APPENDIX C.

CHILD WELFARE AGENCY - POLL INSTRUMENT

1. How would you rate your agency's staff in terms of their understanding of ASFA requirements? We are particularly interested in the level of understanding of managers, supervisors and workers. Please rate their understanding on a scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being 'poor' and 5 being 'comprehensive'.

a. Managers:

Comments:

b. Supervisors:

Comments:

c. Workers:

Comments:

2. Following are some of the skills that managers, supervisors and workers need to have to implement ASFA. Please rate each of these on a scale of 1-5 with one being ‘do not need it’ and 5 being ‘extremely important.’

Case work skills

Collaborative skills

Understand Requirements of ASFA

Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements

Using data effectively

b. Supervisors:
Case work skills

Communication skills

Collaborative skills

Understand how to implement ASFA requirements

Using data effectively

c. Workers:
Case work skills

Collaborative skills

Communication skills

Understand how to implement ASFA

3. In the past year, since our earlier survey, as part of your ASFA implementation has the agency undertaken any activities in the following areas:

• Agency structure?____No____Yes If yes, please describe.

• Internal communication?______No______Yes If yes, please describe.

• Performance appraisals?____No____Yes If yes, please describe.

• Job descriptions?____No____Yes If yes, please describe.

• Staff recruitment? ____No____Yes If yes, please describe.

• Case review? ____No____Yes If yes, please describe.

• Foster/Adoptive parent recruitment? ____No____Yes If yes, please describe.

4. In the past year, since our earlier survey, has there been any ASFA training for child welfare agency personnel? If yes, go to question 4a. If no, go to question 4e.

a. What topics were covered in that ASFA training?

b. Which of the following did you use for the ASFA training?

___Statewide training
___In service training
___Pre-service training
___Forums on ASFA topics
___Conferences on ASFA topics
___Regularly scheduled meetings
___Managers train people
___Interactive video on ASFA topics
___Teleconferences on ASFA topics
___Training by federal agencies
___Information is circulated about ASFA

c. Who did the training?

___Agency/training unit staff
___Outside consultants
___State university
___Court staff
___Central office staff
___Regional staff

d. Was the training just on ASFA or was it incorporated into other training that you provide?

___Incorporated
___Incorporated into new worker training
___Not incorporated

e. In the past year, since our earlier survey, have you done any of the following ASFA training with or for the courts?

___Joint training sessions
___Agency and court staff have worked together on local level
___Court Improvement Project events attended by agency people
___ASFA workgroups of agency and court staff
___Agency staff have trained court people
___Agency published a newsletter for court staff

f. What topics were covered in that ASFA training for the courts?

g. Have you done ASFA training with or for any of the following:

___Schools
___Health care providers
___Mental health providers
___Tribes
___Other, please specify______________________________

h. What topics were covered in the ASFA training?

5. How well does your information system support the work of managers, supervisors and workers in implementing ASFA? Please rate the support provided by your system on a scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being 'poor' and 5 being 'outstanding'

a. Why did you give your system that rating?

b. If a rating of 1 or 2 is given, probe as to the status of the SACWIS system.

6. Please rate the importance of the following in terms of supporting staff as they implement the ASFA requirements, with 1 being ‘not important’ and 5 being ‘crucial.’

Training

Increased communication

Resources to support staff

Collaborative efforts with stakeholders

Seeing ASFA as good casework practice

Management support

Revising policy to support ASFA

Monitoring implementation

Other, please specify and rate______________________________________________

7. Do you see any of the following as barriers to your agency's support for staff as they implement the requirements of ASFA (check if ‘yes’)?

___Lack of resources
___Difficult relationship with courts
___Staff turnover
___Limitations or lack of computer system
___Lack of understanding/knowledge about ASFA
___Heavy workload
___Lack of support
___Difficulty meeting ASFA requirements
___Large number of cases
___Differences in interpretation
___Lack of services
___Lack of time
___Lack of training
___Problems caused by a county-based system
___Other, please specify

8. (For County based systems only.) Do any of the following impact your ASFA implementation (check if ‘yes’)?

___Must be responsive to local needs
___Lack of uniform practice standards
___Communication can be difficult
___Approach is fragmented
___Limited state control
___Limited resources

9. At which point in the Child and Family Services Review process is your agency?
a. ___Planning
___Statewide assessment underway
___Review complete
___Working to complete the activities described in the PIP

b. Are there any significant lessons you learned from the CFSR process that you suggest we include in our curriculum? If so, please describe.

10. Is there anything else that you want to tell us regarding the best way to support staff as they implement the requirements of ASFA?

Do you mind if we call you again if we need additional information?
_____No
_____Yes

Thank you for your time, help and expertise. I will send you a copy of my write-up of this conversation for your review and comment as well as a copy of the 'promising practices' poll report when it is completed.

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