Tanya Mulamba Department of Child Services Father Engagement Annual Conference June 2013

 I will lose weight  I will procrastinate less  I will exercise  I will spend more time with my family  I will finally finish that book I started  I will further my education  I will shop less  I will save more money

Goals Are Often…..  Too big  Not written  Not specific  Too many  Not what I want

 3-4 goals at a time  Goals should be client lead  Process and Outcome goals What I plan to do What I hope to achieve  Goal language – to understand, to know, to improve, to decrease, etc.  Strengths based - personal, present tense & positive So What Are S.M.A.R.T. Goals?

THINGS TO CONSIDEREXAMPLE  Who, what, when and why?  Ask yourself what do you hope to accomplish?  What needs to happen?  Describe in detail exactly what I plan to do. Mike will visit his children Vs Mike will visit his children every Tuesday at the designated meeting place

THINGS TO CONSIDEREXAMPLES  How will I know if I have achieved my goal?  What will be different about me or my situation when I achieve my goal?  What will have increased or decreased?  How will I measure achievement?  Can this be quantitatively measured? Mike will improve his relationship with his children Vs Mike will improve his relationship with his children by talking and interacting with them during weekly supervised visits

THINGS TO CONSIDER  Do I have the skills to be successful?  Do I have the right attitude?  Can I really accomplish this goal?  What obstacles do I need to overcome?  Is this goal too high or too low?  Is this something I can maintain without “professional” supports?

Things to consider  Why am I doing this?  Is this really what I want?  What is my purpose?  Is this goal congruent with my personal values?  What is my motivation?  Will achieving this goal enhance my life?  Am I being pressured to do this?

THINGS TO CONSIDEREXAMPLE  How long will it take me to accomplish this goal?  How long is too long/short?  Am I bound by time frames set by accrediting or referral sources?  How long will it take to complete “prerequisite” task?  How much time can I devote to pursuing this goal? Mike will complete the FE curriculum Vs Mike will attend weekly group sessions on Tuesdays for 12 weeks to complete the FE curriculum by December

John will become more involved in his daughter’s life. Vs John will become more involved in the life of his daughter by picking her up from school and helping her with homework on Monday & Wednesday during the entire school year. Tim will become more involved in the DCS process/case. Vs Tim will become more involved in the DCS process by communicating with the FCM no less than twice a month to receive updates on the case. This will occur for the life of the DCS case. Randy will better understand his legal responsibilities in regards to his children. Vs After every meeting with his public defender Randy will be able to explain his legal responsibilities in regards to his children to the FE direct worker. This will occur for the duration of FE services.

 What steps do I need to take to reach my goal?  Consider the barriers (tangible & intangible) that are preventing me from reaching my goal.  Are there “prerequisite” tasks that I need to achieve before I can reach my goal?  Are there tasks that I can complete “concurrently” as I work on my goal?

 Jack will visit with his children and learn new parenting skills to complete the FE curriculum.  When Michael is released from jail in 3 months he will regain custody of his children.  Paul will not miss appointments scheduled with the FCM.

 Information included on the monthly report should relate directly to the goals the dad is working on  Monthly reports should be very detailed and include process and outcome information  Monthly report should be individualized for each client