ASFA TRAINING PROJECT
PHONE POLL OF CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES
2003

California

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'.

Comment: Child Welfare in CA is state supervised, county administered. The following answers are from the State perspective.

a. Managers:

Comments: CA law preceded ASFA in many respects, such as timelines and court documentation, and managers are familiar with our law and ASFA.

b. Supervisors:

Comments: CA law preceded ASFA in many respects, such as timelines and court documentation, and supervisors are familiar with our law and ASFA.

c. Workers:

Comments: CA law preceded ASFA in many respects, such as timelines and court documentation, and workers are familiar with our law and ASFA.

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:

Doing more with less

b. Supervisors:

Case work skills:

Communication skills:

Collaborative skills:

Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements

Using data effectively

Other, please specify and rate:

Doing more with less

c. Workers:

Case work skills:

Collaborative skills

Communication skills:

Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements

Using data effectively

Other, please specify and rate:

Doing more with less

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 have reorganized to focus more on permanency and are now implementing the process of Family to Family. Also the CFSR self assessment, the Redesign, which will focus us more on upfront services, and AB 636, which says that we must have an continual outcome driven system, have influenced our structure.

Internal communication? No Yes
If yes, please describe.
The changes mentioned about have increased our internal communication.

Performance appraisals? No Yes
If yes, please describe.

Job descriptions? No Yes
If yes, please describe.
Our PIP refocused our jobs and job descriptions.

Staff recruitment? No Yes
If yes, please describe.
We are in a freeze now that doesn’t even allow promotions.

Case Review? No Yes
If yes, please describe.
We have increased family involvement in case planning and now relatives must meet the same licensing standards as other care givers.

Foster/Adoptive parent recruitment? No Yes
If yes, please describe.
We are implementing the Family to Family model now; more and more counties, including LA, are opting for that model.

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?

Statutes, relative approval and mandates, case planning

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? 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
     Judicial Council

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

Statutes, findings that need to be made

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. 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:

Concurrent planning and system change to implement concurrent planning. Using data effectively to achieve outcomes.

b. Agency supervisors:

Concurrent planning and system change to implement concurrent planning. Using data effectively to achieve outcomes.

c. Agency workers:

Feedback on outcomes for their cases. Team decision making. Family to Family

d. Foster parents:

Team decision making. Family to Family

e. Schools:

Orienting to the needs of kids in care.

f. Health care providers:

The culture of foster care and the health needs of children in care.

g. Mental health providers:

The culture of foster care and the mental health needs of children in care.

h. Tribes:

i. Courts:

The philosophy of caring for kids, beyond the mechanics of the process.

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?

Generally our system, which is the largest Windows system in the world, provides good aggregate data but the federal approval process for making changes in the system takes so long that the system isn’t all that flexible.

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: PIP submitted
Working to complete the activities described in the PIP

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

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?

The importance of post-permanency and post reunification services.

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

No
Yes

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