ASFA TRAINING PROJECT PHONE POLL OF CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES

Delaware

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: Depends upon area of involvement. Some managers are more directly affected than others by ASFA

b. Supervisors:

c. Workers:

Comments: We have attempted to train staff at all levels equally so that all staff have a good understanding of the requirements of ASFA and how ASFA affects their day to day work.

2. Based on your agency's experience to date, what skills do you think managers, supervisors and workers need to have to implement ASFA?

a. Managers?

• Organizational Skills
• How to design services to cause positive change in limited time
• Leadership
• Coaching
• Assessment skills
• Decision Making
• Engagement to develop client/worker relation which would enhance family skills, promote the child well-being and prevent continuation of abuse.
  
  

b. Supervisors?

• Leadership
• Organizational skills
• Decision making
• Ability to advocate for the caseworkers and families
• Communication skills.
  
  

c. Workers?

• Client engagement skills
• Conflict resolution
• Assessment skills
• Communication skills
• Time for work on individual cases
• Family needs drive the changes thus they need family centered planning tools.
  
  

3. As part of your ASFA implementation has your agency undertaken any activities in the following areas:

• Agency structure? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
  Created position to track children in care from entry to adoption.
  The time frame for children placed in foster care has been adjusted to ASFA standards.
  
  All OCS staff are aware of time frames.
  
  
• Internal communication? No Yes
  If yes, please describe
  
  • Tracking
  • Notification
  • Created an internal permanency committee at 9 months after entry into care to make permanency decisions.
    
• Performance appraisals? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
  Performance Plans require regular review and movement and permanency and length of stay in care are performance measures.
• Job descriptions? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
  
• Staff recruitment? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
  

4. How do you handle staff training on ASFA?

a. Please describe the training.

Discuss the affect ASFA has relating to issues of Alcohol/Drug recovery process

ASFA is presented in our Core 101, Core 104, Legal, and Risk Management Training.

b. Who does the training?

DFS Trainers

c. Is the training just on ASFA or is it incorporated into other training that you provide?

Training is incorporated in the historical/current perspective of child welfare and legal definition.

d. Have you done any training with or for the courts? No Yes
If yes, please describe.

Currently we have Mock Trial training conducted by the DAG in Family Court with OCS Staff. This training prepares staff for court prep, adhering to time frames set by Family Court and improvement process. ASFA Standards.

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 Family and Child Tracking System (FACTS) allows us to identify and address ASFA issues on the record and in case planning. FACTS also allows entry into Foster Care to be tracked as well as other Court Intervention.

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

NA

6. What has worked best for you in terms of supporting staff as they implement the ASFA requirements?

• Focus on resources
• Increased adoption services
• Permanency Committee review structure
• Family notification of time frames
• Relating ASFA time frames, planning process, safety, reasonable efforts with family reunification in case planning and management
• Resources designed to engage families quickly and effectively
• Resources designed to produce behavior change results in the limited time provided
• Planned consistent implementation measures to educate and hold all parties accountable
• Training for all staff regarding ASFA components and in how to meet ASFA goals.
  

7. What do you view as barriers to your agency's support for staff as they implement the requirements of ASFA?

• Staff turnover
• Agency culture of not involving families and youth in planning.
  

8. (For County based systems only.) To what extent does the fact that your state is county-based impact your ASFA implementation?

NA

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

Staff need to know that ASFA requires major changes system wide and that supports and resources will change to allow an opportunity for success for children and families in very short timelines.

They need more training on concurrent planning.

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