.C.-Short Term IFT-GAP
Ending 05/31/2000 1750 25th Avenue
Greeley, CO 80631
Computation of Awards Description
Unit of Service The issuance of the Notification of Financial Assistance
Award is based upon your Request for Proposal (RFP).
Short term intensive family therapy to a maximum The RFP specifies the scope of services and conditions
of 36 families. The service offers a range, on of award. Except where it is in conflict with this
average, of two hours weekly solution focused NOFAA in which case the NOFAA governs, the RFP
treatment, over a two-month period. upon which this award is based is an integral part of the
action.
Cost Per Unit of Service
Special conditions
Hourly Rate Per $ 97.50
Unit of Service Based on Approved Plan 1) Reimbursement for the Unit of Services will be based
on an hourly rate per child or per family.
Enclosures: 2) The hourly rate will be paid for only direct face to face
Signed RFP:Exhibit A contact with the child and/or family, as evidenced by
17 Supplemental Narrative to RFP: Exhibit B client-signed verification form, and as specified in the
t.„---Recommendation(s) unit of cost computation.
3) Unit of service costs cannot exceed the hourly and
✓Conditions of Approval yearly cost per child and/or family.
4) Payment will only be remitted on cases open with, and
referrals made by the Weld County Department of
Social Services.
5) Requests for payment must be an original submitted to
the Weld County Department of Social Services by the
end of the 25th calendar day following the end of the
month of service. The provider must submit requests
for payment on forms approved by Weld County
Department of Social Services.
App s: Program Official:
1
By f By
Da e K. Hall, Chair Judy riego, erector
Board of Weld County Commissioners Weld tint Department ofSocial Services
Date: 06100499 Date: �oC I lag
L79 ,i i a, 7 (d)
INVITATION TO BID
DATE: February 26, 1999 BID NO: RFP-FYC-99008 3A4 c-f 3 b,A S
RETURN BID TO: Pat Persichino, Director of General Services
915 10th Street, P.O. Box 758, Greeley, CO 80632
SUMMARY
Request for Proposal (RFP-FYC-99008) for: Family Preservation Program--Intensive Family Therapy
Program Family Issues Cash Fund or Family Preservation
Program Funds
Deadline: March 23, 1999, Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.
The Placement Alternatives Commission, an advisory commission to the Weld County Department of Social
Services, announces that competing applications will be accepted for approved vendors pursuant to the Board
of Weld County Commissioners authority under the Statewide Family Preservation Program (C.R.S. 26-5.5-
101) and Emergency Assistance for Families with Children at Imminent Risk of Out-of-Home Placement
(C.R.S. 26-5.3-101). The Placement Alternatives Commission wishes to approve services targeted to run
from June 1, 1999, through May 31, 2000, at specific rates for different types of service, the County will
authorize approved vendors and rates for services only. The Intensive Family Therapy Program must provide
for therapeutic intervention through one or more qualified family therapists, typically with all family members,
to improve family communication, function, and relationships. This program announcement consists of five
parts, as follows:
PART A...Administrative Information PART D...Bidder Response Format
PART B...Background, Overview and Goals PART E...Bid Evaluation Process
PART '...Statement of Work qq
Delivery Date ,,) t /!p C ( �4 11r° ��� `��L' ,^a �4,k
B
(After receipt of order) 3T BE SIGNED IN INK y�
rot(c Sly/-e...1- r4 .gums,-, EA-4
TYPED OR PRINTED SIGNATURE
VENDOR AC-C- ' /1 <-r cn� I(5 six ce c k.G \s.
_ (Name) Han writ n Signature By Authorized
Offic r or Agent of
Vender
ADDRESS / 7179 Q- • , tie f• /O/ TITLE / ce5 Lc
CO Tth
flpt 2/ DATE 0 37,2
PHONE# )0 -3Y3 3 3 7 3 �
I
The above bid is subject to Terms and Conditions as attached hereto and incorporated
Page 1 of 35
•
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
INTENSIVE FAMILY 1'H.ERAPY PROGRAM BID PROPOSAL
FAMILY PRESERVATION PROGRAM
1999/2000 BID PROPOSAL APPLICATION
PROGRAM FUNDS YEAR 1999-2000
BID #RFP-FYC-9/908 (J
NAME OF AGENCY: 7) 6-4 r m C�^ �v- /Q sS C .
ADDRESS: I ) ,r0 ,'Ct\ f+u-t 7 ` l0I 6r-ez// 6c Pob3/
PHONE: ( ?2.1 3T3-33'73 n
CONTACT PERSON: 'TO1 c.c. r rata-rte TITLE: PrQ S l r -
DESCRIPTION OF FAMILY PRESERVATION PROGRAM CATEGORY: The Intensive Family Therapy Program must
provide for therapeutic intervention through one or more qualified family therapists_typically with all family members.to
improve family communication. functioning.and relationships.
12-Month approximate Project Dates: _ 12-month contract with actual time lines of
Start June 1. 1999 Start
End May 31. 199S! �End
TITLE OF PROJECT: A te,. "^-et t `QJ S0`0te` -
Name Si ature of Person Preparing Document Date
Name an igna a Chief Administrative Officer Applicant Agency Date
MANDATORY PROPOSAL REOUIREMENTS
For both new bids and renewal bids,please initial to indicate that the following required sections are included in this Proposal for
Bid. For renewal bids,please indicate which of the required sections have not changed from Program Fund Year 1998-1999 to
Program Fund Year 1999-2000.
Indicate No Change from FY 1998-1999
Project Description ._
✓ Target/Eligibility Populations ✓
Types of services Provided ✓
/ Measurable Outcomes /
7 Service Objectives ✓
/ Workload Standards ✓
if Staff Qualifications ✓
_C Unit of Service Rate Computation ✓ —
Program Capacity per Month ✓ —_
Certificate of Insurance
Page 29 of 35
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
Date of Meeting(s)with Social Services Division Supervisor: 3 r--
Comments by SSDervis
/i Oi.1 ya
x.7”1 �t date <-•i-
Name and Signature of SSD Supervisor Date
Page 30 of 35
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
Program Category Intensive Family Therapy Program Bid Category _
Project Title _ G rep
Vendor _ -
I. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Please provide a one page brief description of the project.
II. TARGET/ELIGIBILITY POPULATIONS
Please provide a one page brief description of the proposed target/eligibility populations. At a
minimum your description must address:
A. Total number of clients to be served.
B. Total individual clients and the children's ages.
C. Total family units.
D. Sub-total of individuals who will receive bicultural/bilingual services.
E. Sub-total of individuals who will receive services in South Weld County.
F. Sub-total of individuals who will have access to 24 hour services.
G. The monthly maximum program capacity.
H. The monthly average capacity.
I. Average stay in the program (weeks).
J. Average hours per week in the program.
III. TYPE OF SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED
Please provide a two page description of the types of services to be provided. Please address if your
project will provide the service minimums as follows:
A. Comprehensive, diagnostic and treatment planning with the family and other service providers.
B. Therapeutic intervention with flexibility to bring in other services, if needed.
C. Co-facilitated therapeutic services provided by one or more qualified family therapists.
D. Therapy that is designed to resolve conflicts and disagreement within the family, contributing
to child maltreatment, running away, and to the behavior constituting status offenses.
Also, provide your quantitative measures as they directly relate to each service. At a minimum,
include a number to be served in each service component. Describe your internal process to assure that
PAC resources will not supplant existing and available services in the community; e.g. mental health
capitation services, ADAD and professional services otherwise funded.
IV. MEASURABLE OUTCOMES
Please provide a two page description of your expected measurable outcomes of the project. Please
address the measurable outcomes for each area as described below:
A. Children receiving services do not go into placement.
Page 31 of 35
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
B. Families remain intact.
C. Reunification of children with families.
D. Improvements in parental competency, parent/child conflict management as determined or
measured by pre and post placement functional tests.
E. More cost efficient services through the Intensive Family Therapy Program than the placement
of the child.
F. Therapeutic outcomes include fundamental changes in the family functioning and dynamics.
Describe your quantitative measures: Also, describe the methods you will use to measure, evaluate,
and monitor each quantitative measure.
V. SERVICE OBJECTIVES
Please provide a one page description of your expected service objectives and quantitative measures.
Please address, at a minimum, the following ways the project will:
A. Improve Family Conflict Management - Mediation and counseling designed to resolve conflicts
and disagreement within the family contributing to child maltreatment, running away and other
offenses.
B. Improve Parental Competency- capacity of parents to maintain sound relationships with their
children and provide care, nutrition, hygiene, discipline, protection, instructions, and
supervision.
C. Improve Ability to Access Resources - services shall assist parents to work with other sources
in the community and ahead the local, state, and federal governments.
Describe the methods you will use to measure, evaluate, and monitor each service objective.
VI. WORKLOAD STANDARDS
Please provide a one page description of the project's work load standards and quantitative measures
Please address, at a minimum, the following areas:
A. Number of hours per day, week or month.
B. Number of individuals providing the services.
C. Maximum caseload per worker. (Generally 12 families per worker. Eight to 10 families per
worker if the worker provides case management services to the families on the caseload.)
D. Modality of treatment
E. Total number of hours per day/week/month (Minimum average of two hours of service per
family per week.
F. Total number of individuals providing these services.
G. The maximum caseload per supervisor. (Minimum of 6 workers per supervisor.)
H. Insurance.
Page 32 of 35
•
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
VII. STAFF QUALIFICATIONS
Please provide a one page description of staff qualifications and address, at a minimum, the following:
A. Will your staff who are providing direct services have the minimum qualifications in education
and experience. Describe.
B. Total number of staff available for the project.
C. Will staffhave expertise in family therapy as demonstrated by specialized training, workshops
and experience.
D. Will staff have a minimum of eight hours per year of continuing education; i.e. courses,
workshops, and/or review of literature to be documented by county.
E. Will staff have a minimum of one hour per week of clinical supervision provided by someone
with advanced skills in Intensive Family Therapy.
F. Will the clinical supervisor(s) be involved in regular training to keep current in state-of-the-art
counseling modalities and findings.
Page 33 of 35
•
•
RFP-FYC-99008 Attached A
VIII. COMPUTATION OF DIRECT SERVICE RATE
This form is to be used to provide detailed explanation of the hourly rate your
organization will charge the Core Services Program for the services offered in
this Request for Proposal. This rate may only be used to bill the Weld County
Department of Social Services for direct, face-to-face services provided to
clients referred for these services by the Department. Requests for payment based
on units of service such as telephone calls, no shows, travel time, mileage
reimbursement, preparation, documentation, and other costs not involving direct
face-to-face services will not be honored. Likewise, billings must be for hours
of direct service to the client, regardless of the number of staff involved in
providing those services. Therefore, it is imperative that this rate be
sufficient to cover all costs associated with this client, regardless of the
number of staff involved in providing these services.
(Explanations for these Lines are Provided on the Following Page)
Total Hours of Direct Service per Client Co Hours [A]
Total Clients to be Served 3 L Clients [B]
Total Hours of Direct Service for Year A / G Hours [C]
(Line [A] Multiplied by Line [B] t� /
Cost per Hour of Direct Services $ J �•J'0 Per Hour [D]
Total Direct Service Costs $ / L 3 Cc. [E]
(Line [C] Multiplied by Line [D] ) _4 %'32
Administration Costs Allocable to Program $ 14 • C . C C 2gP [F]
;4,1/(0 #331/2?
Overhead Costs Allocable to Program $ 31. ° /�• •J [G]
Total Cost, Direct and Allocated, of Program$ 3 ° .3 D Y [H]
Line [E] Plus Line [F] Plus Line [G] )
Anticipated Profits Contributed by this Program $ d)) [I:]
Total Costs and Profits to be Covered /� C //,,
by this Program(Line [H] Plus Line [I] ) $ V V [J]
Total Hours of Direct Service for Year cg( b [K]
(Must Equal Line [C] ) -----
Rate per Hour of Direct, Face-to-Face Service
to be Charged to Weld County Department of 77 Social Services $ �) [L]
Day Treatment Programs Only:
Direct Service House Per Client Per Month [M)
Monthly Direct Service Rate $ [N]
Page 34 of 35
Project Description
The Goal Achievement Program (GAP)
Implementing behavioral goals through
intensive short term solution focused therapy
to avoid out of home placement.
Overview: Ackerman and Associates P.C. proposed in 1996 to use a time limited,
solution focused therapy model to assist in the implementation of Discrete Care Plans,
court ordered care plans and to assist in implementing the results of mediation. We
called this the Goal Achievement Program or GAP. We propose to continue this
program in 1999-2000.
The purpose of this highly structured time limited system is to implement care plans so
families can avoid out of home placement. Families needing the GAP program are
either immanently at risk of outplacement , need to be reunified and meet the PAC
criteria or face imminent reunification failure and have failed or are failing to
implement the program required of them. The model provides up to six hours of
solution focused therapy over no more than a two month period, for these families at
imminent risk of outplacement or needing reunification to achieve the required
behavioral change. Three populations have been served:
Group #1 . Those who completed mediation with our PAC funded program, but
need, as determined by their caseworker, help fully implementing
their contracts. Failure to receive such help would result in
substantial delay in reunification or imminent risk of outplacement.
Group #2. Those who did not utilize mediation and whose caseworker
concludes are having difficulty accepting and implementing
all or part of their Discrete Care Plan. That difficulty will result
in imminent placement or is preventing reunification.
Group #3. Those who are considered by their caseworker
or by the court to need focused therapeutic assistance
to successfully implement a court ordered plan.
Failure to receive such help would result in failure of the
court ordered plan and result in either substantial delay in
reunification or immediate outplacement.
1
Purpose: The purpose of the time limited, solution focused therapy is to implement
the short term changes needed to either prevent placement of reunify the family.
Clearly defined achievable structured behavioral changes are responsive to short term
therapy because they have a very clear focus and do not necessarily require
resolution of underlying personality factors to succeed. Although such long term
change may well improve the health of the individual and the family, achievement of
long term change is not necessarily a prerequisite to reunification or prevention of
placement. As long as functionality of the family can be restored and the child is
protected within the umbrella of the child protection statutes, the goals of the GAP
program can be achieved.
For Group #1 Our mediation program has demonstrated a very high success rate with
families who have been referred to negotiate how they will solve their own problems.
Those in mediation have "ownership" of the plan they formulate. Nearly all have
avoided placement. About half have succeeded in achieving long term change. We
propose to use this program of implementing behavioral change to support those
families who have difficulty making their contracts work.
The GAP program will create a therapeutic environment for the family to establish a
process of change, This is for clients who need extra time to solidify the gains they
made in mediation. The mediation is the process by which the family set the goals
needed to prevent placement or reunify. The GAP program is the place where the
implementation of those goals is achieved for families that cannot do this on their own.
For Group #2 A family's Discrete Care Plan (DCP) is created for every family at Social
Services. The DCP is expected to assist them to change in a way that is in the best
interests of the child, avoids placement or achieves reunification. Unfortunately, the
family level of acceptance of the Discrete Care Plan is sometimes less than ideal.
Those who fail to adequately implement their DCP are thus likely to rapidly return to a
status where PAC sponsored intervention is appropriate.
Elimination of psychological barriers to the Discrete Care Plan can be achieved
through solution focused therapy by enhancing the level of control the family has in
achieving the goals of the plan. In families that are resisting intervention by social
services and are about to enter (or reenter) foster placement, short term therapy would
focus on the implementation of the care plan goals. A major objective of the therapy is
to build a sense of ownership in the solutions achieved. If foster placement is
necessary, this model should shorten the length of foster placement. The therapy of
reunification would focus on the implementation of goals that specify what behaviors
need to be achieved to reunify the family. If the family treatment proceeds rapidly, the
cost of that placement should be minimized.
For Group #3 When the court has ordered a care plan for a family, there is obviously a
perception of diminished control on the part of the parents. The court has told the
family what to do. This does not mean that the family has accepted what it must do. Nor
2
does it mean that the family has the psychological skills to achieve the goals the court
has set. Even when the family sincerely embraces the courts requirements, they may,
at least psychologically, only have a vague or general sense how to do it.
What is the role that family has in how the plan will be implemented since they must be
the ones to change?
The therapeutic role in the court ordered placement plan is first one of achieving
psychological acceptance of the courts care plan. What are the ways the family will
decide to change to meet the requirements of the court in the shortest possible time?
Finding the answers to this question is the overall purpose of the short term therapy
with Group # 3 and these answers will be available to the court in a period of time that
is very short. From this point the family can return to direct caseworker supervision. If
they continue to fail to implement the plan they would be able to return to GAP for more
focused work on what they will do.
Design: The time limited, solution focused therapy consists of six hours of
therapy in a period of two months. The structure of how the therapy is
arranged is variable.
Some families may need intensive two hour sessions over as brief period as a few
weeks to prevent placement or achieve reunification. Others may need shorter
sessions over two months to prevent them from relapsing and needing to return to
foster placement. In others, the level of psychological resistance may suggest a need
for six weeks of sessions one hour per week or three sessions per week over two
weeks.
The key design feature is to achieve implementation of the goals that are developed
whether those were through mediation, the Discrete Care Plan or the court ordered
care plan. The therapeutic needs of the diversity of families requires clinical flexibility
on the part of the therapists in scheduling. Scheduling also needs to be done
considering other criteria particularly cost effectiveness. Families needing reunification
will be on a faster track (if it is clinically appropriate) since the judicious reduction of
foster placement time is quite cost effective.
Other Considerations:
There is no risk of the program running up excessive costs for any one family because
of the six session model.
Since intensive inpatient treatment programs traditionally have been a major source of
cost for the expenditure of PAC funds locally, including a less expensive goal focused
short term model is appropriate. The evaluation at the end of the six hours will specify
any unresolved Issues in cases where further treatment is needed.
Given our success rate with our mediation program, we structured the use of this low
3
cost treatment approach which has a maximum of $585 per family to be extremely cost
effective and a very useful intermediate step before in patient treatment for appropriate
referrals. Referrals have been stable over the past several years at about one family
per month.
The program is very easily measured because it will always have a clear starting point
for each family. The evaluation strategy will seek to define the level of success
achieved in complying with the goals of therapy. Resolved and unresolved issues will
be stated in the evaluation for each family and sent to the caseworker at the
conclusion of the six sessions of treatment.
Finally, this program appears to have filled a need for the Weld County Department of
Social Services on at least two levels. First, based on discussions we have had with
our supervisors the program appears to fill a gap that truly exists in the continuum of
care for families that meet the PAC criteria. Second, this is a lower cost intervention
design which may be cost efficient in avoiding more expensive alternatives to
placement.
Target/Eligibility Populations
A. Total number of clients to be served in this twelve month program has been
calculated as follows. Three families per month times twelve months equals thirty-six
families per year. If we assume a family size of five, two adults and three children, then
the total client pool to be served is 180 individuals. That number includes at least 36
individuals who face either imminent outplacement or need reunification. These
calculations make an assumption of a relatively even distribution between the three
groups. We have the capacity to serve more than this number if demand for the
services is there. We projected our maximum capacity for last year as forty eight
families and expected 36 families to be served. The number of families served would
be closer to on fourth to one third of the expected total. However, we would expect the
totals to rise next year as the program becomes better known and understood. Our
projected total for 98-99 is 36 families.
B. Distribution of clients. Total number of clients we will serve is approximately
180 as calculated above. We would expect approximately 72 of these would be adult
members of the family and approximately 108 would be minors. We estimate that they
would be distributed across the age range from 1 to 17. The older children would most
likely be teenagers in conflict with their family most often concerning issues related to
their maturation into adults. The younger group will consist of children of no
particularly predictable age whose parents are in conflict usually in relation to
instability in the marriage, neglect or abuse. Neglect or abuse may be present in either
group.
C. Families Served. We anticipate serving twenty four to thirty-six family units. This
4
estimate is high compared to previous use.
D. Sub total who will receive biculturaVbilingual services. We have a
member of the staff, Emily Jaramillo Bansberg , who is a master's level clinical
psychotherapist fluent in Spanish. She is also Hispanic. She has specific training in
solution focused therapy and specializes in working with children, teenagers and
families. We anticipate we can serve twenty-five percent or more of the total referred
in a bilingual manner. All of the staff have extensive cross cultural experience. Lori
Kochevar LPC has six years of experience treating families in the San Luis Valley.
Joyce Ackerman Ed.D. and Steven Patrick Ph.D. have each spent several years
working in American Indian reservation populations. Larry Kerrigan Ph.D. has more
than twenty years experience as a therapist in Greeley and Susan Bromley Psy..D. is
both a social worker and a psychologist with extensive experience training students in
cross cultural sensitivity. Where there is a very young child, Sherri Malloy, Ph.D. can
use a brief play therapy session to demonstrate to the parents the impact of the family
disruption of the younger children. Where there are health issues involved in the family
environment, Denise Wunderle, RN psychiatric nurse specialist will be able to assist in
approaching these health concerns.
E. We can provide services in South County if Social Services can provide a site to
do such work. If that were available, we would schedule a full day of short term
solution focused treatments with at least four families on the same day. Therefore, we
would have to have at least four active cases in South county each time we traveled
there. Alternatively, we are able to provide services on Saturdays in our Greeley
location for any family. This may assist South County families in scheduling without
interference with work schedules. To date we have had no difficulty providing services
for South County residents at our Greeley offices by providing Saturday sessions.
F Accessibility On weekdays, all providers of Ackerman and Associates are
accessible through or office secretary and after hours through a 24 hour answering
service and pager system. On weekends, this 24 hour access reaches the provider on
call who is always a licensed Mental Health provider. We also provide Saturday
sessions.
G. Maximum per month. The program maximum is four families per month.
H. The monthly average capacity is two or three families per month.
I. The average stay,(and maximum stay) in the program is six hours over a two
month period. Scheduling would be flexible and would attempt to maximize effective
treatment in terms of achieving the best avoidance of placement or the most efficient
return from placement.
5
Types of Services Provided
We propose to continue to provide up to six hours of short term solution focused
treatment. We would use a flexible scheduling model which would allow the therapist
clinical judgment in meeting the needs of the family and maximizing the cost
effectiveness of the treatment.
Evaluation of the process would take place at the last session.
For those families that do not need all six sessions, the last session will be the
summation and evaluation session. For those that do need the six sessions, the sixth
session will serve that purpose. The final session explicitly summarizes for the family
what they have achieved and what they need to continue to work on. It also creates a
structured record in the same format for all families so the program can be evaluated
on how well it succeeded in helping implement specific changes that correlate with
accelerated reunification or are associated with avoiding placement.
In terms of the criteria for the PAC process:
A. Comprehensiveness: Solution focused therapy does not attempt to provide a
comprehensive assessment or diagnosis of the family in a traditional
psychotherapeutic model. It focuses the family on rapidly achievable solutions to the
problems related to either their mediation contract, their Discrete Care Plan or their
court ordered care plan. We would require that the referred families have their
Discrete Care Plans and their court ordered plans as applicable shared with the
program at the time of referral.
B. Access to other services: The purpose of short term therapy is to explicitly solve
problems and lower barriers to achievement of the care plan. If the solution to a
concern involves the referral to other services the caseworker will be notified at or
before the conclusion of treatment and that service can be arranged for the family if
they have not done so themselves.
C. Co-Facillitation: Because there will be eight providers of short term focused
therapy in the same group, each provider will have the opportunity to consult with
other providers in Ackerman and Associates of similar services. We will use a
consultation mechanism which preserves client anonymity. The therapy sessions will
be conducted by a single provider.
D. Conflict Resolution: In terms of those who completed mediation, the goal of the
treatment would to be to implement the plans made in mediation. That means to help
the family use their contract to prevent conflict from overwhelming the family again.
In terms of the Discrete Care Plan group, conflict resolution would focus of the type of
6
conflict that brought them into contact with Social Services. What needs to be done to
resolve that conflict now? How can that conflict be ameliorated or prevented in the
future?
For those with a court ordered plan the legal issues have been adjudicated and a
solution prescribed . There is a court ordered plan. A key goal is acceptance of the
court plan. In short term therapy the family will define and implement how they will
make the court ordered plan work in their own lives.
Measurable outcomes
Measurable outcomes are of two varieties. One type is termed formative outcomes
and the other type is called summative outcomes. Formative outcomes measure how
the program is proceeding while the treatment takes place. Summative outcomes are
the results of the treatment.
In terms of formative measures we have the following...
1. Did the family follow through with the referral from their caseworker?
2. Did the family attend the sessions that were scheduled?
3. Did the family need all six possible hours allowed?
4. Did the family complete the evaluation portion of the program?
We expect a 100% follow through for contacting us. This data will be based on a
comparison of referral documents received compared to the record of appointments of
the family. We expect 95% to attend a first session. 90%to attend a second or further
session. We expect that 85% will complete five or more sessions and that all who
attended at least one session will complete an evaluation with the therapist in their last
session. To date there has been some difficulty clarifying which are appropriate gap
referrals - especially that there needs to be a failure related to a written plan such as a
mediation, DCP or court ordered plan. Of those who met this criteria all met criteria one
and two above about half needed less than the six hours.
Summative outcomes
At the evaluation session which is the final session the family has with us we
determine the following information. Is the child still in the home or been returned from
placement? How well has the mediation contract, Discrete Care Plan or court ordered
plan been completed? What family behaviors are different compared to their behavior
before solution focused treatment. The other long term or summative outcomes listed
below are also determined at this time.
A. The child receiving services does not go into placement. At the evaluation
session the length of time between the referral to the end of treatment will be recorded.
In the prevention of outplacement one mode of scheduling may be to maintain contact
7
as long as possible to provide very brief maintenance sessions as needed within the
two month time limit. We expect 70% of the index children referred to avoid placement.
B. Families remain intact. Physically intact means the child remained or returned
to the parents residence as specified in the treatment plans. We expect 70% of the
families referred to remain physically intact and an additional ten% to remain
psychologically intact ( placed with a relative) as a result of this model. In our
experience psychological intactness is usually accompanied by less formal care
relationships than foster care such as living with other relatives who were previously
not willing to assist.
C. Reunification of children with their families. Short term therapy should be
very amenable for the reunification of families because the family will have a Discrete
Care Plan and perhaps also a court ordered plan to follow. The nature of the therapy
would keep these goals focused before the family. We would expect reunification
therapy to be more intense in terms of being done over a shorter time frame. We would
measure the length of time between initiation of short term therapy and the
reunification in these cases. We expect that 70% of the families will be reunified by this
process.
D. Improvement in parental competency and parent child conflict
management are expected to occur in all families who complete treatment. The
persistence of these changes can be measured at the evaluation session by self
report. Parental competency questions will be linked to the treatment plans. Did the
families achieve the behaviors needed to meet the goals of the treatment plan?
E. Cost effectiveness. The cost of this program is projected at $585 per family for
six sessions. If outplacement is shortened by one month or reunification accelerated
by one month the program pays for itself. The program is expected to be extremely
cost effective. Further if any patients can use this program as an alternative to either
inpatient or day treatment programs by using an intensive outpatient approach over a
period of a week or two, cost effectiveness increases very substantially as a lower cost
program is replacing a higher priced program to achieve a similar outcome.
F. Does this program produce fundamental change in family dynamics?
The process of solution focused therapy has the family define the behavioral goals for
itself early in the process. At the last session these goals will be listed and the family
will report 1.if that goal has been met and 2. if they think the change is likely to last for
more than two months from that date. Item two provides a benchmark for evaluation of
ongoing behavioral change. While the program is not focused on fundamental change
it does provide a model for successful problem solving and learned problem solving
skills interpersonal and negotiation skills are important as tools for producing
fundamental change in the family.
8
Service objectives
We have the following service objectives:
A. Improvement of family conflict management. The goals of the mediation
contract, the Discrete Care Plan or the court ordered care plan are centered on
improving family conflict management and preventing conflict which places the child
imminently at risk. The treatment goals of short term therapy are the goals stated in
those documents as we have defined this proposal. Therefore improvement in conflict
management is a central focus of this work.
B. Improved parental competency in PAC sponsored programs seems to center
on each parent developing more age appropriate and family system appropriate
strategies. In dealing with conflicts with their child especially with teenagers, the areas
of discipline, protection, instruction and supervision often need examination and
practice to attain sustainable solutions. With younger children the therapy gives the
parents the opportunity to implement and better define the roles each parent expects
of the other. Those parental behavioral goals specified in the mediation contract,
Discrete Care Plan or the court ordered plan will be the ones worked on. Thus we help
achieve goals that increase parental competency.
C. The ability of the family to access resources is a strength of the short term
therapy model. Short term therapy has one of its origins in programs designed to
assist employees. That origin called the employee assistance plan or EAP model
specialized in directing people to the specific resources they needed in a very focused
approach. The services recommended are determined by the explicit (and implicit)
problems presented. Determination of additional services needed is a standard
portion of short term therapy. Usually in the first session, goals are clarified and in the
subsequent sessions resources are specified that are needed to help reach those
goals. Since this proposal treats families who already have a written plan of clear
goals for each or the three groups, families will recognize and be able to access the
services they need.
The methods used to document the service objectives will be a comparison of the
stated goals of the treatment plan with the summative evaluation completed in the last
session. For the project we will report on the type of goals and how well they were
achieved using this short term treatment model, the numbers of children who were
reunited or avoided placement and the other summative criteria listed under
measurable objectives.
Workload Standards
A. The program has a capacity of four families per month. We anticipate an average
of two. This is approximately 12 hours of face to face meetings per month. At each
meeting, one therapist is present. This represents 144 hours of therapist time per year.
9
At our rate of $97.50 per hour( the same as last year's fee) the cost maximum is
$14,040.
B and C. There are eight providers /five licensed psychologists, one professional
counselor, a bilingual master's level therapist and a psychiatric nurse specialist who
will provide these services. All have specific training in short term solution focused
care treatment. All have work experience as providers who have used this model in
treatment.
D. The modality of treatment is a short term solution focused treatment.
E. Hours /month The total number of therapist hours is 12 per month or 144 per
year.
F. Staff There are eight individual providers supported by two secretaries in the
practice
G. Supervisor This contract would be supervised by Joyce Shohet Ackerman Ed.D.
who would monitor the project for compliance. Providers are individually licensed and
do not require clinical supervision except for one therapist who is being supervised by
a licensed psychologist in the practice.
H Insurance All providers carry one million three million liability, Ackerman and
associates carries an additional one million three million liability policy on the group
and a general liability policy which meets the required criteria for this application is on
file with the county and is provided through Farmers Insurance.
Staff Qualifications
A. and B. Staff Qualifications Eight staff are available for the project. They exceed
the minimum qualifications specified as documented below. The staff are: Joyce
Shohet Ackerman Ed.D. Licensed psychologist; Susan Bromley Psy. D. Licensed
psychologist (and licensed social worker); Emily Jaramillo Bansberg , therapist; Lori
Kochevar M.S. Licensed Professional Counselor; Laurence P. Kerrigan Ph.D.
Licensed psychologist; Sherri Malloy Ph.D. Licensed psychologist ; Steven Patrick
Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist and Denise Wunderle MS, RN Psychiatric nurse
specialist. All these providers are solution focused therapy providers.
C. Training The staff has extensive training in family therapy and short term therapy.
as documented by their extensive work experience. Collectively, seven of the eight
providers have held licenses in their field for a total of more than 60 years with a range
of 3 -20 plus years and an average length of licensure of about 10 years. Resumes are
available if requested and were submitted in prior years.
D. Continuing education As a part of their work in the private sector all providers in
10
this group maintain continuing education programs more than the minimum eight
hours required. They participate in workshops and other activities. This proposal's
continuing education requirements coincide with the requirements of other contractual
arrangements and are being met on an ongoing basis by members of the group.
E. Supervision Seven of the eight providers are independently licensed and not
required to have clinical supervision. One therapist , Emily Jaramillo Bansberg, is
supervised by Sherri Malloy Gonzales, a licensed psychologist in the practice. All the
staff have advanced skills in intensive family therapy. The contract supervisor will
monitor the specifications made in this proposal.
F. Supervisor continuing education The supervisor of the project is involved in
ongoing training to keep current with her profession through advanced workshops and
seminars. Ackerman and Associates P.C. of which the supervisor is the president has
more than seven years contracting experience for major managed care companies as
short term solution focused therapy providers in Weld County. By contract we provide
more than 1000 short term therapy sessions per year. The average patient completes
treatment in four to five sessions in that model. The companies we contract with cover
the majority of insured lives in Weld County. Dr. Ackerman manages all short term
solution focused therapy contracts for Ackerman and Associates.
Unit of service rate computation
We are requesting to continue at the rate of 97.50 per hour for the GAP program. This
is the same as our rate last year. It provides $58.50 for the therapist and overhead and
expenses of $39 per therapist hour. This is the proportion of therapist fees to overhead
that we have set for all programs of Ackerman and Associates. The overall profit
margin is less than 5% .
Budget Justification
These rates are reasonable and customary for providers of the licensed doctoral level
and breadth of training assembled in this proposal. The increase in the 1999 rate is
zero compared to the rate for 1998. Our fees, we believe are justified by the
documented success rates we have demonstrated in the application of short term
solution focused therapy techniques to prevention of placement.
PAC money is tracked through a computer data base system called MediMac which
we have used for the past 60 months. The system allows us to track payments by client
and by source of payment and any payment through the PAC will be tracked in this
manner. No special issues are present related to project audit to our knowledge and a
random project audit for WCDSS have shown no discrepancies..
Ackerman and Associates P.C. is a type S professional corporation and not a 501.c.3.
11
Di,inui ._. li-A I Iodticei tt Issue lamtc RCnetval:Repincememt
I 32 A 00023 _60 05/08/97 RENEWAL
I'SYCI I°LoaISPS PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY
CLAIMS-MADE INSURANCE POLICY
I'URCI IASING GROUT' POLICY NUNIIWR: 452-0002000
NOTICE: TI II US A CLAIMS-MADE POLICY, PLEASE READ THE POLICY CAREFULLY.
Item DECLAR ,'PIONS CERTIFICATE NUMBER: 45P- 2032570
1. NAMED i.'iSURED: AI KER IAN AND ASSOCIATES PC
ADDRE.S' 1750 25TI1 AVENUE
(Number : Street, Town, GI)EELEY CO 80631
i."
County, Si 'le IS: Zip No.)
2. POLICY I I .P3 From OO: Fro 05/01/97 x rt r / vy
To US/U1/98 lee re
(12:01 A.M. Standard Time At Localism Of Lier stated Premises s4,41 coo
4.
pc. CLcte.-
- 3/it,/
3. COVERA ;I`-: LIMITS OF LIABILITY PREMIUM
Professior $1 ,000,000 $3,000,000 $1,826.00
each Incident Aggregate
- 4. BUSINLS OF THE INSURED: Psychology
5. TIIE NAN ED INSURED IS:
( ) Sole I ioprietor (including Independent Contractors) ( ) Partnership (X ) Corporation
( ) O11I •
It:
' 6. 'Phis polio shall only apply to incidents which happen on or after: a) the policy effective
date show, on the Declarations; or b) the effective date of the earliest claims-made policy
issued by I ie Company to which this policy is a renewal; or c) the date specified in any
endorsenl, nt hereto. 05/01/92
i 7. This polir' is made and accepted subject to the printed conditions of this policy together with
the provis' m.s, stipulations and agreements contained in the following form(s) or cndorsentent(s):
PLJ-2008 110/94 ) POE-8004 PLE-2147 PLE-2081
P0N-2003
•
{-I CIIICAGO INSURANCE COMPANY
55 E. MONROE STREET, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60603
REPRESI 1TATIVE: Agent or Broker: Kirke-Van Orsdel, Incorporated
Office Address: 1776 West Lakes Parkway
Town and State: West Des Moines, IA. 50398
f Toll-free Number: 1-800-852-9987
s:.
Each Associate of Ackerman and Associates carries an
INTERSTATEadditional 1 ,000,000/ 3,000,000 personal liability •
INSURANCE policy in addition to this policy for the corporation.
GROUT'
•
1..
PLP-2012 (06/93) Ice.)
PLP-8003(1(94)(Ed. rd(
Joyce Shohet Ackerman Ed.D. Susan Bromley, Psy. D.
Licensed Psychologist Licensed Psychologist
Ackerman and Associates, P.C. Ackerman and Associates, P.C.
1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101 1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101
Greeley, Colorado 80631 Greeley, Colorado 80631
(970) 353 - 3373 (970) 353 • 3373
Laurence P. Kerrigan, Ph.D. Lori Kochevar, M.S. L.P.C.
Licensed Psychologist Licensed Professional Counselor
Ackerman and Associates, P.C. Ackerman and Associates, P.C.
1750 25th Avenue • Suite 101 1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101
Greeley, Colorado 80631 Greeley, Colorado 80631
(970) 353 - 3373 (970) 353 - 3373
Emily Jaramillo-Bansberg, M.A.
Therapist Sherri Malloy, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Ackerman and Associates, P.C.
1750 25th Avenue • Suite 101 Ackerman & Associates, P.C.
Greeley, Colorado 80631 1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101
(970) 353 - 3373 Greeley, CO 80631
(970) 353-3373
Steven Patrick, Ph. D. Denise Wunderle, CNS
Licensed Psychologist Clinical Nurse Specialist
Ackerman and Associates, P.C. Ackerman & Associates, PC.
1750 25th Avenue - Suite 101 1750 25th Avenue • Suite 101
Greeley, Colorado 80631 Greeley, CO 80631
(970) 353-3373(970) 353 - 3373
•
ECLARATIONS E TRUCK INSURANCE EXCHANGE EFARMERS INSURANCE EXCHANGE FIRE INStiANCE EXCHANGE
PECIAL NT
E NTINEL MEMBERS of FARMERS INSURANCE GROUP OF COMPANIES R
ACKAGE HOME DFFICE:4680 WILSHIRE BLVD..LOS ANGELES,CALIFORNIA 90010
UPER
. Named . DR JOYCE SHOHE'T ACKERMAN PC Prod.
Count
Insured Prematic Acc't No.
Mailing . 1750 25TH AVE SUITE 101
Address . 07-04-362 ii4576-38-07
GREELEY CO 80631 Agent Policy Number
Type of
he named insured is an individual unless otherwise stated: ❑ partnerstit ® Corp. Business OFFICE
C Joint Venture Organization(Other than Partnership or Joint Venture)
. Policy Period from 07/01/97 (not prior to time applied for)
to 07/01/98 12:01 a.m.Standard Time.
this policy replaces other coverages that end at noon standard time on the same day this policy begins. this policy will ii. t take effect until the other
overage ends. This policy will continue for successive policy periods as follows: If we elect to continue this insurance:. we will renew this policy if
ou pay the required renewal premium for each successive policy period subject to our premiums.rules and forms then in efte,:t.
Insured location same as mailing address unless otherwise stated: 1750 25TH AVE SUITE 101
Pc /i, LS GREELEY CO 80631
Mortgage Holders _ J' p )///n 4.1/ 44 ,er, ask T— //
a. . a-ei-P� .
Loan# Loan# -3/gc/9q
p. Premium S 492.00 ❑ "X'if Mortgage Holder Pays
l. Policy Forms and Endorsements attached at inception: E0079-ED1 E6040-ED2 2521551290 565310-ED2
S0700-ED3 E6036-ED1 E4168-ED1 E4004-ED1 E4216-ED1 E4103-ED2
'. We provide insurance only for those coverages indicated by a specific limit or by an al
COVERAGES LIMITS OF INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE
A-Building $ ::250 applies unless otner
SECTION 1 B-Business Personal Property $ 50,000 .12,/ion indicated Jay an®
ISIS1ooDS500 Ls
C-Loss of Income(Not exceeding 12 consecutive months) ACTUAL LOSS SUSTAINED NONE
Property OPTIONAL COVERAGES
and Swimming Pool/Fences and Walkways $ ..Dove deduc-$
Loss of 'X Building Glass(Blanket) REPLACEMENT COST nom applies $ 100
Income X Outdoor Sign Coverage $ 1 00 mess other $
—
Valuable Papers(In addition to$1000 included.) $ "nnon inm- $
aied
❑ Earthquake Damage See Coverages x
A.B. R.C .1 the applicable ins. limit.
SECTION II D-Business Liability-Including Products and Completed LIMITS OF LIABILITY
Operations.(Annual aggregate applies for all occurrences (Annual Aggregate)
during the policy period $ 1 ,000,000
Liability E-Fire Legal Liability$75,000 included unless other option indicated by an ❑X
and 0$100.000❑$150.000 each occurrence (Subject to the annual aggreagate shown for Coy. 0)
Medicals F-Medical Payments to Others(Subject to the annual aggregate $5.000 each person
shown for Coverage D.)
Limit of Liability
(Annual Aggregate)
❑Professional Liability(see attached endorsement) $
®l-V COVERED DEDUCTIBLE
SECTION III Agreement I-Employee Dishonesty $5,000 NONE
Agreement II-Broad Form Money and Securities-Inside $1 000 $250
Agreement III-Broad Form Money and Securities-Outside $ 1 000 $250
Crime Agreement IV-Medical Payments $500 each person NONE
Agreement V-Forgery or Alterations $2,500 NONE
i-5301 2-92 2ND EDITION Countersigned
Ackerman and Associates, P. C .
1750 25th Avenue, Suite 101
Greeley, Colorado 80631
(970) 353-3373
fax: (970)353-3374
May 19, 1999
Dave Aldrich
Weld County Department of Social Services
PO Box A
Greeley CO 80632
Dear Dave:
This letter responds to conditions and recommendations set forth in Judy Griego's
memo of May 14, 1999 regarding the results of the RFP bid process in relation to
Ackerman and Associates P.C. bids for PY 1999-2000. We accept the
recommendations and conditions set forth.
Specifically:
1. We will arrange for gap services to be available through the WCDSS Fort Lupton
Office.
2. We accept the condition of the $195 per contact hour for mediation . Please note
that this is a two therapist per contact hour model so that the actual fee per therapist
per hour is as we stated in the proposal. Thus this is a change in how this number is
expressed not a change in the fee.
3. The role of Ackerman and Associates, the family group decision making staff and
the family group conference are explained in detail in the proposal and are
summarized here.
These roles are
a. to receive the referral ,
b. to meet with the caseworker,
c. to develop a genogram of the family.
d. using a sociographic technique to identify participants to be invited to the
conference from extended family and other interested parties.
e. contact potential participants and explain the process and obtain information.
f. contact involved professionals and obtain their input / participation in the
conference.
g. Contact those excluded from the conference or unable to attend and get their views.
i
h. set a time and place for the conference.
i. facilitate the FGDM conference to produce a written safety plan
j. prepare the written plan for distribution to family. parents, caseworker and the court.
k. Submit charges for payment per the payment mechanisms established for the
expedited permanency FGDM contract PY 99-CPS-5 which parallels this service for
non expedited cases.
4. We will continue to account for staff time to maintain coverage. In the last year one
provider got married and another had a baby. Both circumstances were covered fully.
One provider ended her relationship with Ackerman and Associates and two new
providers have been retained to expand coverage and to provide full time availability
of services delivered in Spanish. The program functions in a goal driven format set by
the needs of WCDSS. The proposal is not a list of all services delivered to all families
but an outline of the types of responses we deliver in any area of need. It is not the
case that all clients need all possible services we can provide.
5. In regard to no services for therapy being for less that 45 minutes duration, we
accept this provision. Note that the FGDM services contain a specific exception as
regard to face to face work and are set at a flat fee in conjunction to PY 99 - CPS -5 in
order to allow all the contact necessary to establish and run the conference. We expect
to continue under this established protocol.
The only other exception is in mediation where there is a meeting at one month after
the agreement is reached. This meeting is one half hour in length with two therapists
and is charged at $97.50. This is the same format that has been used since the
inception of this model in 1994.
Please contact Joyce Ackerman if there are any questions or concerns. We look
forward to working with WCDSS in these diverse and important programs for 1999-
2000.
Sincerely,
Alan Ackerman Ph.D.
Treasurer
Ackerman and Associates, P. C .
1750 25th Avenue, Suite 101
Greeley, Colorado 80631
(970) 353-3373
fax: (970)353-3374
May 19, 1999
Dave Aldrich
Weld County Department of Social Services
PO Box A
Greeley CO 80632
Dear Dave:
This letter responds to conditions and recommendations set forth in Judy Griego's
memo of May 14, 1999 regarding the results of the RFP bid process in relation to
Ackerman and Associates P.C. bids for PY 1999-2000. We accept the
recommendations and conditions set forth.
Specifically:
1. We will arrange for gap services to be available through the WCDSS Fort Lupton
Office.
2. We accept the condition of the $195 per contact hour for mediation . Please note
that this is a two therapist per contact hour model so that the actual fee per therapist
per hour is as we stated in the proposal. Thus this is a change in how this number is
expressed not a change in the fee.
3. The role of Ackerman and Associates, the family group decision making staff and
the family group conference are explained in detail in the proposal and are
summarized here.
These roles are
a. to receive the referral ,
b. to meet with the caseworker,
c. to develop a genogram of the family.
d. using a sociographic technique to identify participants to be invited to the
conference from extended family and other interested parties.
e. contact potential participants and explain the process and obtain information.
f. contact involved professionals and obtain their input / participation in the
conference.
g. Contact those excluded from the conference or unable to attend and get their views.
h. set a time and place for the conference.
i. facilitate the FGDM conference to produce a written safety plan
j. prepare the written plan for distribution to family. parents, caseworker and the court.
k. Submit charges for payment per the payment mechanisms established for the
expedited permanency FGDM contract FY 99-CPS-5 which parallels this service for
non expedited cases.
4. We will continue to account for staff time to maintain coverage. In the last year one
provider got married and another had a baby. Both circumstances were covered fully.
One provider ended her relationship with Ackerman and Associates and two new
providers have been retained to expand coverage and to provide full time availability
of services delivered in Spanish. The program functions in a goal driven format set by
the needs of WCDSS. The proposal is not a list of all services delivered to all families
but an outline of the types of responses we deliver in any area of need. It is not the
case that all clients need all possible services we can provide.
5. In regard to no services for therapy being for less that 45 minutes duration, we
accept this provision. Note that the FGDM services contain a specific exception as
regard to face to face work and are set at a flat fee in conjunction to PY 99 - CPS -5 in
order to allow all the contact necessary to establish and run the conference. We expect
to continue under this established protocol.
The only other exception is in mediation where there is a meeting at one month after
the agreement is reached. This meeting is one half hour in length with two therapists
and is charged at $97.50. This is the same format that has been used since the
inception of this model in 1994.
Please contact Joyce Ackerman if there are any questions or concerns. We look
forward to working with WCDSS in these diverse and important programs for 1999-
2000.
Sincerely,
Alan Ackerman Ph.D.
Treasurer
Ef2i
c
otis-"Ns
444H4t
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
PO BOX A
IDGREELEY, CO 80632
Administration and Public Assistance(970)352-1551
Child Support(970)352-6933
Protective and Youth Services (970) 352-1923
r.
COLORADO May 14, 1999
Ms. Joyce Ackerman, Ed. D.
Ackerman and Associates, P.C.
1750 25 Avenue Suite 101
Greeley CO 80631
Re: RFP 99008 (GAP) Intensive Family Therapy
RFP 99008 (Mediation) Intensive Family Therapy
RFP 99008 (Family Group Decision Making) Intensive Family Therapy
RFP 99010 Option B
Dear Ms. Ackerman:
The purpose of this letter is to outline the results of the RFP Bid process for PY1999-2000 and to
request written information or confirmation from you by May 20, 1999.
A. Results of the RFP Bid Process for PY1999-2000
On April 7, 1999, the Families, Youth and Children (FYC) Commission approved the
RFP(s) listed above for inclusion on our vendor list. The FYC Commission attached the
following recommendations and/or conditions regarding your RFP bid(s).
1. RFP 99008, Intensive Family Therapy (GAP):
Recommendation: Ackerman and Associates provide services to South County.
This may be arranged through the Weld County Department of Social Services
Fort Lupton Office.
Condition: Payment will be denied to Intensive Family Therapy providers for any
charge submitted for therapy 45 minutes or less unless cleared by explanation and
approved by the program area supervisor.
2. RFP 99008, Intensive Family Therapy (Mediation):
Condition: (a) The hourly rate on the Notice of Financial Assistance Award shall
read $195 per hour. (b) Payment will be denied to Intensive Family Therapy
providers for any charge submitted for therapy 45 minutes or less unless cleared
Page 2
Ackerman and Associates, P.C., May 14, 1999
RFP 99008, IFT (GAP); RFP 99008, IFT (Mediation), RFP 99008 (FGDM), RFP 99010, Opt. B
by explanation and approved by the program area supervisor.
3. RFP 99008. Intensive Family TherapyjFamily Group Decision Making,):
Recommendation: Define the role of Ackerman and Associates, P.C., Family
Group Decision Making staff, and the role of the Family Group Decision Making
conference.
Condition: Payment will be denied to Intensive Family Therapy providers
for any charge submitted for therapy 45 minutes or less unless cleared by
explanation and approved by the program area supervisor.
4. RFP Option B:
Recommendations: (a) Account for staff on leave and continue to provide service
to the client; (b) The program needs to be goal oriented. The program should
address the specific needs identified by the caseworker rather than addressing all
problems of the client.
B. Required Response by RFP Bidders Concerning FYC Commission
Recommendations and Conditions.
The Weld County Department of Social Services is requesting your written response to
the FYC Commission's recommendations and conditions. Please respond in writing to
David Aldridge, Weld County Department of Social Services, P.O. Box A, Greeley, CO,
80632, by May 20, 1999, close of business, as follows:
1. FYC Commission Recommendations:
You are requested to review the FYC Commission recommendations and to:
a. accept the recommendation(s) as written by the FYC Commission; or
b. request alternatives to the FYC Commission's recommendation(s); or
c. not accept the recommendation(s) of the FYC Commission.
Please provide in writing how you will incorporate the recommendation(s) into
your bid. If you do not accept the recommendation, please provide written
reasons why. All approved recommendations under the NOFAA will be
monitored and evaluated by the FYC Commission.
Page 3
Ackerman and Associates, P.C., May 14, 1999
RFP 99008, IFT (GAP); RFP 99008, IFT (Mediation), RFP 99008 (FGDM), RFP 99010, Opt. B
2. FYC Commission Conditions:
All conditions will be incorporated as part of your RFP Bid and Notification of
Financial Assistance Award (NOFAA). If you do not accept the condition(s),
you will not be authorized as a vendor unless your mitigating circumstances are
accepted by the FYC Commission and the Weld County Department of Social
Services. If you do not accept the condition, you must provide in writing reasons
why. A meeting will be arranged to discuss your response. Your response to the
above conditions will be incorporated in the RFP Bid and Notification of
Financial Assistance Award.
If you wish to arrange a meeting to discuss the above conditions and/or recommendations, please
do so through Elaine Furister, 352.1551, extension 6295, and one will be arranged prior to May
20, 1999.
Sincerely,
0-
J y A. ego, Di ctor
cc: Mike Hoover, Chair, FYC Commission
David Aldridge, Social Service Manager II
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