A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network Rockefeller College Professional Development Program July 2010 Mary McCarthy, Ph.D., LMSW Co-Principal Investigator Sharon Kollar, LMSW National Peer Network Coordinator Sara Munson, MSW National Dissemination Coordinator

Partners University at Albany Mary McCarthy and Katharine Briar-Lawson, Co-Principal Investigators University of Maryland Nancy Dickinson Project Director University of Iowa Miriam Landsman University of Denver Cathryn Potter University of Southern Maine Freda Bernotavicz Michigan State University Gary Anderson University of Michigan Kathleen Faller Fordham University Virginia Strand National Indian Child Welfare Association Terry Cross Melissa Clyde Portland State University Katharine Cahn Children’s Bureau/ACF/DHHS Jane Morgan, Interim Federal Project Officer A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

NCWWI Purpose  To build the capacity of the nation’s child welfare workforce and improve outcomes for children and families through activities that support the development of child welfare leaders. A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

NCWWI Vision A committed, competent and high performing child welfare workforce that is:  skilled at delivering effective and promising practices that improve outcomes for children and families;  strengthened by professional education;  sustained through leadership development; and  supported by organizational practices that mirror systems of care principles. A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

NCWWI Goals  Identify and deliver child welfare leadership training for middle managers and supervisors.  Administer and develop impact of BSW and MSW traineeships.  Facilitate national peer networks.  Support strategic dissemination of effective and promising workforce practices.  Advance knowledge through collaboration and evaluation. A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

Learning, Leading, Changing Workforce development activities promote Learning: Fostering continuous learning that is interactive, reflective and relevant Leading: Cultivating diverse leadership at multiple levels within public, private and tribal child welfare agencies Changing: Supporting change through workforce development and organizational capacity building A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

Leadership Competency Framework  The NCWWI recognizes that child welfare leaders are change agents, and must possess certain competencies in order to do their jobs effectively and lead child welfare agencies into the future A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

Leadership Model A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

NCWWI Program Components  Executive Steering Committee  Knowledge Assessment and Management  Leadership Academy for –Middle Managers –Supervisors  Peer Networks  BSW and MSW Traineeships  Dissemination  Evaluation A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

Peer Networks  Professional Learning Communities  Specific to each program area: –LAMM –LAS –Traineeships  Plus: –IV-E Program Directors A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

Peer Networks  Purpose of the NCWWI Peer Networks –Develop into Learning Communities –Support transfer of Learning (knowledge and skills) –Provide platforms for information sharing and dissemination of best practices –Encourage the development and exchange of innovations –Support joint problem solving A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

Activities  Interactive, reflective, relevant  Webinars and teleconferences  Topics solicited from peer network  Utilize national experts and peer network participants as presenters  Websites  Free/low-cost platforms  Access issues for some, most resolved with IT support  Dynamic but easy to access/navigate A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

Peer Networks A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network NCWWI National Webinar Series CW Workforce Connection LAMM Google Site Teleconferences Webinars LAS National LASLNs Indiana Pilot LASLNs IV-E Directors Webinar Series TRAINEESHIP Faculty/Field Wikispace Teleconferences Webinars TRAINEESHIP Students Ning Site Webinars Teleconferences TRAINEESHIP Deans and Directors In-person Meetings

Dissemination Goal  Strengthen CW workforce by effectively identifying, managing, synthesizing & broadly disseminating critical knowledge and information regarding best and promising workforce and leadership policies and practices Function  National repository & communicator A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

14 Dissemination Challenges Traditional dissemination planning, products and activities often 1.Rely on incorrect assumptions about definition/purpose; 2.Overlook strategic dissemination planning; 3.Leave out stakeholder input; 4.Are not tailored to match needs of various audiences; 5.Use overly academic/jargon-filled language; 6.Use unappealing/inaccessible product formats; 7.Employ communication methods that fail to reach the field; 8.Are focused on one single study or project; and, 9.Fail to lay out practical implications or realistic recommendations. A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

14 Dissemination Challenges Also, practitioners, administrators & policy-makers 10.Do not have the time, interest or training to locate, review, synthesize & assess information quality or implications; and, 11.View the research-context as distinct from the "real-world" experience of practice and policy. And, finally, there is 12.An array of fugitive literature not communicated to the field; 13.Little accounting of information from professional standards, convening of best practice panels, and other documents (unpublished manuscripts, dissertations, agency reports, conference proceedings, newsletters); and, 14.No use of consistent definitions and evaluative tools, necessary for meta-analyses or syntheses. A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

Dissemination Framework Component Carpenter, Nieva, Albaghal & Sorra, 2005 Greenhalgh, Robert, MacFarlane, Bate & Kyriakidou, 2004 Lavis et al, 2003 Welch-Ross & Fasig, 2007 Message/ Product Research findings and products: What is going to be disseminated? Use a message with appropriate style, imagery, metaphors, and so on What should be transferred to decision makers (the message)? What innovations and messages from science should be disseminated, depending on the purpose? Audience End users: Who will apply it in practice? Take full account of potential adopters’ needs and perspectives, with particular attention to the balance of costs and benefits for them To whom should research knowledge be transferred (the target audience)? Who is the primary audience? Messenger Dissemination partners: Through which individuals, organizations or networks can you reach end users? Tailor different strategies to the different demographic, structural, and cultural features of different subgroups By whom should research knowledge be transferred (the messenger)? Who should help to deliver these? Channel Communication: How will you convey the research outcomes? Identify and use appropriate communication channels How should research knowledge be transferred (the knowledge-transfer processes and supporting communications infrastructure)? By what methods should dissemination occur? Evaluation Evaluation: How will you determine what worked? Incorporate rigorous evaluation and monitoring of defined goals and milestones With what effect should research knowledge be transferred (evaluation)? What is the effect? A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

Dissemination Plan Development  Feedback from Project Partners  Feedback from Advisory Committee Workgroup  National Expert Interviews  National Needs Assessment Survey –156 Supervisors, Middle Managers, Leaders –Feedback on product topics, types, formats and communication methods A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

Five Dissemination Plan Components 1.Dissemination Messages (Products) 2.Dissemination Audience 3.Dissemination Messengers 4.Dissemination Channels 5.Dissemination Evaluation A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

Messages/Products A.Information Repository: Online Workforce/Leadership Resource Library –Organized into 16 different topical areas: Caseload & WorkloadMentoring/Coaching Cultural ResponsivenessOrganizational Climate & Culture Data & AccountabilityRecruitment, Screening & Selection Demographics & General Workforce Info.Retention EducationSupervision Human ResourcesSystems of Care Implementation ScienceTraining Management & LeadershipTrauma-Informed Practice/ Secondary Trauma A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

Messages/Products cont. B.Products: Format/Content A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network C ATEGORY T YPE GENERAL WORKFORCE & LEADERSHIP 1. Reference/Resource Lists & Annotated Bibliographies 2. 1-page Summaries on Select Workforce Research/Resources 3. White Papers, Reports & Syntheses 4. Short Overviews/Fact Sheets 5. Webinars, Teleconferences &Summaries (2-to 5-page Tools) 6.Video NCWWI-SPECIFIC 1. "ABC" Update 2. National E-Update 3. NCWWI Newsletter 4. NCWWI-Specific Summaries/Web-Profiles/Reports 5. Articles a. Newsletters, newspapers, magazines or e-updates b. Peer-reviewed journals 6. Presentations a. Conferences & Meetings b. Webinars & Teleconferences 7.Book or Special Journal Issue

Messages/Products cont. B.Products: Messaging As brief and clear as possible; No jargon; Repetition; Terms defined; Low level of abstraction; Analogies; Concrete examples and experiences A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

Audience Primary target audience or end-users:  Supervisors;  Middle-managers and upper-level administrators;  Leaders and Directors; and,  Children’s Bureau Training and Technical Assistance Network. Secondary audience includes:  Frontline workforce;  University-agency educational or training partnerships;  Policymakers (Local, State and Federal Decision-Makers);  Research, policy, and advocacy organizations;  Private provider associations and labor unions;  Children and families served by child welfare; and,  Media and the general public. A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

Messengers  NCWWI,10 Partners & National Advisory Committee  Master Distribution List: –Listervs/Peer Networks –State Organizations & Training Academies –Tribal Contacts –Regional Contacts –Children's Bureau T/TA Network –National Organizations –Publications/Media Outlets –Federal Agency Contacts –State Agency Contacts (Adoption Managers, CFSP & CFSR/PIP Unit Leads, CPS Liaisons (SLOs), Foster Care Managers, Licensing Specialists, Training Directors) A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

Channels  NCWWI website;  Direct & Mass ;  Other organizational websites, publications & information portals;  Conferences & meetings, including NCWWI National Workforce Conference (2013);  Teleconferences, webinars & podcasts;  Peer networks, including web groups/listervs;  Journals, newspapers & other publications A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

NCWWI.ORG A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network