1. Working Together as Child Intervention is Changing to Improve Outcomes for Children and Families
June 16, 2014

2. Jon Reeves
Regional Director Calgary and Area Child and Family Services

3. Calgary and Area CFS Child Intervention Practice Framework
Practice Principles
Outcomes
Four Priorities
Research and Trends in Child Intervention
Re-cap
Changing Roles

4. Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction
Child Intervention Practice Framework
6, 5, 4

5. Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction Child Intervention Practice Framework
Child Intervention practice in Alberta has, by evolution is become evidenced informed and collaborative based.
A child intervention practice framework is a natural and expected continuation of a commitment to improving outcomes for children and families.

6. Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction Child Intervention Practice Framework
A well-defined practice framework supports everyone involved in Child Intervention, provides confirmation that their work is important and valued, and guides their efforts to achieve the best possible outcomes for vulnerable children, youth, and families
A practice framework outlines the core principles that underlies our approach to working with children, youth, families, and communities
The practice principles have now been affirmed and work is underway to embed the principles throughout the organization

7. Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction Child Intervention Practice Framework

8. Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction Practice Principles
1. Aboriginal Experience
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people have always had their own ways of ensuring that vulnerable members, including children, are safe and protected. We honour this by recognizing their expertise in matters concerning their children, youth and families.
2. Connection Children and youth are supported to maintain relationships that are important to them, be connected to their own culture, practice their religious beliefs and, for those in care, have a plan for their care where they are included in the decision-making process.

9. Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction Practice Principles
3. Collaboration
We are child-focused and family-centred. We collaborate with families, community agencies, and other stakeholders in building positive, respectful partnerships across integrated multidisciplinary teams and providing individualized, flexible and timely services to support these efforts.
4. Continuous Improvement
We share and use information appropriately. Our approach is outcome-oriented and evidence-based therefore we support innovative practice, monitor our performance and strive for continuous improvement.

10. Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction Practice Principles
5. Strengths-based Our approach is reflective, culturally responsive and strengths-based. Because all families have strengths and resources, we recognize and support the right and responsibility of parents to share in the decision-making process for them and their children.
6. Preserve Family
We believe children and youth should be safe, healthy and live with their families, therefore we focus on preserving and reuniting families and building on the capacity of extended family and communities to support children, youth and families.

11. Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction Outcomes
Vulnerable children live successfully in their community
Children in temporary care are reunited quickly with family
Children in permanent care are placed in permanent homes more quickly
Youth transition to adulthood successfully
Aboriginal children live in culturally appropriate homes

12. Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction Four Priorities
Improving Child Intervention Practice
Aboriginal & Cultural Engagement
Prevention and Early Intervention
Organizational Culture

13. IMPROVING CHILD INTERVENTION PRACTICE

14. Improving Practice -Front End Enhancements -Signs of Safety -Ongoing Case Management -Kinship and Family Teaming -Enhancing Permanency -Youth -Caregiver Support -OBSD

15. Improving Child Intervention Practice Front End Enhancements
Started in April 2013
Used AB Incidence Study 2008 as beginning foundation
6 areas implementing beginning in July 2013
Edmonton, Region 7 and 10, Calgary and 2 DFNA’s
Practice Shift Assessment Currently underway
Based on the 6 principles of the Child Intervention Practice Framework
Support the 5 outcomes for children and families

16. Improving Child Intervention Practice Front End Enhancements
Four Key components:
Supervisor Consults
In Care Consultations
Family/Natural Support Meetings
Reinforce Collaboration with Aboriginal Communities

17. Signs of Safety (SoS)
The SoS is one such initiative that harmonizes with Child Intervention Practice Framework core values and principles Signs of Safety as one such initiative that supports the core values and principles to improve Alberta child intervention service delivery to families and children.
SoS enhances the entire spectrum of child intervention, from front-line staff practice, to the roles and responsibilities of supervisors and managers, to on-going practice support for continues improvement in the discharge of Alberta child intervention duties in a flexible, values-based ethical way
SoS is a child intervention practice approach that is designed to create a shared focus amongst all stake holders and facilitate professional collaboration in working with families

18. Improving Child Intervention Practice Ongoing Case Management
Three key areas identified for ongoing case management are:
Applying Front End and Signs of Safety Strategies to ongoing cases
Addressing the medical needs of children and youth
Addressing the mental health needs of children and youth through supports to caseworkers and caregivers

19. Improving Child Intervention Practice Ongoing Case Management
Addressing the medical needs of children and youth:
Pediatrics for Kids in Care is reviewing youth and children who came into care prior to P-KIC and ensuring they have access to a comprehensive pediatric assessment, oral health and a medical home
role of foster care, kin, group and residential caregivers
role of caseworker

20. Improving Child Intervention Practice Kinship Enhancement & Family Teaming
Strategic Objective: To increase the number of children placed in kinship care, by defining and realigning kinship care with the outcome of increasing placements in kinship care.
History
Current Status
Activities and Focus
Kinship Search
Cultural Kinship
Family Teaming

21. Improving Child Intervention Practice Enhanced Permanency
Relationship
Enduring relationships
Recognizes the value of past and current significant relationships
Maintaining a child’s positive connections to family history, traditions, race, ethnic heritage, culture, community religion and language
Maintains child’s connections to extended family, siblings, and other significant adults

22. Improving Child Intervention Practice Enhanced Permanency
Placement
Stable placements
Minimal disruptions
Sense of belonging
Healthy attachments
Legal
Adoption
Private guardianship

23. Improving Child Intervention Practice Caregiver Support
In support of achieving our desired outcomes for our children in care, we will be supporting our caregivers in a different way.
Support initiatives will be directed in three target areas:
improving child well being
increasing caregiver capacity
emphasizing caregiver connection to the child’s case team and an integrated plan
Over the past 3 years, PSO has matched 70 to 90 children to foster care placements each month and worked to fill every vacancy in group and residential care as quickly as possible. Over the recent months, as Jon’s data so clearly shows, the pace of children entering care has greatly reduced. In December, for instance, we matched 29 children in foster care, only 17 of those were new entrants to the system, the other 12 were placement changes in which were able to reunite siblings, etc.
The majority of foster care and PSO staff’s time went to negotiating matches and intakes, crisis management and seeking out new options when temporary or tenuous placements did not work out.

24. Improving Child Intervention Practice Reconnect Youth
Lifelong partnerships are an essential part of permanency
Permanency outcomes and options look different for youth with most (92%) aging out of permanent care
We need to look at more creative ways to meet the permanency goals for youth
Regional Youth Teams
Current formation of Youth Assessment Team that will focus on our Front End strategies and using SOS, along with our partnering agencies at the HUB.
Future Steps: Contracting SIL etc.

25. Improving Child Intervention Practice Outcome-Based Service Delivery (OBSD)
OBSD….the journey continues:
OBSD started in Region 3 July 2009 with Woods Homes and the Forest Lawn MST
Aboriginal OBSD started July 2013 with an alliance of Pathways, Boys and Girls Club and Enviros called Mahmawi-atoskiwin
Through OBSD the CFS and lead agency work collaboratively to achieve the 5 outcomes
Measurement of Outcomes data (Provincially and Regionally) show OBSD sites achieve better outcomes in family preservation, family reunification and reoccurrence after file closure

26. Improving Child Intervention Practice Outcome-Based Service Delivery (OBSD)
OBSD…the journey continues:
Collaboration is a key principle of OBSD and is also a key principle of the Child Intervention Practice Framework, Signs of Safety practice  approach and Front End practice approach
Having OBSD with a lead agency provides increased opportunities for flexible, responsive and creative service provision
Provincially and Regionally OBSD agencies are developing consistent tools and interpretation of the tools for assessing and measuring child development and parenting capacity over time and the effectiveness of interventions i.e. Ages and Stages, Family Assessment Tool, CAFS.

27. Improving Child Intervention Practice Outcome-Based Service Delivery (OBSD)
Next Steps
OBSD will continue to be implemented in Region 3.
Learnings from Woods/Forest Lawn, Aboriginal Services/Mahmawi-atoskiwin, other provincial OBSD sites and the current practice shifts will be used to inform the continued implementation of OBSD.
Based on current practice shifts, OBSD agency role will focus on the early involvement and front end practice.
OBSD agencies will be expected to focus on increasing family wellness and utilizing models that have promising evidence and research.
The gradual implementation of OBSD will continue this fall with a tender.

28. Aboriginal and Cultural Engagement

29. Aboriginal and Cultural Engagement Aboriginal Framework
2009, began the development of the Aboriginal Framework
Principles
Culture and Language
Self Determination
Holistic Approach
Ongoing Learning/Best Practice

30. Aboriginal and Cultural Engagement Diverse Cultures
Cultural brokerage program with Muslim community
Expanding cultural brokerage program to include ethno cultural backgrounds (of the majority of our referrals)
The Cultural Brokerage Program will:
Centre around the mentorship and connection of children and youth to their community
Assist families with navigating with CI
Awareness/prevention/education between ethno cultural committees and ourselves.
Cultural kinship/foster care recruitment

31. Prevention and
Early Intervention

32. Prevention and Early Intervention (EI)
As a region, we are committed to implementing the Prevention and Early Intervention Framework

33. Prevention and Early Intervention (EI)
The framework is about implementing a continuum of evidence-based prevention and early intervention services that will effectively address the key drivers that cause children and youth to require child intervention services.
There are a number of key elements of the framework which will influence and shape the work we want to do in the region.

34. Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction
Research and Trends
in Child Intervention

35. Front-End Practice Sites CFSD - Resulted in Intervention
Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction Research and Trends in Child Intervention
Front-End Practice Sites CFSD -
Resulted in Intervention
85/15

36. Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction Research and Trends in Child Intervention

37. Caseload Trends in Region 3
Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction Research and Trends in Child Intervention
Caseload Trends in Region 3
Service Sooner
More At Home
More Engagement
More Kinship

38. 1. Screening Started by Group I.D.
Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction Research and Trends in Child Intervention
1. Screening Started by Group I.D.

39. Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction Research and Trends in Child Intervention
4. CP & FE Caseload

40. 5. Family Enhancement Caseload
Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction Research and Trends in Child Intervention
5. Family Enhancement Caseload

41. Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction Research and Trends in Child Intervention
8. In-care Caseload

42. Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction Research and Trends in Child Intervention
9. Kinship Care

43. Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction
Re-cap

44. Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction - Recap
Focus on 4 priorities
Realign front end service delivery
Use research and data to enhance practice
Alberta Incident Study
Brain Development Research
Use evidence informed and best practice programming to meet our outcomes

45. Complex child and youth management
Changing Roles – How will foster care and kinship fit into this “new world of practice
Reunification
Permanency
Complex child and youth management

46. Calgary and Area CFS Future Direction
Questions?