center for adoption studies doris m. houston, ph.d. jeanne a. howard, ph. d

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Center for Adoption StudiesDoris M. Houston, Ph.D.Jeanne A. Howard, Ph. DKathryn Wehrmann, Ph.D.

Samuel Smith, M.S.W.

Central Region Action Team Workshop Thursday, June 26, 2008 1-5 pm

Illinois State University School of Social Work

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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/MilestonesAgency 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 ChallengesCommunity 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

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Who’s at the Table… (Always or Most Times)

DCFS staff POS staff Service providers Adoptive parents Foster parents

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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

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Who’s at the Table… (Not at all)

Birth parents Former DCFS wards Business community University staff Elected officials Media

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Parenting Group Brown Bag Family Affair Committee 24 Hour Crisis Intervention

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Remain Home

Overrepresentation of African American Children in Foster Care

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Goals Activities

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

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Goals ActivitiesAddressing 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

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Goals ActivitiesEducate the community about services

Brown BagsFamily Affair

Examine Court and police policies

Address Substance abuse

Educate families

Promote community involvement

Family Affair

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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 3rd party

supervision DCFS control of POS

decisions Lack of POS

recognition Casework being done

by court personnel Court is not forgiving

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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

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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

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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

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Identifying Barriers Perm anency D ata Prioritize G oalsP rioritize Action

G etting People to the TableG etting on the Sam e Page

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___________ _____

Prioritizing Issues Top 3 Barriers Categorize by Domain:

– Court– Agency– Community– Service Provider– Family/youth

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___________ _________

Prioritizing Strategies Policy Practice Behavior Knowledge Attitude/belief/bias Communication

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____ _______

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

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__________ ____ ___ ______________

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

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______ _

Contact Us!Doris M. Houston, Ph.D. dmhous2@ilstu.edu

Kathy Wehrmann, Ph.D.kcwehrm@ilstu.edu

Jeanne Howard, Ph.D.jhoward@ilstu.edu

Samuel Smith, M.S. W.smsmith3@uni.uiuc.edu