Florida Senate - 2014                          SENATOR AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS/CS/HB 7141, 1st Eng.
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì201608"Î201608                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
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                  Floor: WD            .                                
             04/30/2014 07:52 PM       .                                
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       Senator Sobel moved the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Between lines 555 and 556
    4  insert:
    5         Section 10. Section 409.997, Florida Statutes, is created
    6  to read:
    7         409.997Child welfare results-oriented accountability
    8  program.—
    9         (1) The department and its contract providers, including
   10  lead agencies, community-based care providers, and other
   11  community partners participating in the state’s child protection
   12  and child welfare system, share the responsibility for achieving
   13  the outcome goals specified in s. 409.986(2).
   14         (2)The department shall contract with a qualified
   15  consultant or organization with expertise in child welfare by
   16  August 31, 2014, to prepare a plan for development and
   17  implementation of a comprehensive, results-oriented
   18  accountability program consistent with this section. The plan,
   19  which must be submitted to the Governor, the President of the
   20  Senate, and the Speaker of the House by February 1, 2015, shall:
   21         (a)Identify essential data sets;
   22         (b)Assess the availability and validity of essential data;
   23         (c)Propose options for aggregating the available data;
   24         (d)Specify valid and reliable measures for each outcome
   25  goal;
   26         (e)Describe specific steps and analytical procedures
   27  necessary for the computation of the outcome measures;
   28         (f)Propose formats, presentations, and other methods of
   29  disseminating the accountability information;
   30         (g)Describe specific activities and procedures for
   31  integrating the accountability information into the quality
   32  assurance and performance monitoring activities of the
   33  department and its child welfare partner organizations;
   34         (h)Propose a timeline and work plan for implementation of
   35  the accountability program and provide an estimate of associated
   36  costs; and
   37         (i)Identify any other significant considerations that may
   38  have a material effect on the implementation of the
   39  accountability program required by this section.
   40  
   41  This subsection expires June 30, 2015.
   42         (3)The purpose of the results-oriented accountability
   43  program is to monitor and measure the use of resources, the
   44  quality and amount of services provided, and child and family
   45  outcomes. The program includes data analysis, research review,
   46  and evaluation. The program shall produce an assessment of
   47  individual entities’ performance, as well as the performance of
   48  groups of entities working together on a local, regional, and
   49  statewide basis to provide an integrated system of care. Data
   50  analyzed and communicated through the accountability program
   51  shall inform the department’s development and maintenance of an
   52  inclusive, interactive, and evidence-supported program of
   53  quality improvement which promotes individual skill building as
   54  well as organizational learning. Additionally, outcome data
   55  generated by the program may be used as the basis for payment of
   56  performance incentives if funds for such payments are made
   57  available through the General Appropriations Act. The
   58  information compiled and utilized in the accountability program
   59  must incorporate, at a minimum:
   60         (a)Valid and reliable outcome measures for each of the
   61  goals specified in this subsection. The outcome data set must
   62  consist of a limited number of understandable measures using
   63  available data to quantify outcomes as children move through the
   64  system of care. Such measures may aggregate multiple variables
   65  that affect the overall achievement of the outcome goals. Valid
   66  and reliable measures must be based on adequate sample sizes, be
   67  gathered over suitable time periods, and reflect authentic
   68  rather than spurious results, and may not be susceptible to
   69  manipulation.
   70         (b)Regular and periodic monitoring activities that track
   71  the identified outcome measures on a statewide, regional, and
   72  provider-specific basis. Monitoring reports must identify trends
   73  and chart progress toward achievement of the goals specified in
   74  this subsection. The accountability program may not rank or
   75  compare performance among community-based care regions unless
   76  adequate and specific adjustments are adopted which account for
   77  the diversity in regions’ demographics, resources, and other
   78  relevant characteristics. The requirements of the monitoring
   79  program may be incorporated into the department’s quality
   80  assurance program.
   81         (c)An analytical framework that builds on the results of
   82  the outcomes monitoring procedures and assesses the statistical
   83  validity of observed associations between child welfare
   84  interventions and the measured outcomes. The analysis must use
   85  quantitative methods to adjust for variations in demographic or
   86  other conditions. The analysis must include longitudinal studies
   87  to evaluate longer term outcomes, such as continued safety,
   88  family permanence, and transition to self-sufficiency. The
   89  analysis may also include qualitative research methods to
   90  provide insight into statistical patterns.
   91         (d)A program of research review to identify interventions
   92  that are supported by evidence as causally linked to improved
   93  outcomes.
   94         (e)An ongoing process of evaluation to determine the
   95  efficacy and effectiveness of various interventions. Efficacy
   96  evaluation is intended to determine the validity of a causal
   97  relationship between an intervention and an outcome.
   98  Effectiveness evaluation is intended to determine the extent to
   99  which the results can be generalized.
  100         (f)Procedures for making the results of the accountability
  101  program transparent for all parties involved in the child
  102  welfare system as well as policymakers and the public, which
  103  shall be updated at least quarterly and published on the
  104  department’s website in a manner that allows custom searches of
  105  the performance data. The presentation of the data shall provide
  106  a comprehensible, visual report card for the state and each
  107  community-based care region, indicating the current status of
  108  the outcomes relative to each goal and trends in that status
  109  over time. The presentation shall identify and report outcome
  110  measures that assess the performance of the department, the
  111  community-based care lead agencies, and their subcontractors
  112  working together to provide an integrated system of care.
  113         (g)An annual performance report that is provided to
  114  interested parties including the dependency judge or judges in
  115  the community-based care service area. The report shall be
  116  submitted to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
  117  Speaker of the House of Representatives by October 1 of each
  118  year.
  119         (4)Subject to a specific appropriation to implement the
  120  accountability program developed under subsection (2), the
  121  department shall establish a technical advisory panel consisting
  122  of representatives from the Florida Institute for Child Welfare
  123  established pursuant to s. 1004.615, lead agencies, community
  124  based care providers, other contract providers, community
  125  alliances, and family representatives. The President of the
  126  Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall
  127  each appoint a member to serve as a legislative liaison to the
  128  panel. The technical advisory panel shall advise the department
  129  on the implementation of the results-oriented accountability
  130  program.
  131         Section 11. In the event that SB 1666 or similar
  132  legislation is passed during the 2014 Legislative Session and
  133  becomes law, and such legislation creates s. 409.997, Florida
  134  Statutes, the provisions of this act which create s. 409.997,
  135  Florida Statutes, shall supersede the provisions of SB 1666. For
  136  the 2014-2015 fiscal year, the recurring sum of $4.8 million is
  137  appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to implement s.
  138  39.5085(2)(a)3., Florida Statutes, as part of the Relative
  139  Caregiver Program as provided in SB 1666, if such legislation or
  140  similar legislation is passed during the 2014 Legislative
  141  Session and becomes law. For the 2014-2015 fiscal year, the
  142  recurring sum of $400,000 is appropriated from the General
  143  Revenue Fund for travel, per diem, and other expenses for the
  144  critical incident rapid response teams created pursuant to s.
  145  39.2015, Florida Statutes, as provided in SB 1666, if such
  146  legislation or similar legislation is passed during the 2014
  147  Legislative Session and becomes law. Two full-time equivalent
  148  positions, associated salary rate of 171,500, along with the
  149  recurring sum of $257,670 and nonrecurring sum of $7,330 are
  150  appropriated from the General Revenue Fund to establish the
  151  assistant secretary and administrative support positions and
  152  $800,000 in nonrecurring funds from the General Revenue Fund are
  153  appropriated to the Department of Children and Families for the
  154  purpose of implementing the provisions of SB 1666, if such
  155  legislation or similar legislation is passed during the 2014
  156  Legislative Session and becomes law. There is also appropriated
  157  the nonrecurring sums from the General Revenue Fund of $500,000
  158  for the Student Loan Forgiveness Program as provided in SB 1666,
  159  if such legislation or similar legislation is passed during the
  160  2014 Legislative Session and becomes law, and $300,000 to
  161  contract for child welfare results-oriented accountability
  162  system outcomes as provided in this act.
  163  
  164  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  165  And the title is amended as follows:
  166         Between lines 51 and 52
  167  insert:
  168         creating s. 409.997, F.S.; requiring the department to
  169         contract with a specified entity to prepare a plan for
  170         the development and implementation of a comprehensive,
  171         results-oriented accountability program; requiring the
  172         plan to be submitted to the Governor and the
  173         Legislature by a specified date; providing
  174         requirements for the plan and the program; requiring
  175         the department to establish a technical advisory panel
  176         consisting of specified representatives; providing
  177         appropriations and authorizing positions;