Nevada hires expert to review child deaths

Mike Capello, a former director of the Washoe County Social Services Department, will be paid an hourly rate of $110, according to a copy of the contract obtained by the Review-Journal.

One of Capello’s priorities will be scrutinizing the case involving Michell Momox-Caselis, a 16-month-old girl Las Vegas police say was killed by her foster father in an apparent murder-suicide on Oct. 12.

“We hope to learn what actions the (Clark County Department of Family Services) took and learn about the critical decision points of the case so we can determine program and or practice strengths or identify opportunities for improvement,” said Nevada Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Mary Woods last week.

Capello began to work with the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services last month and his contract runs through June 30, 2015. Capello is well suited to conduct the review based on his experience with Washoe County family services and his knowledge of child welfare safety models, licensing regulations and placement decisions, Woods said.

In late October, the Division of Child and Family Services requested case files and information on Michell from Clark County Family Services. State officials said that an independent expert would examine case information to ensure a thorough and unbiased review of whether federal and state laws had been followed.

Capello said state officials also have asked him to review additional cases as they deem it necessary.

“It will be up to the state to identify additional cases that meet the criteria that needs a third-party review,” he said.

State officials estimate that he will be reviewing an average of two cases per month, Capello said. For each case, he will write an analysis and report back to the state.

Capello hasn’t been asked to provide a consolidated report at the end of his contract, which he said might be helpful in identifying recurring issues in the cases.

On Tuesday, Woods said the contract was always intended to cover more than one case review. The assessments completed by Capello will be case-specific reviews and will be confidential, she said. His contract will be paid with money from a Federal Child Abuse and Neglect Services grant.

There are preventable deaths every year, Woods said. That’s an issue addressed in the annual child death review report.

So far this year, 35 child fatality or near fatality public disclosures have been made for Clark County. There are 11 in Washoe County and seven in the rural areas.

In each case, Capello will look at any history of child welfare services involvement with the child or family and any referrals for child welfare services involving the child and other actions taken by the child welfare agency.

He will also review the status of the child’s case at the time of the fatality, including whether a case was closed before the child’s death and the reason it was closed, according to his contract.

As of Wednesday, 17 of 35 Clark County child fatality or near fatality disclosures made this year involve children who had contact with Child Protective Services. They had either been involved in an open investigation or were the subject of a closed investigation with unsubstantiated allegations for abuse or neglect. The disclosures do not list the cause of death.

Two of those 17 cases involved children in Clark County foster care, including 16-month-old Michell.

Capello hopes his reviews will show state officials where there are opportunities to improve the child welfare system and help prevent child deaths.

“Often times, there’s no violation, but you identify areas where agencies could enhance their practices and hopefully have a better outcome for children,” he said.

Contact Yesenia Amaro at yamaro@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0440. Find her on Twitter: @YeseniaAmaro.