16/25/2015 Center for Adoption Studies Doris M. Houston, Ph.D. Jeanne A. Howard, Ph. D Kathryn Wehrmann, Ph.D. Samuel Smith, M.S.W. Central Region Action Team Workshop Thursday, June 26, pm Illinois State University School of Social Work Central Region Action Team Workshop Thursday, June 26, pm Illinois State University School of Social Work

26/25/2015 Review of action team accomplishments and challenges Community engagement Using data to drive decision making Developing/Revising the Action Plan Connecting strategies with outcomes (Logic Model) Tracking and documenting accomplishments

Action Team Successes/Milestones Court Related Scheduled luncheons with court personnel Addressing court hearing delays Staffing cases with CASA Review judicial practices that impact permanency Providers and POS attend court meetings Judge will accept DCFS recommendation regarding supervised or unsupervised visits

Action Team Successes/Milestones Resource Related New service resource was developed to treat sexual abuse victims Completed a review of the local resources needed to improve permanency Seeking outside funds/grants for mental health treatment Establishing a new community based agency/service provider to address needs of African American families

Action Team Successes/Milestones Community Related Two community-wide forums per year to engage and inform stakeholders The action team was able to engage several stakeholders in the action planning process Subcommittees formed to target parenting education/support, family health/wellness, 24 hour crisis and advocacy

Action Team Successes/Milestones Agency Related Reports w/ case info submitted to SA to insure people are prepared for hearings Local data collection to identify family/child demographics, reason for case opening, and placements following family disruptions IDCFS asking for earlier hearings if it appears that case is progressing well Contract with two family support specialists who will be able to provide support for adoptive families and those who have guardianship

Action Team Challenges Court Related Court staff schedule demands make it difficult to meet regularly Education of court staff is needed to address bias, unrealistic expectations Judges don’t want to spend time on juvenile cases in small rural counties Hearing delays

Action Team Challenges Resource Related Transportation to assist clients in getting to services Lack of SA treatment and after care Lack of family support services and parent training Lack of child specific foster homes Lack of culturally responsive service provide Lack of DV and mental health services

Action Team Challenges Community Related Low/no stakeholder participation Disagreement among stakeholders regarding the action team priority goals Agency Related CAPU/IA delays Lack of recent, local data to track and document changes in permanency rates

Community Engagement –Self assessment: Action teams’ current levels of community engagement –Community participation: What Works and What Doesn’t Work –Establishing partnerships in order to make meaningful change –Strategies for getting community stakeholders to the table –Activity- Complete community partnership planning guide

Using Data to Drive Decision Making –Updates on accessing data/data sources –Now that we have data, what do we do with it?? –Action Team Innovation- Using local data to self assess progress –ISU’s role related to data

Community Action Plan Decision Making Process –Deciding what to do: Overview of the strategic decision making process –Activity: Discuss/brainstorm barriers to permanency (small groups- handout)  Break into your action teams  Identify barriers to permanency by domain  Prioritize identified barriers  Identify actions steps within the targeted domains (see handout)  Make a decision: identify the next action steps needed to move forward with the action plan

Every Action Team Is Unique… Champaign SOFTT

146/25/2015 Who’s at the Table… (Always or Most Times) DCFS staff POS staff Service providers Adoptive parents Foster parents

156/25/2015 Who’s at the Table… (Sometimes) School personnel Youth/family advocates Who’s at the Table… (Seldom) Court personnel Law enforcement Faith based reps Medical providers

166/25/2015 Who’s at the Table… (Not at all) Birth parents Former DCFS wards Business community University staff Elected officials Media

176/25/2015 Parenting Group Brown Bag Family Affair Committee 24 Hour Crisis Intervention

186/25/2015 Remain Home Overrepresentation of African American Children in Foster Care

196/25/2015 GoalsActivities Educating the community about: -DCFS discipline policies, -DCFS general policy -Corporal punishment vs. abuse -Town Gathering: State of Black Families n Child Welfare - Brown bags

206/25/2015 GoalsActivities Addressing domestic violence -Link families to community support at the time of a DV report/investigation Provide culturally competent services - Analyze local services and practices for cult. competence - Research best practices - Data on Services/ outcomes for AA families - Cert. for Eff. Black Parenting - Educate Providers - Church outreach

216/25/2015 GoalsActivities Educate the community about services Brown Bags Family Affair Examine Court and police policies Address Substance abuse Educate families Promote community involvement Family Affair

226/25/2015 Court  Lack of community involvement by states attorney/judges  How courts define risk/safety and minimum parenting  Public defender caseloads are to high to adequately represent people  Class bias Court  Racial bias  Lack of 3 rd party supervision  DCFS control of POS decisions  Lack of POS recognition  Casework being done by court personnel  Court is not forgiving

236/25/2015 Agency  Not implementing discretion for visits  POS – not meeting with Court Personnel  Poor past performance by POS  Staff turnover  Staff inexperience Agency  No reasonable efforts  How DCFS assesses risk  Bias is outlined in reports  Assumptions are made  Worker bias

246/25/2015 Service Provider  Bias of provider  Inability to engage  Work in the community/work in the home is needed – not office  Transportation  Lack of training/understanding  Greater collaboration needed Service Provider  Turnover  More money needed  Minimal options for clients to choose from/connect with  Share information on client satisfaction of services  No local control of contracts for DCFS

256/25/2015 Community  Police intervention  Community denial of disproportionate numbers across all areas  Who is being reported for abuse/neglect  School bias  Lack of public awareness of what needs to be called in Community  Payback of reporting  Community acceptance of Disproportionality  Powerlessness  Community not aware of the data  Family history is used against people

266/25/2015

276/25/2015 ___________ _____ ___________ _____ Prioritizing Issues Top 3 Barriers Categorize by Domain: –Court –Agency –Community –Service Provider –Family/youth

286/25/2015 ___________ _________ ___________ _________ Prioritizing Strategies Policy Practice Behavior Knowledge Attitude/belief/bias Communication

296/25/2015 ____ _______ ____ _______ Logic Modeling for Success Connecting Strategies to Measurable Outcomes

Logic Models……. …bring project dreams and concepts to life. …provide graphic, narrative depictions of a project. …illustrate the interrelationships …take us from planning to results. …provide stakeholders with a “road map” … follow a chain of reasoning

Logic models help us… Describe projects Focus attention and resources on priority program operations and key results Develop targeted communication and marketing strategies

Logic models map our way to success by focusing us on…. Factors influencing the project goal Resources need to achieve goal Activities that are necessary to achieve the project goal Results of the activities The outcomes or immediate goals that activities are intended to accomplish The longer term impact that will come through focused effort

Design and planning stages Logic models… –Enhance ability to develop program strategy –Enhance ability to talk about it clearly to stakeholders –Promote a shared understanding of what is to take place.

Project implementation… Logic models… –Provide the core for a focused management plan –Help to identify and collect the data needed to monitor and improve project efforts –Help to keep energy focused on achieving and documenting results –Help pinpoint where adjustments need to be made to increase successful achievement of objective. –Help maintain focus on priorities

Project evaluation and strategic report Logic models… –Support presenting program information –Support documentation of progress toward goals in ways that inform and teach program stakeholders.

If…Then Assumptions Certain resources are needed to operate our projects. If we have access to them, then we can use them to accomplish your planned activities. If we accomplish our planned activities, then we will deliver the amount of effort to the extent we intended. If we accomplish our planned activities to the extent we intended, then there will be specific benefits. If these benefits are achieved, then changes in organizations, communities and systems might occur.

Steps to Building Your Logic Model Identify the longer term impact anticipated at the organizational, community, and/or system level changes expected as a result of project activity. Begin with the Issue/PEP Outcome identified as the top priority. Determine what resources and/or barriers which potentially enable or limit ability to achieve PEP Outcome Identify activities, processes, tools, products associated with the project with achieving the PEP Outcome Identify the outputs that are the direct results of the activities carried out to reach the outcome

386/25/2015 __________ ____ ___ ______________ __________ ____ ___ ______________ Documenting Plans and Accomplishments Action Plan Worksheet Meeting Minutes Meeting Attendance Community Partnership Planning

Next Steps/Closing: Julia Miller- Action Team Liaison Action plan worksheet to take back to the group

406/25/2015 ______ _ ______ _ Contact Us! Doris M. Houston, Ph.D. Kathy Wehrmann, Ph.D. Jeanne Howard, Ph.D. Samuel Smith, M.S. W.