Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 1 PATHWAYS TO STRENGTHENING AND SUPPORTING FAMILIES IN ILLINOIS Module 3B - Critical Thinking

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 2 Critical Thinking The process of evaluating propositions or hypothesis and making judgments about them on the basis of well supported information.

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 3 6 Steps of Critical Thinking 1.What information is available? 2.What am I being asked to believe or accept? 3.What evidence is available to support the assertion, 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?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 4 STEP 1: What Information is available? Practice Case – The Parker Case Available information?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 5 STEP 2: What am I being asked to believe or accept? What do we know? What dont we know?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 6 STEP 3: What evidence is available to support the assertion, is it reliable and valid? How do we turn information into evidence for decision making?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 7 STEP 4: Are there alternative ways of interpreting the evidence? Does the family promise to do something (sometimes we interpret that as evidence)? Do they do it?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 8 STEP 5: What additional evidence would help to evaluate the alternatives? Corroboratory information available?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 9 STEP 6: What conclusions are most reasonable based on the evidence and the number of alternative explanations? What conclusions about the children can be made at this time?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 10 Case 6 Steps of Critical Thinking – Parker Case 1.What information is available? 2.What am I being asked to believe or accept? 3.What evidence is available to support the assertion, 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?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 11 STEP 1: What Information is available? Cadwell – Initial Safety Assessment Available Information?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 12 STEP 2: What am I being asked to believe or accept? What do we know? What dont we know?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 13 STEP 3: What evidence is available to support the assertion, is it reliable and valid? How do we turn information into evidence?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 14 STEP 4: Are there alternative ways of interpreting the evidence? Family Strengths? Family Needs?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 15 STEP 5: What additional evidence would help to evaluate the alternatives? Corroboratory information available?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 16 STEP 6: What conclusions are most reasonable based on the evidence and the number of alternative explanations? What conclusions about the childs well-being can be made at this time?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 17 DR Services? 6 Steps of Critical Thinking – DR Services? 1.What information is available? 2.What am I being asked to believe or accept? 3.What evidence is available to support the assertion, 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?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 18 Small Group Activity Use the 6 Steps of Critical Thinking to reach a decision at each of the following stages of a DR Services Case: 1.3-months after case opening 2.6 Month Review 3.Permanency Goal No Longer Appropriate

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 19 Stage One – 3-Months After Case Opening Small Group Presentation Stage One – 3-Months After Case Opening 1.What information is available? 2.What am I being asked to believe or accept? 3.What evidence is available to support the assertion, 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?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 20 Stage One (3 Months) Red Flags 1.Possible consideration of inpatient substance abuse? 2.Any support available (other than Ashari)? 3.Possible collaterals (other than Ashari)? 4.LEADS/CANTS checks? 5.Full medical workup for mom needed, especially after learning she was pregnant? 6.Possible second hotline report because mother is pregnant and admitting to drug use? 7.Should mother have custody with an indicated sexual assault charge?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 21 Stage Two - 6-Month Review Small Group Presentation Stage Two - 6-Month Review 1.What information is available? 2.What am I being asked to believe or accept? 3.What evidence is available to support the assertion, 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?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 22 Stage Two (6 Months) Red Flags 1.Legal plan of action / possible empowerment of mom? 2.Drug screen was needed. 3.Was mother interviewed about the rash? 4.How long has the childs breathing been an issue? 5.Supervisory consultation needed. 6.Child and Family Team needed. 7.Mother continues to need inpatient treatment.

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 23 Small Group Presentation Permanency Goal No Longer Appropriate 1.What information is available? 2.What am I being asked to believe or accept? 3.What evidence is available to support the assertion, 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?

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 24 Stage Three (Case Disruption) Red Flags 1.Other aliases for Ashari Nolan? 2.Moving back in with Ashari. 3.Why such a long wait for confirmation of the childs visit to the doctor? 4.Ashari should have been added to the CERAP. 5.Mother continued to use drugs daily.

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Pathways to Strengthening and Supporting Families Program April 5, 2010 Division of Service Support, Office of Training and Professional Development 25 Critical Thinking - Summary Six Step Process for Critical Thinking 1.What information is available? 2.What am I being asked to believe or accept? 3.What evidence is available to support the assertion, 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? Questions / Concerns