ASFA TRAINING PROJECT PHONE POLL OF CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES

Ohio

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: Ohio is a state supervised, county administered state. There are 88 counties as well as 5 regions set up by the agency. The two people responding to this survey are located in the central office and can only speak for staff there as far as knowledge of ASFA is concerned. They ranked the staff members highly because these people created a training curriculum on ASFA and then delivered it in the regions.

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?

• Need to see the big picture
• Know what needs are
• Remove barriers to implementing ASFA
  

b. Supervisors?

• Understand ASFA requirements in terms of county agencies
• Train on ASPA rules and regulations
• Need skills in specific subjects, especially concurrent planning and family groups conferencing
• Knowledge of assessment, especially regarding substance abuse. Need to know how to collaborate with local experts who handle substance abuse treatment and other systems involved with families also.
  

c. Workers?

• Understand ASFA requirements in terms of county agencies
• Train on ASPA rules and regulations
• Need skills in specific subjects, especially concurrent planning and family groups conferencing
• Assessment skills, especially regarding substance abuse. Need to know how to collaborate with local experts who handle substance abuse treatment and other systems involved with families also.
• Skills to perform what is required
  

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
  Regularly scheduled management meetings have been devoted to ASFA issues. Meetings are attended by protective services, foster care and adoption personnel, as well as staff from the regional offices. Those attending take back information to counties. This is especially important for regional staff who provide technical assistance to the counties.
  
• 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.

An ASFA work team examined federal and state legislation regarding ASFA. The work team revised/developed rules and then developed a curriculum that presented an overview of ASFA. This overview was presented in the five agency districts. The overviews were attended by regional staff and representatives from the counties, including state and agency directors. A train the trainers approach was used so that attendees could go back and train others. They were given the session training guides to use in their county agencies.

b. Who does the training?

The state staff does training on rules and policy; the child welfare training program covers skills-based training.

Central office staff
Regional staff

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

ASFA training is still separate from other training, although some staff are working on integrating the components of ASFA into the practice/skill building training.

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

There is a collaborative relationship with the superior courts. Judicial conference worked with the state agency to determine what judges need to know. Judges were offered training on the meaning of ASFA. Court staff did training; some of it was attended by agency staff.

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?

System in use is one that was implemented in 1986. It has been modified to make it ASFA compliant. Presently the state is working on a SACWIS system.

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

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

Staff responsible for implementing ASFA worked together well and had a great deal of expertise and experience in child welfare to offer.

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

• Some problems with judicial system
• State has such diverse needs, especially rural vs. urban
• Sometimes difficult to provide services adequate to needs of families in a timely way
• Information system needs improvement; funds for that project difficult to find at present
  

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

• Strong local control
• Have to convince partners
• Sometimes difficulty dealing with staff in counties; they are not state employees, they are county employees.
• Difficulties with communication
• Sometimes difficult to get counties to respond
  
  

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?

• Need strong support, good leadership
• Provide support for staff - allow time for knowledge build up; administrators and managers need to let people use creativity in working with families
• Help them appreciate and understand how to use data in decision making
  
  

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