CASEWORK PRACTICE MODEL SESSION II 1

Learning Objectives Manage a FAR family case through the organization of our Practice Model Learn skills that lead to a partnership and consensus building Ability to assess families and document necessary information for the FAR Family Assessment Ability to organize case plan objectives Gain insight on how to notice and celebrate progress Ability to assist families in implementing and sustaining change 2

Milestones of our Practice 4 3

It Changes the Meaning of Assessment Interviewing Partnership: Milestone 4

Six Principles of Partnership 1.Everyone desires respect 2.Everyone needs to be heard (and understood) 3.Everyone has strengths 4.Judgments can wait 5.Partners share power 6.Partnership is a process 5

Engagement When does the engagement process begin? Who is responsible for engagement? 6

Engagement What does it feel/look like when engagement is going well with a family? How do you know when engagement is NOT going well? What specific behaviors do you see? 7

Engagement Can engagement stall or change along the way? Think of two DCFS staff who engage really well with families. What do you notice about their interactions with families? 8

Let’s Get Personal Think of a family or individual that you struggle to engage with What are some of the barriers to developing this relationship? 9

Engaging Fathers QVI QVI 10

11 1. Family is defensive 2. Family doesn’t feel confident or competent 3. Family doesn’t trust system 4. Family doesn’t tolerate long-term stresses 5. Family gets discouraged with set-back Barriers ! Assessment has to be Different!

12 1. Family needs their intent acknowledged 2. Family needs existing skills noticed/amplified 3. Family needs to hear that lack of trust is OK 4. Family needs to feel immediate hope for change 5. Family needs to know set-backs will occur Remedies

13 Culture’s Impact on Engaging Families Extended kinship systems Spiritual practices/beliefs Traditional Health Practices Confidentiality practices Historical oppression and mistrust View of professionals Recent dislocation or trauma Gender and authority roles Legal status

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15 Who did you choose? How come? Did this bring out any surprise realizations? What was your internal dialogue throughout the decision making process? How can you relate this back to your casework?

16 Self Awareness

My First Case!! Preparing before initial contact Review FamLink history Think developmentally and prepare for engagement Discuss with supervisor and/or colleagues Conceptualize pre-conceived notions about us Schedule contact with parents/caregivers 17 Let’s hear from a current FAR worker

Initial Contact Review Intake scenario -Who is in the family? -What are the developmental stages? -Identify common everyday life challenges 18 Handout: FAR Intake

Break into groups of 3 Using the Intake scenario: One person will play the role of the FAR worker The second person will play the role of the parent A third person will observe Act out an initial phone call and then switch roles Repeat activity with another scenario 19

It’s Time to Meet the Family Beginning the Assessment Process 20

Getting in the Door Introduce yourself Explain FAR pathway Overcome resistance/ uncomfortable situations Think and engage developmentally 21 Let’s hear from a current FAR worker

Let’s Practice 22 Handout: Family Agreement

Uncomfortable Situations 23

Risk vs. Safety Is it risk? Or is there present or impending danger? 24 Let’s Practice

Stages of Family Life 25

26 What are Everyday Life Situations

How do we Organize Assessment? 12 Family Concerns Individual Concerns 1.What developmental stage are they in? 2. What everyday situations does the family struggle when it comes to caring for their children? 3. How does that situation actually happen when it works, and when it doesn’t? 1. What personal issue(s) does one or more parent have that makes caring for the children difficult? 2. What is their Pattern of unwanted behavior? 3. What skills do they have about managing their personal behavior issue? 27

28 Why identify Family and Individual Concerns?

29 What kind of Family Concerns ?

What kind of Individual Concerns? 30

Practice with Family vs. Individual Issues Use the Challenges in Living Exercise Handout 31

The Big 5 C riminal Behavior A nger/Control (DV) S ubstance Abuse E motional Stability S exually Abusive Behavior 32

Let’s Sort this out … Assessment Interview Interviewing toward Consensus Summary  Normalizing challenges  Tracking family life  Search for Exceptions  Separate Intentions vs. Actions Consensus Summary Safety & Risk Safety & Risk 33

Practice Interviewing the Family 34

Putting it All Together Practice with all 4 skills:  Normalizing  Tracking  Searching for Exceptions  Separating Intentions from Actions 35

Let’s Meet the Children What is the difference between adult and child interviewing How might we talk with children in front of their parents? How might we prepare parents for this? 36

Child Functioning 37 Let’s hear from a current FAR worker

Family Assessment 38

Family vs. Individual Based on our scenario, what are the family and individual issues? 39

Let’s Practice Pulling the Consensus Together Consensus Summary: Milestone Use the Consensus Summary Handout to Practice 40

Organization of Practice

Milestone 2 Planning is: Getting Organized. First Generally, then Specifically. 42

Case FLOW Assessment Let’s Sort this out…  Normalizing  Tracking family life  Exceptions  Separating Intentions Pull it Together in to a Consensus Summary How might we help? Let’s get Organized! Case Plan Family Plan Dad’s Plan Let’s Get Specific! 43

Child Safety is our Core Mission We are focused on child safety from first contact PRESENTIMPENDING Assess for PRESENT and IMPENDING danger What is Safety? What is Risk? Let’s review Risk versus Safety 44

45 Risk is concerned with…Safety is concerned with… Whether a family is more or less likely to have another incident of abuse or neglect without agency intervention Current dangerous family conditions and behaviors The assessment of future maltreatment on a continuum from low to very high Severe forms of maltreatment only and the certainty of the severe effects on the child Characteristics of family functioningFamily conditions that meet the safety threshold Current and historical information, patterns, and behaviors Specific threats to a child’s safety now or in the near-future Family conditions and behaviors that impair parenting capacity Family conditions and behaviors that are currently out-of-control Evaluation of conditions and behaviors that may need services and treatment Conditions and behaviors that require control and management A limited number of validated characteristics that are related to the likelihood of future abuse or neglect A limited number of specific factors threatening child safety

1.The family situation results in no adults in the home performing parenting duties and responsibilities to ensure the child’s safety. 2.The family situation is that the living arrangements seriously endanger the child’s physical health. 3.Caregivers are acting/behaving violently or dangerously and the behaviors impact child safety. 4.There has been an incident of domestic violence that impacts child safety. 5.Caregivers will not or cannot control their behavior and their behavior impacts child safety. 6.Caregivers perceive the child in extremely negative terms. 7.Caregivers do not have or do not use resources necessary to meet the child’s immediate basic needs, which present an immediate threat of serious harm to the child. 8.Caregiver’s attitudes, emotions or behaviors threaten severe harm to a child, or caregivers fear they will maltreat the child and are requesting placement. 46

9.Caregivers intend to seriously hurt the child. 10.Caregivers lack the parenting knowledge, skills, or motivation necessary to assure a child’s safety. 11.Caregivers overtly reject CA intervention, refuses access to a child, or there is some indication that the caregivers will flee. 12.Caregivers are not meeting, cannot meet or will not meet the child’s exceptional physical, emotional, medical, or behavioral needs. 13.Caregivers cannot or will not explain child’s injuries or maltreating conditions or explanation is not consistent with the facts. 14.A child has serious physical injuries or serious physical conditions resulting from maltreatment. 15.A child demonstrated serious emotional symptoms, self- destructive behavior and/or lack of behavioral control that results in provoking dangerous reactions in caregivers. 16.A child is extremely fearful of the home situation or people within the home. 17.Child sexual abuse is suspected, has occurred, or circumstances suggest sexual abuse is likely to occur. 47

Safety Plan Analysis There is a parent/caregiver or adult in the home The home is calm enough to allow safety providers to function in the home The adults in the home agree to cooperate with and allow an in- home plan Sufficient, appropriate, reliable resources are available and willing to provide safety services (or activities) and tasks 48

What is a Safety Plan? A Safety Plan is: A written agreement establishing how safety threats will be immediately managed and controlled Implemented and active as long as threats to child safety exist and parental protective capacities are insufficient to protect and keep a child safe 49

What is a Safety Plan? A Safety Plan contains:  Detailed safety activities and tasks provided by suitable and reliable participants, including the social worker  Resources immediately accessible and available  Does not include parental promises 50

What is a Safety Plan? A Safety Plan contains: Used for children in-home or out-of-home References all children in a family Clarifies role of parents Clarifies protective role of others Addresses all threats identified in the safety assessment 51

Suitability/Reliability Participants in the plan must be able to provide a greater level of protection for the children than the parent. Participants in plans are allied with the child and will take action to protect the child and notify the department if threats are present. Social workers will: Interview all potential safety plan participants Conduct background checks (FamLink and criminal history) on all potential safety plan participants 52

Safety Plan Exercise At your tables: 1.Develop a safety plan for your family 2.Select someone from your table to report out 53

Case Plans Build from Consensus Summary Always at least one FLO and ILO Family Objectives call for a NEW Plan to manage situations that are safety or serious risk concerns Individual Objectives call for NEW Plan to manage personal issues that threaten the Family Outcome’s success Objectives are “what will be happening” to create safety Plans are Co-constructed and Family Ownership a Priority. Will we always need a case plan in FAR? Overview of Case Planning Family Meeting 54 Let’s hear from a current FAR worker

Phrasing an Objective 3 PARTS to Each Objective WHO will UseWHAT PlanWHY (Safety Purpose) The family will use..…their plan to safely discipline their children or ….their “Family Chores Plan” to safely discipline their children ….so that the kids learn to do their chores and everyone is safe from physical harm Dad will use ….. ….his “Keep Cool Plan” to manage his temper particularly when disciplining his children so that they are safe from physical harm. 55

What do you do with Lower Priority Concerns 56

At your tables or small groups: Read case scenario Develop case plan objectives In addition to services, think about how community resources can assist in reaching objectives Case Plan Exercise 57

Practice with Objectives: Special Types of Cases Domestic Violence 58

Guidelines for Writing Objectives in Domestic Violence In Domestic Violence: 1 st Family Level Objective is always around Safety from Physical Harm (not developmental situation) If first occurrence assessed as situational violence, then 2 nd FLO can be around developmental situation (to be completed upon completion or significant progress on individual level outcomes) ILO on perpetrator (relapse prevention plan on control/temper post treatment) Possible ILO on non-offending parent if failure to protect is assessed (overcome personal hurdles to protection) 59

Organization of Practice

Developing Specific ACTION Steps Getting Specific: Milestone 61

Relapse Prevention 62

What Skills are We Talking About ? Identify difficult situations/triggers Identify early warning signals P revent high risk situations I nterrupt risk situations not avoided E scape situations not interrupted Able to: 63

High Risk Situations for Abuse and Neglect Late Build Up Physical Signs Get-back fantasy Building Excuses Harmful Incident Physical abuse Sexual abuse Substance use Lack of action Early Build Up Negative Thoughts “Poor Me” Blaming others Triggering Events Justification Denial Guilt and shame Wild promises EXIT 64

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Practice with Plans of Action S pecific M easurable A ccountable R ealistic T ime framed S pecific M easurable A ccountable R ealistic T ime framed Regarding your case scenario, develop Action Plan tasks for both: Family Objective Individual Objective Regarding your case scenario, develop Action Plan tasks for both: Family Objective Individual Objective 66

Noticing and Anchoring Real Change Documenting and Celebrating: Milestone 67

1.Daily Journal 2.Scaling Feelings or Accomplishments 3.Chores Chart 4.Buddy Report 5.Appointment Calendar 6.Providers report specific to tasks 7.Practice observations from Visitations Suggestions for Documentation Approaches 68

1.Anticipate change 2.Verbal acknowledgment 3.T-charts 4.Collect stories and examples 5.Call an FTM (or an FSTM) 6.Have a celebration party 7.Provide a certificate 8.Memory book of change 9.Write and mail a card 10.Share good news with support team Suggestions for Celebration of Change 69

A few last videos… 70