Success Stories from...

[July 2001 Update in PDF format]

[Hawaii] [Kentucky] [Michigan] [Minnesota]

[Rhode Island] [South Carolina] [Utah] [Wyoming]

Hawaii: In collaboration with the National Resource Center for Organizational Improvement, a core team made up of representatives from the Support Services Office and Program Development met for several months to discuss the training curriculum as well as to make changes to the curriculum. This was followed by a “train the trainers” session on February 6-7, 2002 with section administrators, program and support staff for further review and input to insure relevancy for the supervisory training that was to be held later.

Hawaii’s Child Protective Services System (CPSS) has been in place since February, 1992 so the “Family Net” and pre-SACWIS exercises were deleted. However, because the supervisors’ understanding and utilization of the information generated by the system to manage their units were not consistent, certain modules needed to be emphasized more than others, real life examples needed to be used (Hawaii’s CPSS generated reports), and case scenarios needed to be simplified (Cascadia study was replaced with Hawaii Case Study).

The supervisory training was held on April 23-24, 2002 with the following feedback:

• Beginning discussion around technology was too basic;
• Not all CPSS reports are helpful although they could be if tweaked; supervisors want clear direction as to which reports must be used; many are not using the system generated reports to assist in supervision because staff are not inputting data timely and what they’re inputting may not be accurate. As a result, many supervisors are relying on their own manual systems of case review which involve extra work and time;
• Supervisors liked discussion on ways to bring staff “on board” to changes;
• Subject matter was relevant and timely, solution oriented and outcomes focused;
• Supervisors worked on the CFSR outcomes that were more challenging for their sections and came up with a corrective action plan in preparation for the review in July, 2003;

Following the training:

• Section administrators and supervisors met with the Child Welfare Services Branch Administrator and Program Development and Support Services staff for further discussion on how to use production reports to manage for performance and how to use data profiles and knowledge of policies, procedures and practice to understand what the data is saying (the story behind the numbers);
• Section administrators have begun paying more attention to the reports; they want the same data that supervisors receive so a request was submitted to the Office of Information Technology to include the section administrators when transmitting unit reports;
• Program Development has taken steps to revise specific management reports to make them more meaningful to the line staff;
• Plans call for continued discussion about data as well as a review of the CFSR outcomes’ plan developed by each section at subsequent section meetings. This will bring Hawaii closer to “using information management to support the goals of safety, permanency and well-being.”

*section relates to Oahu, Maui, Kauai, East Hawaii and West Hawaii

Kentucky: After participating in the Information Management training offered by the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services, participants had the following responses to the question … 'What pieces of the training could you go back and use?'

• Brainstorm re what workers need on Inquiry (TWIST) screen
• Working through change
• Tips re TWIST and data collection system
• Use of reports--formula to compare results
• Using TWIST reports to supervise casework
• Collecting data specific to region/county
• Changes—positive attitude; working as a team

Managers report that this training fits very well with the emphasis in our Cabinet on goals and outcomes for all levels of staff and management.

Michigan:

Child Welfare Supervisors as Change Leaders

During the planning period for SWSS FAJ, the Michigan Office of Reengineering and Quality Management and the SWSS Project Office used sections of the Information Management curriculum created by a project team at the Edmund Muskie School of Public Service as part of the pre-implementation activities.

First contact with the Muskie project team was at the July 1999 SACWIS conference in Washington DC. Application for participation was made, but the progress of the SWSS FAJ software development was too slow to allow Michigan to participate in the pilot study. However, the SWSS project values and goals so closely matched those of the pilot program that contact continued which included liberal access to all materials as they were developed.

Elements of Module 2, "The Impact of Technology in the Workplace" were used to clarify for supervisors and other liaisons that "child welfare supervisors need to understand the impact of technology in the workplace, especially on the organization and the supervisory role.

Elements of Module 8, "Technology Is Changing the Job of the Child Welfare Supervisor: Are You a Change Leader?" was incorporated as a major piece of the change management training for supervisor and other liaisons. Its primary focus was to reinforce the message that "in order to be effective in leading and modeling change management skills, child welfare supervisors must understand the dynamics of building commitment to change."

Minnesota: Throughout 2001, the Minnesota Department of Human Services Social Services Information System Division partnered with supervisors from county social services agencies to adapt the Information Management curriculum for training Minnesota supervisors and managers. SSIS is the Minnesota SACWIS system, which has been in use in our state since 1999. Since Minnesota has a county administered system; the implementation of a statewide automated child welfare system was a complex undertaking. By the time this curriculum for supervisors was available, Minnesota's counties had at least a year of SSIS experience.

Teams of 9 county supervisors and SSIS trainers met to adapt the Muskie curriculum, and agreed to train 15 to 30 colleagues across the state making a total on this initial training of about 150 participants. This was the first SSIS training geared specifically to supervisors and managers in local social service agencies. Participant evaluations indicated generally that the training had improved their ability to understand and access various reports, navigate through the system, track worker caseloads, improve billable time, monitor agency activity in order to keep county board members informed, and respond to federal requirements. Some participants felt that they needed less time on AFCARS and NCANDS requirements, some felt they could learn more in this area. Participants from each county would have preferred to learn this material with access to their own county data. Since that is not workable in training labs, training exercises were developed, in some cases with specific county data.

The next step will be to develop training for supervisors and managers that will continue to focus on the concepts of using technology to carefully evaluate agency work and outcomes while offering useful techniques and technical updates. This training can also be used as a source of feedback for improvements to SSIS by this group of users.

Rhode Island: The Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families trained virtually all child welfare supervisors in the state on the Information Management curriculum. The trainers routinely solicited comments and suggestions from participants in each session and trainee responses ranged in subject matter far beyond the efficacy of the training itself to an exploration of a far broader array of system, policy and practice issues. The Rhode Island experience serves as a remarkable working model of how:

(1) training on a new aspect of the system can produce constructive input from the people charged with making the system work; and

(2) an agency can actually put such constructive commentary to effective use in making new systems work better.

Trainers report that this training has sparked positive change, particularly with regards to reports and other electronic supervisory tools. In addition, policy, workflow, training and system issues have been identified, communicated and are in the process of being resolved. Without this project, we wouldn’t be at this point for quite some time yet.

South Carolina: When asked about the effectiveness of the Information Management training delivered by the South Carolina Department of Social Services, Children's Center for Staff Development and Training, participants said:

1.They liked the change management continuum:

• Had workers self-assess and then matched that input to the supervisors assessment
• Went back and provided feedback on new system – in a positive way.
• Sees self as giving workers more input for better buy-in to change – Learned to say: “What do you think?”
• Changing own attitude to help workers with their attitudes. Feels like this is working.
• Using reassurance was very helpful with resistant worker. Built confidence – worker now using SACWIS more independently.
• Reminded me that I need to put myself in the worker’s place to help them deal with change.

2.Help workers understand that data they put in becomes information and data entered has to be accurate. Also can look at the reasons the information is inaccurate.

3.Now looking for opportunities to show workers how to use the system.

4.Using information received during training when staffing cases.

Utah: As part of the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Information Management training, Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services asked participants the question…..' What has been your experience since you completed the training? What have you used in SAFE (the SACWIS) that you didn’t use before?' The answers included:

• Workload Analysis
• Activity Log Reports
• Record travel time on SAFE
• Manage caseload
• Quality Assurance reviews
• Use same codes on Health Visits
• I now access case information from any office

Trainers note that supervisors were very receptive to using information in the SACWIS system in their supervisory role. They responded that it was helpful to review location of key data in the system. Additionally supervisors were unaware of some of the federal requirements that governed data that must be recorded in the system (AFCARS, NCANDS, ASFA, and SACWIS).

Wyoming: The Wyoming Department of Family Services was asked to describe what the impact of the Information Management training has been on the trainees, the system and practice. The response was…the supervisors and managers were really enthusiastic about the possibilities of a new way of supervising. Using the longitudinal studies firmly delivered the message that individuals can develop and use the system in new ways. Fortunately the training came during a time of transition for the agency because new leadership at all levels of the agency understood the need for better information practices. Several projects are underway to improve both reports and manager skills in using data. There is a strong multi-level commitment to improved information systems. In addition, the Administrator of the Information Services Division will be contacting the University of Wyoming about using the WYCAPS (SACWIS) system as part of the social work education curriculum. The training unit will be working with the Division of Management Development to develop training and this subject will be included in this project.

Institute for Child and Family
Contact Susan Kanak with questions