http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm en-us Copyright 2007 NRCOI.org The National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement links states by telephone to share information and hear from experts on topics you have identified as critical to the management of child welfare agencies. No special equipment is needed, although a speaker phone allows any number of people at the same location to participate. Most sessions last 60 to 90 minutes. http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm The strengthening of marriage and family relationships is a critical strategy for the prevention of child maltreatment. This teleconference will focus on several research based approaches to building healthy marriage and family formation services within the child welfare network. Presenters will discuss competency based curricula developed specifically for child welfare that focuses on supporting healthy marriages, share evaluation results including the impact of that training on child welfare practice, and introduce an integrated training plan and training reinforcement tools that agencies can use to increase the knowledge and skills of child welfare workers and foster/adoptive parents on this topic, engage community partners, and disseminate marriage and family information and services through public awareness campaigns. Thurs, 28 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm The value of training and professional development in a child welfare agency cannot be overstated. During this teleconference, the presenters will describe what an effective child welfare training system looks like - from both content and structural perspectives. Additionally, they will provide an analytic framework that a child welfare agency leadership team can use to assess the extent to which its training system produces a range of professional development opportunities resulting in a positive impact on children’s safety, permanency, and well-being. Tue, 26 Jun 2008 17:05:00 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm Co-sponsored by the National Resource Center on Child Welfare Data and Technology (NRC-CWDT) Is your agency challenged by a lack of adequate services to meet needs? This teleconference will highlight a process agencies can use to bring together a broad group of stakeholders to assess and enhance the array of services available to children, youth and families. Presenters will describe the steps in the process designed to build the capacity of systems at the local, regional and state level to meet individualized needs and achieve improved outcomes. The service array process has recently been revised and updated. This call will highlight the technical assistance services available to agencies in this process and the experiences of agencies engaged in it. Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:50:00 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm This teleconference will explore the value of systems of care for child welfare and highlight a new resource available to enhance the capacity of leaders to build these systems. Systems of care involve fundamental shifts similar to the changes that are part of many system reform efforts and central to the child and family services review process – towards coordinated, family-centered, strengths based, and individualized services for children, youth and families. We will hear about efforts to implement these reforms through the leadership of a State child welfare system, and presenters will highlight the components of the new curriculum Primer Hands On - Child Welfare: Training for Child Welfare Stakeholders in Building Systems of Care. Primer Hands On can be used in its entirety as a two day intensive training, or it can support training on particular aspects of systems of care by drawing on specific modules. Primer Hands On can also provide information, resources and examples to leaders working on pieces of reform efforts. We’ll also describe how the Primer Hands On materials can be used in conjunction with technical assistance (TA), and the TA available to agencies on building systems of care. Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:55:00 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm In this session, teams from three states will describe the promising strategies they have used to improve recruitment and retention of child welfare staff. All of these sites have implemented innovative initiatives that have had a positive impact on the child welfare workforce. They have addressed the array of issues that are critical to retaining staff – targeted and realistic recruitment and screening, strengthening supervision, leadership training, mentoring and organizational development. This session will include time for discussion, during which the other grantees and other agencies can share their experience and additional approaches that have been effective. Wed, 21 May 2008 08:45:00 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm The PIP development process provides an opportunity for child welfare systems to move forward and the field has learned many lessons about this process in the past several years. This teleconference will highlight approaches that have helped agencies develop and implement comprehensive PIPs that involve critical stakeholders and focus on the key systemic themes related to improving child and family outcomes. For example, the benefits of a PIP Kickoff meeting and an early start on planning and collaboration will be discussed. Join the call and learn how you can make the most of the CFSR and PIP process for your child welfare system! Tue, 15 May 2008 15:00:00 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm Presented by the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare and the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement This session will highlight agencies that have built their capacity across child welfare, substance abuse treatment and courts, to screen, assess and treat families with substance use disorders. Hear how these sites got started in their collaborative efforts, the steps they took to strengthen their systems, and the technical assistance that has helped them along their way. Each site will also share lessons they have learned about overcoming the barriers to collaboration and to building a network of identification, referral and treatment services. Tue, 06 May 2008 17:15:00 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm In 2003, recognizing the impact of workforce issues on outcomes for children and families, the Childrens Bureau funded eight five-year projects to develop models of effective child welfare staff recruitment and retention. This series will feature information from those projects. In this first session, presenters will provide data on national trends in the child welfare workforce and the multiple costs of workforce issues for agencies, children and families. They will also provide an overview of promising strategies developed by the grantees to improve recruitment, selection and retention. A child welfare administrator who has taken a comprehensive approach to addressing workforce issues will discuss the steps taken and the difference this has made in a Colorado county. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:22:00 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm Presented by the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare and the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement. This session will highlight the resources available to agencies through the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW), and how these resources have been used to improve services to families affected by substance abuse. Hear a national perspective on strategies that work, and learn about practical tools that can be used to build collaborative efforts and stronger systems for identifying and successfully treating these families. Presenters will discuss the NCSACW’s 10 element framework for success, and the range of resources available: expert consultation, peer to peer networking, tools, publications, group facilitation and training. Find out how you can access this ongoing technical assistance, and about the Center’s In-Depth Technical Assistance resources. Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:05:36 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm Child welfare agencies are finding that it is challenging but potentially very effective to engage key stakeholders in building stronger systems to serve children and families. One of the lessons learned during the first round of Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs) was the need to increase engagement of families. As agencies work to let families drive the case planning process, they are also challenged to increase parent involvement at the policy and management level. This call will focus on efforts to engage families in the process of assessing an agency’s performance, and in planning and implementing program improvements. Presenters from states early on the in the second round of reviews who have involved families in the CFSR process will discuss their experience, and participate in a discussion of promising practices. Thu, 06 Dec 2007 23:44:36 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm Across the country, child welfare agencies are working to transform their service delivery systems to ensure that children and families get individualized services that meet their needs, and that residential care is part of a comprehensive array of available services. Join us as our panel discusses this transformation from a national, state and provider perspective. Representatives from a federal agency will provide a national picture of residential care, and describe a national initiative to build bridges between residential and community based providers. A State child welfare representative will describe efforts to build a comprehensive array of services, and a provider representative will discuss how his agency transitioned from a residential bed campus to providing a comprehensive array of family centered and community based services. There will be time for your questions and discussion of the issues and challenges involved in this transformation. Thu, 06 Dec 2007 22:30:36 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm One of the lessons learned in the first round of Program Improvement Plans was the critical role of supervisors in monitoring and promoting improvements in practice – such as completing comprehensive assessments or increasing family engagement. One tool agencies are developing to help supervisors in this role is supervisory reviews, in which supervisors do regular structured case reviews with caseworkers focused on agency outcomes and desired practices. This call will feature the work of two states that have developed supervisory review processes as part of their quality improvement systems. Representatives will describe these systems, share the tools that are being used, and participate in a discussion of approaches to engaging supervisors in monitoring practice. Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:30:36 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm Cosponsored by the National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues Courts that hear child abuse and neglect cases and child welfare agencies are both responsible for the safety, well-being, and timely permanency of children in substitute care. Too often, however, they work independently of each other and fail to achieve these common goals. The Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) and the Court Improvement Program (CIP) can enhance the court/agency relationship by promoting collaborative efforts that improve outcomes for children and families. As part of the current CFSR process, the National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues has contracted with two retired juvenile court judges who have expertise in child abuse and neglect cases to work with courts and agencies to enhance their collaboration and to increase court participation in the CFSR process, including any resulting Program Improvement Plan (PIP) and its implementation. Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:30:36 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm Cosponsored by the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Youth Development Around the country, agencies are discovering the benefits of listening to the consumer perspective through voices of youth who have been impacted by the child welfare system. This teleconference will focus on strategies that are being used to engage youth in ongoing program improvements in child welfare agencies. Representatives from two national resource centers will draw on their experience to discuss promising approaches to engaging youth. They will highlight a set of tools and resources that are now available or are being developed to help agencies engage youth in leadership activities, and particularly in the CFSR process. Youth representatives will share their perspectives on steps agencies can take to effectively involve youth in analyzing and improving child welfare programs. Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:30:36 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm Cosponsored by the National Resource Center for Child Welfare Data and Technology During this call, presenters from the National Resource Center for Data and Technology (NRC-CWDT) and National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement (NRCOI) will focus on the state data profiles, and how they can be used effectively in the statewide assessment process and throughout the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) process. Presenters will also discuss how agencies can continue to feed critical performance data back to program managers and staff in the field to promote program improvements, and how states are using data as part of ongoing quality improvement feedback loops within agencies. Join us for this discussion of using data in the CFSR and beyond. Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:30:36 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm Cosponsored by The Collaboration to AdoptUsKids In the second round of the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs), the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is emphasizing the need for agencies to engage key partners, including Tribes. During this call, agencies and Tribal representatives from two States will talk about the critical steps, challenges, and successes in building and maintaining a meaningful partnership to improve services to children and families, and the benefits of this ongoing collaboration. Presenters will also discuss strategies that have been or will be used to involve Tribes in all stages of the CFSR review process. Join in this discussion of ways to develop and strengthen partnerships and collaboration between States and Tribes! Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:30:36 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm Cosponsored by the National Resource Center for Child Welfare Data and Technology There is much interest in the individual measures and the new data composites being used in the second round of the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) process. During this call representatives from the National Resource Center for Child Welfare Data and Technology (NRC-CWDT) will discuss the data indicators being used in the second round, and the resources and tools they have developed to help Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:30:36 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm This teleconference will feature the work of the Southern Regional Quality Improvement Center, and what has been learned about clinical supervision methods that have a positive impact on worker retention, case practice and child and family outcomes. The Center funded four projects that implemented and evaluated new approaches to clinical supervision. We will highlight a project in Missouri involving intensive clinical training and individual mentoring to front line CPS supervisors in two sites. Presenters will discuss the positive impact of this pilot on both the supervisory and the agency level, and how the approach has been incorporated into a statewide plan for strengthening supervision. Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:30:36 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm To improve educational outcomes for children in the child welfare system, greater coordination needs to occur between the child welfare and education systems. To identify and resolve barriers to coordination between these two systems, the Colorado Department of Human Services launched a variety of activities including: sponsoring two statewide forums involving folks from child welfare and education to share strategies for addressing the educational needs of children in the Colorado child welfare system, and developing and delivering training to child welfare supervisors and caseworkers on practical tools and resources that will encourage a focus on the educational issues of children as a part of regular casework practice. Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:30:36 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm With increasing pressure to achieve outcomes, many child welfare agencies are passing performance expectations on to their contractors by negotiating outcomes in contracts. This teleconference will explore how to use this approach to actually improve performance. Critical steps include: setting the stage for performance, working collaboratively with providers to negotiate outcomes, monitoring agencies vigorously, and supporting expectations with an agency-wide quality improvement program. We will highlight the most recent developments in performance based contracting in Illinois, as agency performance teams monitor new contract expectations focused on permanency and other quality measures. • T113006 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:30:36 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm Coordinated technical assistance from the Children’s Bureau’s Training and Technical Assistance Network can help agencies develop comprehensive, effective action plans to make program improvements. This teleconference will highlight an example of this coordinated technical assistance focused on improving placement stability, and recruitment and retention of foster families in one district in Florida. It will feature the collaboration among several national resource centers, AdoptUsKids, the State of Florida Department of Children and Families, district staff and community-based care providers. We will discuss the partnership, the roles and responsibilities of all the parties, the model developed and the successful results of the collaboration. • T110906 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:30:36 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm The challenge for most child welfare systems is to do better work with the same resources. Performance contracting is one strategy where agreements with providers to improve outcomes for children and families can actually lead to more resources through the reinvestment of savings. The key is finding the right set of outcomes, the right strategies and securing the right agreements with providers responsible for the work. Learn how these deals have worked in performance based contracts in Illinois and other locations, and how this powerful strategy could work for you! • T060606 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:30:36 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm The May 25th session builds on the previous two sessions on Solution Based Casework and focuses on developing a skill set for solution focused practice, both with those working at the front line and for supervisors. Practical skills for engaging with families, keeping the family viewpoint central, building a solution focused plan and guiding successful interventions are addressed. The presenters have worked in Michigan for over a decade building solution focused strategies in child welfare. • T052506 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:30:36 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm Solution Based Casework is the practice model used by the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services. This model combines the best of problem focused relapse prevention approaches with solution-focused models. By integrating the two concepts, we have found that partnerships between family, caseworker, and service providers can be developed that account for basic needs safety, well-being, and permanence while concurrently restoring the family’s pride in their own competence. This teleconference provides a brief overview of Kentucky’s practice model, the research that supports it and administrative considerations for implementation. The discussion also includes ‘lessons learned’ from a field supervisor and state trainer who was involved in the implementation of Solution Based Casework. • T050406 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:30:36 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm This teleconference featured presentations on the FY 2006 program instructions for the APSR, and on the 2006 program instructions for the Community Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) program. The focus was on steps agencies need to take to prepare their APSR, and how services being reported on that are part of the child and family services plan (CFSP) can be coordinated with services funded under CBCAP and preserving safe and stable families (PSSF). The audio files and handouts allow access to this information for states working on coordinating efforts and services across these federal initiatives. • T050206 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:30:36 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm Co-sponsored by the National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning Child welfare agencies are actively exploring multiple ways to engage with families to keep their children safe. Solution focused practice is a full family-centered model that has been used successfully in the mental health field and more recently in child welfare. During these three calls, presenters discuss the philosophy, principles and research that underpin solution focused practice as well as how implementing this approach in child welfare has generated positive outcomes for children, families and workers. • T042506 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:30:36 EST http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/tele.htm Co-sponsored by the National Resource Center for Child Protective Services Many jurisdictions have identified the need to reduce recurrence of maltreatment. Many factors impact recurrence, and determining which to address is not easy. This teleconference highlights those factors and some promising interventions for reducing repeat maltreatment. The call was facilitated by the Director of the National Resource Center for Child Protective Services, which has provided technical assistance related to reducing recurrence to many jurisdictions. Additional presenters included John Fluke, who has done a great deal of research on recurrence, and representatives from child welfare agencies who discussed strategies they use to reduce repeat maltreatment. • T041306 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:30:36 EST