The benefits of consistent communication have been clear. When people are involved, there is naturally opportunity for change. When things change or when issues arise, it’s critical to have everyone involved in the problem-solving process. Our best ideas are born when we have more information, so we make communication a priority.
When we’re communicating regularly, we all know who is doing what, and we have the freedom to talk about the why. When you’re building trust with a family, it’s so important to all be on the same page. It’s important for the family to know that everyone is working toward the same goal, which is the best outcome for everyone.
When we work together and everyone knows what the other is doing, we also know that when we come back together, we can predict where the family will be in their progress. This minimizes the need for problem solving and makes it easier for the family and everyone involved in the case to see where we made progress and what we need to work on.
It’s been great to see the collaboration between our staff.
Heidi
Monday, October 18, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Partnership in Permanency: consistency and communication
This next series of posts gives some insight to partnership within Iowa's Family, Risk & Permanency services...
To public and private agency employees, partnership can be seen if you look into the core of a relationship. It’s how well you know the person on the other end.
The next series of blog posts will take you down the path of two supervisors involved with FSRP (Family Safety, Risk, and Permanency) services which are designed to provide support to families and connect them to resources when they’re involved in the child welfare system. The services help them manage self sufficiency and child safety. Jody is a supervisor on the public side and Heidi is a supervisor for a private agency. They have worked together on cases and seen the real benefits of partnership and collaboration.
Jody: The most obvious way we collaborate is consistent communication. Supervisors from both the public and private agencies meet on a regular basis to discuss how things are going. While that always seems like common sense in theory, the tricky part is to make it happen.
There are many sides to keeping each other up-to-date on a case that you are mutually responsible for. First of all, the start of a case is immediate and everyone has to mobilize in a quick timeframe. In the beginning, there is so much discovery involved, and it’s important to keep communication open so that we can decide the best strategies to meet the defined goals.
We literally come together to staff cases – it’s not just a matter of being assigned to the same case. Everyone has an equal voice when we talk about hurdles and what we can do about them. It’s all about being solution-focused. In the past there wasn’t a forum for clinical consultation, but working in the model of partnership, we come up with better solutions because of the inclusive working environment. We’ve gone from a crisis-driven mode to a collaborative mode, and our staff is doing their best work ever.
To public and private agency employees, partnership can be seen if you look into the core of a relationship. It’s how well you know the person on the other end.
The next series of blog posts will take you down the path of two supervisors involved with FSRP (Family Safety, Risk, and Permanency) services which are designed to provide support to families and connect them to resources when they’re involved in the child welfare system. The services help them manage self sufficiency and child safety. Jody is a supervisor on the public side and Heidi is a supervisor for a private agency. They have worked together on cases and seen the real benefits of partnership and collaboration.
Jody: The most obvious way we collaborate is consistent communication. Supervisors from both the public and private agencies meet on a regular basis to discuss how things are going. While that always seems like common sense in theory, the tricky part is to make it happen.
There are many sides to keeping each other up-to-date on a case that you are mutually responsible for. First of all, the start of a case is immediate and everyone has to mobilize in a quick timeframe. In the beginning, there is so much discovery involved, and it’s important to keep communication open so that we can decide the best strategies to meet the defined goals.
We literally come together to staff cases – it’s not just a matter of being assigned to the same case. Everyone has an equal voice when we talk about hurdles and what we can do about them. It’s all about being solution-focused. In the past there wasn’t a forum for clinical consultation, but working in the model of partnership, we come up with better solutions because of the inclusive working environment. We’ve gone from a crisis-driven mode to a collaborative mode, and our staff is doing their best work ever.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Looking back (the private agency perspective)
There is perhaps the misconception that partnership means we’re buddies. That’s not what it’s about - this partnership is a redefined, clearly understood shared accountability. A conversation about results is not just whether or not something is working. It is what do we do differently? And why?
Again, note the “we.” Talking about what “we” can do frees us up to acknowledge our own challenges, because we know the focus will be on how we can solve problems, rather than pointing out each other’s faults.
One of the values of being part of this team is now I understand my public agency partners and the context in which they work better. I have a clearer sense of their challenges unique to that world, and how they differ from mine. This understanding helps inform my future interactions.
Again, note the “we.” Talking about what “we” can do frees us up to acknowledge our own challenges, because we know the focus will be on how we can solve problems, rather than pointing out each other’s faults.
One of the values of being part of this team is now I understand my public agency partners and the context in which they work better. I have a clearer sense of their challenges unique to that world, and how they differ from mine. This understanding helps inform my future interactions.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Looking back (from the public agency perspective)
The work is done; the recommendation has been implemented.
Reflecting on the team’s work together, this experience has already impacted agency interactions outside of this task force.
Statewide public and private agencies will continue to have issues of challenging each other, but this opens up the door for clinical conversations which enhance and make the partnership more effective. There’s less finger pointing and talk of “You’re not doing this right…” We talk about how we can come together to figure out how we can do “that’ better.
Nationwide we’ve found there is not much insight on how to move performance contracting forward. The one thing we’ve heard over and over is that the communication and the relationship makes or breaks it.
When all parties commit to open communication, it creates an understanding that leads us to a better working relationship. Taking that relationship to a higher level exposes the reality that we really can see better results.
Reflecting on the team’s work together, this experience has already impacted agency interactions outside of this task force.
Statewide public and private agencies will continue to have issues of challenging each other, but this opens up the door for clinical conversations which enhance and make the partnership more effective. There’s less finger pointing and talk of “You’re not doing this right…” We talk about how we can come together to figure out how we can do “that’ better.
Nationwide we’ve found there is not much insight on how to move performance contracting forward. The one thing we’ve heard over and over is that the communication and the relationship makes or breaks it.
When all parties commit to open communication, it creates an understanding that leads us to a better working relationship. Taking that relationship to a higher level exposes the reality that we really can see better results.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
In the end…
While we wrestled with those questions, a natural progression in the conversation was to staff. More than ever, we needed to support front line staff and supervisors to help them realize the results we will achieve together.
How did we do this? Again – we focused on practice. Keeping front line staff and supervisors from both public and private agencies in mind, we discussed what they would need to be successful together. Success was defined as the outcome of the case, and this success can not be achieved without both agencies problem solving together.
In the end this team, whose charge was to recommend changes for a payment structure, created a recommendation that contained more language about practice improvement than payment.
How did we do this? Again – we focused on practice. Keeping front line staff and supervisors from both public and private agencies in mind, we discussed what they would need to be successful together. Success was defined as the outcome of the case, and this success can not be achieved without both agencies problem solving together.
In the end this team, whose charge was to recommend changes for a payment structure, created a recommendation that contained more language about practice improvement than payment.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Not a perfect fit
To define our route, we first asked the question, “How are we doing today?” (Notice “we”). We pulled some data and looked at some individual cases. Focusing on practice alone, we said, “Our goal is to do better. Let’s do it.”
Reality was that we were doing well. But the goal is to do better, so we identified cases that just don’t “fit” typical case progression. Then we asked the question, “How do we deal with the cases that don’t “fit?”
“When a case doesn’t “fit,” what is the practice that supports the safety of the child and the family – that can keep the agency involved?” We looked at practice and practicality – if disincentives are used to manage outcomes, at what level can agencies sustain providing services?
The first concern is the safety of the child and family, so how do we define a manageable approach to these cases? Most important – what is a manageable approach that both private and public agencies can successfully work together on?
Reality was that we were doing well. But the goal is to do better, so we identified cases that just don’t “fit” typical case progression. Then we asked the question, “How do we deal with the cases that don’t “fit?”
“When a case doesn’t “fit,” what is the practice that supports the safety of the child and the family – that can keep the agency involved?” We looked at practice and practicality – if disincentives are used to manage outcomes, at what level can agencies sustain providing services?
The first concern is the safety of the child and family, so how do we define a manageable approach to these cases? Most important – what is a manageable approach that both private and public agencies can successfully work together on?
Sunday, February 28, 2010
A different kind of conversation
It’s easy to point the finger and tell others what they’re doing wrong, but not as easy to talk in front of everyone about what you’re doing wrong. One of our team members was instrumental in setting the tone for the team’s success. She talked about reviewing hundreds of cases and finding where her own staff struggled to meet expected outcomes. In front of all of us, she said the framework just wasn’t working. She said, “I need to figure out with you how to make this work.”
A few simple words that changed the conversation.
We decided to define the end at the beginning; start with the end in mind. How do we define “safe case closure?” And the result was rich conversation that focused on the work we share.
Once the trust and relationship is there, things just start happening. Instead of protecting who is “right” or “wrong” everyone’s energy is spent on innovation, problem solving and the future.
A few simple words that changed the conversation.
We decided to define the end at the beginning; start with the end in mind. How do we define “safe case closure?” And the result was rich conversation that focused on the work we share.
Once the trust and relationship is there, things just start happening. Instead of protecting who is “right” or “wrong” everyone’s energy is spent on innovation, problem solving and the future.
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