Engaging Youth in Permanency New England Youth Permanency Convening Portland, ME November , 2012

LEARNING OBJECTIVES 2 Participants will be able to demonstrate and/or describe: *The importance of team, voice and belief in engaging youth in their own permanency work *The essential roles of the permanency social worker, legal custodian, birth family, foster parent and therapist in engaging youth in permanency planning *Tools and strategies to engage youth in permanency work, especially during times of ambivalence

VIDEO 3 Lifelong Families Casey Family Services

TABLE DISCUSSIONS 4 Think about: A personal experience or example of engaging a youth in his or her own permanency work. Share with the group: One thing that worked well One thing that didn’t work well One place where you got “stuck” in the process

Casey Family Services Definition of Permanency 5 An enduring family relationship that: Is safe and meant to last a lifetime; Offers the legal rights and social status of full family membership; Provides for physical, emotional, social, cognitive and spiritual well-being; and Assures lifelong connections to birth and extended family, siblings, other significant adults, family history and traditions, race and ethnic heritage, culture, religion and language.

ENGAGING YOUTH IN PERMANENCY 6 TEAM – VOICE – BELIEF

TEAM 7 Youth-focused Youth assists in selecting team members and setting team meeting agendas Youth is prepared to participate in meetings and in discussion

TEAM 8 Family-centered Family members are included in the team Family permanency prioritized as the outcome

TEAM 9 Enriches the youth permanency assessment Where is the youth on the permanency continuum? What does youth understand about reason in foster care What does the youth understand about role of birth parent/family in the process?

VOICE 10 Listen to what the youth is saying about permanency Start where the youth is “in the moment” Move the youth “beyond the moment” Use clarification questions and tools Help the youth hear what other youth are saying about permanency

CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS 11 Who am I? What happened to me? Where am I going? When will I get there? How and when will I know I belong? Henry, Darla. The Model of Preparing Children for Permanency. Children and Youth Services Review 27 (2005)

TOOLS 12 Life books Genograms Eco-maps Time lines Model Belonging and Emotional Security Tool Permanency Pact

BELIEF 13 You play an essential role Be convinced of it Be clear about it Expect ambivalence – “ ride the wave” Be realistic – “know the risks”

CO-FACILITATORS 14 Lauren Frey, MSW, LCSW New Haven Administrative Office Lizabeth Harrington, LCPC-C Portland Division Casey Family Services