Chair Stevens on mandated reporting guidance and under-16 policies

Absolutely, because these questions are coming from providers.

And one of the things they're also saying, like, because it's around what guidance you guys are giving them, because that's the next question.

What guidance are you?

Giving them around mandating reporting, right?

And so obviously it's something that's not clear.

And I think that like sometimes with mandate reporting, right, I'm a mandate reporter.

And I've taken that training multiple times.

But one, I think it has been evolving, especially around SCR reports.

It has been evolving because we know the disparities that it has and that we see in communities.

But, you know, I...

To me, this is a flag that it's clearly not clear across the board of what it looks like in each of the centers.

Thank you.

That's the next question around, like, what are you providing them as an obligation to mandate report?

But if you want to go back to the providers, I'm going to let you go back to the providers.

Because I see a lot of them shaking their heads, too.

Yeah, no, I think we trust that your questions are coming with an opportunity and an appetite for us to go back and see how we...

how we're making our recommendations, but also I think what you have offered here, and as Susan has spoken, is really to talk to the Commissioner of ACS, which I know that she's prioritizing training around mandate reporting and the levels and escalations.

So I'd like to look into this a little further.

Yeah, because even that, the following question is, while DYCD website providers give a list of specific protocols for 16, 17-year-olds, it does not include guidance for serving youth who are under 16.

And how do DYCD shelter policies differ based on the age of individuals seeking care?

And are those specific rationales on why policies were changed among minors?

So.

I don't know if you guys had anything you wanted to add there, or we can move on if you want to speak to the provider.

I just want to add that Samantha had raised the fact that ACS comes to our provider meetings quarterly.

And the most recent meeting, we talked about the SCR calls and ACS's approach in reducing the SCR calls and what's appropriate and what's not.

And so we've been talking about that for a few years now, a couple years, too.

And we want to continue lifting it up.

And I just want to echo, yeah, I'm glad you're raising this.

And I think that this is a really important issue.

But we are all working together to untangle the best way to work with 14- and 15-year-olds.

So my providers, I'm sure they'll come back and tell me that you guys will have the conversation.

And then we'll keep talking because I do think it's something that we have to make sure that there is clarity and a basic understanding.