Working with Youth Conference Where Hope Lives The Anatomy of Cultures of Excellence Bob Bertolino, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Maryville University-St. Louis Sr. Clinical Advisor, Youth In Need, Inc.

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Agency Challenges Youth (and families) frequently have multiple concerns (e.g., psychological, relational, economic, transportation, etc.) Youth (and families) frequently have multiple concerns (e.g., psychological, relational, economic, transportation, etc.) Long wait lists Long wait lists Threats to funding Threats to funding Lack of consumer confidence in services outcomes Lack of consumer confidence in services outcomes Accountability and stewardship Accountability and stewardship It is not sufficient to say that agencies do good work for good causes— we must demonstrate effectiveness It is not sufficient to say that agencies do good work for good causes— we must demonstrate effectiveness Providers often have numerous responsibilities outside of primary role (i.e., “other duties as assigned”) Providers often have numerous responsibilities outside of primary role (i.e., “other duties as assigned”) Provider turnover due to work hours, wages, caseloads, lack of support Provider turnover due to work hours, wages, caseloads, lack of support Staff infections Staff infections

Who… are you?

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

What… do you believe?

African Violets

What’s Your Philosophy? 1.What 1.What are my core beliefs, ideas, or assumptions about youth (and families)? 2.How 2.How have I come to believe what I believe about youth (and families)? 3.What 3.What has most significantly influenced my beliefs, ideas, and assumptions as they relate to youth and families? 4.How 4.How have my beliefs, ideas, and assumptions affected my work in YFS (and in residential settings, in particular)? With colleagues/peers? With the community at-large?

What’s Your Philosophy (cont.) ? 4.How 4.How do I believe that change occurs? What does change involve? 5.Do 5.Do I believe that some degree of change is possible with every youth? Every family? (If you answered “yes” then end here.)(If you answered “no,” proceed to the next question.) 6.How 6.How do I work with youth (and families) whom I believe cannot (or do not want to or are resistant to) change? What do I do? 7.If 7.If I do not believe that every youth (and/or family) can experience some degree of change, what keeps me in YFS?

The Journey of Sincerity

What… is your agency’s philosophy?

“A Way of Being”

An Example: Strengths-Based A strengths-based perspective emphasizes the abilities and resources people have within themselves and their support systems to more effectively cope with life challenges. When combined with new experiences, understandings and skills, those abilities and resources contribute to improved well-being, which is comprised of three areas of functioning: individual, interpersonal relationships, and social role. Strengths-based practitioners value relationships convey this through respectful, culturally-sensitive, collaborative, practices that support, encourage and empower. Routine and ongoing real-time feedback is used to maintain a responsive, consumer-driven climate to ensure the greatest benefit of services. Bertolino, B. (2014). Thriving on the front lines: Strengths-based youth care work. New York: Routledge.

Strengths-Based Principles 1.Youth 1.Youth are the most important contributors to service success. 2.The 2.The therapeutic relationship makes substantial and consistent contributions to outcome. 3.Culture 3.Culture influences and shapes all aspects of youth’s lives. 4.Effective 4.Effective services promote growth, development, and well-being. 5.Expectancy 5.Expectancy and hope are catalysts of change.

Agency Philosophy ProvidesProvides a foundation to unite staff, board members, funders, and the community HelpsHelps clients to understand the ideas and principles that inform services, programs, and organizations as a whole IsIs a starting point for determining specific strategies and “how to” carry out services ProvidesProvides guidance for decision making, solving problems, and future directions ExamplesExamples of philosophy in action: Hiring practices (interviewing), staff evaluations, staffings (discussion about youth), etc. Suggestion:Suggestion: Prepare an elevator speech!

How… beneficial are our services?

“Average is Over”

ICCE Manuals Bertolino, B., & Miller, S. D. (Eds.) (2013). The ICCE manuals on feedback informed treatment (Volumes 1-6). Chicago, IL: International Center for Clinical Excellence. International Center for Clinical Excellence.

What… can I do now?

Positive Deviance

Youth In Need, Inc – Youth In Need (YIN) incorporated a Strengths-Based (SB) philosophy2000 – Youth In Need (YIN) incorporated a Strengths-Based (SB) philosophy 2002 – First YIN staff were trained in SB philosophy2002 – First YIN staff were trained in SB philosophy 2003 – Adopted an outcome-focus2003 – Adopted an outcome-focus 2004 – Began formal tracking of clinical outcomes2004 – Began formal tracking of clinical outcomes 2004 – “Strengths-Based 101” – Initial Job Training (IJT) was implemented2004 – “Strengths-Based 101” – Initial Job Training (IJT) was implemented 2006 – Incorporated SB interviewing process2006 – Incorporated SB interviewing process 2007 – Began using ASIST (Network-Based OMS)2007 – Began using ASIST (Network-Based OMS) 2008 – Introduced SB on-the-job training (OJT)2008 – Introduced SB on-the-job training (OJT) 2010 – Introduced SB employee evaluations2010 – Introduced SB employee evaluations 2010 – Began strengths-based roundtables (SBR)2010 – Began strengths-based roundtables (SBR) 2011 – Secured ”seed funding” to build OMS2011 – Secured ”seed funding” to build OMS 2011 – Began development of imagYIN-oms2011 – Began development of imagYIN-oms 2012 – imagYIN-oms went “live”2012 – imagYIN-oms went “live” 2012 – Began to emphasize practices to build well-being2012 – Began to emphasize practices to build well-being 2012 – Completed ICCE manuals on Feedback-Informed Treatment (FIT) and SAMHSA NREPP proposal2012 – Completed ICCE manuals on Feedback-Informed Treatment (FIT) and SAMHSA NREPP proposal 2013 – SAMHSA designated FIT as an EBP on NREPP2013 – SAMHSA designated FIT as an EBP on NREPP 2013 – 60+ providers and students use imagYIN; 100% track client outcomes; 98% completion rate by clients2013 – 60+ providers and students use imagYIN; 100% track client outcomes; 98% completion rate by clients 2014 – 12,000 clients in dataset2014 – 12,000 clients in dataset

Strengthening Your Agency’s Climate Do not wait for things to change… seek out ways to improve things within your agencyDo not wait for things to change… seek out ways to improve things within your agency Ask: What is one thing I can do today to make a difference?Ask: What is one thing I can do today to make a difference? At the start of each day, reorient to your personal philosophyAt the start of each day, reorient to your personal philosophy Savor the moment and appreciate what is happening nowSavor the moment and appreciate what is happening now Commit to a “We” environmentCommit to a “We” environment Be mindful of “real-time resilience”Be mindful of “real-time resilience” Maintain a positive to negative ratio of at least 5:1 in relationships and up to 13:1 in meetingsMaintain a positive to negative ratio of at least 5:1 in relationships and up to 13:1 in meetings Identify the best of your programs on an ongoing basis and explore those successesIdentify the best of your programs on an ongoing basis and explore those successes Use routine and ongoing feedback to monitor the benefit of servicesUse routine and ongoing feedback to monitor the benefit of services Build communities of practiceBuild communities of practice