ASFA TRAINING PROJECT
PHONE POLL OF CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES

Washington

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:

Comments: Workers understand ASFA from changes in policy and revised case plan which affect how they serve families needing services.

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?

• Effective communication with staff, community providers, and courts
• Overall view of state and agency structure, laws, and policies in order to create goals, objective and strategies
• Ability to review data and analyze outcome measurements
• Ability to manage limited funds while offering individualized services to customers.
• Ability to collaborate with community organizations
  

b. Supervisors?

• Able to train staff
• Able to monitor staff work in carrying out mandates
• Comprehension of how systems connect
• Ability to effectively communicate needs to upper management
• Assist staff in documenting activities which help agency obtain funding.
  

c. Workers?

• Able to apply ASFA principles to provide individualized services
• Knowledge of resources in community to support requirements of families
• Monitor families' use of services
• Able to communicate and engage family in process of carrying out plans for safety and permanency for children
  

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.
  Reviewed and successfully acquired needed legislative changes;
  
  Revised court and case plan forms
  
  Integrated principles of ASFA into goals, strategies and objective
  
  Revised outcome measurements to reflect ASFA requirements
  
  Assigned staff to restructure policy and programs which manifest ASFA principles
  
  Worked with legal team to revise court orders
  
  
  
• Internal communication? No Yes
  If yes, please describe
  Trained and assigned staff at state, regional and local level to serve as "experts" in interpreting and carrying out needed changes
  
  
• Performance appraisals? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
  The permanency status of all children in care was reviewed. Steps were identified to allow workers to take action in updating statutory permanency requirements
  
• Job descriptions? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
  Job and task assignments were made at the state and regional office to identify lead staff to serve as consultants to supervisors and staff.
  
• Staff recruitment? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
  

4. How do you handle staff training on ASFA?

a. Please describe the training.

The training provided an overview of ASFA, changes in state law and policy, and the revised case plan with ASFA related changes.
See also b below

b. Who does the training?

The initial statewide training was provided by program managers responsible for foster care and federal funding. The training was given to managers, supervisors, private agencies, Tribes, legal personnel, federal funding staff, and persons responsible for the statewide information system. Supervisors then trained workers. A second training occurred around the new electronic case plan form and included a review on the intent and requirements of ASFA.

Later training was also provided to foster parent trainers.

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

The initial training was just on ASFA. The training was then incorporated into regular training provided to new staff.

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

No formal training has taken place with the courts. Some legal staff have met with judges and court personnel regarding the case plan.

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?

Users rate the system as unfriendly and cumbersome. Skill level of users are low to moderate.

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?

Training

Have resources available to help - regional ASFA specialist and state staff

Case plan incorporates a great deal of ASFA requirements and requires staff to respond to issues of safety, permanency, individualized service, concurrent planning, compelling reasons.

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

Large case loads size

Lack of time to follow through on work ASFA requires

Information system can't give good feedback

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

State is regionally administered. This arrangement has not presented problems as far as ASFA is concerned.

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 general provide additional resources to assist staff in doing good work.

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