ASFA TRAINING PROJECT PHONE POLL OF CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES 2002

Colorado

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: We’ve done a tremendous amount of work to provide the managers with training and information on ASFA.

b. Supervisors:

Comments: In small counties where supervisors do everything, it is 4.
In large counties where there can be more division of the work, some are there and some aren’t; on average it is a 3.

c. Workers:

Comments: There is more knowledge of specific practices than the fact that those practices may be ASFA related.

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.
Some counties have set up or refined specialized units to support kinship care and concurrent planning.

Internal communication? No Yes
If yes, please describe
The counties are having increased communication about supporting what is good for families, especially around engaging courts and know what the court’s priorities are. This type of conversation is also going on with communities as the counties know that they can’t do it all themselves.

Performance appraisals? No Yes
If yes, please describe.

Job descriptions? No Yes
If yes, please describe.

Staff recruitment? No Yes
If yes, please describe.
The state is taking the lead here although some counties are doing incredible things to recruit staff. We are in the early stages of setting up a continuum of education/ training for para-professionals to MSW’s with our colleges.

Case Review? No Yes
If yes, please describe.
We have an Administrative Review Division that works hand in hand with the programs and the courts to identify and resolve barriers.

Foster/Adoptive parent recruitment? No Yes
If yes, please describe.
We now have a statewide recruiter to support the counties’ recruitment efforts. This recruiter has set up a ‘Change a Life Forever’ campaign that includes a website and literature aimed at making information on how to become a foster/adoptive parent more available and accessible.

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?

15-18 of the counties have done cross system training with, for example, Probation, courts, mental health providers, county attorneys and families. This training is done in conjunction with the state judicial system. Prior to the training an individual meets with the court and child welfare agency to determine what’s working (or not working) with ASFA, discuss needed support and data and then uses that information to design training that is customized to the county’s needs.

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?

Adoption permanency
Court timeframes
Indian Child Welfare

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?

Adoption permanency
Recruitment
Multiethnic Placement Act

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 SACWIS system is very new. While it is operational in every county, the use of the system is inconsistent. It is not yet as good at providing reports/data as the previous system.

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

See 5a

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’)?

Must be responsive to local needs
Lack of uniform practice standards
Communication can be difficult
Approach is fragmented (diverse)
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?

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

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