|
ASFA TRAINING PROJECT
PHONE POLL 2002
Tennessee
| Agency:
|
Department of Children's Services |
| Person
interviewed: |
Marilyn Hayes |
| Title: |
Assistant Commissioner for Program
Operations |
| Mailing
address: |
436 6th Ave., 8th Fl. Cordell Hull
Bldg.
Nashville, TN 37243 |
| Phone
#: |
(615) 532-1102 |
| Fax
#: |
|
| E-mail: |
marilyn.hayes@state.tn.us |
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:
| POOR |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
COMPREHENSIVE |
Comments:
b. Supervisors:
| POOR |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
COMPREHENSIVE |
Comments:
c. Workers:
| POOR |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
COMPREHENSIVE |
Comments:
2. Following are some of the skills that
managers, 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. Managers?
Case work skills:
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTNANT |
Collaborative skills
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTNANT |
Understand Requirements of ASFA
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTNANT |
Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTNANT |
Using data effectively
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTNANT |
b. Supervisors?
Case work skills:
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTNANT |
Communication Skills:
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTNANT |
Collaborative Skills:
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTNANT |
Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTNANT |
Using data effectively
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTNANT |
c. Workers?
Case work skills:
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTNANT |
Collaborative skills
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTNANT |
Communication Skills:
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTNANT |
Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements
| DON'T NEED IT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
EXTREMELY IMPORTNANT |
3. In the past year, since our earlier
survey, as part of your ASFA implementation has the agency undertaken
any activities in the following areas:
Agency structure?  No
Yes
If yes, please describe.
Formed permanency support units that look at cases where children
have been in foster care the longest. And to identify the barriers
to permanency. Focus on cases regionally. Have implemented two units
of non-case carrying personnel in each region charged with recruiting,
training and retaining foster parents. There are 36 new positions
that have been filled.
Internal communication?
No
Yes
If yes, please describe
Performance appraisals?
No
Yes
If yes, please describe.
Not in connection with ASFA specifically.
Job descriptions?
No
Yes
If yes, please describe.
Staff recruitment?
No
Yes
If yes, please describe.
Case Review?
No
Yes
If yes, please describe.
Case review is not being done just because of ASFA implementation,
although ASFA is part of it, also case review is part of a recent
court settlement, Bryant A.
Foster/Adoptive parent recruitment?
No
Yes
If yes, please describe.
4. In the past year, since our earlier
survey, has there been any ASFA training for child welfare agency
personnel? If yes, go to question 4a. If no, go to question 4e.
NO, not specifically on ASFA. The ASFA principles are incorporated
into pre-training. ASFA topics are also drawn into various training
sessions, for example one on permanency support. Provider agencies
also do joint training with the agency on subjects related to ASFA
topics.
a. What topics were covered in that ASFA training?
Legal requirements of ASFA such as court order language, permanency
hearings, 15 of past 22 month TPR determinations, concurrent planning,
and general overview of ASFA reguirements. b. Which of the following
did you use for the ASFA training?
Statewide training
In service training
Pre-service training
Forums on ASFA topics
Conferences on ASFA topics
Regularly scheduled meetings
Managers train people
Interactive video on ASFA topics
Teleconferences on ASFA topics
Training by federal agencies
Information is circulated about ASFA
c. Who did the training?
Agency/training unit staff
Outside consultants
State university
Court staff
Central office staff
Regional staff
d. Was the training just on ASFA or was 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, have you done
any of the following ASFA training with or for the courts?
Joint training sessions
Agency and court staff have worked together on local level
Court Improvement Project events attended by agency people
ASFA workgroups of agency and court staff
Agency staff have trained court people
Agency published a newsletter for court staff
f. What topics were covered in that ASFA training for the
courts?
ASFA requirements
g. Have you done ASFA training with or for any of the following:
Schools
Health care providers
Mental health providers
Tribes
Other, please specify providers
h. What topics were covered in the ASFA training?
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'
| POOR |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
OUTSTANDING |
a. Why did you give your system that rating?
b. If a rating of 1 or 2 is given, probe as to the status of
the SACWIS system.
6. Please rate the importance of the following
in terms of supporting staff as they implement the ASFA requirements,
with 1 being ‘not important’ and 5 being ‘crucial.’
Training
| NOT IMPORTANT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
CRUCIAL |
Increased communication
| NOT IMPORTANT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
CRUCIAL |
Resources to support staff
| NOT IMPORTANT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
CRUCIAL |
Collaborative efforts with stakeholders
| NOT IMPORTANT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
CRUCIAL |
Seeing ASFA as good casework practice
| NOT IMPORTANT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
CRUCIAL |
Management support
| NOT IMPORTANT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
CRUCIAL |
Revising policy to support ASFA
| NOT IMPORTANT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
CRUCIAL |
Monitoring implementation
| 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 agency's support for staff as they implement
the requirements of ASFA (check if ‘yes’)?
Lack of resources
Difficult relationship with courts (certain courts)
Staff turnover
Limitations or lack of computer system
Lack of understanding/knowledge about ASFA
Heavy workload
Lack of support
Difficulty meeting ASFA requirements
Large number of cases
Differences in interpretation
Lack of services
Lack of time
Lack of training
Problems caused by a county-based system
Other, please specify:
8. (For County based systems only.)
Do any of the following impact your ASFA implementation (check if
‘yes’)?
Must be responsive to local needs
Lack of uniform practice standards
Communication can be difficult
Approach is fragmented (diverse)
Limited state control
Limited resources
9. At which point in the Child and
Family Service Review process is your agency?
a.
Planning
Statewide assessment completed.
Review complete
Working to complete the activities described in the PIP
Federal Review is being held in June 2002
b. Are there any significant lessons you learned from the CFSR
process that you suggest we include in our curriculum? If so, please
describe.
no
10. Is there anything else that you
want to tell us regarding the best way to support staff as they
implement the requirements of ASFA?
Do you mind if we call you again if we need additional information?
No
Yes
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