Recruiting and Retaining Good Citizen Review Panel members

The South Dakota Perspective

Recruiting Pointers

• Make sure that the panel members have an interest and a commitment to similar work

• Pick panel members that are not already overcommitted and not available for meetings

• Helpful if the member’s employer is supportive and allows CRP activities on work time

Recruiting NO No's

• When recruiting, if someone declines to participate due to time, do not convince them to participate anyway

• Do not ask someone to participate for other reasons when they have no direct connection to issues similar to CRP work

• Provide direction and guidance• Please make the best use possible of the panel

member’s time- if that person feels that their attendance is a waste of time, that may end their participation

Retaining Volunteers

• Treat them well- praise, appreciation and team work

• Make them feel a part of the process and the work

• Make them feel important as important as their role with you

• If they feel like it is a waste of time, other priorities will take over

• If someone is not doing their fair share, ask why? It may be time to replace their position.

Working Together for Children’s Justice Committee

• South Dakota Department of Social Services combined two groups together into one group. The Children’s Justice Task Force and the Citizens Review Panel joined together in 2005 and selected a new name to better reflect both groups.

SD Citizen Review Panel

• The SD CRP was more general in determining whether the Department of Social Services is effectively discharging their child protection responsibilities. The current and past work of the SD CRP had been specific to evaluating Child Protection Services by interviewing workers, foster parents, counselors, etc.

Children’s Justice Act Task Force

• The CJA Task Force was more specific to the investigative, administrative, and both civil and criminal judicial handling of cases. There were three subcommittees: CASA; Multi- jurisdictional; Treatment. These subcommittees continued after the merger of the two groups.

Big Picture

Benefits of joining the two groups:Due to the size of the state and similar

membership between the two groups, merging of the groups was more efficient

Better collaboration and networking to accomplish defined goals

More members to provide feedback and work together on projects

Increased opportunity for statewide work that will make long term differences

Successful Projects• Child Abuse, Neglect and Domestic Violence Survey Completed by Domestic

Violence Advocates• Name_______________________________Agency__________________________

_• Questions #1: What do you do if a child comes into shelter exhibiting signs of child

abuse? Do you have a procedure for this situation? Who do you report to?

• Question #2: What collaboration efforts or activities have you done with Child Protection Services in the last year?

• Questions #3: Are you involved currently in the investigative process of child abuse cases or would you be willing to be involved? If you are currently involved, please explain.

• Question #4: How do you coordinate services with Child Protection?

• Question #5: What Child Protection issues would you liked covered in a training session?

Another Survey

Survey for Child Protection ServicesIdentified Community StakeholdersCASA, Schools, and Shelters/Crisis Centers

1. How familiar are you with how to make a referral? 1 (very familiar) 2 (familiar) 3 (somewhat) 4 (not familiar) 5(never makes a referral)2. Have you made a referral?? If yes, how prompt was the follow up with the referral? 1 (very prompt) 2 (prompt) 3 (contacted within a day) 4 (contacted/week) 5 (no contact)3. Have you been a part of the intervention process with a family? If yes, do you believe

that the intervention plan for the family had relevant goals? (very relevant) 2 (relevant) 3 (somewhat relevant) 4 (very little relevance) 5 (no

relevance)4. If yes, do you believe that the intervention plan for the family had effective goals? 1(very effective) 2 (effective) 3 (somewhat effective) 4 (of little help) 5 (not helpful)5. If you have worked with Child Protection Services, please share a positive experience.6. If you have worked with CPS, please feel free to make any recommendations for

suggested change.

Visits onsite with CPS offices

• Focused coverage on all areas of the state: rural, tribal, and urban

• Met with supervisors, staff, foster parents, and participated on activities with CPS

• Provided summarized report for State CPS offering positive feedback, as well as constructive criticism- did not get involved with specific personnel issues (communicated any necessary concerns privately with state supervisor if necessary)

Domestic Violence and CPS Networking and Training

• Arranged Cross Training Opportunities between shelter advocates and child protection workers statewide

• Assisted with the overall curriculum of the training for uniform training

• Encouraged networking and collaborative opportunities between the two groups

Group Activity

Discuss among your small group:

How were you recruited for the CRP?

Why do you participate with the CRP?

If you did not participate with CRP at times, why?

How does your CRP retain volunteers?

Group Activity

• Formulate a plan for a CRP project

• Focus on mission of CRP and utilizing strengths of your current panel members

• Please make sure that the panel members are a part of the entire project from beginning to end

• Write down your plan to share with the other participants