Child Welfare League of America

Workshop Session C

C-1 Families Finding Families: Experienced Foster/Adoptive Families as Recruiters

Participants learn about a training program developed to teach experienced foster and adoptive parents to assist agency staff with many aspects of recruitment and retention. Information presented enables child welfare agency staff to assess their agency's current recruitment and retention practices and designs and develops an agency plan to incorporate experienced foster and adoptive parents in seeking out, screening, training, and supporting new resource families. Participants hear from at least one foster/ adoptive parent who has been successful in establishing positive changes in agency practice, which have led to improved outcomes in both recruitment and retention rates. Participants also have the opportunity to outline the steps necessary for gaining agency support, customizing the training program to ensure a good fit with current agency policies, and establishing a working model for their agency.
Presenters: Carol J. Van Valkenburgh, Senior Child Welfare Education Specialist, Professional Development Program, University at Albany, Albany, NY; and Ann Marie Purdy, Foster/Adoptive Parent, Broome County DSS, Vestal, NY

C-2 Local Innovations: County Government Restructured to Improve Coordination for Children and Families

This workshop describes the unique configuration of services in Albany County, New York, and shares with participants the county's recent efforts in reshaping the culture and continuum of services for children, youth, and families. The county has adopted a bold and innovative approach to developing a community-based system of care in partnership with other county departments, community-based organizations, family court, and neighborhood networks in order to systematically address the cross-system needs of children and their families.
Presenter: Sheila J. Poole, Commissioner, Albany County Department for Children,Youth, & Families, Albany, New York

C-3 What Government Is Wanting to Buy

In this workshop, participants learn what the latest rules are and examine what child welfare wants as defined by the new 2007 ASFA outcomes and measures. They also examine what mental health wants as defined by SAMSA outcomes and discuss the implications for private providers who contract with government.
Presenter: Jeff Bormaster, Consultant, CWLA, Palm Springs, CA

C-4 Helping School Districts Meet the Educational Needs of Dependent and Delinquent Youth

This workshop discusses Florida's groundbreaking legislation requiring that the Department of Children and Families, foster care agencies, and local school districts sign interagency agreements to promote the educational achievement of foster youth. Participants learn about an innovative and effective public-private partnership that, within five months, developed a research-based and practical workshop that effectively trained more than 600 school-based counselors and administrators. It demonstrates the professional development website created in partnership with Florida International University and used by administrators and counselors throughout the Miami-Dade County Public School District and provides information on a working plan for other district and community- based organizations to do the same.
Presenters: Steve Rios, Project Director; Erica French, School Facilitator; and Virginia Emmons, Executive Director; Educate Tomorrow, Miami, FL

C-5 Human Resources Management: Building a Strategic Partnership

This model supports a strategic partnership between the New Jersey Department of Children and Families Office of Human Resources and Labor Relations and the Child Protective Services Managers. This partnership is transforming traditional functions in the areas of discipline and grievance handling through more systematic efforts to give greater attention to prevention. The vision is to strive toward excellence in customer service, with an emphasis on being responsive, flexible, and helpful to customers in a consistent manner, in addition to creating an organizational culture for team members in which empowerment, passion, quality, and service define the values of the organization. The mission is to assist local office managers and their management team to seize opportunities to positively affect the lives of the workforce they lead, and, in doing so, achieve organizational effectiveness, productivity, quality of work life, and staff retention.
Presenters: Rafael Valentin, Director, New Jersey Department of Children and Families,Trenton, NJ; and Antonio R. Lopez, Regional Supervisor, New Jersey Department of Children and Families, Paterson, NJ

C-6 Supervising and Training Family Reunification Staff

This workshop illustrates the importance of supervision and training in the provision of family reunification services for children in foster care. Casey Family Services' Family Reunification Program is described, and the role of supervision is discussed. Casey's curricula for supervision and for family reunification services training are illustrated. The supervisory training uses the Kadushin framework of supervisory practice to develop and support family reunification workers and involves supportive, educational, and administrative personnel.
Presenters: Mary Anne Judge, Staff Development and Training Manager; and Stephanie Gosteli, Senior Program Associate, Field Operations; Casey Family Services, New Haven, CT

C-7 An Integrated Managed Care Approach Within a Nonprofit Social Service Agency

Every Child, Inc. employs a child and family centered, integrated managed care approach to achieve a goal of permanency through birth parent support, transitional foster family care, and adoption services. Learn about the initial and on-going development of this unique model of service delivery and its benefits internally and externally. Objectives of this workshop include: (1) Understanding the benefits to staff and families of an integrated service delivery model within a non-profit setting. (2) Learning how to set up the model, from hiring, training, and supervising staff, to logging time and billing systems, and other infrastructure practices necessary for the model to be successful, (3) Becoming aware of the challenges inherent in the model and ways to overcome these barriers, (4) Understanding how this model works for children and families with multiple special needs that cross many systems of care.
Presenter: Kim Tobiczyk, Associate Director and Cofounder, Every Child Inc., Pittsburgh, PA

C-8 Integrating and Analyzing Data to Inform Policy and Practice

This workshop highlights the development and utility of technology to support cross-systems analysis to evaluate outcomes and inform policy and practice. The discussion focuses on the use of cross-systems data analysis and the benefits achieved through the use of business intelligence technology. The workshop is divided into three sections. Section One is an introduction/overview of the CDR dimensional model. Presenters discuss the genesis of the project, factors that influenced PSS to create an integrated data system, and how it was developed. A high-level discussion of the technology is included. Challenges, barriers, and successes also are discussed. Section Two is a live demonstration of how the CDR works and its practical application. Attendees see how researchers access the database to create reports and to download datasets for statistical analysis. Data is presented that showcase the variety of reports and outputs that have been used to inform programmatic changes and city policies. Section Three is an open discussion period where presenters and attendees can share knowledge and expertise.
Presenters: Tammy White, PhD, Director of Analytic Services; Kathy Meyers, PhD,Vice President of Research; and Kenneth Wilson, Project Manager; Philadelphia Safe and Sound, Philadelphia, PA

C-9 Can Sexual and Physical Abuse Be a Risk Factor for Juvenile Delinquent Behavior Among Juvenile Female Offenders?

Much of the literature focuses on female juvenile offenders and the underlying problems that are displayed outwardly, which lead to delinquent behavior and arrest. The workshop presents findings of a quantitative study that explore how sexual and physical abuse among juvenile females contribute to female juvenile delinquent behavior and lead to their arrest for commonly committed offenses. Participants are challenged to consider the implications on the social work practice as it relates to prevention and intervention programs on abuse inside and outside the juvenile justice system.
Presenter: Martrell Kelly John, Student, University of the District of Columbia School of Social Work, Laurel, MD

C-10 Mental Illness and Developmental Delay: Working Both Sides of the Aisle

Participants will explore the development of an integrative framework for working effectively with mentally ill/developmentally delayed adolescents. Participants will also examine the integration of behavioral, emotional, and programmatic components in order to provide a logical, internally consistent, inclusive, and strengths-based model.
Presenters: Rocco A. Cimmarusti, PhD, Director of Clinical Services; Marsha E. Koen, Program Director; and Benny N. Howard III, Behavior Analyst, Maryville Academy, Bartlett, IL


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