OFR intends to enhance legal advocacy, preserve families, educate and engage our communities, and instill a collaborative culture.
Elliott and Tecoria of Community In-Site talk to Gwen Clegg about Oklahoma’s new statewide Office of Family Representation.
The Oklahoma Office of Family Representation (OFR) is the state’s inaugural central office dedicated to ensuring all children and qualified parents, legal guardians, and Indian custodians receive attorneys prepared to deliver uniform and high-quality legal representation in deprived child actions brought by the state pursuant to Title 10A.
Passed into law in 2023, the Family Representation Advocacy Act, 10 O.S. § 801 et seq., established the Family Representation Advocacy Program within the Administrative Office of the Courts and the AOC has contracted with Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma to bring the OFR to life.
OFR will be implemented throughout the state of Oklahoma over the course of three years. Oklahoma Human Services has divided the state into five regions. Subject to sufficient appropriations, Regions 2 and 5 will be operational July 1, 2024 and Regions 1, 3, and 4, will be operational July 1, 2025.
An operational region will have sufficient attorney and IDT contractors to advocate for all children and qualified parents, legal guardians, and Indian custodians in all counties within that region.
The OFR will implement Interdisciplinary Teams (IDT) statewide for qualified children, parents, legal guardians, and Indian custodians. IDT integrates social workers and mentors into the legal work to accomplish client goals.
IDT plays a critical role in achieving the best outcomes for children in deprived child actions by protecting the legal and due process rights of parents and children, presenting balanced information to the courts, and promoting the preservation of family relationships. To learn more, please review this presentation.
If you are looking for our current practice resources for contract attorneys:
OFR is actively discussing contracts with attorneys, social workers, and those with lived experience (either as parents or children in the child welfare system). If you are interested in any of these roles, please review this presentation.
Represent parents and/or children through all phases of a deprived court action.
Requires: Oklahoma License, 6-hours Juvenile Law CLE, Malpractice insurance (100,000 each, 300,000 aggregate).
Compensation:
Initiate appeals for parents and/or children.
Requires: Oklahoma License, 6-hours Juvenile Law CLE, Malpractice insurance (100,000 each, 300,000 aggregate).
Compensation:
Provide case management services and client support for parents and/or children.
Requires: BSW or MSW
Compensation:
Work with parents and/or children to promote case goals, help maintain family connections, and assist in achieving permanency.
Requires: Lived Experience as a parent and/or child in the child welfare system
Compensation:
M-F 8:30 – 5pm
907 S Detroit Ave, Suite 1001
Tulsa, OK 74120
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