|
ASFA TRAINING PROJECT PHONE POLL FOR COURT IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS 2002
Pennsylvania
| Name
of Court: |
Philadelphia Family Court |
| Person
interviewed: |
John Buggy |
| Title: |
Director, Court Improvement Project |
| Mailing
address: |
1801 Vine Street, room 208
Philadelphia, PA 19103 |
| Phone
#: |
(215) 686-7786 |
| Fax
#: |
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| E-mail: |
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1. How would you rate the child welfare
agency staff in terms of their understanding of ASFA requirements?
Please rate the 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?
I am not close enough to agency line staff to know the answer.
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
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Ability to explain law and requirements to staff
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Knowledge of the law and requirements
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Monitor staff to assure time lines are met
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Ability to set up hearings and court dates
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Knowledge of gathering information about families for court use
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
How to testify in court regarding permanency and safety planning
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Ability to identify resources
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
B. Workers
Knowledge of the law and requirements
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
How to testify in court regarding permanency and safety planning
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Ability to develop relationship with court where information is
shared
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Ability to make decisions quickly
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Concurrent planning skills
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Knowledge of gathering information
about families for court use
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT |
Monitor staff to assure time lines are met
| DON'T 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?
Yes 
No
If yes, please describe
Private agency social workers who visit foster homes more often
than county workers are testifying on child safety more than before.
An ASFA permanency report form is used at the permanency hearing.
a. Has communication changed?
Yes
No
If yes, please describe
More meetings occur between court and CPS agency staffs.
b. Are you getting the information you need regarding cases
from the agency?
Yes
No
If no, please describe.
4. In the past year, since our earlier
survey, has there been any ASFA training for court personnel?
If yes, go to 4a.
If no, go to 4e.
No
a. What topics were covered in the training?
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 (ABA staff)
National conferences
Attorney
Other Who?
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?
Joint training sessions
Agency staff invited to some court training sessions
Other. Please describe
f. What were the topics covered in the ASFA training
for the child welfare agency?
g. In the past year, since our earlier survey, have
you done any of the following training with or for the agency attorneys?
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?
5. 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 |
6. 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?
7. Is there anything else that you want
to tell us regarding the best way to implement the requirements
of ASFA?
The Child and Family Service Review activities in all
the states have taken precedence over ASFA implementation. The indicators
for the 3 ASFA goals are central to CFSR but the court part of CFSR
is too small.
Do you mind if we call you again if
we need additional information?
No
Yes
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