ASFA TRAINING PROJECT
PHONE POLL OF COURT IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
2003

Pennsylvania

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'.

a. Why did you give them that rating?

They know what the law requires.

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.’

Comment: I am not close enough to agency line staff to know how to answer this question.

a. Supervisors:

Ability to develop relationship with court where information is shared:

Ability to explain law and requirements to staff:

Knowledge of the law and requirements:

Monitor staff to assure time lines are met:

Ability to set up hearings and court dates:

Knowledge of gathering information about families for court use:

How to testify in court regarding permanency and safety planning:

Ability to identify resources:

Other, please specify and rate:

b. Workers

Knowledge of the law and requirements:

How to testify in court regarding permanency and safety planning:

Ability to develop relationship with court where information is shared:

Ability to make decisions quickly:

Concurrent planning skills:

Knowledge of gathering information about families for court use:

Monitor staff to assure time lines are met:

Other, please specify and rate:

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.

About a year ago, the agency and its attorneys started submitting an ASFA 12 month permanency report as a way of improving the 12 month hearing. We are starting to see the positive impact when we receive that report in a timely way.

The agency and court worked very hard to implement the Subsidized Legal Custodian option now available under our law. We needed to work out many issues and develop a complete policy to support this new option.

As of March 1, our child welfare agency has adopted the Cook County, IL model for performance based contracting with provider agencies around permanency.

The court was involved in all phases of the PA CFSR, including the PIP implementation.

a. Has communication changed? No Yes
If yes, please describe.

The court and agency have a positive, productive relationship at all levels. We have a special courtroom and a committee that focuses on large families (4+ kids) and their uniques service needs, which often include finances and housing. We have 10,000 court involved cases and 25% of them involve large families. Also we have a special aging out program and courtroom designed to help move kids into Independent Living. The court and agency meet in the CIP committees and subcommittees monthly to address problems and issues.

b. Are you getting the information you need regarding cases from the agency? No Yes
If no, please describe.

At court hearings the agency does not have all the needed information.

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, Performance contracting and training for private attorneys regarding case issues and expectations

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?

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?

Permanency and Performance contracting

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?

Permanency and Performance contracting

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:

Expediting petitions for termination of parental rights

b. Court personnel:

We have a new computer system so we need to improve it and train on it.

c. Child welfare staff:

Decide and train on whose responsibility it will be to attend court hearings and report on the ASFA requirements.

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

Having sub-committees that deal with interagency issues

Having the Director of Court Improvement Projects involved in planning discussions

Having the Agency's active involvement in the Court Improvement Project

Good working relationship among court and agency staff

Other, please specify and rate:

Timely follow through by workers on court directives

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?

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?

The CFSR wasn’t really helpful regarding judicial requirements, court timelines, sorting out review and permanency hearing requirements and court determinations. While ASFA is really clear about the time for filing petitions, it is silent about the end date. The CFSR focused on child safety, permanency and well-being and didn’t address many important judicial concerns that ASFA addressed.

Do you mind if we call you again if we need additional information?

No
Yes

Back to Top