ppt permanent connections.pdf

7/30/2019 PPT Permanent Connections.pdf

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Supervising forPermanent Connections


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Whatare permanent connections

Positive, reliable caring adults in theyouths life who will stick by themwhile they are in care and who willcontinue to support them after theyleave care, through their youngadulthood and beyond


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Who are permanent connections?

People with whom the youth has someemotional attachment (birth family,extended family, kin, adoptive family,

mentors, foster family, etc.) People with whom the youth would like to

stay connected/re-establish contact

People who the youth defines as family

and/or supports


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The meanings of permanency

Legal Traditional view of

permanency, a

legally establishedrelationship(adoption,guardianship, birthfamily)

Emotional/

Relational

Permanency ismore aboutemotionalattachmentsbetween youth,

caregivers, andother family andkin


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The meanings of permanency

Cultural

A continuousconnection tofamily, tradition,race, ethnicity,culture, languageand religion


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Iowas vision of youth permanency

(draft)

Every child in Iowas child welfareand juvenile justice systems willhave permanent relationships withone or more caring, capable andsupportive adults.


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From Casey Family Services:

Youth permanency involves:

An enduring family (or family-like)relationship that provides forphysical, emotional, social,cognitive and spiritual well-being


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Permanency is.

(according to youth in care)

having the key to the house

a chance for someone to choose youand for you to choose them

knowing where you are going to beburied

having your picture on the wall in

someones househaving your side [of the church] full

when you get married


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Exercise: Build a Model for Achieving

Permanency for Older Youth in Care
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://gurno.com/adam/images/index_types/dcp_3465.jpg&imgrefurl=http://gurno.com/adam/j2/?p=51&h=1107&w=1447&sz=647&hl=en&start=48&tbnid=3hRRXtkFOodtyM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=150&prev=/images?q=index+card&start=40&gbv=2&ndsp=20&svnum=10&hl=en&sa=Nhttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/75/K%27Nex_Bridge.jpeg/250px-K%27Nex_Bridge.jpeg&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%27NEX&h=226&w=250&sz=26&hl=en&start=46&tbnid=hux1-jbiLBjo7M:&tbnh=100&tbnw=111&prev=/images?q=Knex&start=40&gbv=2&ndsp=20&svnum=10&hl=en&sa=N


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Other Important Elements of

Permanency

Opportunity to maintain contactswith siblings

Involvement of the youth as theparticipant or leader in the process

- California Permanency for Youth Projectconvening


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Keep in mind

Most youth who age out of carereconnect with their families oforigin, even if parental rights wereterminated


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Youth may need support innegotiating relationships withparents, setting boundaries, anddealing with disappointments asthey re-establish relationships


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Best practice planning for permanency:

Meaningfully engages the significantadults in the youths network

Involves birth/former adoptivefamily members in planning anddecision-making

Honors the role of birth/formeradoptive families in the youths life,though they are unable to parentfull-time


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Steps for Achieving Permanency Using

A Youth-Centered Team Approach*

1. Identify significant adults from withinyouths circle of existing relationships

2. Involve the youth and the significant

adults in a team planning and decision-making process

3. Explore and support the highest level ofcommitment that each adult can make

as a permanent parent or extendedfamily member

Source: Frey, L. (Casey)


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Steps for Achieving Permanency

continued

4. If a permanent family is notidentified among those present,participants may agree to

help recruit a family or

be a permanent connection.


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Steps for Achieving Permanency,

contd.

5.If a permanent family is identified, othersmay commit to provide support for thatfamily.

6.Engage the youth and adults in jointactivities for preparation for adulthood sothat reciprocal relationships are

strengthened and supported while theyouth is still in care.


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Until a permanent family or permanentconnections are established, the questionshould always be asked:

Then what would it take?

The youth and significant adults/family

members are encouraged to keep thedoor open and let the relationshipsevolve over time


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Strategies and Tools for Helping Youth

Make Permanent Connections

Finding previously supportive adults

Placement genogram

Remembered People chart

Family Finding tools

Strengthening connections

Permanency Pact

Relationship building blocksTips for Initiating the Permanency

Conversation with Youth


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Placement Genogram

A visual picture of theyouths experience in

placement constructedfrom:Case records

Youths perspectiveFamily and other adults

Understanding the childs experience of
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.writeenough.org.uk/images/formats/format_genogram_order_of_children.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.writeenough.org.uk/formats_genogram.htm&h=150&w=190&sz=2&hl=en&start=14&tbnid=m_GoqH1OJIlrnM:&tbnh=81&tbnw=103&prev=/images?q=genogram&gbv=2&svnum=10&hl=en


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Understanding the child s experience of

adults in placement may help the

worker:

appreciate resilience/understand thecost of multiple losses;

better understand the reasons for

placement disruption; identify patterns, leading to new

ideas about interventions,appropriate placements, andsupports for the young person; and

uncover important people from theyouths past


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Remembered People Chart*

Ages

Where Ilived

Who Irememberespecially

well

What Id liketo do aboutthem

Source: Robert Lewis


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How might you use a tool like this in

supervision?

Encourage the conversationsworkersshould not rely exclusively on thewritten case record

Talk about what the youth is sayingabout his/her desires for permanentconnections

Talk about how to translate thisinformation into concrete action steps

How to prepare the youth for re-establishing connections/rejections


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Tips for establishing reconnections

Youth must be interested in making theconnection

Discuss potential connection with youth,including risks. Be honest with youth if a

connection is ill-advised. Its preferable to begin with a letter to the

prospective connection, so that a phonecall doesnt catch them off-guard

Follow up soon with a phone call Facilitate contact with youth/invite to a

youth centered team meeting


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The Permanency Pact (a tool)

See participant handbook

a document created by Foster Club

offers 45 suggested supports that aSupportive Adult might offer to ayouth transitioning from care.


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Uses for the Permanency Pact

Offers concrete suggestions of ways anadult can help a young person whodoesnt have a permanent home

Suggests that there are ways for an adultto commit to a youth for ongoing supportwithout agreeing to have that person livewith you

This can be formalized in a ceremony, ifdesired


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Limitations of the Permanency Pact

if there arent many things checkedon the list, it may not reallyrepresent the kind of life-long

commitment we think of asrelational permanence

as a tool it might be overwhelmingto a young person to see the list of

things that they may need help onthat they dont have


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Building Blocks for Establishing

Permanent Connections

Youth:

Identifies need for help

Knows who and how to askExperiences support

Learns to trust over time

Learns norm of reciprocity


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Making the ConnectionBetween Permanency and

Placement Stability


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What we know about placement1

stability

Most children in foster care do notexperience multiple placements

If a child stays in care for longer than12 months, increased likelihood of 3 ormore placements

Adolescent placements are more likelyto be unstable than those of youngerchildren

Most movement occurs in the first 6months of a placement1

Wulczyn,Kogan & Harden (2003)


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What we know about placement

stability, contd

One study found that 70% ofplacement moves are the result ofagency decisions, not youth

behaviors2

Relative placements tend to be morestable than other types of

placements2 James, S. (2004)


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Placement Stability and

Educational Attainment

Students who change schools 4 or moretimes lose approximately one year ofeducational growth by 6th grade

High school students who changedschools even once were less than half aslikely to graduate

Foster youth are twice as likely to change

schools during the year and twice as likelyto repeat a grade


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Practices to improve placement stability

Provide substantial support in first 6months of placementthe mostvulnerable time for disruption

Increase visits and therapeutic support to

adolescents in foster care due to theirgreater vulnerability for disruption

Use group care strategically to provideinitial stability for youth who experiencemultiple disruptions

Recruit foster parents who are acceptingof/experienced with adolescents andteens


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Practices to Improve Placement

Stability, contd

Provide more professional supportand respite for foster parents; morefoster parent to foster parentsupport;

Workers emphasize the importanceof stability and urge caregiver

patience


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Permanent connections and placement

stability

Maintaining permanent connectionssupports placement stability by attendingto youths ongoing need for ongoing

emotional connectedness Permanent connections are also important

when placement changes have to bemadephysical location may change, but

emotional connections can be sustained


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Practices to improve placement stability

Participation of youthAbout Me

My Foster Care Plan

Preparation of youthFoster Home Intro

Foster Club: http://www.fyi3.com/fyi3

Forms Online at Foster Club website (seehandout for url location)
http://www.fyi3.com/fyi3http://www.fyi3.com/fyi3


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Case Scenarios


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Supervising for permanent connections

Teach staff about the importance ofpermanent connections for youth

Set expectations for permanent

connections as an essential part ofpermanency and transition planning

Coach staff in how to maintain and re-establish connections

Develop a youth-centered team approachto building permanent connections


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Supervising for permanent

connections

Support workers in.

listening to youththey are the best source ofinformation

thoroughly reviewing case file to identify

connections from the past (but dont relyexclusively on this)

searching for lost relatives using locator services

making contacts with significant adults

reconnecting youth with birth family

helping youth through joys and disappointmentsof reconnections


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Supervisors strategies (what if...?)

Worker reports that youth has noconnections

Think about who has shown up for meetings,

court hearings; who has called about or visitedthe youth

Talk with caretakers and providers about whothe youth calls or goes to, who calls the youth

Talk to the youth more about previous

placements, family and kin relationships Dont forget the paternal side of the family


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Supervisors strategies (what if?)

The worker reports feeling uncomfortabletalking with youth about permanentconnections

Talk about emotional needs of adolescents asthey move toward adulthood; normalize theneed for connectedness

Provide opportunities for further training

Provide opportunities for worker to observe a

more experienced worker, or co-facilitatemeetings with youth to model good practice


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Supervisors strategies (what if?)

Permanent connections areidentified but not active in case plan Talk with worker about how the youth

is involved with permanent connections Encourage worker to talk with youth

about the role of permanentconnections during transition

Suggest using the Permanency Pact asa way to open the conversation withyouth


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Supervisors strategies (what if.?)

Transition plan does not includepermanent connections

Support conversations about

permanent connections in transitionmeetings and the written plan

Review the Permanency Pact forideas of how permanent connections

can be helpful for youth in transition


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Write a Practice Goal forPermanency

ppt permanent connections.pdf

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