I am grateful to share with you the June 2023 edition of the Department of Children's Advocacy's newsletter, containing highlights from last month.

It's amazing how quickly this year is flying by, but we've made some big strides, including the exciting release of the Request for Proposals for the psychiatric residential treatment facility that will provide a place for justice-involved youth who are seriously mentally ill.

We've also completed some trainings between DSS, Foster Care Review Division, and the Guardian ad Litem program that will strengthen relationships, provide better understanding of roles and responsibilities, and ultimately allow for better outcomes for children in our state.

Our FY22 Annual Report was also published this month, and we hope you enjoy the new look and find the information useful.

We thank you for reading this newsletter and for all you do to improve outcomes for children in South Carolina.

Have an item you'd like to share? Please send us your questions, concerns, and recommendations for future newsletters. We'd love to hear from you.

Movers

and Shakers

RFP for the PRTF

A Request for Proposals (RFP) was released on June 14 for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of a state-operated psychiatric residential treatment facility (PRTF) that will serve South Carolina's justice-involved mentally-ill youth.

This facility is part of an effort to create and strengthen a robust and sustainable placement array to provide mental health care for children and adolescents in South Carolina.

Children's Advocacy has been proud to work alongside the departments of Juvenile Justice, Health and Human Services, and Mental Health to bring this important project to fruition. Funding for the PRTF was approved by the General Assembly in May 2022.

Learn more about the bid at SCBO - Procurement Services

DCA/DSS Joint Collaborative Training

This month, DCA and DSS hosted the last of a series of joint collaborative trainings to share new initiatives and updates, as well as strengthen relationships and shared priorities between the two agencies.

DCA Director Amanda Whittle and DSS Director Mike Leach kicked off the sessions, which were held across the state and attended by GAL volunteers and staff; FCRB members; Richland County CASA; and DSS county, regional, and state leadership.

Among the highlights:

• DSS shared a map of resources and programs available by county and region (below). Descriptions of each service are available by downloading the Service Array Map [pdf].
  

• DSS Deputy Director of Child Welfare Emily Medere shared that kinship licensure has more than doubled during the last four years, and she encouraged the attendees to “refuse to rely on the way we’ve always done things” in an effort to bring services to families.
  

• DSS Associate General Counsel Taron Davis shared that trauma-informed and cultural responsiveness practices were issues that kept emerging during focus groups arranged by DSS to discuss guiding principles
  

and practice. The resulting Guiding Principles and Standards (GPS) practice model is “relevant and actionable to us all” and aligns with South Carolina’s Children’s Code. She was joined by Dennis Gmerek and Robert Cone, managing attorney and assistant managing attorney for county operations, respectively.

• GPS Coordinator Matthew Melvin reviewed DSS’s mission and the GPS values of being family-centered, individualized, strengths-based, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive.
  

• GAL Program General Counsel Tena Hardee reviewed the role of GALs and court-appointed special advocates in providing an independent assessment to the courts. Division Director LaDara Depugh provided an update on staff and volunteer recruitment efforts.
  

• Foster Care Review Division Director Lindsey Taylor and Attorney Shayla Hayes shared the many benefits of the division’s new case management system and a refocus on the scope of review intended to strengthen FCRB’s positive impact on the foster care system. Taylor also highlighted the current work underway with the SC Heart Gallery.
  

Let Freedom Ring!

Evelyn Dennis, an administrative specialist II for COC Region B, honored Juneteenth by wearing a beautiful African outfit.

Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and freed the enslaved people--more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had gone into effect.

The date has become a second Independence Day in our country and was designated as a federal holiday in 2021.

Learn more about Juneteenth

Meet Dylan, Devan, and Benjamin S.

Photo credit: Mi Bella Photography, 2023

(Left to right) Dylan, Benjamin, and Devan love being brothers! When they get together, it’s nothing but fun.

Dylan (born in 2006) loves electronics and when he grows up, he wants to be an actor. The most amazing thing about Dylan is that he can voice act. He prides himself on being kind and intellectual.

Benjamin (born in 2012) likes to go by Ben and loves video games. He describes himself as smart, funny, and nice.

Devan (born in 2007) loves music, and when he is not listening to music, he is focusing on his favorite subjects, which are science, wildlife, and marine science. After he graduates high school, he wants to join the Marines. Devan describes himself as chilled and quiet.

The one thing that all the brothers want their forever family to know is that they all want to be together in one home. To inquire about adopting Dylan, Benjamin, and Devan, or any other Heart Gallery children, visit scheartgallery.sc.gov.

We are on the lookout for top talent to fill key positions that will truly make a difference in the lives of children in our state. Do you know someone who would make a great Region Program Director for Continuum of Care in Richland County? Encourage them to apply today!