In June 2010, professionals from all over Iowa, from many different roles, met for a one-day summit, the Child Welfare Partnership Summit. The focus was improving outcomes for Iowa children and families and reinforce partnership at all levels.
Each of the five (5) DHS service areas was represented by a team of 20 participants to the summit. The teams comprised of DHS Front Line Supervisors, Provider (Safety Plan/FSRP Services and Iowa KidsNet) Front Line Supervisors, DHS Front Line Staff, and Provider (Safety Plan/FSRP Services and Iowa KidsNet) Front Line Staff.
The summit was neither training nor downloading of information. The majority of the summit was spent in facilitated dialogue about how well DHS and Providers are working together as partners, both on specific practice issues as well as on the respectful relationships needed to support good practice. The breakout sessions included the following topics:
1. Child and Family Service Review (CFSR) Outcomes
2. Conflict Resolution
3. Partnership Trickledown
4. Safe Case Closure
Based on the statewide summit for private and public agency employees, each service area was asked to take the information learned and use it to further the partnering initiative locally. We'll follow the story of two individuals who did just that in the west side of the state. These mini-summits in the west side of the state continue to date.
Connie tells her story from a perspective of an Iowa Department of Human Services (public) representative. Jamie tells her story as someone from a provider (private) agency.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
A difference in the way our staff interact
Since the implementation of FSRP, the involvement in cases has really changed at the supervisory level. We established joint meetings between public and private agency staff, and we even look forward to them! We now have the ability to assess how we’re working together. What’s working and if there’s something that’s not working – what ideas can we come up with jointly to make it work?
There’s certainly a difference in the way our staff interact. Establishing regular meetings together and modeling working together has really opened up the possibilities for working on cases. The interactions between supervisors just weren’t there before, and the collaborative approach has only brought about positive change.
We even do more trainings together. When we’re literally sitting in the same room, hearing the same thing, we’ve got an advantage. When we hear each other’s questions we gain more perspective on what each other faces, and where we’re coming from. We also hear the exact same answers, which helps us all get on the same page.
Taking it one step further, private and public agency supervisors now discuss what their staff needs are to determine what trainings will take place. Again, we are learning more about each other and process the same information together.
Jody
There’s certainly a difference in the way our staff interact. Establishing regular meetings together and modeling working together has really opened up the possibilities for working on cases. The interactions between supervisors just weren’t there before, and the collaborative approach has only brought about positive change.
We even do more trainings together. When we’re literally sitting in the same room, hearing the same thing, we’ve got an advantage. When we hear each other’s questions we gain more perspective on what each other faces, and where we’re coming from. We also hear the exact same answers, which helps us all get on the same page.
Taking it one step further, private and public agency supervisors now discuss what their staff needs are to determine what trainings will take place. Again, we are learning more about each other and process the same information together.
Jody
Monday, February 28, 2011
Now Relatives are Engaged
One particularly interesting thing about involving more relatives that we used to is what we hear from them. Most relatives felt they had to jump through several hoops to be involved in the case of a family member. They felt intimidated, obstructed or both. Now we openly seek out relatives who can supervise visits, transport family members, provide respite or provide temporary care for children.
We’ve heard relatives say no one ever asked them in the past. Now it’s standard operation!
It’s the same with family friends. There was a standing misperception that if a family has an issue, all the friends of the family would be considered the same. I’ve heard Jody talk about a good friend of a mom that came to a family team meeting. She attended, but she sat in the corner and didn’t talk. Jody brought her in the conversation and in on the solution-focus by saying directly to her, “I’m counting on you to help her meet her requirements. Because you are so important to her, YOU can make it happen.”
We’re always paying attention during family visits to note visitors or people mentioned in conversation who may be a good addition to that informal support team. We sometimes literally use the line, “Wait a minute…who was that?” to discover additional team members.
In the end, all of this is important because it establishes trust, which makes success possible. We have to establish it with the families and with the people who touches the families. This is what we really try to model with our staff – we communicate with each other and build that trust, and we build that same trust with the families.
We’ve heard relatives say no one ever asked them in the past. Now it’s standard operation!
It’s the same with family friends. There was a standing misperception that if a family has an issue, all the friends of the family would be considered the same. I’ve heard Jody talk about a good friend of a mom that came to a family team meeting. She attended, but she sat in the corner and didn’t talk. Jody brought her in the conversation and in on the solution-focus by saying directly to her, “I’m counting on you to help her meet her requirements. Because you are so important to her, YOU can make it happen.”
We’re always paying attention during family visits to note visitors or people mentioned in conversation who may be a good addition to that informal support team. We sometimes literally use the line, “Wait a minute…who was that?” to discover additional team members.
In the end, all of this is important because it establishes trust, which makes success possible. We have to establish it with the families and with the people who touches the families. This is what we really try to model with our staff – we communicate with each other and build that trust, and we build that same trust with the families.
Monday, January 24, 2011
The Group Helped Her Get There
Another great example is a family who had worked with DHS previously without much success, and she was resistant to taking advantage of mental health services. Taking a similar approach, we invited individuals from her church, a school counselor who took an interest in the children, and a family friend to participate in the case.
Involving people the family already knew and trusted made it easier to find somewhere the kids could stay while the mom worked on her goals. The kids had an easier transition and the mom was more engaged in her goals because she knew the people her kids were staying with.
Again, bucking tradition, we secured permission for members of the informal support group to transport the kids and supervise visits between the kids and their father, who was in jail. Not only did this help the kids, but it also gave the mother time to attend the other children’s school and sporting events, so that she could play an active part in their lives.
Involving her personal contacts in monthly team meetings and having them participate in the discussions with professionals had a great impact on the success of this case. Not only did this build trust, but it also prompted honesty among those that knew the mom well. As a result, the group as a whole was able to encourage her to get her mental health needs addressed. She had resisted past attempts by DHS to get help with her mental health, but the group helped her get there. And guess what? The results were incredible.
Involving people the family already knew and trusted made it easier to find somewhere the kids could stay while the mom worked on her goals. The kids had an easier transition and the mom was more engaged in her goals because she knew the people her kids were staying with.
Again, bucking tradition, we secured permission for members of the informal support group to transport the kids and supervise visits between the kids and their father, who was in jail. Not only did this help the kids, but it also gave the mother time to attend the other children’s school and sporting events, so that she could play an active part in their lives.
Involving her personal contacts in monthly team meetings and having them participate in the discussions with professionals had a great impact on the success of this case. Not only did this build trust, but it also prompted honesty among those that knew the mom well. As a result, the group as a whole was able to encourage her to get her mental health needs addressed. She had resisted past attempts by DHS to get help with her mental health, but the group helped her get there. And guess what? The results were incredible.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Addressing Barriers Quicker
We’ve seen a significant benefit in the increased family team meetings and the addition of “nontraditional” participants. In fact, we’ve seen that these additional people feel empowered when they find out that their participation can positively impact the children’s future and the parents’ success.
It’s exciting for all of us, though, to see each other discarding the silos of roles and getting back to the basics of focusing on results. When we partner together, we push up our sleeves, jump in and rely on each other to focus on solutions and not roles. Even better, we’ve gone even further and explored the potential of new roles for families’ personal network.
We’ve been able to address barriers more quickly, so it provides results more quickly. And who can’t appreciate that?
The natural advantage to bringing in more people is that we’re also building an informal support system for the family. Our work is intensive while the case is open, so you can imagine what an adjustment it can be when suddenly we’re out of the picture. Those additional people and the informal supports they create are key, because they will be involved with the family long after we are gone. We have to identify people in the families’ lives that can take the ball when we step aside.
Heidi
It’s exciting for all of us, though, to see each other discarding the silos of roles and getting back to the basics of focusing on results. When we partner together, we push up our sleeves, jump in and rely on each other to focus on solutions and not roles. Even better, we’ve gone even further and explored the potential of new roles for families’ personal network.
We’ve been able to address barriers more quickly, so it provides results more quickly. And who can’t appreciate that?
The natural advantage to bringing in more people is that we’re also building an informal support system for the family. Our work is intensive while the case is open, so you can imagine what an adjustment it can be when suddenly we’re out of the picture. Those additional people and the informal supports they create are key, because they will be involved with the family long after we are gone. We have to identify people in the families’ lives that can take the ball when we step aside.
Heidi
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Family Team Meetings
Utilizing family team meetings has been a great way to come together to support a family. Uniting everyone is so beneficial, especially on a complicated case.
Family team meetings are a critical way to engage parents, attorneys and other stakeholders. However, through collaboration, we began holding them more often, evolving past the one-time-only engagement. When we held additional family meetings, we were able to engage “nontraditional” members in the meetings like people from the family’s church, school staff, friends and relatives.
Traditionally, cases started with a family team meeting, the assessment and case plan was written, and that was it for family meetings. As we get to know the families after the team meeting, we learn about more people who are influential in the lives of the families - people who can potentially make a significant impact in the success of the family. But we only find out about those individuals by blending the work and knowledge of everyone on the team.
We’ve also recognized that to reach our mutual goals, we have to step out of our comfort zone and break free of traditional roles. A common barrier has traditionally been client transportation, especially when it comes to resources. In the past we may have walked away from the issue because it was someone else’s responsibility. Now we look at these other people in the families’ personal network and seek out those individuals and identify how they can fill in that gap – a gap that can be so detrimental to the families’ success.
Jody
Family team meetings are a critical way to engage parents, attorneys and other stakeholders. However, through collaboration, we began holding them more often, evolving past the one-time-only engagement. When we held additional family meetings, we were able to engage “nontraditional” members in the meetings like people from the family’s church, school staff, friends and relatives.
Traditionally, cases started with a family team meeting, the assessment and case plan was written, and that was it for family meetings. As we get to know the families after the team meeting, we learn about more people who are influential in the lives of the families - people who can potentially make a significant impact in the success of the family. But we only find out about those individuals by blending the work and knowledge of everyone on the team.
We’ve also recognized that to reach our mutual goals, we have to step out of our comfort zone and break free of traditional roles. A common barrier has traditionally been client transportation, especially when it comes to resources. In the past we may have walked away from the issue because it was someone else’s responsibility. Now we look at these other people in the families’ personal network and seek out those individuals and identify how they can fill in that gap – a gap that can be so detrimental to the families’ success.
Jody
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Getting the whole team involved
Working in a partnership model has been a great boost for employee morale. When we’re meeting as a team, supervisors for both public and private agencies have an opportunity to model for staff. When Heidi is in a meeting with staff from both agencies, she will provide great input and consultation. Her staff sees that and can feel comfortable speaking up and giving their input. They are inspired to take part in the conversation and the solutions. My staff sees that it is a partnership and that it takes information from everyone to make the best solution.
We are also in a position to help each other support our staff. We’re all working with the same family, and since we’re communicating, we experience the ups and downs of a case together. That enables staff to respond to issues on the case quicker, but also to support each other. The unique perspective we each bring to the case is important, which is why case management is structured the way it is.
Jody
We are also in a position to help each other support our staff. We’re all working with the same family, and since we’re communicating, we experience the ups and downs of a case together. That enables staff to respond to issues on the case quicker, but also to support each other. The unique perspective we each bring to the case is important, which is why case management is structured the way it is.
Jody
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