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DHHS staff map 'playbook' to smooth youth transitions from DCYF to adult services
Summary
Department of Health and Human Services associate commissioners described an internal Kaizen event that produced a standardized playbook and monthly coordination meetings to improve transitions for youth moving from Division for Children, Youth and Families care into adult developmental and Medicaid services.
The Department of Health and Human Services told the House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Oversight Committee that staff used a Kaizen event to map roles and create a playbook to ease transitions for youth moving from Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) custody into adult developmental and Medicaid services.
Patricia Tilley, Associate Commissioner, and Chris Santanello, Associate Commissioner, said their teams convened staff from the Bureau of Developmental Services, DCYF and the Bureau of Family Assistance to identify bottlenecks and clarify decision points. "They actually identified that we also need to bring in the Bureau of Family Assistance because they handle eligibility," Tilley said. "We pulled this out and we identified a couple of areas of bottlenecks of where decisions needed to be made. We clarified in the room who makes what decision when."
The nut graf: The department said the result is a documented, repeatable process and a commitment to continuous quality improvement meant to prevent transitions being handled ad hoc through personal relationships and last-minute "fire drills." That change is intended to improve reliability for youth and families and reduce emergency workarounds.
Tilley and Santanello said the Kaizen event produced a swim-lane map of responsibilities and a draft playbook that staff will refine. "We have a consistent process. It's not complete yet. We have a map. We know what to do," Santanello said, adding that teams committed to monthly coordination meetings to identify upcoming transitions and act earlier.
Committee members pressed staff about whether information technology will support the new workflow. Representative Edwards asked whether the department's IT systems will need redesign to implement the playbook. Santanello said staff had not completed a full IT workflow analysis but noted that the eligibility system "New Heights" is in use for DCYF, BFA and Bureau of Developmental Services and that monthly meetings are the immediate plan. Patricia Tilley and Santanello also described a multi-year project to replace DCYF's older CCWIS system with a modern system referred to as "Granite Families," which they said could eventually provide automated "ticklers" to alert teams when a youth is approaching key ages for transition.
Committee members asked whether creating a transition team could slow the process. Tilley replied the intent is to streamline work, not add bureaucracy, explaining the Kaizen mapping was designed to reduce repetitive email chains and lengthy delays that left tasks sitting in inboxes for weeks.
The department described the target population as youth in DCYF custody with significant disabilities who require coordinated planning with adult services and Medicaid eligibility changes. Staff said the number of cases is "fairly small," allowing for monthly manual tracking in the near term while IT solutions are pursued.
Ending: The department committed to continuing the monthly meetings, tracking transition outcomes and returning to the committee with further updates as the playbook is refined and IT needs are assessed.
