9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development1 Unit 2B Engaging Families Engaging Families from the Moment We Meet Them

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development2 Initial Impressions: The Effects of Personal Bias

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development3 Engaging Families A Clinical Social Work Model of Intervention that Actively Involves the Family in Their Permanency Plan

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development4 Interpersonal Helping Skills Attending –Physical –Psychological Reflections –Content –Feeling –Combined Concreteness Summarization Questions –Open / Closed / Indirect –Circular –Solution-focused

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development5 Interviewing Stages of an Interview »Social stage »Needs identification stage »Focus stage »Closure

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development6 Full Disclosure Parent Handbook Rights and Responsibilities Finding: Indicated, Unfounded Appeal Process Etc.

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development7 Demonstrating Professional Communication Skills Purposeful Conversations

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development8 9 Domains of a Child’s Well-Being 1. Safety 2. Physical Needs 3. Family Attachment 4. Socialization 5. Cultural and Spiritual 6. Emotional/Psychological 7. Health 8. Educational/Vocational 9. Legal

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development9 The Caseworker as Change Agent Conduct assessments Advocate for services Provide leadership and support to the family and CFT Help family members recognize their strengths Help build protective factors Help family members become solution- focused

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development10 Theories Why and How People Change Variables of Change Present discomfort Internalization of responsibility Source of Support Preferred Alternate Future Efficacy Is the Person Ready? Willing? Able?

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development11 Motivational Interviewing O - Open Questions A - Affirm Client R - Reflect S - Summarize

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development12 Motivating Change from the Moment of Involvement Express empathy Develop discrepancy Avoid argumentation Roll with resistance Support self-efficacy

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development13 Meeting the Client “where they are…”

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development14 Child Welfare Practice Model 1 - Solution-focused (family’s solutions) 2 - Strength-based 3 - Time-limited

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development15 Critical Thinking begins with the first contact with the family “The purpose of thinking critically about practice-related claims is to maximize services that are effective in achieving valued outcomes and to minimize ineffective and harmful services. Good intentions are not enough to protect clients. Critical thinking involves the careful appraisal of beliefs and actions to arrive at well-reasoned ones. It involves reasonable and reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do.”

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development16 “Viewed broadly, the process is part of problem solving. It requires clarity of expression, critical appraisal of evidence and reasons, and consideration of alternative points of view. Critical thinkers question what others do not. They challenge accepted beliefs and ways of acting. They ask questions such as: Have there been any critical tests of this claim? What are the results? Could there be another explanation?” Critical Thinking continues through every contact with the family

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development17 Critical Thinking The process of evaluating propositions or hypothesis and making judgments about them on the basis of well supported evidence.

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development18 6 Steps of Critical Thinking 1.What information is available? 2.What am I being asked to believe or accept, what is (are) the hypothesis(s)? 3. What evidence is available to support these assertions, is it reliable and valid? 4. Are there alternative ways of interpreting the evidence? 5. What additional evidence would help to evaluate the alternatives? 6. What conclusions are most reasonable based on the evidence and the number of alternative explanations?

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development19 4 ½ month old girl was brought to hospital emergency room by maternal grandmother with a bruise to the side of her face and a human bite mark on her shoulder. The grandmother expressed concern that the baby was being abused by the mother’s boyfriend. The hospital staff took protective custody and contacted DCFS. The Child Protection Specialist observed the injuries and recorded in her notes that the bite marks appeared to have come from a child. The grandmother met with the worker and reported that the child had been treated previously for a facial injury when she banged her head against a crib. The grandmother stated that she was willing to have the child placed in her care. The mother was contacted and reported that the grandmother’s house was in a state of disrepair and that the grandfather abused drugs. The grandmother confirmed that both were true. After this meeting the worker asked the grandmother to return the baby to the mother. The grandmother stated she would return the child to the mother the next day. The Safety Assessment was completed as safe and there was a recommendation for intact family services. Practice Case

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development20 Critical Thinking Process STEP 1 What information is available?

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development21 Step 2: What am I being asked to believe or accept, what is (are) the hypothesis(s)? Critical Thinking Process

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development22 STEP 3: What evidence is available to support these assertions, is it reliable and valid? Critical Thinking Process

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development23 STEP 4: Are there alternative ways of interpreting the evidence? Critical Thinking Process

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development24 STEP 5: What additional evidence would help to evaluate the alternatives? Critical Thinking Process

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development25 STEP 6: What conclusions are most reasonable based on the evidence and the number of alternative explanations? Critical Thinking Process

9/14/09Office of Training and Professional Development26 Critical Thinking - Questions