Joseph Loftus Email & Phone Number

Greater Chicago Area

Most recent research devoted to uncovering a path to financial reform in child welfare services. Over 20 years of foundation and state efforts have yielded very little relevant progress. My goal is to bring clarity to the legal and political assumptions that have blocked progress. CCWS is a leading innovator for children and families in an era of chronic fiscal austerity and limited funding. Consultancy built on exceptional track record in private and public sector leadership. Advised… Show more Most recent research devoted to uncovering a path to financial reform in child welfare services. Over 20 years of foundation and state efforts have yielded very little relevant progress. My goal is to bring clarity to the legal and political assumptions that have blocked progress. CCWS is a leading innovator for children and families in an era of chronic fiscal austerity and limited funding. Consultancy built on exceptional track record in private and public sector leadership. Advised states and institutions on how to marshal resources to support families when outlook for success was extremely limited. Solutions produced positive results. Organized "performance contracting" or strategic investment in Philadelphia to drive improvements that pay for themselves within the budget year; served on Katie A panel for litigation on mental health reform; consulted with states on design of Title IVE waiver demonstration projects; created plan to extend IVE resources to juvenile justice system in Cook County Illinois; developed alternative strategies to restructure federal funding of child welfare resources; and, legal consultant on strategies for consent decree compliance. Show less

Greater Chicago Area

Transformed agency from bottom 10% performance to top 10% performance in adoption and reunification. Reduced length of stay from 22 months to 11 months and reduced runaways from 50% to 3% -- halving the cost of residential stays. Organized step-down programs so that children leaving residential could achieve success in the community. Innovations included: Kid Power program giving practical and developmental support to families of children with life threatening illnesses; community based… Show more Transformed agency from bottom 10% performance to top 10% performance in adoption and reunification. Reduced length of stay from 22 months to 11 months and reduced runaways from 50% to 3% -- halving the cost of residential stays. Organized step-down programs so that children leaving residential could achieve success in the community. Innovations included: Kid Power program giving practical and developmental support to families of children with life threatening illnesses; community based interest development programs for foster children called Pathways to Development, a partnership with cultural institutions for enrichment and growth for 2000 foster children; the Center for Child Welfare Strategies for consultation services for state and local jurisdictions involved in child welfare reform. Created community based program for HIV and other chronic serious medical conditions for families to include respite care, skilled nursing services and training. Show less

Greater Chicago Area

Lead negotiator: on a series of 10 federal court case consent decrees to defuse and eliminate litigation challenges facing the department; on union management relations contract talks with private agencies; and, on employee involvement groups to participate in the reform process. Wrote and executed implementation plans for the major systematic consent decree BH vs McDonald to assure adequate services for children within the framework of the federal lawsuit. Created and implemented a… Show more Lead negotiator: on a series of 10 federal court case consent decrees to defuse and eliminate litigation challenges facing the department; on union management relations contract talks with private agencies; and, on employee involvement groups to participate in the reform process. Wrote and executed implementation plans for the major systematic consent decree BH vs McDonald to assure adequate services for children within the framework of the federal lawsuit. Created and implemented a performance based contract strategy to purchase foster care services covering 24,000 children in relative care later extended to another 11,000 children in traditional foster care -- reducing the population of children in relative care by 90% and returning $163 million in federal savings to Illinois. Changed the way private agencies were monitored to reduce staff and improve monitoring, intensifying the front end of the system. Safely reduced placement interventions in Chicago from 8,000 per year (one of the highest in the US) to 1,300 per year without increasing the risk of abuse and neglect. Rate has been sustained across 20 years and is the lowest of any state in the US. Created a model of kinship care fully integrated into the child welfare system. My fiscal reforms accounted for $200 million in additional funding for Medicaid, Title IVE and Title IVA, The Performance Contracting Model received the Harvard Innovation Award in American Government in 2000. Show less

Greater Chicago Area

Principal architect of the behavioral health carve out to assure that behavioral health benefits are preserved for all children and adults in the Medicaid system -- a significant and successful negotiation with many competing interests. Identified gaps in the Department's efforts to qualify repeated users of mental hospitals for disability benefits under SSI -- more than 5,000 chronic users enrolled in the program. Created a stop-gap program for children transitioning from foster care with… Show more Principal architect of the behavioral health carve out to assure that behavioral health benefits are preserved for all children and adults in the Medicaid system -- a significant and successful negotiation with many competing interests. Identified gaps in the Department's efforts to qualify repeated users of mental hospitals for disability benefits under SSI -- more than 5,000 chronic users enrolled in the program. Created a stop-gap program for children transitioning from foster care with serious mental illness after age 21 to continue to receive care. Show less

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Bachelor’S Degree, Community Development