Florida Senate - 2014 SENATOR AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS/CS/HB 7141, 1st Eng.
Ì5442280Î544228
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
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Floor: 2/RE/2R .
05/01/2014 02:49 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:
7 409.997 Child 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 as
152 provided in SB 1666, if such legislation or similar legislation
153 is passed during the 2014 Legislative Session and becomes law.
154 There is also appropriated the nonrecurring sums from the
155 General Revenue Fund of $500,000 for the Student Loan
156 Forgiveness Program as provided in SB 1666, if such legislation
157 or similar legislation is passed during the 2014 Legislative
158 Session and becomes law, and $300,000 to contract for child
159 welfare results-oriented accountability system outcomes as
160 provided in this act.
161
162 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
163 And the title is amended as follows:
164 Between lines 51 and 52
165 insert:
166 creating s. 409.997, F.S.; requiring the department to
167 contract with a specified entity to prepare a plan for
168 the development and implementation of a comprehensive,
169 results-oriented accountability program; requiring the
170 plan to be submitted to the Governor and the
171 Legislature by a specified date; providing
172 requirements for the plan and the program; requiring
173 the department to establish a technical advisory panel
174 consisting of specified representatives; providing
175 appropriations and authorizing positions;