ASFA TRAINING PROJECT PHONE POLL OF
CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES 2002

Alabama

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: When ASFA first passed, we put it in the spotlight and provided a lot of training on it. Recently we’ve had a lot of turnover of the management staff in the state office and the new folks probably won’t have heard as much about ASFA as the managers who have been around for longer as we’ve been focused on addressing our consent decree requirements, heading toward an October 2002 deadline. After that date and when results of our efforts are determined, we can refocus on the fundamentals again with all agency staff.

b. Supervisors:

Comments: If we’re not modeling it 100% then they are not experiencing it 50%. Also, we have had significant turnover in our supervisors---50% of them have less than 2 years experience in that role.

c. Workers:

Comments: Over half of our workers have been in their jobs 1 year or less.

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.’

a. Managers?

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:

Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements

Using data effectively

c. Workers?

Case work skills:

Collaborative skills

Communication Skills:

Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements

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.
We now have a separate foster care unit in Family Services in the state office.

Internal communication? No Yes
If yes, please describe
If yes, please describe. We are now using technology such as e-mail and word processing much more frequently and successfully than we were a year ago.

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.

Yes, ASFA training has been woven into our new worker and in-service training as part of best practices.

a. What topics were covered in that ASFA training?

15 of 22
Reasonable efforts
Best practice
Compelling reasons

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?

15 of 22
Reasonable efforts
Best practice
Compelling reasons

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

Schools
Health care providers
Mental health providers
Tribes
Other, please specify providers

h. What topics were covered in the ASFA training?

The providers probably wouldn’t know the training as ASFA but would identify it as the best way to work with kids.
15 of 22
Reasonable efforts
Best practice
Compelling reasons

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?

Our ASSIST system is very new and although it is rolled out statewide, there are additional features yet to be added such as foster care payments.

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 (certain 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’)?

No

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 Service Review process is your agency?

a.

Planning
Statewide assessment completed
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?

Design training, literature and communication to help staff embrace ASFA as something not separate from their day to day work but something that is part of their work with families.

Do you mind if we call you again if we need additional information?
No
Yes

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