1Date: Trainer: Sponsor:

Framework For Child Welfare Practice

In California

WelcomeWelcome to

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What strengths, capacities, attributes, and assets do you bring to this job that will benefit youth and families?

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Once around your table please share your: Name One of the strengths, capacities, attributes

or assets you bring to this job.

Write them on the strips of paper provided.

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Today's Agenda

• Welcome

• Overview Of Training: Common Core

• New Initiatives

• Evidence-Based & Promising Practices

• Fairness and Equity Awareness

• Lunch

• Fairness and Equity Awareness – con’t.

• Strength-Based, Family-Centered Engagement

• Transfer of Learning, Course Evaluation & Closure

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California’s Standardized Child Welfare Training

California has four Regional Training Academies: BAA Southern Central Northern

And the Inter-University Consortium in collaboration with Los Angeles County DCFS

The coordination of California’s Child WelfareTraining is conducted by the California Social WorkEducation Center (CalSWEC).

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Statewide Training & Education Committee (STEC)

The Statewide Training & Education Committee is facilitated by CalSWEC and CDSS. STEC includes representatives from Regional Training Academies, County Directors, and Staff Development. One of the purposes of STEC is to oversee the development and implementation of standardized core curricula in California.

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CALIFORNIA’S 7*COMMON CORE COURSES

Framework (you are here)

Child & Youth Development Child Maltreatment Identification:

Parts 1 and 2 Critical Thinking in Child Welfare

Assessment: Safety, Risk, & Protective Capacity

Case Planning/Case Management Placement/Permanency

* PLUS more to follow

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Five Themes in the Common Core

Accountability & Outcomes

Evidence-based & Promising Practices

Fairness & Equity

Strength-based Practices & Programs

Family & Youth Engagement

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Competency Outcomes Understands the federal, state and county emphasis on

achieving positive and measurable outcomes for families and children.

Understands how evidence-based research contributes to the improvement of public child welfare practice and outcomes.

Recognizes and values the need for fair and equitable treatment of children, youth, and families that addresses their unique sociocultural context.

Understands and values the importance of engaging children, youth, and families, kin networks, care providers, and community resources in a collaborative, strength-based process.

Initial your priority today

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Competency Outcomes

Compare your selection with someone sitting near you. Ask them:

Which competency interests you the most today? Why?

Then share your priority.

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Child Welfare prior to 2000

New Initiatives

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Review of ASFA

Two overarching goals: Move children stranded in the

system into permanent placements

Change the experience of children entering the system today!

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Adoption & Safe Families Act (1997):

Safety

Permanency

Well-Being

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Seven Indicators of ASFA Fewer children are abused/neglected Fewer children are in foster care Fewer children re-enter foster care Fewer multiple placements for children in foster

care Reduced lengths of time to reunify children with

parents or caregivers Reduced length of time to achieve adoption

(less than 24 months) Increase the levels of health and education

support for children in foster care

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Organization of Child Welfare in California

Federal laws and state laws are passed Counties are required to follow these laws after the State

issues regulations pertaining to the law that has been passed or through policy letters called ACLs

Funding is connected to following regulations and ACLs Counties then provide their staff with county policy and

procedures to implement these regulations and policies.

Counties have many differences. Imagine a rural county with 5 social workers and L.A. County with 3000. Do you think they would have many differences?

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Current California Statistics

On a Post-It® note, write down what you think are:1) The number of cases of child abuse/ neglect

reported last year in CA

2) The number of children with a substantiated allegation of child abuse/neglect last year in CA

3) The number of children in CA Foster Care now

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The Case for Change in CA 487,154 referrals of child

abuse/neglect each year(for the 12 months ending July 2007)

108,513 children with substantiated allegations of abuse/neglect (for the 12 months ending July 2007)

76,310 children in foster care (Point in time on July 1, 2007)

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California has:13% of the nation’s child population

BUT

16% of the nation’s foster care population

(2005 Data)

California’s Challenges

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The Case for Change in CA

65% of foster children in care for at least 2 years experience 3 or more placements

6% of children in CA are African American, but 26% of children in CWS are African American

(Data for the period of July 06-June 07 )

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Improving the way we serve families involved

with child welfare

New Initiatives

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The Vision

Every child living in a safe, safe, stable, permanentstable, permanent home, nurtured by healthy families and strong communities.

From the California Stakeholders’ Report

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Goals/Outcomes

1. Children are protected from abuse and neglect.

2. Children are safely maintained in their own homes whenever possible and appropriate.

3. Children have permanency and stability in their living situations.

4. The continuity of family relationships and connections is preserved for children.

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Goals/Outcomes, continued

5. Families have enhanced capacity to provide for their children’s needs.

6. Children receive appropriate services to meet their educational needs.

7. Children receive adequate services to meet their physical and mental health needs.

8. Youth emancipating from foster care are prepared to transition to adulthood.

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California Child Welfare Outcomes and Accountability System

Three year cycle with quarterly reports What about Division 31 Regulations?

“Division 31 remains in full effect.  AB 636 is a review process and replaces the Division 31 Compliance Review Process;  so the Division 31 reviews have ended, but not the regulations themselves.”

- S. Oppenheim Jan-04

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OUTCOMES:• Safety

• Permanency

• Child & Family Well-Being

CWS Improvement

Federal Program Improvement Plan (PIP)

California Child & Family Services Review(C-CFSR)/(AB636)

System Improvement EffortsChildren and Family Services Review (CFSR)

Peer Quality CaseReview (PQCR), Self Assessment (SA), and System Improvement Plan (SIP)

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How do we know what

works?

Evidence-Based Practice

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What does EBP mean?

Please have a short discussion at your tables regarding what you think EBP means.

Have you heard this term before?

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Some Definitions:

EBP “is the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and [client] values”Sackett, Straus, Richardson, Rosenberg & Haynes (2000). Evidence-Based Medicine: How to practice and teach EBM (2nd ed.)

“It is the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual [clients]”Sackett et al. (1996)

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Definitions, continued

Gilgun’s 4 ‘Cornerstones’ of EBP:

1. Research and theory2. Practice wisdom, or what we and other

professionals have learned from our clients3. The person of the practitioner (personal

assumptions, values, biases and world views)4. What clients bring to the situation

Gilgun, J.F. (2005). The four cornerstones of evidence-based practice in social work. Research on Social Work Practice, 15(1).

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Definitions, continued

Practice that is informed and ‘mindful’ of: Best available research evidence; Best clinical experience; Client values and preferences.

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The Five Steps of Evidence-Based Practice

STEP ONE: What do we want to know? What are the questions?Convert information needs related to practice decisions into answerable research questions

STEP TWO: What evidence is there?Track down the best evidence with which to answer them (Sackett et al., 2000, pp.3-4) courtesy of Eileen Gambrill

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The Five Steps of Evidence-Based Practice

STEP THREE: What is the quality of the evidence?Critically appraise that evidence for its validity, impact (size of effect) and applicability (usefulness in practice)

STEP FOUR: How do we use the evidence to make decisions?Apply the results of this appraisal to practice/policy decisions. This involves deciding whether evidence found (if any) applies to the decision at hand, while also considering client values and preferences in making decisions as well as other application concerns. For example, is a client similar to those studied? Is access to services described?

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The Five Steps of Evidence-Based Practice

STEP FIVE: How did this work?Evaluate effectiveness and efficiency in carrying out steps 1-4 and seek ways to improve them in the future

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Clearinghouse www.cachildwelfareclearinghouse.org Serves as an online connection for child

welfare professionals, staff of public and private organizations, academic institutions, and others who are committed to serving children and families.

Provides up-to-date information on evidence-based child welfare practices.

Facilitates the utilization of evidence-based practices as a method for achieving improved outcomes of safety, permanency and well-being for children and families involved in the California public child welfare system.

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Are programs that appear to be successful, but have not yet been rigorously studied or tested

Are implemented while rigorous research is being done

Promising Practices . . .

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Examples of Promising Practices

Family to Family TDMs Linkages Wrap-around services California Permanency for Youth Project

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Fairness and Equity:The Vision

…All children and families will achieve similar benefits and achieve equally positive outcomes.

from the California Stakeholders’ Report

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Pizza Activity

You have been invited to a rather eclectic Pizza Party. As people introduce themselves to you, you realize there are only six pieces of pizza for all 21 of you.

Individually decide how to fairly prioritize who gets a slice of pizza and who doesn’t.

Convince your group that your way is the fairest way to share your six slices.

What fairness principle did you use to help you make these decisions?

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Fairness, Equity & Equality

Equity implies the application of justice influenced by principals of ethics.

Fairness implies the absence of bias.

Equality implies the likeness or sameness in quality, power, status, or degree.

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Does Equitable = Equal?

What are the implications for child welfare? How should services be allocated?

How do we build a fair and equitable system for service delivery?

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FAIRNESS & EQUITY IN CWS INVOLVES MULTIPLE ISSUES

• Disproportionate representation

• Cultural competency• Diversity• Socioeconomic • Immigration status/acculturation• Sexual orientation (LGBTQ)• Gender • Disability • Age

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Ethnicity at Decision Points of the California Child Welfare System-2006

Chart taken from presentation by Barbara Needell, CSSR UC Berkeley,

California’s Child Welfare System: Using Data From CWS/CMS, February 2008

6.115.4 14.9 19.0

28.331.9

29.6 28.4 27.925.7

48.051.6

9.8

48.650.342.4

3.14.03.9 2.3 1.41.41.10.90.53.30

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Population(9,988,199)

Ref errals(441,260)

Substantiations(108,290)

Entries(34,508)

I n Care (77,232)

Other

NativeAmerican

Asian/ PI

Hispanic

White

Black

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Statement of the problem

African American children are: Referred to child welfare more than any other

segment of the population Entering the system more frequently Less likely to receive in-home services Least likely to reunify Staying in care longer than their White or

Hispanic counterparts

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What is Culture?

A unique set of behaviors, attitudes, practices, customs, values, music, beliefs, food, religious experiences, history, celebrations, preferences, lifestyles.

It is not innate: it is learned It provides the lens through which we see the

world, process information, and communicate with others.

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Cultural Expression

Not everyone of the same race will express culture in the same way; other factors are: Social class/privilege/poverty Rural or urban residency Occupation Education Marital status Age Personal values

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We all bring our “Cultural Backpacks” or our “biases” with us to work…

Our own “backpack” shapes the nature of:• the conversations we have with

each family and child • assessment• treatment plans• the allocation of resources

Cultural Backpacks

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What’s in your “Cultural

Backpack”?

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Achieving Fairness and Equity

Achieving Fairness and Equity in CWS as it pertains to: the treatment of families and the access of services for families

requires us to look at MODERN DAY RACISM as a contributing factor in disproportionality.

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Modern Day Racism

Includes three systems which operate simultaneously to suppress discussion on race and mask biases:

• Principle of colorblindness

• Racial and gender stereotypes

• Institutional racism

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Colorblind Ideologies

The purpose of colorblind ideologies is to suppress public discussions regarding race… Told not to talk about race or culture Taught not to “notice” race or ethnicity so

everyone will be treated “equally” Told that whoever brings up race is the racist

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Stereotypes

A belief that members of a group: possess an inherent characteristic and every person in this group is presumed to

possess the same characteristic

In a “colorblind society,” stereotypes and their consequences often go unchecked.

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Stereotypes and PerceptionsLet’s identify some of these common assumptions (not necessarily your own values/beliefs)

White women Poor women African American women Asian women Mexican women Middle Eastern women Native American women

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What are implicit stereotypes?

An implicit stereotype is one that is powerful enough to operate without conscious thought or awareness.

Implicit stereotypes can “flavor” individual behaviors and perceptions in CWS decision- making.

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Bias leads to Institutional Racism

Bias is embedded in longstanding U.S. cultural values, beliefs and norms.

Bias flies under the radar because it manifests in behaviors and attitudes which are implicit rather than explicit.

Bias can occur without expressing any hostilities.

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Fairness and Equity in your Core Training

Throughout this core curriculum, expect ongoing training to better prepare you for:

More effective intercultural communication Interpersonal relations Interactions with individuals from cultures

other than your own Decision points where we need to be

especially aware of fairness and equity issues

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Family Centered Engagement of Youth

and Families

Strength-Based Child Welfare

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What do we mean by “Strength-Based?”

Strength defined:

“Capacity for exertion or endurance; a strong attribute or inherent asset”

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Goals for Strength-Based Work

Identify family strengths and resources that can be used to support the family

Use strengths as benchmarks to assess the status of the family over time

Use community-wide information of family strengths to develop community resources

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Strength-Based Described

Developed from a set of supportive relationships

Processes that support and protect families, especially during adversity and change

Maintains family cohesion

Supports development and well-being of individual family members

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Positive Family Processes

Household routines Time use Communication and

praise Cultural and religious

celebrations Parent-child warmth

and supportiveness

* Which of these strengths are in your family?

* What does (or did) YOUR family rely on in times of crisis?

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Circles of Strength & Support

Whom would you call if

YOUR children were being detained?

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Promoting Circles of Strength & Support

# 1 = Family and Extended Family

# 2 = Community Partners/Resources

#3 = Child WelfareAgency

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What we say makes a difference

If it were you and your family being discussed, would any of these offend you?

What would feel better?

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Strength-Based Language

Focuses on what is strong, not what is wrong

Encourages families to do their personal best within the framework of their cultures

Reframes deficits as opportunities for growth

Acknowledges and builds on successes

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Strength-Based Language

Presumes a desire for and the possibility of a positive outcome

Includes feelings and words to match Models empathy and offers support

If YOUR children were detained, which one of these practices would you like to know your social worker would be using? (Compare with your table mates.)

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Strength-Based Language

Do you believe that any of these are . . .

Culture Specific? Race Specific? Gender Specific?

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What we say makes a difference

What we say...

Influences what we think...

Which affects what we value/feel/believe...

Which determines how we act/treat others...

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Getting at Strengths Think of what you DO want family members to

do Determine the PAYOFF for WHEN they do that Tell the payoff first, then what to do Avoid negative language

Blaming Shaming Whining Complaining Threatening

DON’T

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Core Values of Family-Centered Initiatives

All families have strengths

Families are the experts on themselves and their own histories

Families deserve to be treated with respect and dignity

Families can make well-informed decisions about keeping their children safe when supported

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Core Values of Family-Centered Initiatives

When families and community resources are involved in decision making, outcomes can improve.

A team is often more capable of creative and high quality decision making than an individual.

The family’s culture is a source of strength, and culturally responsive practices honor the family’s customs, values and preferences.

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Values

These values come from established teaming/family meeting models in CA (Promising Practices).

Notice common characteristics: Team Decision Making (TDM) Family Group Conference Meetings (FGCM) Wrap-Around Meetings

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Take a stand on these core values

Mark “SW” next to the one YOU, as a Social Worker, believe is a Core Value

Mark “A” next to Administration’s Core Value

Mark “F” next to what you believe many Family Members would say is the most important of these Core Values--to their family

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Please keep this thought in mind as others speak:

“You know,you mightbe right!”

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Now let’s put what we’ve learned to work

Strength-based, family-centered practice The new way of serving families involved with

public child welfare Fairness and equity issue awareness

Next we’ll look at additional ways to engage families...

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Managing the Useof Power and Authority

What do you think might be the potential impact of “power & authority” in the engagement process?

Re: The attorneys and the courts?

Re: The child welfare worker?

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“Bling-Bling”

“Engagement”

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Engagement

Telling Engagement= =

Declare InquireDecide InviteDetermine InvolveDemand Include