A.T. (Mother) v. State of Alaska, DHSS, OCS

CourtAlaska Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 23, 2016
DocketS16144
StatusUnpublished

This text of A.T. (Mother) v. State of Alaska, DHSS, OCS (A.T. (Mother) v. State of Alaska, DHSS, OCS) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Alaska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
A.T. (Mother) v. State of Alaska, DHSS, OCS, (Ala. 2016).

Opinion

NOTICE Memorandum decisions of this court do not create legal precedent. A party wishing to cite such a decision in a brief or at oral argument should review Alaska Appellate Rule 214(d).

THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

AVA T. ) ) Supreme Court No. S-16144 Appellant, ) ) Superior Court No. 3AN-12-00296 CN v. ) ) MEMORANDUM OPINION STATE OF ALASKA, ) AND JUDGMENT* DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & ) SOCIAL SERVICES, OFFICE OF ) No. 1596 – September 23, 2016 CHILDREN’S SERVICES, ) ) Appellee. ) _______________________________ )

Appeal from the Superior Court of the State of Alaska, Third Judicial District, Anchorage, Paul E. Olson, Judge.

Appearances: Rachel Cella, Assistant Public Defender, and Quinlan G. Steiner, Public Defender, Anchorage, for Appellant. Miranda L. Strong, Assistant Attorney General, Anchorage, and Craig W. Richards, Attorney General, Juneau, for Appellee.

Before: Stowers, Chief Justice, Maassen, and Bolger, Justices. [Fabe and Winfree, Justices, not participating.]

* Entered under Alaska Appellate Rule 214. I. INTRODUCTION Ava T. and her daughter Amelia1 are Yup’ik Alaska Natives and are enrolled members of the Orutsararmiut Native Council; Amelia is an Indian child for purposes of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).2 Finding that Amelia was a child in need of aid under AS 47.10.011(9) (neglect) and AS 47.10.011(10) (substance abuse), the superior court made statutorily required findings and terminated Ava’s parental rights to Amelia, who was seven years old at the time of the termination trial. Ava appeals the termination of her parental rights.3 She argues that the trial court erred in finding that OCS proved beyond a reasonable doubt that placing the child in her custody likely put Amelia at risk of serious harm. But because the evidence supports the superior court’s findings, we affirm the order terminating parental rights. II. FACTS & PROCEEDINGS The Office of Children’s Services (OCS) became involved with Ava during the summer of 2012 after it received reports of neglect and substance abuse, which alleged that Ava and her boyfriend Darius M. were “shooting up drugs” and living in filthy conditions. An Anchorage Police Department (APD) safety check identified numerous hazards in the home including 30 to 40 used needles in the bedroom, floors covered in food and garbage, and various drug-related items strewn throughout the house. Ava and Darius were cited for neglect. Within a few days of the citation, Ava

1 Pseudonyms have been used to protect the privacy of the parties. 2 25 U.S.C. §§ 1901-1963 (2012). The Orutsararmiut Native Council intervened pursuant to 25 U.S.C. § 1911(c). 3 Amelia’s father has relinquished his parental rights and did not participate in this appeal.

-2- 1596 tested positive for marijuana, amphetamines, methamphetamine, and morphine. She maintained, however, that she did not use any drugs. In September 2012 OCS held a team decision-making meeting to discuss the possibility of an in-home safety plan for Amelia. But because OCS could not establish a long-term placement option with one of Amelia’s family members, OCS filed an emergency custody petition and assumed custody of Amelia. At a January 2013 hearing, Ava stipulated to Amelia’s adjudication as a child in need of aid because she “ha[d] a substance abuse problem that ha[d] impaired [her] ability to be a parent.” Ava did not attend the disposition hearing held in May 2013. After a September 2013 permanency hearing, the court ordered that the disposition goal was adoption. In February 2014 OCS filed a petition to terminate Ava’s parental rights. The court terminated Ava’s parental rights to Amelia after a two-day trial in May 2015, finding that Amelia was a child in need of aid under AS 47.10.011(9)4 (neglect) and AS 47.10.011(10)5 (substance abuse). Ava appeals. A. Evidence 1. Ava’s background Ava had a turbulent childhood: when she was a teenager, her family relocated from Bethel to Anchorage, and her parents, who had a history of domestic violence and alcoholism, divorced shortly thereafter. At age 14 Ava began abusing alcohol and dropped out of middle school. By age 18 she had a daily drinking habit,

4 AS 47.10.011(9) allows a trial court to find a child to be in need of aid if conduct or conditions created by the parent have subjected the child to neglect. 5 AS 47.10.011(10) allows a trial court to find a child to be in need of aid if the parent’s “ability to parent has been substantially impaired by the addictive or habitual use of an intoxicant” that “has resulted in a substantial risk of harm to the child.” -3- 1596 multiple convictions for consumption as a minor, and had received treatment for acute alcohol intoxication. Around the age of twenty, Ava was involved in domestic violence disputes. She had her first child, Amelia, at age 22. Both of Ava’s parents died while Amelia was still a toddler, and after their deaths, Ava started to use “harder” substances including methamphetamine and opiates. Her relationship with her boyfriend, Darius, was also marred by drug abuse. 2. Lay witness evidence When OCS received the initial report of neglect and harm in August 2012, Ava was living with Darius, and Amelia was four years old. An OCS worker testified that when Ava was confronted about the allegations of drug use and unsanitary conditions reported in the home, she denied them. The day after APD conducted its welfare check, OCS went to Ava’s home and observed dangerous conditions that matched those alleged in the report, including “razor blades,” “residue of drugs still just out in the open,” and “syringes on the floor.” An OCS worker testified that initial assessments of Amelia suggested that she was dirty, but seemingly well-adjusted; a follow-up investigation revealed, however, that Amelia had burns on her hand, extreme tooth decay that required surgical correction, and speech characteristics that reflected developmental delay. Amelia also tested positive for cocaine. During OCS’s interview with Amelia, she revealed that a man she identified as “grandpa” had sexually abused her and touched her genitals on multiple occasions. After OCS took custody of Amelia, reports from her foster family revealed concerns about her mental well-being because she had nightmares and difficulty sleeping, demonstrated attachment issues, and had random outbursts of crying. OCS arranged to have Amelia treated by a therapist, Brittany Beaujean, who diagnosed her

-4- 1596 with post-traumatic stress disorder. Amelia also suffered from chronic respiratory ailments. In October 2012 OCS developed a case plan for Ava, but “her substance abused impair[ed] her ability to maintain regular contact (telephonic) and participate in case[-]planning,” as exemplified by her inconsistent contact with OCS and inability to remember times and dates. A November 2014 case plan that was admitted as evidence suggested that it was not until after Amelia had been in OCS custody for more than two years that Ava was ready to admit she had a drug abuse problem and was unable to provide appropriate care for her daughter. Testimony from several OCS case specialists explained that Ava had a pattern of beginning treatment programs and then leaving the programs or being forced to leave them because she missed appointments. Testimony also indicated that Ava failed to complete urinalysis tests; during trial, Jessica Mulhern, an OCS protective services specialist, recounted an incident where Ava failed to complete the drug test even after Mulhern had walked Ava to a cab and sent her to the testing facility. OCS case workers also testified that Ava missed her first mental health appointment with Dr.

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