Michigan’s Recruitment and Retention of Child Welfare Staff Program Judy Sieffert Kathleen Coulborn Faller

Challenges A program that focused on workforce issues. But whose mandate was to address these issues through a curriculum for child welfare supervisors. Discovering there were three workforce initiatives trying to assist one state’s department of human services. Trying to figure out how to be useful to an overwhelmed department of human services.

Two Initiatives that Focus on MDHS Needs Realistic Job Preview—Office of Human Resources. –Funded by the Anne E. Casey Foundation Advanced ICWA training—Child Welfare Institute. –Michigan has a requirement to provide Advanced ICWA training.

Description of RJP DHS with assistance from Annie E. Casey Foundation Grant developed the realistic job preview “Is This Job For Me?” – purpose to inform candidates for these critical positions what the position entailed. 1.Formed work group of managers from across the state to determine what needed to be included & identified employees who would be willing to participate. 2.DHS Media Specialist staff video taped employees at work locations 3.Workgroup reviewed the DVD and changes and modifications were made. 4.Total cost of producing the RJP $27,000. At that point in time CPS projected overall cost of one turnover to be $50,000

Process of using RJP to screen prospective Child Welfare Services Specialists DHS uses a Centrally Coordinated Hiring Pool for the filling of the child welfare positions HR staff review the applications to determine if candidate qualifies Qualified candidates sent DVD through mail with pre-paid envelope and statement to sign and return that they have viewed DVD and wish to continue in the process. Responses are logged in our database.

Outcomes from MDHS perspective Since June 2005, we have:  2,840 Responded as interested  3,459 DVD’s sent out  120 Responded as not interested  486 DVD’s not returned  Based on this information approx. 606 were screened out from the hiring process.  Use of DVD has stopped the majority of the candidates from resigning while in training due to lack of understanding of position.  Received positive feedback from RJP from both those interested and not interested in position.

Anne E Casey Research Questions— developed by Mike Masternak 1. Based on what I've learned so far, this job is pretty much as I expected it to be. 2. I never would have taken this job if I'd had a better understanding of what it was going to be like. 3. Learning what I did about this job during the application and selection process has helped me cope with some of the job pressures I'm experiencing. 4. Now that I have a better understanding of what this job is all about, I believe it’s going to be harder than I thought. 5. DHS’s honesty during the recruitment process makes me feel more loyal to the department. 6. I believe I am going to be able to cope with the stress and pressure of this job.

Commitment to the Michigan DHS Child Welfare at Baseline Likert scale 1= not committed at all-7=very committed Saw the DVD –N=113 –Commitment for 2 years=5.93 not significant –Commitment for 5 years=5.47 p=.04 Did not see the DVD –N=338 –Commitment for 2 years=5.66 –Commitment for 5 years=5.04

RJP Findings at 6 months on the Longitudinal Survey Responses were on a 5 point Likert scale –1=strongly agree-5=strongly disagree At 6 months, there are: –Saw the DVD=70 –Did not see the DVD=254 All results on the 6 questions were in the expected direction, that is with responses from those who saw the DVD—Realistic Job Preview endorsing responses consistent with the goals of the DVD. –Sometimes the expected response to agree and other times to disagree.

Questions with significant differences 2. I never would have taken this job if I'd had a better understanding of what it was going to be like. 3. Learning what I did about this job during the application and selection process has helped me cope with some of the job pressures I'm experiencing. 5. DHS’s honesty during the recruitment process makes me feel more loyal to the department.

Indian Child Welfare Act Passed as a Federal Statute in It mandates special measures when a child is identified as an Indian child. Each state enacts its own statute. Michigan’s statute applies more broadly than the Federal Statute. Also many families who come to the attention of child welfare in Michigan have members who do and do not fall under the ICWA.

Advanced ICWA training State child welfare workers (public and private) receive a half day on the ICWA during new worker training (8 weeks). But that does not prepare them for the complexities of working with complex families, with Tribal social workers, or with coordinating of public and agencies.

Development of the Training Team: UM Lawyer (Frank Vandervort), Tribal social services director (Bill Memberto, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians), and the Executive Director of Michigan Indian Legal Services (Jim Keedy), Director of Native American Affairs (Paul Cloutier), and R&R staff. It has taken 3 years. It was piloted in May, There are recent changes in the Michigan ICWA policy that need to be accommodated.

Model for the Training Case-based –Actual family that the UM Family Assessment Clinic –Protect confidentiality. –Alter some facts in order to make the case relevant to all stages of application of the act. The structure follows the family through report to CPS to TPR Federal Law (ICWA, ASFA, MEPA), state policy (MDHS policy and Michigan ICWA statute)

Model of the Training Participants in the training sit at tables of mixed groups (Tribal, state, and private agency workers) The training is delivered by UM Lawyer (Frank Vandervort), Tribal social services director (Bill Memberto, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians), and the Executive Director of Michigan Indian Legal Services (Jim Keedy). Didactic to the who group and small group problem-solving.

Stages of the ICWA Training Stage I—In Home Services [video (10 minutes), powerpoint presentation (5 minutes), small group (30), large group (45 minutes)] Stage II—Preliminary Hearing [powerpoint presentation (5 minutes), small group (30 minutes), large group (40 minutes)] Stage III—Pre-trial Hearing [powerpoint presentation (5 minutes), small group (30 minutes), large group (40 minutes)] Stage IV—Adjudication/Trial [powerpoint presentation (5 minutes), small group (30 minutes), large group Stage V—Review/Permanency Planning Hearing [powerpoint presentation (5 minutes), small group (30 minutes), large group (45 minutes)]

Next Stages There will be 4 one-day Advanced ICWA training sessions during May-July, The Advanced ICWA training curriculum will be placed on a website for distance learning.