ASFA TRAINING PROJECT PHONE POLL OF CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES

Louisiana

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:

b. Supervisors:

c. Workers:

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?

• Basic management skills
• Make sure supervisors/workers develop the skills they need
• Collaborative skills to forge links with community partners

b. Supervisors?

• Early assessment
• Critical thinking
• Collaborative work with community partners
  
  

c. Workers?

• Same as supervisors
  

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.
  
• 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.
  

4. How do you handle staff training on ASFA?

a. Please describe the training.

• Training was conducted on different levels:
  • Train the trainers sessions on policy
  • Middle management was trained to train the field staff
  • Series of forums around the state attended by field staff and stakeholder groups. In each region/parish community partners were included. ASFA philosophy and changes were explained.
    
    

b. Who does the training?

• Training unit/program staff
  
  

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

ASFA material has been incorporated into regular pre-service and in-service training.

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

Set up an ASFA team in the central office. Members include representatives from the court improvement project. The court has done its own training for court staff. The relationship with the supreme court is good.

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?

Rating is for the current automated system that is being used until the SACWIS system is implemented in 2-3 years. The automated system does provide a great deal of management data. However, it is not designed in a way that encourages consistent caseworker entry of some important data elements and it does not provide concise easily understood reports for all important indicators.

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

n/a

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

Focus on training middle management staff to train second and third tier supervisors to train workers.

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

• Staff turnover
• Budget problems
• Lack of attorney time
  

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

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?

In addition to training, in the future the agency plans to:

• Work on implementing the SACWIS system
• Implement concurrent planning in all regions
• Implement family group decision making
• Use mediation to avoid taking cases to court
  

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