ASFA TRAINING PROJECT
PHONE POLL OF CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES
2003

Arkansas

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.'

a. Managers:

Case work skills:

Collaborative skills

Understanding requirements of ASFA

Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements

Using data effectively

Other, please specify and rate:

Engagement and motivational skills

b. Supervisors:

Case work skills:

Communication skills:

Collaborative skills:

Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements

Using data effectively

Other, please specify and rate:

Engagement and motivational skills

c. Workers:

Case work skills:

Collaborative skills

Communication skills:

Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements

Using data effectively

Other, please specify and rate:

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.

Comment: Our agency has incorporated the various aspects of ASFA into the normal day-to-day casework practice and case management and our caseworker training curricula. We view the various requirements of ASFA i.e., Concurrent planning, Termination of Parental Rights filings, Establishing Permanency within timeframes etc., as good casework practice and management that if incorporated, would help us better serve the needs of vulnerable children of the state and their families as opposed to viewing them as activities separate & distinct from the case work. No major change in our internal communications, performance appraisals, agency structure, staff and foster parent recruitment resulted as a result of incorporating ASFA activities.

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

a. What topics were covered in that ASFA training?

ASFA Timeframes for establishing Permanency, Concurrent Planning, TPR Filings

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
     Comment: Chaffee, Safety in Foster Care Placements
Teleconferences on ASFA topics
Training by federal agencies
     Comment: Safe and Stable Families
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? No Yes
If yes, continue with this question; if no go to question 4g.

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
Other

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

At their Quarterly meeting, the judges incorporated different aspects of ASFA, & TRP

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?

Length of Stay and Mental Health Services to Children

5. Thinking about future training for your agency and community partners (not just on ASFA), what do you think is the number one training need of:

a. Agency managers:

Establishing & Maintaining Agency Culture, Implementing Programs to effectively Maximize IV-E Funds

b. Agency supervisors:

Effectively monitoring for desired Outcomes

c. Agency workers:

Establishing and Maintaining Community Collaboration

d. Foster parents:

Training to address different behavior problems; Discipline, & Sexual Offenders

e. Schools:

Understanding Child Welfare Services

f. Health care providers:

Meeting the Needs of Children in Foster Care

g. Mental health providers:

Appropriate Mental Health Intervention for Foster Children and their Families

h. Tribes:

Arkansas doesn't have recognized tribes. We work with the BIA on a case by case basis.

i. Courts:

Communication with Caseworkers.

j. Is there any other group you think has a training need? Please specify.

6. 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 CHRIS system is effective, however workers spend a lot of time inputing data which takes away from the time they could be spending with clients.

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

7. 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:

8. 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:

9. (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
Other

10. At which point in the Child and Family Service Review process is your agency?

a.

Planning
Statewide assessment underway
Review complete
     Comment: Working on recommended revisions to the PIP.
Working to complete the activities described in the PIP

b. Are there any significant lessons you learned from the CFSR? If so, please describe.

The benefits of the CFSR process were:

• On-going technical assistance and teleconferencing from the ACF staff to assist us in every aspect of the process - also include other states that have gone through it to share “Lessons Learned”
• Technical assistance from the National Resource Centers
• Focus Group process and getting input from our consumers, our providers our sister organizations.
• Committed group of internal and external stakeholders in the CFSR process and in continuing to plan for the agency's service delivery.
• Assist in strategic planning for the agency's service delivery system
• Assist in the agency in self assessment activities.

Drawbacks of the CFSR process:

• It is a very time consuming process and required additional time and work effort from agency staff
• The data and dates of the sample changed a couple of times. Not sure that data necessarily provides the complete picture of services to children and families. Need to take a critical look at our information system.
• Time is needed to check sample cases, sample not necessarily reflective of the state's child welfare population as it is an a significant sample of cases.
• Other agency competing activities.

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

To support staff on the requirements of ASFA and the CFSR

• Continuous training and technical assistance to staff
• Look at current information systems - does it drive case practice?
• Assist in identifying the essential family services and helping staff obtain these services
• Look at developing or identifying non traditional services and seek assistance with the family's community support field staff/front line staff - continuously.

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

No
Yes

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