|
ASFA TRAINING PROJECT
PHONE POLL OF COURT IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
2003
Florida
| Name
of court: |
Florida Office of the State Courts Administrator |
| Person
interviewed: |
Patricia Badland and Deborah Lacombe |
| Title: |
|
| Mailing
address: |
Supreme Court Building
500 South Duval St.
Tallahassee FL 32399-1900 |
| Phone
#: |
(850) 487-1414 |
| Fax
#: |
|
| E-mail: |
badland@flcourts.org |
1. How would you rate the child welfare
agency staff in terms of their understanding of ASFA requirements?
Please rate their understanding on a scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being
'poor' and 5 being 'comprehensive'.
| POOR |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
COMPREHENSIVE |
a. Why did you give them that rating?
Our DCF revamped their spectrum of training curriculum to incorporate
ASFA and the prior Secretary of the department prioritized this
comprehensively throughout the regional districts. She also
conducted her own pre-federal audit on ASFA to identify areas
for improvement in anticipation of the federal audit. However,
change in leadership and a move to prioritize child welfare
services may impede progress.
2. Following are some of the skills
that 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. Supervisors:
Ability to develop relationship with court where information
is shared:
| DO NOT NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Ability to explain law and requirements to staff:
| DO NOT NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Knowledge of the law and requirements:
| DO NOT NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Monitor staff to assure time lines are met:
| DO NOT NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Ability to set up hearings and court dates:
| DO NOT NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Knowledge of gathering information about families for court use:
| DO NOT NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
How to testify in court regarding permanency and safety planning:
| DO NOT NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Ability to identify resources:
| DO NOT NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Other, please specify and rate:
| DO NOT NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
b. Workers
Knowledge of the law and requirements:
| DO NOT NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
How to testify in court regarding permanency and safety planning:
| DO NOT NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Ability to develop relationship with court where information
is shared:
| DO NOT NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Ability to make decisions quickly:
| DO NOT NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Concurrent planning skills:
| DO NOT NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Knowledge of gathering information about families for court use:
| DO NOT NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Monitor staff to assure time lines are met:
| DO NOT NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Other, please specify and rate:
| DO NOT NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
3. In the past year, since our earlier
survey, as part of your ASFA implementation have the court and the
child welfare agency undertaken or changed any day to day joint
activities? 
No 
Yes
If yes, please describe.
We continue to hold annual Dependency Court Improvement Summits
as a collaboration between the branches of government. The Summit
features break-outs by judicial circuit to develop local action
plans. Circuits also meet individually as follow-up to summit
planning for self-assessment.
a. Has communication changed?
No
Yes
If yes, please describe.
A change in administration has curtailed communication at the
state level.
b. Are you getting the information you need regarding cases
from the agency?
No
Yes
If no, please describe.
Comment: We are still
involved in the CFSR’s.
4. In the past year, since our earlier
survey, has there been any ASFA training for court personnel?
No
Yes
If yes, go to question 4a. If no, go to question 4e.
a. What topics were covered in the training?
- Permanency Hearing
- Guardianship Provisions
- Case Plans, Family Conferencing
- Federal Audit Report card for Florida
b. Which of the following did you use for staff training
on ASFA?
Joint training sessions
Conferences
Seminars
Meetings
Regularly distributed publications/bulletins/newsletters
Presentations on ASFA
Part of training on other topics
Other. Please describe.
c. Who did the training?
Court Improvement Project personnel
Court staff
Consultants
National conferences
Attorney
Other Who?
Department staff
d. Was the training just on ASFA or is 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, did you do
any of the following ASFA training with or for the child welfare
agency?
No
Yes
If yes, continue with question 4e; if no,
go to question 4g.
Joint training sessions
Agency staff invited to some court training sessions
Other. Please describe
f. What topics were covered in that ASFA training for the
courts?
They focused exclusively on the federal audit results.
g. In the past year, since our earlier survey, have you
done any of the following training with or for the agency attorneys?
No
Yes
If yes, continue with question 4g; if no,
go to question 5.
How was the training delivered?
Joint training
Agency attorneys invited to some court training sessions
District Attorney handled training
Other. Please describe.
h. What were the topics covered in the ASFA training for
the agency attorneys?
Joint training on permanency, guardianship.
5. Thinking about future training
on all subjects, not just ASFA, for judges, court personnel and
child welfare staff, what do you think is the number one training
need of:
a. Judges:
Permanency planning and extraordinary findings for continuing
case plans.
b. Court personnel:
Case management to assist judges in moving cases.
c. Child welfare staff:
Concurrent planning to achieve permanency.
6. Please rate the importance of
the following in terms of working with the child welfare agency
as it implements the ASFA requirements, with 1 being ‘not important’
and 5 being ‘crucial.’
Increased communication
| NOT IMPORTANT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
CRUCIAL |
Having sub-committees that deal with interagency issues
| NOT IMPORTANT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
CRUCIAL |
Having the Director of Court Improvement Projects involved in
planning discussions
| NOT IMPORTANT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
CRUCIAL |
Having the Agency's active involvement in the Court Improvement
Project
| NOT IMPORTANT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
CRUCIAL |
Good working relationship among court and agency staff
| NOT IMPORTANT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
CRUCIAL |
Other, please specify and rate:
| NOT IMPORTANT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
CRUCIAL |
7. Do you see any of the following
as barriers to your work with the agency as it implements the requirements
of ASFA? (check if 'yes')?
Lack of resources: staff, funds, time, etc.
Federal and state law not clear on what a permanency hearing is
Timelines for TPR are too short, unable to make informed decisions
in every case
Lack of understanding of the key stakeholders responsibilities
and how they are structured
Lack of understanding of the law
Other. What is the barrier?
Lack of information
on how the statewide roll out of privatization
will ensure adequate training of new
providers on ASFA.
8. Is there anything else that you
want to tell us regarding the best way to support staff as they
implement the requirements of ASFA?
Any encouragement from the Children’s Bureau on their expectation
that the courts and executive branches continue to jointly strive
for standards of excellence in achieving safe and permanent homes
for children and their families.
Do you mind if we call you again if we need additional information?
No
Yes
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