Michigan Department of Human Services In-Service Child Welfare Training Initiative 2014 Cohort
Final Evaluation Report January 2015
by Gary Anderson, PhD, LMSW, Principal Investigator Sacha Klein, PhD, MSW, Evaluator Gretchen Archer, MSW Michele Brock, LMSW Kadi Prout, LMSW Michigan State University School of Social Work
1|P a g e
Training Initiative Background In 2009, the Michigan State University School of Social Work spearheaded a collaborative effort to assist the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) in meeting its in-service training requirements for state child welfare workers and supervisors. The initiative was developed to promote professional competence and development, and better serve children and families. This initiative was also responsive to mandates contained in Dwayne B. v. Granholm, Civil Action Number 2:06-cv-13548, now named the Dwayne B. v. Snyder Modified Settlement Agreement and Consent Order. Seven Michigan universities are accredited to grant a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, and all seven have collaborated to offer in-service trainings to child welfare workers. These universities are: Andrews University, Eastern Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, the University of Michigan, Wayne State University, Western Michigan University, and Michigan State University, which also coordinated the initiative and evaluated training activities. Fantastic! You held my attention. I
2009 Cohort. A pilot phase of trainings supported by Casey Family Programs (Seattle) occurred between January and June 2009 and was implemented continue to help children and families. throughout the state. Trainings were free of charge to all DHS workers, and available to private child placing THANK YOU! I plan to use this agency (CPA) and child caring institute (CCI) workers at a discounted price. These events were open to the information from the training when I public.. A catalog was designed and distributed to present at clinical meetings - can't every county DHS office throughout the state to advertise the trainings. The catalog was also wait! disseminated electronically through the DHS training listserv and on participating universities’ websites and -- Oakland County CPA Worker, 2009 listservs. In the six months that trainings were offered in 2009, more than 460 trainees attended 19 trainings on various topics provided in 13 different locations around the state. learned and was provided the skills to
2010 Cohort. Between January and September 2010, the collaborative again offered in-service trainings to DHS child welfare workers free of charge. This time, child placement agency and child care institute employees were also provided trainings for free. This training initiative supported child welfare workers toward earning 16 hours of in-service training hours annually. The public was again encouraged to attend if space was available. More than 640 individuals participated in 23 different trainings conducted at 10 locations around the state. These programs were funded and supported by the Michigan Department of Human Services.
This was a wonderful opportunity to gain more knowledge in many different topics as well as obtain CEs at no cost! The facility and staff were wonderful! Thank you! -- Ottawa County DHS Worker, 2010
2|P a g e
2012 Cohort. Between January and September 2012, the university collaborative again offered trainings free of and useful! The information charge to DHS child welfare workers, as well as private agencies that contract with the State of Michigan to presented was very useful/relevant to provide child welfare services. These trainings continued to be funded by the Michigan Department of Human a case I am currently working on so I Services to support workers with the amplified am very satisfied!! professional development requirements to receive a minimum of 24 hours of in-service training annually. The -- Wayne County Private Child public was again encouraged to attend. More than 900 Welfare Agency Worker, 2012 individuals participated in 43 training events conducted at 15 locations around the state. Additionally, in 2012, Michigan State University made five one-hour courses available online to all DHS and private agency child welfare workers. I felt this training was very beneficial
2013 Cohort. Between September 2012 and August 2013, the collaborative of seven Michigan universities Thank you for offering this particular offered free trainings to DHS child welfare workers and private agencies that contract with the State of training. I was so hungry for this Michigan to provide child welfare services. These information to use in my work. trainings were also funded by the Michigan Department of Human Services to further support the -- Clinical Social Worker professional development of its workforce.Child from Ingham County, 2013 welfare caseworkers were now required to receive a minimum of 32 hours of in-service training annually. As before, the public was encouraged to attend the trainings if space permitted. More than 1100 individuals participated in 44 trainings conducted in 16 cities around the state. Additionally, five trainings were made available to access free of charge through online course offerings. 2014 Cohort. Most recently, between September 2013 and August 2014, the partnership between the seven Michigan universities again offered free I love the topics, timing and trainings to DHS child welfare workers, private agencies that contract to provide child welfare services, and other convenience of these SSW CEU professionals when space permitted. These trainings were again funded by the Michigan Department of Human programs Services.. More than 1,026 individuals participated in 44 -- Clinical Social Worker trainings conducted in 16 cities around the state. from Kalamazoo County, Additionally, five trainings were available to access free 2014 of charge through online course offerings. Appendix A provides the topic, date, location, and learning objectives for all trainings offered to the 2014 Cohort. The Evaluation Design An evaluation of the 2014 training cohort was conducted to determine the effectiveness of utilizing the multi-university collaborative to provide in-service training to Michigan’s child 3|P a g e
welfare workers. The results of the summative evaluation are contained in this report, along with demographic information about the trainees and the coordination/implementation of the trainings. A qualitative review gained information regarding the implementation process and trainees’ future training needs. This information is also included and has been used to inform lessons learned and recommendations that are contained at the end of this report. The Evaluation Questions The evaluation sought to answer the following three key questions: 1.
Was the multi-university collaborative model successful in reaching child welfare workers throughout the state of Michigan?
2.
Did the trainings increase participants’ professional knowledge/skills and were these trainings useful to their work?
3.
Did child welfare trainees use the knowledge and skills in their professional work following training?
Methodology To evaluate the 2014 cohort, a non-experimental pre/posttest study design was used. Trainees were surveyed three times during the training period: immediately prior to and immediately after they received the training using a self-reporting questionnaire; and finally, through an online follow-up survey conducted three months after training. The survey instruments were created by the evaluation team in consultation with Michigan State University (MSU) Continuing Education Program staff members. The Pre-Training Survey. A 21-item survey was given to all trainees before each event. It was a self-administered tool to gather trainees’ demographic information as well as information about their location and position of employment within child welfare, length of experience in the field, and expectations about the training content. In addition, to help assess trainees’ baseline level of competence regarding training subject matter before participating in the trainings, all of the trainees were asked to rate their level of competence on a scale of 1 (Not At All Competent) to 5 (Competent) for several instructor-identified learning objectives related to the course content. In addition, this year, the surveys for 11 training events hosted by MSU also included a set of six to ten knowledge-based test questions that were developed collaboratively by the course instructors and evaluation team. These questions were designed to gather data on trainees’ baseline competence in the course subject matter in order to augment the data collected on all trainees’ self-reported competency. Pretest questions also offered the opportunity for trainees to describe other potential topics of interest and the most convenient days and times for future training events to be held. The questions were both quantitative and qualitative. A sample of the instrument is provided in Appendix B. The Post-Training Survey. A 9-item post-training survey instrument was given to all trainees immediately after each event. It was a self-administered tool to gather trainees’ perceptions about the training, its usefulness in meeting their needs, assessments of trainees’ self-reported competence on the instructor-identified objectives related to the course, and how trainees expected to implement the information from the training in their work with children and families in the child welfare system. In addition, the post-training surveys for 9 of the training events 4|P a g e
hosted by MSU also included the same set of six to ten knowledge-based test questions that were in the pre-training surveys to help the evaluators further assess learning transfer. The questions in the post training survey were both quantitative and qualitative. A sample of the instrument is provided in Appendix C. The Follow-Up Survey. An 8-item follow-up survey was created and distributed electronically by the evaluators three months after each event in order to assess whether trainees were using the information obtained from the training in their work. This survey was administered online through SurveyMonkey. Supplementary feedback was gathered through this follow-up survey, including whether trainees were encouraged by their employers to attend in-service trainings, if they were readily given time off to attend trainings, and their perceptions of the universities’ understanding of their training needs. Both quantitative and qualitative questions were asked. A sample of the instrument is provided in Appendix D. Data Analysis. Quantitative data from both surveys was analyzed descriptively using the SPSS statistical program, while qualitative information was examined for themes using a word processing program. The quantitative analysis includes an assessment of pre- to post-training changes in trainees’ reported competency with respect to course learning objectives; and, in the case of the nine MSU trainings, it also includes a pre- to post-training assessment of trainees’ scores on content knowledge-based questions related to these learning objectives. The results were shared on an ongoing basis with participating schools. Limitations of the Study The evaluation design for this initiative is a non-experimental model, meaning study subjects were not selected at random, nor were their outcomes compared to a control group of comparable subjects who did not participate in training. Also, with the exception of the nine MSU trainings, the knowledge and skill transfer findings reported here are based on trainee self-report. The extent to which a caseworker feels more competent in a topic after participating in training is an important indicator of training effectiveness; however, it is possible that some trainees feel more competent after attending training, but do not actually master essential course material (or vice versa). Additionally, not every trainee completed both a pre-, post- and follow-up survey for each individual training topic and so the evaluation results may be somewhat biased by the imperfect response rate. Consequently, caution must be taken in generalizing findings to the entire population of trainees. Of particular note, Table 1 below shows that the rate of return for the 3-month follow-up survey in the 2014 cohort was low (12% of trainees), so findings from this instrument should only be used to explore trends and areas of interest. Key findings from this evaluation follow.
5|P a g e
Descriptive Findings About the Trainings As Table 1 below indicates, the University collaborative provided 44 training events during the 2014 initiative ranging in length from three to six hours. Training was provided to 1026 participants, of whom 852 returned pre-training surveys (83% response rate) and 823 returned post-training surveys (80% response rate). Training events were offered in 21 different locations within 16 cities spread throughout Michigan and represented a total of 3492 training hours. Table 1: Trainings Offered 2014 Cohort Number of training events
44
Number of training locations
21
Number of trainees
1026
Number of pre-training surveys returned
852
Number of post-training surveys returned
823
Number of follow-up surveys returned
123
Total number of training hours provided
3492 hours
About the Trainees Table 2 below provides a description of the 2014 training cohort demographic characteristics. The large majority of trainees were female (80%) and were most likely to be between the ages of 25 to 34 (38.2%) and to possess an MSW degree (35.9%) or a BA/BS degree (30.9%). With regard to ethnicity, participants were most likely to identify as non-Hispanic. With regard to race, participants were most likely to identify as Caucasian/White (66.4%) followed by African American/Black (18.8%). Table 2: Training Participant Demographics – Description of 2014 Cohort 2014 Cohort
Employment and Education Characteristics Gender Female Male Not Provided
719 103 77
(80.0%) (11.5%) (8.7%)
6|P a g e
Age Under 25 years old 25 to 29 years old 30 to 34 years old 35 to 39 years old 40 to 44 years old 45 to 49 years old 50 to 54 years old 55 to 59 years old 60 to 64 years old 65 years old or older Not provided Ethnicity Spanish, Hispanic or Latino Not Spanish, Hispanic or Latino Other Ethnicity
Not provided Race American Indian or Alaskan Native Asian Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian Black or African American Multi-Race White or Caucasian Not provided Highest level of education BSW BA/BS MSW MA/MS Other/Multiple degrees Not Provided
54 203 140 124 91 77 50 49 28 20 63
(6.0%) (22.6%) (15.6%) (13.8%) (10.1%) (8.6%) (5.6%) (5.5%) (3.1%) (2.2%) (7.1%)
34 (3.8%) 668 (74.3%) 66 (7.3%) 131 (14.6%) 10 (1.1%) 7 (0.8%) 169 (18.8%) 14 (1.6%) 597 (66.4%) 102 (11.3%) 99 (11.0%) 278 (30.9%) 323 (35.9%) 93 (10.3%) 41 (4.6%) 65 (7.2%)
Table 3 provides a description of the 2014 training cohort by employer, position at the time of the training, highest level of education, and number of years with their employer and in their current position. As the data indicate, the largest category of trainees in 2014 were employed by DHS (42.6%) and 39.8 percent were employed by private child welfare agencies. The remaining seventeen percent either failed to answer the question (7.5%) or were employed by mental health agencies (3.4%), schools or intermediate school districts (ISDs) (0.9%), or “other” agencies/organizations (5.8%). Examples of the types of employers represented in the “other”
7|P a g e
category include non-contract private child and family service organizations, hospitals or other medical facilities. Table 3: Training Participant Employment – Description of 2014 Cohort 2014 Cohort
Employment and Education Characteristics Employer at time of training Michigan Department of Human Services Private CW agency Mental Health School/ISD Other Not provided
383 (42.6%) 358 (39.8%) 31 (3.4%) 8 (0.9%) 52 (5.8%) 67 (7.5.%)
Position at time of training Child Protective Service (CPS) Worker Foster Care Worker Adoption Worker Supervisor Licensing staff Dual Worker Other Not provided
124 163 49 152 44 4 265 98
Highest level of education BSW BA/BS MSW MA/MS Other/Multiple Not provided
99 (11.0%) 278 (30.9%) 323 (35.9%) 93 (10.3%) 41 (4.6%) 65 (7.2%)
Years in child welfare Average number of years Range of years
Years with current employer Average number of years Range of years
(13.8%) (18.1%) (5.5%) (16.9%) (4.9.%) (0.4%) (29.5%) (10.9%)
8.31 years 0 months–45 years
6.2 years 0 months–42 years
8|P a g e
In regard to trainees’ position at the time of training, a large portion of trainees were foster care workers, child protective service workers and adoption workers (18%, 14% and 6% respectively). There were 154 (17%) supervisors and 45 (5%) licensing staff who were part of the 2014 Cohort. Approximately 29% of trainees indicated that they were employed with some other area of focus. These “Other” positions included therapists or counselors, Wraparound coordinators, and program managers. Training participants were well educated, with most (46%) having a Master’s degree and approximately 42 percent having a Bachelor’s degree. Five percent reported multiple degrees and others chose not to answer. The largest portion of trainees in the 2014 cohort had obtained a Master of Social Work degree (35.9%). Another 30.9% reported that their highest degree obtained was a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree, and an additional 11% had a Bachelors degree in Social Work. . The “Other” educational degrees of trainees included Master of Business Administration, Master of Education, Master of Public Health, Master of Public Administration, Juris Doctorate, and other post-graduate studies. The range of professional child welfare experience and employment stability varied widely across training participants. On average, the 2014 Cohort of trainees had worked 6.2 years with their current employer and had spent 8.3 years working in the child welfare field. Further analysis was conducted on the 2014 Cohort with regard to how they heard about the inservice trainings. Most trainees from DHS (56.5%) indicated they learned about it through a special in-service catalog that was specifically designed for, and printed and distributed to, state child welfare offices and private agencies currently contracted with the state to provide child welfare services. Slightly more than one quarter of the private child welfare agency employees responded that they heard about the trainings through the special in-service catalog (28.5%) and another quarter (26.6%) responded that they heard about the training via email. . Other trainees were informed about the trainings most often by a university newsletter or website (29.0%) or email (21.5%). Table 4 below provides additional response details. Some trainees selected more than one response, so columns do not add up to the totals that appear in the column headers. Table 4: How Did You Hear about the Training (N = 844) How did you hear about the training?
Michigan DHS Employees (n= 386)
DHS in-service training catalog
Private CW Agency Employees
Other Trainees (n= 93)
(n= 365)
218 (56.5%)
104 (28.5%)
University newsletter/website
39 (10.1%)
44 (12.1%)
27 (29.0%)
Continuing Education website
28
(7.2%)
37 (10.1%)
16 (17.2%)
Email
75 (19.4%)
97 (26.6%)
20 (21.5%)
Word of mouth
21
(5.4%)
47 (12.8%)
10 (10.8%)
5
(1.3%)
36
18 (19.4%)
Other
(9.9%)
2
(2.2%)
9|P a g e
Table 5 below shows a comparison between trainees employed by DHS, those working at private child welfare agencies, and other trainees. As detailed in Table 3, almost half of the trainees were employed by DHS (46.9%), while 43.4% were employed by a private child welfare agency. The DHS child welfare agency trainees had a greater average number of years working with their current employer than private child welfare agency trainees (6.79 and 5.66 years respectively). However, their mean number of years working in the child welfare field were similar. Private child welfare agency trainees had a marginally higher average number of years of experience in child welfare, having worked a mean of 8.72 years in the child welfare field, while DHS trainees had an average of 8.36 years of experience in child welfare. Figure 1 presents a comparison of Michigan DHS and private child welfare agency trainees’ experience in the child welfare field. While the mean number of years in the child welfare field for both Michigan DHS and private child welfare agency employees was much higher, the most commonly reported category of experience in the field of child welfare was between 1 and 4 years. A total of 154 trainees employed by the Michigan DHS and 136 trainees employed by private child welfare agencies reported having worked in the child welfare field between 1 and 4 years, representing almost half (40.1%) of respondents for this question. Figure 1: Years of Child Welfare Experience of Training Attendees by Agency Type 180 154
160
136
140 120 100
86
80
77 63 49
60 40 20
29
19 3
17
22 20
10 11
9
19
MI Dept of Human Services Private CW Agency
0 Less than 1 to 4 1 year years
5 to 9 years
10 to 14 15 to 19 20 to 24 25 to 29 years years years years
30 or more years
When education levels were compared, trainees from the Michigan Department of Human Services were less likely than private child welfare agency employees to have earned a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) (8.6% vs. 15.5%), but more likely to have earned a Bachelor of Arts or Science (BA/BS) (43.9% vs. 28.7%). Private agency employees were more likely to have earned a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree than Michigan DHS employees (39.3% vs. 34.7%), while Master of Arts or Science degrees were earned by DHS employees more often than by private child welfare agency employees (12.9% vs. 10.5%).
10 | P a g e
Table 5: Trainees by Employer (N = 803) Employment and education characteristic
Michigan DHS Employees
Private CW Agency Employees
Other Trainees
Post-training surveys returned with employer data (Number/Percentage)
377 (46.9%)
349 (43.4%)
77 (9.5%)
Average number of years with current employer
6.79 years
5.66 years
6.22 years
Range of years with current employer
0 years – 42 years
0 years – 35 years
0 years – 29 years
Average number of years in child welfare field
8.36 years
8.72 years
6.25 years
Range of years in child welfare field
0 years – 42 years
0 years – 45 years
0 years – 41 years
Current positions (Number/Percentage) Child Protective Service (CPS) Foster Care
123
(33.6%)
1
(0.3%)
0
(0.0%)
96
(26.3%)
66 (18.8%)
0
(0.0%)
Adoption
4
(1.1%)
63 (17.9%)
0
(0.0%)
Supervisor
62
(16.9%)
75 (21.3%)
Dual Worker
0
(0.0%)
4
(1.1%)
0
(0.0%)
Licensing
14
(3.8%)
30
(8.5%)
0
(0.0%)
Other
66
(18.0%)
112 (31.9%)
74 (84.1%)
163
(43.9%)
100 (28.7%)
12 (14.0%)
32
(8.6%)
54 (15.5%)
12 (14.0%)
14 (15.9%)
Current education level (Number/Percentage) BA/BS BSW MA/MS
39
(10.5%)
45 (12.9%)
MSW
129
(34.7%)
137 (39.3%)
Other
11
(2.9%)
13
(3.8%)
8
(9.3%)
47 (54.7%) 7
(9.3%)
Evaluation Question 1: Was the multi-university collaborative model successful in reaching child welfare workers throughout the state of Michigan? To facilitate access to professional development for child welfare professionals located throughout the state, trainings were offered at 21 separate locations in 16 different cities. Table 6 details these locations and lists the corresponding number of events and trainees associated with each site. A total of 1026 trainees attended these events. 11 | P a g e
Table 6: Location of 2014 Cohort Trainings Host University
City
# Training Events
# (%) of Participants
Andrews
Berrien Springs
4
49 (5 %)
Eastern Michigan University Livonia Campus
EMU
Livonia
5
163 (16 %)
GVSU Pew Campus, DeVos Center
GVSU
Grand Rapids
1
28 (3 %)
GVSU Pew Campus, Bicycle Factory
GVSU
Grand Rapids
4
115 (11 %)
Great Wolf Lodge
MSU
Traverse City
1
18 (2 %)
Hannah Community Center
MSU
East Lansing
3
94 (9 %)
Western Michigan University Kendall Center
MSU
Battle Creek
1
16 (2 %)
Comfort Inn & Suites Hotel and Conference Center
MSU
Mt. Pleasant
1
21 (2 %)
Country Inn and Suites
MSU
Grand Rapids
1
41 (4 %)
Michigan State University Saginaw Extension
MSU
Saginaw
1
11 (1 %)
Michigan State University Jackson Extension
MSU
Jackson
1
16 (2 %)
Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS
MSU
Lansing
2
53 (5 %)
Ramada Plaza/Ojibwe Hotel, Sault St. Marie
MSU
Sault Ste. Marie
1
14 (1 %)
Saginaw Valley State University Curtis Hall University Center
MSU
Saginaw
1
20 (2 %)
Sarvis Center
MSU
Flint
1
24 (2 %)
Training Site Chan Shun Hall
12 | P a g e
VisTaTech Center
MSU
Livonia
1
16 (2 %)
University of Michigan School of Social Work
U of M
Ann Arbor
5
96 (9 %)
Wayne State University (Macomb Education Center)
Wayne
Clinton Township
1
29 (3 %)
Chippewa County Department of Human Services
Wayne
Sault Ste. Marie
1
29 (3 %)
Wayne State University (Oakland Center)
Wayne
Farmington Hills
3
74 (7 %)
Western Michigan University College of Health and Human Services
WMU
Kalamazoo
5
99 (10 %)
Total Unique Training Locations: 21
1026 Total Attendees
As reflected in the figure below, the 2014 initiative was largely successful in providing accessible training for employees located throughout the state. Regionally based trainees reported employment in 59 of Michigan’s 83 counties. This represents more than two-thirds (71%) of the counties in the state. Non-regionally assigned trainees, such as those who work at the state level, are not reflected in this statistic.
13 | P a g e
Locations of 2014 Child Welfare In-Service Trainings and Number of Trainees by County of Employment
/ ^ _
Legend
_ ^
_ ^
Training Locations
Number of Trainees per County 0 1-3 4-6
_ ^
^ _ _ ^
7 - 19 20 - 129
_ ^
_ _^ ^^ _
_ ^
_ ^ _ _ ^ ^
_ ^
_ ^
^ _ _ ^
_ ^
_ ^
In the map above, trainees who attended more than one training are counted more than once (for each training attended). 14 | P a g e
Evaluation Question 2: Did the trainings increase participants’ professional knowledge/skills and were they useful to their work? During both the post-test survey administered immediately after completion of trainings and the follow-up survey administered approximately three months after the training events, trainees were asked to rate the effectiveness of the training in helping them to understand the topic, whether the training was relevant to the work trainees were currently engaged in, whether they had used the information learned in the training, and whether they would recommend the training to their coworkers. Charts 2-5 below show the results of these questions. As Charts 2 through 5 below show, the majority of trainees in the 2014 Cohort responded with “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” when asked whether the in-service trainings that they participated in increased their understanding of the topic(s) and whether they were relevant to their current work. Also, the majority of respondents selected “Agree” or “Strongly Agree” when asked whether they would use the information in their current work and also whether they would recommend the training to coworkers. This pattern is evident in responses to the surveys administered immediately after the trainings and in responses to the follow-up surveys administered approximately three months later. Chart 2: This Training Has Increased My Understanding of the Topic (Comparison between 2014 Post Test and 3 Month Follow-Up) 70% 60%
60%
51% 50% 40%
42% 32% Post Survey
30% 20%
Follow-‐Up Survey
10%
5% 5%
1% 1%
0% 2%
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
0% Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
15 | P a g e
Chart 3: This Topic is Relevant to the Work I Do Currently (Comparison between 2014 Post Test and 3 Month Follow-Up) 60% 53%
55%
50% 40%
36%
39%
30%
Post Survey
20% 7%
10%
Follow-‐Up Survey
9% 1% 2%
0% 1%
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
0% Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Chart 4: I Will Use the Information From This Training in My Current Employment (Comparison between 2014 Post Test and 3 Month Follow-Up) 60% 50%
48%
50% 45%
40% 30%
23%
Post Survey
21%
20% 7%
10% 0% Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
Follow-‐Up Survey
6% 0%
0% 0%
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
16 | P a g e
Chart 5: I Would Recommend This Training to Co-workers (Comparison between 2014 Post Test and 3 Month Follow-Up) 60%
54% 50%
50% 40%
39%
37%
30%
Post Survey
20% Follow-‐Up Survey
8% 7%
10% 0% Strongly Agree
Agree
Neutral
4%
1% 0%
0%
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Trainees also reported that the training courses were being marketed accurately with respect to the advertised learning objectives (Table 7). When asked about the extent to which trainings provided participants with the knowledge and/or skills that were identified in the course objectives, in person events received an average rating of 8.67 and online events received an average rating of 8.17 from trainees on a scale ranging from 1=Strongly Disagree to 10=Strongly Agree. Table 7: Trainees’ Rating of Correspondence between Knowledge/Skills Provided & Those Identified in Course Objectives This training provided me with the knowledge and/or skills that were identified in the course objective. (1=Strongly Disagree, 10=Strongly Agree)
# Responses
Mean Score
In-person training events
N=755
8.67
Online training events
N=192
8.17
Training facilitators also received high scores from trainees for material delivery (Table 8). On a scale ranging from 1=Poor to 10=Excellent, trainers for in person events received a mean rating of 8.52 and online trainers received a mean rating of 7.56.
17 | P a g e
Table 8: Trainees’ Rating of Facilitator for Material Delivery How well did the facilitator deliver the material? (1=Poor, 10=Excellent)
# Responses
Mean Score
In-person training events
N=724
Mean = 8.52
Online training events
N=189
Mean = 7.56
Improvement in Trainees’ Self-Assessed Competency in Course Learning Objectives When the data were analyzed to determine whether trainees perceived that they had increased their knowledge and/or skills related to the training topic(s), most showed a positive change (see Tables 9 and 10). Training facilitators created a short list of between 3-6 learning objectives related to the knowledge or skills to be gained by participating in their training. Trainees were asked both before (pre-test survey) and immediately after receiving training (post-test survey) to rate their knowledge/skill level related to each of the specific course objectives on a scale of 1=Not At All Competent to 5=Competent. These questions were asked of both trainees who engaged in in-person training events as well as those who participated in trainings that were conducted entirely online. The average competency rating across all objectives for the in-person training events before receiving the training was 3.16. For online training, this pretest objective rating score was 3.12. After receiving training, the mean assessment of competencies increased for both training formats to a similar degree (1.19 points greater following in-person trainings and 1.07 greater following online training events). Demonstrating a particularly substantial level of improvement, 12 percent of trainees who participated in in-person training events rated themselves as ‘Competent’ with regard to a specific learning objective before the training, while 47 percent rated themselves as ‘Competent’ after receiving training. For the online trainings, almost eight percent of the trainees rated themselves as ‘Competent’ with regard to a specific learning objective before the training, and nearly 34 percent rated themselves as ‘Competent’ after receiving training. Reports of competence by trainees for in-person training events indicate that the vast majority (89%) of trainees considered themselves to be ‘Moderately Competent’ or ‘Competent’ in the learning objectives after participating in the training. This is a substantial increase when compared to the 39 percent of trainees who indicated that they felt ‘Moderately Competent’ or ‘Competent’ prior to participating in the training. The mean report of competence by trainees for all objectives across all in-person training events increased 1.19 points, from 3.16 before training to 4.35 after training. These results suggest that the training had a positive effect on the level of knowledge as perceived by the trainees.
18 | P a g e
Table 9: 2014 Trainees Self-Assessment of Competence on Training Objectives (In-Person Training Events) Rate your current level of competence regarding learning objective…
Before Training (Number/Percentage)
After Training (Number/Percentage)
n=2875
n=2715
Change
1 = Not at all Competent
201
(7.0%)
2
(0.1%)
-199
2 = Minimally Competent
612
(21.3%)
31
(1.1%)
-581 (-20.2%)
3 = Somewhat Competent
937
(32.6%)
263
(9.1%)
-674 (-23.5%)
4 = Moderately Competent
778
(27.1%)
1142
(42.1%)
+336 (+15.0%)
5 = Competent
347
(12.1%)
1277
(47.0%)
+930 (+34.9%)
Average Score (on 1-5 scale)
Mean=3.16
Mean=4.35
(-6.9%)
(+1.19)
Similarly, reports of competence by trainees for online training events indicate that the vast majority (88%) of trainees considered themselves to be ‘Moderately Competent’ or ‘Competent’ in the learning objectives after participating in the training. This is a substantial increase when compared to the 34 percent of trainees who indicated that they felt ‘Moderately Competent’ or ‘Competent’ prior to participating in the training. The mean report of competence by trainees for all objectives across all online training events increased 1.02 points, from 3.16 before training to 4.18 after training. These results suggest that the online trainings also had a positive effect on the level of knowledge as perceived by the trainees. Table 10: 2013 Trainees Self-Assessment of Competence on Training Objectives (Online Training Events) Rate your current level of competence regarding learning objective…
Before Training (Number/Percentage)
After Training (Number/Percentage)
n=877
n=443
Change
1 = Not at all Competent
41
(4.7.%)
2
(0.5%)
2 = Minimally Competent
169
(19.2%)
12
(2.7%)
-157 (-16.5%)
3 = Somewhat Competent
348 (39.6%)
36
(8.1%)
-312 (-31.5%)
4 = Moderately Competent
243 (27.7%)
257
(58.0%)
+14 (+30.8%)
5 = Competent
76
136
(30.7%)
+60 (+22.1%)
Average Score (on 1-5 scale)
Mean=3.16
(8.6%)
Mean=4.18
-39
(-4.2%)
(+1.02)
19 | P a g e
Improvement in Trainees’ Scores on Knowledge Tests Related to Course Learning Objectives Trainees who attended the nine training events hosted by MSU completed a knowledge assessment with the pre- and post-training surveys. This assessment included either six or eight questions that were designed to address the specific learning objectives and associated course content for each of these training events (see Appendix E). Findings from this more objective approach to measuring trainee knowledge transfer were also positive and support the pre- to post-training survey results for participants’ self-assessed course learning objective competency ratings. Based on a scale of 1 to 6 or 1 to 10, with 6 or 10 being highest, mean scores improved for trainees from the pre- to post-knowledge assessment for nine training events. Mean scores noted in Tables 11a-11i present the number of quiz questions trainees answered correctly before and after participating in training. Table 11a: Comparison of Pre-Training to Post-Training Objective Knowledge Quiz Results Training Title: Using Solution Focused Techniques to Enhance Communication & Understanding Training Date: October 4, 2013 Mean Number of Correct Responses out of a total of 6 questions
Pretest
Posttest
n=16
n=16
Mean=2.87
Mean=5.25
Change
(+2.38)
Training Objectives: 1. Readily use a variety of solution-focused questions such as scaling, exception finding, coping, etc. 2. Engage better and elicit goal statements from clients with whom they are working. 3. Understand the principles behind solution -focused and client-centered interviewing.
Table 11b: Comparison of Pre-Training to Post-Training Objective Knowledge Quiz Results Training Title: Working with Children Exposed to Domestic Violence Training Date: February 13, 2014 Mean Number of Correct Responses out of a total of 10 questions
Pretest
Posttest
n=32
n=26
Mean=4.65
Mean=9.16
Change
(+4.51)
Training Objectives: 1. Define domestic violence. 2. Identify personal biases commonly experienced by professionals working with families 20 | P a g e
impacted by domestic violence. 3. Describe outcomes research on children exposed to domestic violence. 4. Discuss specific stigma associated with domestic violence 5. Provide specific examples of interventions and/or resources for families impacted by domestic violence
Table 11c: Comparison of Pre-Training to Post-Training Objective Knowledge Quiz Results Training Title: Preventing Adoption Disruption: Strategies to Use Before, During, & After Adoption Training Date: February 21, 2014 Mean Number of Correct Responses out of a total of 10 questions
Pretest
Posttest
n=25
n=29
Mean=4.8
Mean=6.27
Change
(+1.47)
Training Objectives: 1. Understand how to prepare both foster families and recruited families for the challenges involved in adopting children from the child welfare system. 2. Prepare children for adoption based on age and stage of development. 3. Conduct visits and moves that enhance attachment and minimize trauma for children and families. 4. Supervise and support adoptive placements so that the family and child are more likely to enjoy a permanent relationship after the adoption is finalized. 5. Understand disruption dynamics and how best to support children and families to lessen trauma and ensure permanency
Table 11d: Comparison of Pre-Training to Post-Training Objective Knowledge Quiz Results Training Title: The Effects of Sexual Abuse on Children and Adolescents: Assessment and Treatment Planning Training Date: March 14, 2014 Mean Number of Correct Responses out of a total of 6 questions
Pretest
Posttest
n=17
n=18
Mean=3.47
Mean=5.17
Change
(+1.7)
Training Objectives: 1. Conduct a through assessment of the effects of sexual abuse. 2. Compassionately understand the nature of symptoms and problematic behaviors. 3. Develop strengths-based developmentally appropriate treatment plans.
21 | P a g e
Table 11e: Comparison of Pre-Training to Post-Training Objective Knowledge Quiz Results Training Title: Exploring Cultural Competent Practice within the Child Welfare System Training Date: March 14, 2014 Mean Number of Correct Responses out of a total of 8 questions
Pretest
Posttest
n=17
n=18
Mean=3.47
Mean=5.55
Change
(+2.08)
Training Objectives: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Define cultural competent practice within the child welfare system. Describe racial/cultural identity development in foster children. Identify positive and negative manifestations of cultural identity. Examine the interaction of foster care and personal expressions of cultural identity.
Table 11f: Comparison of Pre-Training to Post-Training Objective Knowledge Quiz Results Training Title: Special Education Advocacy Training Date: March 20, 2014 Mean Number of Correct Responses out of a total of 6 questions
Pretest
Posttest
n=18
n=16
Mean=1.72
Mean=2.87
Change
(+1.15)
Training Objectives: 1. Understanding basic special education rights and processes 2. Solve basic special education problems 3. Know where to go to answer questions about special education rights
22 | P a g e
Table 11g: Comparison of Pre-Training to Post-Training Objective Knowledge Quiz Results Training Title: When Child Welfare and Mental Health Services Intersect Working with Families with Serious Emotional Disturbances (SED)
Pretest
Posttest
n=15
n=17
Mean=5.87
Mean=7.23
Change
Training Date: April 24, 2014 Mean Number of Correct Responses out of a total of 10 questions
(+1.43)
Training Objectives: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Identify and diagnose behaviors that are considered to be SED List three practices commonly used with people experiencing SED Recognize when to refer for a possible SED designation for a child Name two tools used to assess the needs of the SED child and needs of the parents and siblings 5. Describe ways to build a family support system and to sustain progress
Table 11h: Comparison of Pre-Training to Post-Training Objective Knowledge Quiz Results Training Title: Hope and Resilience: Moving Past Vicarious Trauma in Child Welfare Pretest Posttest Change Practice n=13 n=12 Training Date: May 9, 2014 Mean Number of Correct Responses out of a total of 6 questions
Mean=1.38
Mean=2.58
(+1.20)
Training Objectives: 1. Define characteristics of Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) and Vicarious Trauma (VT) and their impact on child welfare practice and outcomes 2. Explore risk and protective factors related to STS and VT as they relate to the promotion of vicarious resilience 3. Identify worker coping strategies that foster vicarious resilience
23 | P a g e
Table 11i: Comparison of Pre-Training to Post-Training Objective Knowledge Quiz Results Training Title: Ethics and Personal Values in Child Welfare Practice Training Date: July 9, 2014 Mean Number of Correct Responses out of a total of 6 questions
Pretest
Posttest
n=14
n=15
Mean=0.86
Mean=3.53
Change
(+2.67)
Training Objectives: 1. Describe a range of ethical challenges that impact professional child welfare practice 2. Identify and explore personal experiences and values and how this personal worldview impacts ethical and practice decisions in child welfare work 3. Explore the intersection of personal worldview with professional ethics and standards 4. Explore these dimensions as they relate to ethical decision making in child welfare practice
Interpretation of Findings. The charts and tables above demonstrate that the majority of trainees were positively impacted by the in-service trainings that they attended. Most indicated that training increased their understanding of the topic, that the topic was relevant to their work, that they planned to use the information gained during training in their work, and that they would recommend the training to coworkers. Additionally, trainees’ self-assessed competency regarding course learning objectives improved after completing training. Moreover, scores on knowledge tests that were included in the evaluation of the nine MSU-sponsored trainings support these positive findings by demonstrating that trainees were more knowledgeable about core course content after participating in training. Evaluation Question 3: Did child welfare trainees utilize information and material in their professional work following training? The training collaborative wanted to determine the longer-term affects of the trainings on participants’ learning and professional practice; therefore, a comparison was made between trainees’ responses to pertinent questions immediately following the training (post-test) and approximately three months later (follow-up survey). Table 12 below compares the responses for both survey instruments. The results suggest that training-related learning and trainees’ perception of the training utility generally remained positive across time. For example, 93 percent of trainees said they “strongly agree” or “agree” that the training increased their understanding of the topic immediately after training, and that number was nearly consistent (92%) when respondents answered the same question three months after training. However, the percentage of responses in the highest category (Strongly Agree) decreased slightly from posttraining to three months later for each of the survey questions listed below. Given that the percentages of responses in the next highest category (Agree) increased, it appears that the vast majority of respondents to the follow-up survey continued to think the training was effective and useful; however, their initial assessment was slightly attenuated. 24 | P a g e
Table 12: Comparison of Post-Training to Follow-up Survey Results Survey Questions and Response Options
Post Training Results
3-month Follow-up Results
The training increased my understanding of the topic Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
n=818 346 (42%) 417 (51%) 41 (5%) 11 (1%) 3 (0%)
n=108 35 (32%) 65 (60%) 5 (5%) 1 (1%) 2 (2%)
The topic was relevant to the work I do Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
n=811 427 (53%) 318 (39%) 56 (7%) 6 (1%) 4 (0%)
n=108 39 (36%) 56 (55%) 10 (9%) 2 (2%) 1 (1%)
I have used the training information in my work Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
n=812 388 (48%) 365 (45%) 53 (7%) 3 (0%) 3 (0%)
n=107 25 (23%) 53 (50%) 22 (21%) 6 (6%) 1 (0%)
I would recommend this training to coworkers Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
n=813 436 (54%) 298 (37%) 64 (8%) 11 (1%) 4
(0%)
n=107 42
(39%)
54 7 0 4
(50%) (7%) (0%) (4%)
Interpretation of Findings. The data show that trainees continued to believe that training increased their knowledge/skills and was relevant to their work three months after completing the training. In addition, the majority of trainees continued to report that they would use the material from the training and that they would recommend it to co-workers. As noted earlier, a limitation of this finding is the relatively low number of persons who responded to the threemonth post-training follow-up survey administered online compared to the number of trainees who completed the pre-test and post-test surveys. Trainees were offered the opportunity to enter a drawing for a $100 Target gift card as an incentive to complete the follow-up survey, but the response rate was only 12%.
25 | P a g e
Conclusions Key Findings •
Responses from the training surveys indicate that the vast majority of the 1026 trainees in the 2014 Cohort were regionally based; together they served 59 (71%) of the counties in Michigan.
•
Analysis reveals few differences between DHS employees and those from private child welfare agencies in demographic characteristics or their responses about training satisfaction and usefulness.
•
The majority of trainees indicated that the training(s) they participated in increased their knowledge of the topic, was relevant to their current work, and that they would recommend the training to coworkers.
•
Trainees were asked to assess their competency in the learning objectives for the training(s) that they attended both immediately prior to completing the training (pre-test) and immediately after completion (post-test). Analysis of this data indicated an increase in trainees’ self-assessed competency in the learning objectives.
•
For the second year, trainees who attended training events hosted by MSU completed an objective knowledge assessment consisting of questions designed to address the learning objectives for specific training events. Analysis of this data found a positive increase in trainees’ knowledge after participating in the training.
•
Both in-person and online trainers were rated highly for their skill in delivery of training material.
The following Lessons Learned and Recommendations are based primarily on the quantitative data presented in the body of this report and the resulting Key Findings noted above. They are also informed by qualitative responses to four training participant survey questions regarding: 1. What trainees most hoped to learn from the training, 2. Suggested topics for future training events, 3. Best training days and times, and 4. How trainees planned to implement training information in their professional work. Appendix F summarizes trainees’ responses to these questions. Lessons Learned •
As noted last year, Michigan’s child welfare workers appear eager to attend in-service trainings provided by university Schools of Social Work. A number of trainings were at maximum attendance capacity.. The social work educational programs’ communication vehicles---newsletters and website---play a significant role in alerting child welfare workers to in-service training opportunities.
•
In the past three years, a significant infrastructure of communication, mutual respect, and collaboration has been built between the seven universities – and between Michigan State 26 | P a g e
Sacha Klein 12/19/2014 10:47 AM Comment [1]: The following section for Gary’s review/update. The highlighted information is what was stated in last year’s report.
University and Michigan’s DHS leadership – to channel the energy of the state’s higher education resources into addressing child welfare in-service training needs. This collaborative effort is a crucial part of the DHS strategy to provide in-service training and enhance worker competency. •
The multi-year contract provides the time needed to plan and fully respond to the inservice training needs of all state child welfare workers. A systematic, targeted series of trainings can be developed to maximize the educational resources these universities bring to the state of Michigan.
Recommendations DHS Administration should continue to encourage DHS and private agency employees to avail themselves of the opportunity to receive free in-service training from the university-based Schools of Social Work collaborative initiative. DHS should consider expanding the in-service initiative to include a section of trainings dedicated to front line supervisors and middle managers. DHS and MSU should work together to refine the course offerings to address course descriptions and composition to address level of experience, years of service, and integration with pre-service training. Also, expanding on-line offerings and other technological approaches should be advanced. DHS and MSU should work together to pilot involvement of seasoned workers and supervisors, and other child welfare stakeholders (such as youth and adoptive parents) into the training provision and presentations. This multi-year training plan should be funded and expanded to effectively address the increased in-service training needs of the Department. Continuity and expansion allows for efficient planning so that training topics are strategically focused on child welfare knowledge and skills and responsive to worker and supervisor feedback. The solid foundation of university-based inservice training continues to build positive expectations, active participation, and ongoing support from child welfare professionals. In addition to the expanded audiences for in-service training that have been identified by DHS, there are important opportunities for on-going training for the new foster parents recruited by DHS and its partner agencies, for adoptive parents (particularly those receiving subsidies). Despite relatively low numbers, to promote state wide access, training events should be scheduled in the northeastern lower peninsula, "thumb" area, and western Upper Peninsula, when feasible.
27 | P a g e
Acknowledgements The training collaborative would like to thank the Michigan Department of Human Services for providing continued funding of the project. In addition, special appreciation goes to DHS Director Maura Corrigan; Steve Yager, DHS Deputy Director of the Children’s Services Administration; Stacie Gibson, Director of DHS Child Welfare Training Institute, and Laura Schneider and Sarah Goad, Managers, Child Welfare Training Institute, for their support and encouragement of this program Information for this report was gathered as part of an evaluation project conducted by Michigan State University. For more information, please contact:
Gary Anderson, PhD, LMSW, Principal Investigator,
[email protected] Sacha Klein, PhD, MSW, Evaluator,
[email protected] Michigan State University School of Social Work
28 | P a g e
Appendix A 2014 Child Welfare In-Service Training for the Michigan Department of Human Services and DHS-Contracted Private Agencies I Training Title, Date & Provider Understanding the Impact of Vicarious (Secondary) Trauma in Social Work Practice Eastern Michigan University 9/20/13 9:00 AM-12:15 PM Training Location: EMU-Livonia
Training Objectives As a result of this workshop, participants will be prepared to: • • •
• Identifying & Working with Human Trafficking Survivors Eastern Michigan University 10/4/13 9:00 AM- 12:15 PM Training Location: EMU-Livonia
• • • •
His-Tory of Four Sons & a Father Grand Valley State University 9/16/13 8:45 AM- 12:00PM Training Location: GVSU Pew Campus, Bicycle Factory
• • •
Child Protective Cases: Testifying Tips & Recent Case Laws Grand Valley State University 10/18/13 8:45 AM-12:00 PM Training Location: GVSU Pew Campus, Bicycle Factory Trauma Informed Removal & Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Child Welfare Worker’s Role in Helping Children Experience Safety with Others & within Themselves Michigan State University 9/20/13 9:00 AM- 4:30 PM Training Location: Hannah Community Center Using Solution Focused Techniques to Enhance Communication & Understanding Michigan State University 10/4/13 9:00 AM- 12:15 PM Training Location: VisTaTech Center, Schoolcraft College
Understand the differences between vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout. Recognize the ways in which their job places them at risk. Implement safeguards to protect themselves from vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout. Define and describe the various contemporary slavery-like practices, including trafficking in human beings. Analyze the trafficking of human beings from a historical context up to and including a modern day conceptual framework. Articulate the principal causes and consequences of human trafficking. Assess in what sense trafficking in human beings constitutes a violation of fundamental human rights. Locate, identify, and offer services to human trafficking survivors. Identify resources that are available via family, friends, and community. Identify the need for mentors and advocates in the lives of youth in the foster care system. Understand the true meaning of resiliency and adversity in the lives of children.
• • •
Understand the flow of a neglect case. Understand the type of information needed to testify. Understand how to apply recent case laws.
• •
Describe the impact of trauma on children. Name three strategies to minimize the effects of removal, placement, and loss. Implement at least three strategies for supporting a child’s healing through the principles and components of TF-CBT.
•
• • •
Readily use a variety of solution-focused questions such as scaling, exception finding, coping, etc. Engage better and elicit goal statements from clients with whom they are working. Understand the principles behind solution -focused and clientcentered interviewing.
29 | P a g e
Appendix A 2014 Child Welfare In-Service Training for the Michigan Department of Human Services and DHS-Contracted Private Agencies All Eyes Open- Understanding Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
• •
Michigan State University 10/18/13 1:00 PM- 4:15 PM Training Location: Saginaw County Extension Specialized Practice Skills for Working with Offending Fathers
•
University of Michigan 9/25/13 1:00 PM- 4:15 PM Training Location: School of Social Work
• •
•
• Community-Based Strategies for Youth Violence & Bullying University of Michigan 11/7/13 1:00 PM- 4:15 PM Training Location: School of Social Work
•
•
• Effects of Family Violence on Infants & Young Children Wayne State University 10/11/13 9:00 AM- 12:15 PM Training Location: Chippewa County Department of Human Services Maximizing Communication Effectiveness Wayne State University 10/11/13 9:00 AM- 12:15 PM Training Location: Oakland Center Fostering Success in Education: Resources to Create a College Postive Attitude in Youth from Foster Care Western Michigan University 10/4/13 12:45-4:00 PM Training Location: College of Health & Human Services
•
• •
• • •
• • •
• Motivational Interviewing Western Michigan University 10/25/13 12:45 PM- 4:00PM Training Location: College of Health & Human Services
•
•
Explain the legal definition of trafficking. Describe the continuum of victimization in the life of a prostituted person. Use strategies and languages to effectively advocate for victims of human trafficking.
Differentiate father offender types and identify factors for addressing fathers. Describe barriers and obstacles to effective assessment. Engage fathers in the assessment process, identifying treatment goals, and the treatment process. Understand more about risk and protective factors and unpack ecological and systems theories associated with youth violence. Better understand the relationship between youth violence and bullying and develop an understanding cyberbullying and Internet banging in an urban context. Develop Internet and prevention models that are evidenced based and are aimed at reducing youth violence and bullying in urban areas and understand the epidemiology of violence-related injury and behavior. Increase their knowledge regarding the impact of family violence on children, mothers and the attachment process. Increase their awareness and sensitivity to the complexity of issues involved for women and young children in abusive relationships. Have an improved understanding of developmental trauma disorder. Recognize the need for self-care when working with these families to prevent burn out. Promote efficient line of communication in the workplace or field. Increase effective listening and empathic skills between staff and clients. Illustrate various techniques to decrease miscommunication when working with clients in program areas. Identify postsecondary education resources unique to youth and alumni of foster care. Understand the challenges youth from foster care face when they are transitioning to college. Utilize skills to support youth in foster care to successfully access and succeed in postsecondary education. Understand the stages of change and stages of treatment and determine best-fit interventions. Demonstrate and practice OARS (open-ended questions, Affirmations, Reflexive listening, Summarizing) through experiential small group exercises. Recognize resistance and practice three strategies to lower resistance.
30 | P a g e
Appendix A 2014 Child Welfare In-Service Training for the Michigan Department of Human Services and DHS-Contracted Private Agencies Brain Injury- From Impact to Intervention Western Michigan University 12/6/13 12:15 PM- 4:00 PM Training Location: College of Health & Human Services Assisting Families & Children Who Are Impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorder Western Michigan University 1/17/14 8:45 AM-12:00 PM Training Location: College of Health & Human Services, Kalamazoo The Grieving Infant-Helping Babies & Young Children When They Must Move University of Michigan 1/23/14 1:00 PM -4:15 PM Training Location: School of Social Work Ann Arbor The Effects of Exposure to Domestic Violence on Children Andrews University 1/24/14 9:00 AM – 12:15 PM Training Location: Chan Shun Hall, Berrien Springs
• • • • • •
• •
• •
• • •
Understand the core processes and functions of the brain. Understand the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial effects of a brain injury. Identify cognitive and behavioral rehabilitation strategies. Identify common characteristics and diagnostic characteristics of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Identify tools and strategies for working with individuals with ASD Understand how social workers can assist families impacted by ASD, with particular attention to support systems, communication needs, and behavioral concerns. Access community resources and supports for families impacted with ASD Understand the need for a primary attachment figure for infants and young children and the role of safety and comfort to reduce toxic stress for infants and toddlers in foster care Consider the implications of grief and loss reactions in understanding a child’s immediate reaction to placement. Explore and consider the short-term and long-term needs of infants and toddlers being placed in foster care or adoption. Understand the relationship between domestic violence and child maltreatment. Recognize the wide range of difficulties that most children exposed to domestic violence experience. Identify strategies and resources for supporting children exposed to domestic violence.
Brain Injury- From Impact to Intervention Western Michigan University 1/24/14 8:45 AM- 12:00PM Training Location: College of Health & Human Services Understanding Sexuality & Gender Expression
• • • •
Western Michigan University 2/7/14 8:45 AM-12:00 PM Training Location: College of Health & Human Services
•
Working with Children Exposed to Domestic Violence
• •
Michigan State University 2/13/14 12:45PM-4PM Training Location: Hannah Community Center, East Lansing
•
•
• •
Understand the core processes and functions of the brain. Understand the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial effects of a brain injury. Identify cognitive and behavioral rehabilitation strategies. Describe the difference between sexuality and gender expression. Understand different terms for sexuality and/or gender expression and how they are used in the LGBTQ community Be culturally sensitive to non-heteronormative forms of sexuality and gender expression Define domestic violence. Identify personal biases commonly experienced by professionals working with families impacted by domestic violence. Describe outcomes research on children exposed to domestic violence. Discuss specific stigma associated with domestic violence Provide specific examples of interventions and/or resources for families impacted by domestic violence
31 | P a g e
Appendix A 2014 Child Welfare In-Service Training for the Michigan Department of Human Services and DHS-Contracted Private Agencies Preventing Adoption Disruption: Strategies to Use Before, During, & After Adoption Michigan State University 2/21/14 8:30 AM- 4:30 PM Training Location: Hannah Community Center, East Lansing
•
• • •
• Promoting Resilience: TraumaInformed Supervision & Self-Care for Practitioners & Supervisors Grand Valley State University 2/21/14 8:45 AM- 12:00PM Training Location: GVSU Pew Campus Bicycle Factory, Grand Rapids Grandparents in Distress: Supporting Grandparents Who Are Raising Their Grandchildren
• • • •
•
University of Michigan 2/27/14 9:00 AM- 12:15 PM Training Location: School of Social Work, Ann Arbor
•
Facilitating Recovery: Child Welfare Professionals & Work with Substance Using Populations
•
Michigan State University 2/27/14 9:00 AM- 4:30 PM Training Location: Hannah Community Center, East Lansing
Parental Substance Abuse & Child Welfare Practice University of Michigan 3/13/14 9:00 AM- 12:15 PM Training Location: School of Social Work, Ann Arbor Complicated Grief in Children: Assessment & Treatment Wayne State University 1/25/13 9:00 AM – 12:15 PM Training Location: Oakland Center, Farmington Hills
•
• • •
•
• • • • •
Understand how to prepare both foster families and recruited families for the challenges involved in adopting children from the child welfare system. Prepare children for adoption based on age and stage of development. Conduct visits and moves that enhance attachment and minimize trauma for children and families. Supervise and support adoptive placements so that the family and child are more likely to enjoy a permanent relationship after the adoption is finalized. Understand disruption dynamics and how best to support children and families to lessen trauma and ensure permanency Describe the impact of secondary trauma on social workers and service provision. Identify at least three personal strategies for self-care. Identify the principles of trauma-informed supervision in reducing the impacts of secondary trauma. Identify how agency structure and culture impact stress and staff wellness.
Understand the numbers and demographics of grandparents who are raising grandchildren, including those in Michigan. Identify common issues that arise for grandparents who are raising grandchildren who have been multiply abused. Describe evidence-based and other interventions that have been successful in treatment of grandparents and their grandchildren. Identify the relationship of alcohol and drugs to child welfare and recognize when substance use may be a factor in families involved in child welfare. Describe the basic principles of addiction and how to support/facilitate treatment and recovery. Collaborate with substance abuse treatment partners and connect to national educational workforce resources. Support improved outcomes for families dealing with substance use and substance use disorders. Understand the scope of parental substance abuse in child welfare and how substance abuse impacts parenting and child development. Understand the diagnosis for substance abuse and dependence. Become familiar with evidence-based treatments for substance abusing parents in child welfare. Recognize five signs and symptoms of complicated grief in children. Identify three methods used to assess complicated grief reactions. Name three treatment interventions that address socialemotional and behavioral aspects of complicated grief.
32 | P a g e
Appendix A 2014 Child Welfare In-Service Training for the Michigan Department of Human Services and DHS-Contracted Private Agencies The Effects of Sexual Abuse on Children & Adolescents: Assessment & Treatment Planning Michigan State University 3/14/14 9:15 AM- 12:15 PM Training Location: Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS, Lansing
Exploring Cultural Competent Practice within the Child Welfare System Michigan State University 3/14/14 1:15 PM- 4:30 PM Training Location: Greater Lansing Association of REALTORS, Lansing
•
• • •
• • • •
Identify the relationship of alcohol and drugs to child welfare and recognize when substance use may be a factor in families involved in child welfare Describe the basic principles of addiction and how to support/facilitate treatment and recovery. Collaborate with substance abuse treatment partners and connect to national educational workforce resources. Support improved outcomes for families dealing with substance use and substance use disorders. Define cultural competent practice within the child welfare system. Describe racial/cultural identity development in foster children. Identify positive and negative manifestations of cultural identity. Examine the interaction of foster care and personal expressions of cultural identity.
Special Education Advocacy Michigan State University 3/20/14 9:00 AM – 12:15 PM Training Location: Saginaw Valley State University, Curtiss Hall, Saginaw
• • •
Understanding basic special education rights and processes Solve basic special education problems Know where to go to answer questions about special education rights
Infant Mental Health: The Impact of Trauma on Infants and Toddlers
•
Identify the ways in which trauma affects the social and emotional development of infants and toddlers Describe the ways in which providers can support the relationships of infants/toddlers and caregivers who have been affected by trauma Define the meaning of parallel process as it related to their work with families with infants and toddlers and discuss ways to address parallel process through supervision
Eastern Michigan University 3/28/14 9:00AM – 12:15PM Training Location: EMU – Livonia, Livonia
Trauma-Informed Removal and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Child Welfare Worker’s Role in Helping Children Experience Safety with Others and Within Themselves Michigan State University 4/3/14 9:00AM – 4:30PM Training Location: EMU – Livonia, Livonia
•
•
• • •
Describe the impact of trauma on children Name three strategies to minimize the effects of removal, placement, and loss Implement at least three strategies for supporting a child’s healing through the principles and components of TF-CBT
Social Work with Difficult Adolescents Wayne State University 4/4/14 9:00AM – 12:15PM Training Location: Wayne State University, Macomb Education Center, Clinton Twp.
• •
Growing up in the Care of Strangers
•
Michigan State University 4/10/14 12:45PM – 4:00PM Training Location: Sarvis Center, Flint
•
•
•
Assess adolescents within a model of normal development Understand emotional issues that complicate adolescent development and social work intervention Implement strategies for creating an alliance with adolescent clients Apply approaches with respect to connecting with vulnerable youth dealing with loss and trauma in a practice setting Understand the role of personal evolutionary brain development without the context of a maladaptive environment Apply connections strategies to youth in transition
33 | P a g e
Appendix A 2014 Child Welfare In-Service Training for the Michigan Department of Human Services and DHS-Contracted Private Agencies The Effects of Emotional Abuse
•
Andrews University 1/24/14 9:00AM – 12:15PM Training Location: Chan Shun Hall, Berrien Springs
•
CBT with Children and Adolescents: Depression and Suicide Risk, Assessment and Treatment
•
•
Wayne State University 3/14/14 9:00AM – 12:15PM Training Location: Oakland Center, Farmington Hills
•
When Child Welfare and Mental Health Services Intersect Working with Families with Serious Emotional Disturbances (SED)
• •
Michigan State University 4/24/14 9:00AM – 12:15PM Training Location: MSU Extension – Jackson, Jackson
•
•
•
•
Understand the relationship between domestic violence and child maltreatment Recognize the wide range of difficulties that most children exposed to domestic violence experience Identify strategies and resources for supporting children exposed to domestic violence
Understand Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and its implications for social work practice Identify at least two risk factors for depression and suicide in adolescents and children Apply at least two CBT techniques Identify and diagnose behaviors that are considered to be SED List three practices commonly used with people experiencing SED Recognize when to refer for a possible SED designation for a child Name two tools used to assess the needs of the SED child and needs of the parents and siblings Describe ways to build a family support system and to sustain progress
Trauma Informed: Understanding and Working with Children Eastern Michigan University 3/28/14 9:00AM – 12:15PM and 1:15PM – 4:30PM Training Location: EMU – Livonia, Livonia
•
Understand “normal” reactions and responses to grief/trauma Differentiate between healthy grief responses and complicated/trauma responses Explore a variety of intervention strategies
• • •
Identify the nine TF-CBT components Understand when their client is a good candidate for TF-CBT Understand how they can advocate for services
•
Define characteristics of Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) and Vicarious Trauma (VT) and their impact on child welfare practice and outcomes Explore risk and protective factors related to STS and VT as they relate to the promotion of vicarious resilience Identify worker coping strategies that foster vicarious resilience
• •
Introduction to Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Grand Valley State University 5/9/14 8:45AM – 12:00PM Training Location: GVSU Pew Campus, Bicycle Factory, Grand Rapids Hope and Resilience: Moving Past Vicarious Trauma in Child Welfare Practice Michigan State University 5/9/14 9:00AM – 12:15PM Training Location: Ramada Plaza/Ojibway Hotel, Sault Ste. Marie
• •
34 | P a g e
Appendix A 2014 Child Welfare In-Service Training for the Michigan Department of Human Services and DHS-Contracted Private Agencies Using SBIRT to Screen and Refer Clients with Potential Substance Abuse Problems Andrews University 5/30/14 9:00AM – 12:15PM Training Location: Chan Shun Hall, Berrien Springs Helping the Judge make the Right Decision: Effective Courtroom Testimony Michigan State University 6/5/14 12:45PM – 4:00PM Training Location: WMU Kendall Center, Battle Creek
•
•
•
• • •
Assessment Tools for Children Ages 03: Development, Attachment, SocialEmotional Skills, and the Parent-Infant Relationship
•
Michigan State University 5/12/14 12:45PM – 4:00PM Training Location: Comfort Inn and Suites Hotel and Conference Center, Mt. Pleasant
•
Ethics and Personal Values in Child Welfare Practice
•
Michigan State University 7/9/14 8:00AM – 11:20PM Training Location: Great Wolf Lodge, Traverse City
•
•
• •
Bridges out of Poverty Andrews University 7/25/14 9:00AM – 12:15PM and 1:00PM – 4:15PM Training Location: Chan Shun Hall, Berrien Springs Application of Strategies for Working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth in Foster Care Grand Valley State University 7/25/14 8:45AM – 12:00PM Training Location: GVSU Pew Campus, DeVos Center, Grand Rapids
• •
• •
• • •
Utilize SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment) to quickly screen family members for substance abuse problems Apply brief intervention techniques that focus on increasing insight and awareness regarding substance use and motivation toward behavioral change Make referrals to treatment for those who are identified as needing more extensive substance abuse treatment
Describe the legal issues that judges must address/resolve in a child welfare case Identify what a judge expects from you in the courtroom Name three ways to most effectively meet the expectations and ensure that your position is heard
Identify two reasons assessment is critical to providing effective services to infants, toddlers, and their families Describe various assessment tools to use with infants and young children and when they should be used in the assessment process Identify three circumstances under which an infant or toddler should be referred for further testing and where to find referral resources Describe a range of ethical challenges that impact professional child welfare practice Identify and explore personal experiences and values and how this personal worldview impacts ethical and practice decisions in child welfare work Explore the intersection of personal worldview with professional ethics and standards Explore these dimensions as they relate to ethical decision making in child welfare practice Develop an accurate mental model of poverty Review poverty research addressing four causes of poverty: individual behaviors, human and social capital, exploration of the poor, and economic/political structures. Examine poverty through the prism of hidden rules of class, resources, and language Explore effective program models in our community and others
Apply cultural competency in working with LGBTQ youth in case situations Develop strategies from information provided to address LGBTQ youth from “coming out” in care Compare current promising and best practices in engaging LGBTQ youth in the child welfare system
35 | P a g e
Appendix B Pre-Training Evaluation Child Welfare In-Service Training This in-service training for DHS and private agency child welfare workers in protective services, foster care and adoption workers is provided through support made possible by a grant from the Michigan Department of Human Services. Please assist us in evaluating this in-service training initiative by answering the questions below. Your feedback will be useful in our efforts to meet your future in-service training needs. In addition, information from this evaluation will be used to conduct an impact study of the in-service training initiative. You indicate your voluntary agreement to participate in this evaluation by completing and returning this survey. Please complete the next 4 questions to be used as your unique identifier. This identifier allows us to link your responses to this survey to your post-training and follow-up survey responses while also keeping your responses anonymous. A. What are the first two letters in your middle name?
____
____
B. What are the last two digits of the year of your high school graduation?
____
____
C. How many siblings do you have? (Note: Enter ‘02’ for 2 siblings)
____
____
D. What are the first two letters of the city in which you were born?
____
____
Training Title: Exploring Cultural Competent Practice within the Child Welfare System
Date of Training: March 14, 2014
1. Where are you employed?
2. What is your primary position?
! Michigan Department of Human Services ! Private child welfare agency or organization ! Other (please describe): __________________________________
! Child protective services worker ! Foster care worker ! Adoption worker ! Supervisor ! Other (please describe): _______________________________
3. County where you are employed: ________________________________________________ 4. Number of years working in child welfare: _____
5. Years at current employer:
_____
6. Are you required to attend Continuing Education training for licensure?
7. How did you hear/learn about this training workshop?
! Yes ! No ! I don't know
! DHS in-service catalog ! University newsletter/website ! Continuing Education website ! Email ! Word of mouth ! Other (please describe): ___________
8. What influenced you to attend this particular training workshop? (Please check all that apply.) ! Topic ! Instructor ! Something else (please describe):
! Location ! Affordable Price ! Date/Time ! Networking Opportunities ______________________________________ 36 | P a g e
Appendix B Pre-Training Evaluation Child Welfare In-Service Training Please note that Questions 9 – 16 are for university research purposes only. 9. Currently, how many children are on your caseload? ! 0-5 ! 6 - 10 ! 11 - 15 ! 16 - 20 ! 21 - 25 ! 26 - 30 ! More than 30 ! Does not apply to me
10. If you are a supervisor, how many employees do you currently supervise? ! 0-5 ! 6 - 10 ! 11 - 15 ! 16 - 20 ! 21 - 25 ! 26 - 30 ! More than 30 ! Does not apply to me
11. With what race do you identify? (Select the best answer)
12. With what ethnicity do you identify? (Select all that apply)
! ! ! ! ! !
White or Caucasian Black or African American American Indian or Alaskan Native Asian, Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian Other (please specify): ____________________ I prefer not to answer this question
13. With what gender do you identify? ! ! ! !
Female Male Other I prefer not to answer this question
15. What is highest level of education you have completed? ! ! ! ! ! !
BSW BA/BS MSW MA/MS Other (please explain): ____________________ I prefer not to answer this question
! Spanish/Hispanic/Latino ! Not Spanish/Hispanic/Latino ! I prefer not to answer this question
14. What is your age? ! ! ! ! !
Less than 25 25 to 29 30 to 34 35 to 39 40 to 44
! ! ! ! !
45 to 49 50 to 54 55 to 59 60 to 64 65 or more
16. What is your annual household income before taxes? ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
Less than $15,000 $15,001 - $30,000 $30,001 - $45,000 $45,001 - $60,000 $60,001 - $75,000 $75,001 - $90,000 $90,001 - $105,000 More than $105,000 I prefer not to answer this question
37 | P a g e
Appendix B Pre-Training Evaluation Child Welfare In-Service Training Learning Objectives for This Training Event
17A . 17B . 17C . 17D .
Rate your current level of competence to…. Define cultural competent practice within the child welfare system. Describe racial/cultural identity development in foster children. Identify positive and negative manifestations of cultural identity. Examine the interaction of foster care and personal expressions of cultural identity.
Not at all compete nt
Minimally Compete nt
Somewha t Compete nt
Moderate ly Compete nt
Compete nt
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
18. What is the most important thing you hope to learn from this training?
19. Please provide at least two possible training topics, besides today’s topic, regarding which you would be interested in receiving professional development training.
20. What are the most convenient days and times for you to attend professional development trainings?
21. Additional comments?
38 | P a g e
Appendix C Post-Training Evaluation Child Welfare In-Service Training This in-service training for DHS and private agency child welfare workers in protective services, foster care and adoption workers is provided through support made possible by a grant from the Michigan Department of Human Services. Please assist us in evaluating this in-service training initiative by answering the questions below. Your feedback will be useful in our efforts to meet your future in-service training needs. In addition, information from this evaluation will be used to conduct an impact study of the in-service training initiative. You indicate your voluntary agreement to participate in this evaluation by completing and returning this survey.
Please complete the next 4 questions to be used as your unique identifier. This identifier allows us to link your responses to this survey to your pre-training and follow-up survey responses while also keeping your responses anonymous. A. What are the first two letters in your middle name?
____
____
B. What are the last two digits of the year of your high school graduation?
____
____
C. How many siblings do you have? (Note: Enter ‘02’ for 2 siblings)
____
____
D. What are the first two letters of the city in which you were born?
____
____
Training Title: Exploring Cultural Competent Practice within the Child Welfare System
Date of Training: March 14, 2014
1. How well did the facilitator deliver the program material? Poor 1 O
Fair 2 O
3 O
Good 4 O
Please rate the following
5 O
6 O
Very Good 7 8 O O
Excellent 9 10 O O
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly Agree
2.
This training has increased my understanding of the topic.
!
!
!
!
!
3.
This topic is relevant to the work I do currently.
!
!
!
!
!
4.
I will use the information from this training in my current employment.
!
!
!
!
!
5.
I would recommend this training to co-workers.
!
!
!
!
!
39 | P a g e
Appendix C Post-Training Evaluation Child Welfare In-Service Training Learning Objectives for This Training Event
Not at all competent
Minimally Competent
Somewhat Competent
Moderately Competent
Competent
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Rate your current level of competence to…. 6A.
6B.
6C.
6D.
Define cultural competent practice within the child welfare system. Describe racial/cultural identity development in foster children. Identify positive and negative manifestations of cultural identity. Examine the interaction of foster care and personal expressions of cultural identity.
7. This training provided me with the knowledge and/or skills that were identified in the course objectives. Strongly Disagree 1 2 O O
Disagree 3 O
4 O
Unclear 5 O
Agree 6 O
7 O
Strongly Agree 8 O
9 O
10 O
8. What information from this training do you expect to implement in your professional work with children and families in the child welfare system? (Please be specific.)
9. Additional comments?
40 | P a g e
Appendix D Follow-Up Training Evaluation Child Welfare In-Service Training
41 | P a g e
Appendix D Follow-Up Training Evaluation Child Welfare In-Service Training
42 | P a g e
Appendix D Follow-Up Training Evaluation Child Welfare In-Service Training
43 | P a g e
Appendix D Follow-Up Training Evaluation Child Welfare In-Service Training
44 | P a g e
Appendix D Follow-Up Training Evaluation Child Welfare In-Service Training
45 | P a g e
MSU Training Event #1: Using Solution Focused Techniques to Enhance Communication and Understanding Date of Training: Oct. 18, 2013 1.
A process of complimenting, making a transition, and giving homework assignments are used during: Goal Formation ! ! ! ! !
2.
When asking _______ questions, the worker asks the client to describe how family or friends would answer a question or make an observation about them: Open-ended ! ! ! ! !
3.
4.
Relationship Scaling Coping I don’t know
One of the characteristics of a well-formed goal is not that it is: !
Measurable
! ! ! !
Described as the absence of something undesirable Perceived as hard work Is in the person’s own language I don’t know
Which of the following is helpful linguistic technique when utilizing Solution Focused interviewing? Use of the word “Why” ! ! ! ! !
5.
Scaling Getting Started End of Interview Feedback I don’t know
Use of the word “But” Use of the word “Should” Use of the word “Suppose” I don’t know
Which one of the following is a guideline in using Solution Focused Techniques: !
Find the cause of the problem and prescribe the cure
! ! ! !
The customer is always right Once you know what works, do more of it Confront the client about their perceptions of reality I don’t know
46
6.
A useful skill to incorporate when using the Not Knowing Approach is: !
Letting the client know when they are off topic or needing to vent
! ! ! !
Use of big words to impress the client about your knowledge Listen to who and what are important to the client Gathering a lot of assessment material dealing with the past problems of the client I don’t know
MSU Training Event #2: Title: Working with Children Exposed to Domestic Violence Date of Training: Feb. 13, 2014 1.
2.
3.
The definition of domestic violence includes violence in all of the forms below except: Sexual violence ! ! !
Child abuse Abuse of a co-worker
! !
Emotional abuse
According to the legal definition in Michigan, domestic violence: Only includes acts of physical or sexual aggression ! !
Is characterized by a pattern of behavior over time
! ! !
Is considered an isolated incident for each occurrence Can only occur between married or formerly married partners I don’t know
Female children exposed to violence in the home are most likely to demonstrate _________ while male children are more likely to demonstrate _____________. Internalizing problems, externalizing problems ! ! ! ! !
4.
I don’t know
Externalizing problems, internalizing problems Introversion, aggression Passiveness in adulthood, violence toward future partners I don’t know
Many individuals cite ________ as the primary reason they do not leave their violent partners. Fear of retaliation ! ! ! ! !
Fear of being alone Desire to “fix” the relationship Lack of financial resources I don’t know
47
5.
Research suggests that domestic violence occurs most frequently: Amongst dating couples ! ! ! ! !
6.
I don’t know
Temperament Functional social support Education level I don’t know
An example of a formalized intervention specifically for children exposed to DV is: Parent-child interactive therapy ! ! ! ! !
10.
I don’t know
One of the best predictors for resilience over time for children exposed to DV is: Cognitive ability ! ! ! ! !
9.
I don’t know
Approximately how many children in the United States are exposed to domestic violence in their home per year? 1 million ! 5 million ! 15 million ! 25 million ! !
8.
Between couples with young children Between couples with low SES
At what age does research suggest children become susceptible to the long term consequences of domestic violence? 48 months ! 24 months ! 6 months ! In utero ! !
7.
Between former spouses
Project SUPPORT The child recovery project RAINBOW project I don’t know
This term __________ refers to “the human capacity to face, overcome and be strengthened by or even transformed by the adversities of life.” Determination ! Sufficiency ! Fatalism ! Resilience ! !
I don’t know 48
MSU Training Event #3: Title: Preventing Adoption Disruption, Strategies to use Before, During, and After Adoption Date of Training: Feb. 21, 2014
1.
Which of the following are true about Lifebooks?: They are a valuable tool in preparing children for adoption ! ! ! ! !
2.
They are a tool that are best used by therapists who can deal with issues from the child’s past They are best used with children who have just come into a foster home They are best used with children whose plan is to return home I don’t know
When preparing a child to be adopted by his/her foster parents, it is important to talk to them about the changes this brings by: Talking about the fact that there will be no more court dates ! Talking about the legal, birth and parenting parent ! ! ! !
Letting them know that they will change their name Letting them know that adoption is better for them than foster care I don’t know
3.
The preparation of foster families who want to adopt their foster children needs to include which of the following: Reinforcing the family’s claim to the child through cutting off contact with the birth family which will help the child make a good adjustment and help speed the healing ! process Exploration of the family’s expectations for the child’s behavior after adoption, discussion of their motivation for adopting their foster child, understanding of ! resources they will have after adoption Helping families find social support that don’t remind the child that he/she was a foster ! child and help the family deal with their child’s new identity Teach families how to help their child put the pain of the past behind them, help the ! family claim the child, and help the family to learn positive discipline techniques I don’t know !
4.
Three characteristics of successful adoptive families are: Understanding of adoption, motivation to provide for children, parenting experience ! ! ! ! !
Foster care experience, nurturing and affectionate parenting, no arrest history Stable home environment, openness to learning, strong support system Tolerance for rejection, sense of humor, ability to delay parental gratification I don’t know
49
5.
Types of services that adoptive families need but may not ask for: Child management techniques ! ! ! ! !
Adoption sensitive therapeutic services Support groups-for adopted children and families School advocacy and respite care I don’t know
6.
Adoption crisis often follow a specific chronology which include which of the following in the early stages of crisis: Multiple calls to the worker, complaints about the child at support group meetings, looking for therapists who will tell them that the child is a problem, threats to have the ! child removed Honeymoon phase, diminishing pleasure in parenting the child, the child is identified ! as the problem, the child’s problems becoming public Denial, disorganized parenting, scapegoating, escalation ! The family denies they are having problems, the family blames the worker, the family ! puts the child in residential care I don’t know !
7.
When preparing the children to be adopted, with or without a move, the first step workers need to take is: Let the child know that he/she will always receive correct information ! ! ! ! !
8.
I don’t know
When assessing the dynamics in a potential disruption, the three questions to ask yourself are: Is this a family problem? Is this a child problem? Is this a system problem? ! ! ! ! !
9.
Set the stage to be direct and up front with the child Assess and understand the child’s age and stage of development Let the child know that you will make sure that he/she will be adopted
Why is the family so angry? How can I protect the child? Do I have another placement? Who are the players? What are the feelings? What is my role? What did I miss in the child assessment? What did I miss in the family assessment? How can I save the placement? I don’t know
A characteristic of children that places them at higher risk for a disruption or dissolution are: They are physically or mentally challenged ! ! ! ! !
They are a member of a sibling group They have experienced complex trauma They don’t qualify for adoption subsidy I don’t know
50
10.
When preparing to prepare children for adoption what information do you need to understand before you work with the child?: The child’s understanding of why he/she was removed from his/her parents, what the ! child has been told about termination, the child’s understanding about adoption Whether or not the child has current contact with the birth family, how much the child ! wants to be adopted, the child’s unique needs Whether or not the foster parents want to adopt, how much progress the child has ! made in foster care, who the child wants to live with The child’s past trauma, who the abusing parent was, the child’s level of trust ! !
I don’t know
MSU Training Event #4 Title: The Effects of Sexual Abuse on Children and Adolescents: Assessment and Treatment Planning Date of Training: March 14, 2014 1.
The “invisible suitcase” is a metaphor that refers to: !
The personal belongings that a child loses after they have been in multiple placements
!
All the negative beliefs that the child holds about themselves and others
!
The detailed history of the child’s abuse
!
The pent up anger that has gone unexpressed for years The symptoms of secondary traumatic stress (STS) that the child welfare workers experience
! 2.
The 9 essential elements of “best practices” for child welfare workers were developed by which of the following organizations? ! National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) ! !
American Psychological Association (APA) The National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
!
Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
!
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
3.
Extreme behaviors and symptoms of sexually abused children can MOST compassionately be framed as: ! They are mentally ill and need a DSM diagnosis ! Damaged children who simply cannot make better choices An internal way of “protecting” themselves that makes sense given what has ! happened ! Unacceptable behavior that must be eliminated as soon as possible ! Chronic and it should be accepted
4.
Which of the following is NOT true in terms of the neurological research on trauma? !
Abuse can permanently change the wiring of brain
!
It can lower IQ
51
5.
6.
!
The developmental stage does not matter in terms of the effects of trauma on the child
!
It can decrease affect regulation
!
Changes in the brain can affect impulse control
The MOST important element to helping a child heal in therapy is: !
Use of medication to address Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
! !
The type of theoretical model being used To get them to talk about the abuse as soon as possible
!
The strength of the therapeutic relationship
!
For them to be in long-term therapy
A treatment plan should do which of the following FIRST? !
Address behaviors that involve imminent risk
!
Provide family therapy
!
Refer the child to a trauma informed therapist
!
Target difficulties at school
!
Teach relaxation skills for anxiety
MSU Training Event #5 Title: Exploring Cultural Competent Practice within the Child Welfare System Date of Training: March 14, 2014 1.
2.
Foster care agencies can respond more effectively to families from diverse backgrounds by: Examining a comprehensive cultural guide ! ! !
Understanding specific cultural values Knowing everything about a specific culture
! !
Considering the age of the foster parents I don’t know
Culturally competent practice for staff in the child welfare system requires: Understanding of oppression Understanding of substance abuse Understanding implementation of standard service program models Understanding early beginnings of family foster care I don’t know
3.
Racial cultural development in foster children depends on _____________: Understanding of life span development Positive self-images Attendance at annual cultural festivals
52
Being color blind I don’t know 4.
Positive expressions of cultural identity include all of the following except: Wearing cultural clothing Speaking the native language Preparing cultural food Tolerating ethnic jokes I don’t know
5.
Research suggests that in the child welfare system there are: More African-American children in care than Caucasian More Hispanic children in care than African-American Disproportional representation by children of color Disproportional representation by Caucasian children I don’t know
6.
Of the children in foster care on September 30, 2013 (AFCARS), what percentage were White? 82 % 62 % 52 % 42 % I don’t know
7.
The number of children under 18 years of age in foster care has changed over the last several years. In 2010 the number of children in care was _____________ compared to _____________ of children in care in 2012. 405, 330 (2010) – 397, 122 (2012) 397, 122 (2010) – 405, 330 (2012) 500,080 (2010) – 450, 042 (2012) 450, 042 (2010) – 500, 042 (2012) I don’t know
8.
One of the best indicators for development of racial cultural identity for children in care is: Tolerant foster parents Understanding foster care workers Positive self-regard Education level of birth parents I don’t know
53
MSU Training Event #6 Title: Special Education Advocacy Date of Training: March 20, 2014
1.
2.
A “free appropriate public education” is designed to: !
Maximize a child’s potential
!
Be provided at low cost to parents
!
Be provided by teachers with special education credentials
!
Confer reasonable educational benefit
!
Apply to children in public schools only
A compliance complaint must be filed within: !
Thirty school days of the incident giving rise to the complaint
! !
One year of the incident giving rise to the complaint Two years of the incident giving rise to the complaint Three years of the incident giving rise to the complaint, if there is a need for compensatory education Any time
! !
3.
Under what circumstances may a school take longer than 30 school days to complete an evaluation? ! The school does not have available staff to do the evaluation
!
The school is closed in the summer The school uses a child study team to provide services instead of conducting a special education evaluation Parents verbally consent to waive the timeline
!
Parents do not request the evaluation in writing
! !
4.
5.
How can a parent effectively disagree with an IEP team’s decision at an IEP review? ! File a due process hearing notice with the state !
Refuse to attend the IEP review meeting
!
Request mediation
!
Request an independent educational evaluation
!
Sign the IEP review form in disagreement
What Federal law would you read to learn how to resolve a dispute over equal access to public schools for students with disabilities? ! Elementary and Secondary Education Act
54
6.
!
Social Security Act
!
Rehabilitation Act
!
Michigan Mandatory Special Education Act
!
Gun-Free Schools Act
34 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 300 is the place to look for the following laws: ! Michigan Mandatory Special Education Act regulations !
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act regulations
!
Section 504 regulations
!
No Child Left Behind regulations
!
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act regulations
MSU Training Event #7 Title: When Child Welfare and Mental Health Services Intersect: Working with Families with Serious Emotional Disturbances (SED) Date of Training: April 24, 2014 1.
A serious emotional disturbance involves which of the following? ! Functional impairment severe enough to limit a child’s role in family, school, or community ! Is restricted to children up to age 14 ! A learning, mental, behavioral or emotional disorder ! Does not necessarily require a formal diagnosis !
2.
Which of the following behaviors are least likely to be associated with a serious emotional disturbance? Learning difficulties ! Aggression or self-injurious behavior ! ! ! !
3.
I don’t know
The ability to self-regulate Withdrawal I don’t know
A behavior plan is most successful if it includes: A documented time out area ! ! ! ! !
What behavior needs to change, why, and what to do instead A stepped approach of earning rewards Documentation of failures to implement the plan I don’t know
55
4.
Safety planning: Is most important for children with a PTSD diagnosis ! !
Should identify general ways children might feel safer
!
Should occur around all behaviors and potential issues that pose a risk to family members, the community or child Should occur when an unsafe behavior has occurred
! ! 5.
The only service required for SEDW is: Families Together Building Solutions ! ! ! ! !
6.
I don’t know
Inclusion of psycho-education, stress reduction, and developing a “narrative” Stabilizing the child’s behaviors first Parental outpatient counseling I don’t know
Behaviors reported by parents/guardians as disruptive for the past 3 months A school behavior plan A CAFAS score of 90 or greater I don’t know
A child should be assessed for SED if he/she: Demonstrate functional limitations that impair his/her ability to function in the ! community Disrupt the classroom and are suspended from school ! His/her CAFAS score indicates that he/she has Moderate Impairment ! The child with his/her family are participating in family counseling once a week ! !
9.
Wraparound Love & Logic
A child 12 or younger may be eligible for services under the SED waiver with: A diagnosis of ADD ! ! ! ! !
8.
Outpatient counseling
The treatment of trauma for a SED child requires: Intensive outpatient counseling ! ! ! ! !
7.
I don’t know
I don’t know
Tools used to assess the needs of a SED child include: Documented assumptions from a therapist ! ! ! !
The Wraparound planning process utilizing a child and family team Referral by a family physician Information from immediate and extended family members
56
! 10.
I don’t know
Wraparound is a highly individualized planning process and uses which tool to build family support? A genogram going back three generations ! ! ! ! !
A child and family team with team members determined by the family Counseling sessions covering one year A trauma assessment I don’t know
MSU Training Event #8: Hope and Resilience: Moving Past Vicarious Trauma in Child Welfare Practice Date of Training: May 9, 2014 1.
Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the impact of traumatic stress? !
Can include severe and debilitating disruptions in a person’s life
!
Can include relatively minor disruptions in a person’s life
!
A diagnostic symptom of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
!
Can lead to physical health problems
!
I don’t know.
2.
Which of the follow is the BEST definition of Secondary Traumatic Stress? Characterized by positive relationships with colleagues, and the conviction that one’s ! work makes a meaningful contribution to clients and society Exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced feelings of personal accomplishment that ! are a result of circumstances in the workplace Emotional duress that results when an individual hears about the trauma experiences ! of another person The defenses that an individual develops to keep the stark realities of their work out of ! conscious awareness ! I don’t know.
3.
Which of the following IS NOT a risk factor for developing Secondary Traumatic Stress? ! Feeling empathy for others
4.
! !
Overwhelming paperwork Working in a stressed child welfare system
!
Having a history of personal trauma
!
I don’t know.
The following work condition IS NOT a protective factor for the development of STS: !
supportive coworkers
!
hope and resilience
57
!
regular supportive supervision
Employee Assistance Programs ! I don’t know. Which of the following conditions ARE NOT a potential sign that a worker is experiencing secondary traumatic stress? ! Chronic exhaustion and physical ailments !
5.
6.
!
Dramatic mood swings
!
Working long hours
!
Inability to keep up with assigned paperwork
!
I don’t know.
The following areas of self-care BEST DESCRIBE the domains of resiliency Quality of Life, Professional Development, Supervision and Peer Support ! !
Exercise, Nutrition, Safety and Positive Relationships
! !
Physical, Psychological, Emotional, Spiritual and Professional Personal, Educational, Religious and Recreational
!
I don’t know.
MSU Training Event #9: Ethics and Personal Values in Child Welfare Practice Date of Training: July 9, 2014 1.
Which of these factors does not influence personal values and bias:
! ! ! ! ! 2.
Race and Culture Ethical codes Economics I don’t know
Which of these is not a value specific to the child welfare system
! ! ! ! ! 3.
Religion and spirituality
Protection of Children Preservation of Families Client self-determination Worker rights I don’t know
Which of these would not be considered a professional factor that influences ethical decision making
! ! !
Spirituality and religion Education Professional Wisdom
58
! !
4.
Differences in worker, family and agency values contribute to ethical dilemmas The worldview of a child welfare worker can influence ethical decision making A families insight and awareness should be a primary consideration Ethical decision making processes are important to achieve good decisions I don’t know
Which is the BEST description of ethical decision making processes
! ! ! ! ! 6.
I don’t know
Which of the following is not true about ethics in child welfare practice?
! ! ! ! ! 5.
Laws and Rules
Gather information, examine values, explore options, intervene, evaluate action identify client and worker preferences, present to supervisor, take action as dictated by supervisor Prioritize safety, permanence and well being Review policy and procedures, prioritize based upon confidentiality consderations, take action I don’t know
Which is not a common area of ethical concern in child welfare practice
! ! ! ! !
Client and family confidentiality Dual relationships Client and family rights Safety and permanency I don’t know
59
Appendix F Qualitative Data Child Welfare In-Service Training Qualitative Findings What Do You Most Hope to Learn From This Training? At the beginning of each training session, training participants were asked to describe what they most hoped to learn during the session they attended. The responses have been grouped by theme and illustrative examples are included in Table F1. Table F1: Top 13 What is the Most Important Thing You Hope to Learn About? (n=692) Trauma (how to better identify trauma, how trauma affects children, better ways n=105 to handle removal process to minimize trauma, helping foster parents when children have experienced trauma, treatment strategies to address trauma) Tools, Tips, Strategies, and New Techniques (assessment plans, effective intervention models with children, how to better evaluate, risk reduction, n=100 improve interviewing, communication and engagement skills, increase knowledge of resources) n=70 Working with Families (how to better advise families of the resources available to them, how to help parents understand their child’s needs, more strengthsbased approaches, kinship care) n=68 General Knowledge Gain (enhance professional knowledge base, gain additional information to share with staff, increase competency in training topics) n=43 Foster Care (how to help with transitions, how to better advocate for clients, impact of abuse on children in care, how to help foster parents understand the impact of trauma) n=41 Youth and Adolescence (How to work more effectively with youth who have trauma histories, engaging youth in their treatment plans, understand emotional and mental health concerns of youth) n=34 Court Preparation (how to prepare for testimony, how to provide more effective testimony, understanding current legislation, become a more effective advocate) n=29 Cultural Competency (support LBGT youth, follow a child’s cultural identity through CPS and foster care involvement, understanding the difference between sexuality and gender expression, become culturally competent and informed in best practices) n=24 Self Care (how to combat burnout and manage stress) n=20 Grief and Loss (how to recognize and help children deal with grief, help adoptive parents deal with grief at various developmental stages, understanding the difference between grief and trauma) n=21 Substance Abuse (provide support to families struggling with addiction, sharpen assessment skills, how to facilitate recovery) 60
Appendix F Qualitative Data Child Welfare In-Service Training n=14 n=11
Human Trafficking (how to identify survivors of human trafficking, how to assist survivors and provide services to this population) Adoption (how to support families through the adoption process, how to prepare children and families for transition to adoptive placements, minimizing disruptions)
Proposed Topics for Future Training Events As part of the evaluation materials completed at the conclusion of each training event, trainees were asked to provide suggestions for future topics on which they would be interested in receiving training. The responses have been organized in Table F2 by most frequently cited response, then grouped by theme and specified in detail where possible in Tables F3-F10. Table F2: Top 12 Suggested Training Topics (total n=550) n=85 Substance Abuse (see Table F3 for details) n=75 Trauma, Grief and Loss (see Table F4 for details) n=72 General Mental Health (see Table F4 for details) n=71 Specific Mental Health (see Table F4 for details) n=43 Ethics/Legal/Court Preparation (see Table F5 for details) n=39 General/Professional Skills (see Table F5 for details) n=38 Sexual Abuse (see Table F7 for details) n=30 Self Care/Burnout/Secondary Trauma (see Table F5 for details) n=29 Foster Care (see Table F6 for details) n=28 Adoption (see Table F6 for details) n=25 Domestic Violence (see Table F7 for details) n=24 Human Trafficking (see Table F7 for details) Table F3: Substance Abuse, Medication and Pain Management Substance Abuse: (addiction, effects on the children and family, dual diagnosis in teens, prevention of use in teens, drugs trends, how to interpret levels of drug use, signs/symptoms of substance abuse disorders, effects of prenatal drug exposure, prescription drug abuse, recommendations for treatment, helping children who have parents with addictions), fetal alcohol syndrome Understanding Medications: (commonly used medications for children and youth such as psychotropic medications) Pain Management (pain management, pain assessment, medical marijuana)
61
Appendix F Qualitative Data Child Welfare In-Service Training Table F4: Mental Health General Mental Health: (diagnosis and using the DSM, parent engagement in their child’s mental health issues, providing feedback and support to parents on child’s mental illness, working with children with emotional impairments, navigating mental health systems, infant mental health and early childhood development, dealing with parents who have a mental illness) Trauma, Grief and Loss: (identifying traumatized children, effects of trauma on brain development, supporting youth in care who have experienced trauma/loss, trauma resiliency, PTSD and anxiety, working with parents who have traumatized children, behavior management for traumatized children, trauma-informed care, cultural differences in experiencing trauma, grief and loss counseling, supporting siblings of traumatized children, grief counseling) Specific Mental Health Concerns: (Anxiety disorders, depression, attachment disorders, eating disorders, self-harming behaviors, bullying/suicide prevention with youth, Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Attachment and Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), Bi-Polar disorder in teens, Codependency, Co-occurring Disorders, Kleptomania, Table F5: Professional Skills and Responsibilities General Professional Responsibilities: (documentation/professional writing skills, research and data collection, grant-writing, clinical engagement skills, how to engage difficult, resistant or mandated clients, effective report writing, time management, group dynamics) Self Care/Burnout Prevention/Secondary Trauma: (how to minimize stress, burnout and secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, self-awareness training) Supervision: (effective supervision and leadership skills, creating positive agency atmosphere, impacting change in large organizations, motivating and supporting staff) Ethics, Legal and Court Responsibilities: (What social workers need to know about the Affordable Care Act, CPS reporting, education advocacy, Title IV advocacy, improving testimony skills, ethics and boundaries, end of life choices, understanding subsidies and legal definitions in child welfare, understanding the judge’s perspective, court testimony and preparation, politics and social justice, juvenile justice, ethics, changes in policy or evaluation, petition writing and trial preparation, forensic interviewing and the effects of interviewing children multiple times).
62
Appendix F Qualitative Data Child Welfare In-Service Training Table F6: Child Welfare: Foster Care, Adoption and Post Adoption Foster Care: (helping children deal with separation and transitions, supporting foster parents in addressing their child’s trauma or emotional concerns, juvenile justice in foster youth, supporting teens toward independent living, older youth in care) Adoption/Post Adoption: (best practices, explaining adoption to young children, preventing disrupted adoptions, post adoption issues and services, therapeutic approaches to help with trauma and attachment, transitions to adoption, helping adoptive parents in crisis, comparing guardianship or adoption, resources for birth families) Table F7: Child Welfare: Abuse, Neglect, Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Domestic Violence: (effects of domestic violence on children, working with perpetrators of domestic violence) Physical Abuse/Neglect: (signs of abuse, effects of abuse, effective interventions, addressing generational poverty as it relates to neglect/abuse, substance use in children/youth who have been abused) Sexual Abuse/Neglect: (working with children who have been abused, youth and teens as perpetrators, treating parents of survivors, working with families where incest occurred, working with perpetrators of sexual abuse) Human Trafficking: (Human trafficking and case management) Table F8: Special Needs Special Education: (working with Individual Evaluation Plans (IEP), navigating the special education system, advocating for clients, community resources) Autism: (working with families who are have children with Autism) Emotional/Learning/Developmental Disabilities: (how to assist children and parents toward effective treatments, sensory-related interventions) Table F9: Culture & Diverse Populations Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) issues: (trauma with adults in the LBGT population, supporting LGBTQ youth in care) Aging (aging and end of life issues) General Diversity Training (supporting cultural diversity in multi-ethnic homes, parenting across race and culture, cultural sensitivity and cultural competence) Disabilities (resources for clients with developmental disabilities, working with parents with cognitive impairments)
63
Appendix F Qualitative Data Child Welfare In-Service Training Table F10: Treatment & Intervention Methods General Treatment/Intervention Methods: (best practices, strategies for engagement) Specific Treatment and Intervention Methods: (Play Therapy/Sand Tray, Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) & TraumaFocused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Best Training Day and Time Trainees were also invited to provide comments about their experience attending the inservice training events. Trainees were asked which days and times were most convenient to attend training, and while 17% of respondents indicated that any time would be convenient, trainees overwhelmingly preferred to attend training during the morning hours, with 50% of responses suggesting a morning training session. Twenty-eight percent indicated a preference for an afternoon training session and session and 1% suggested that an evening session was preferable. The most commonly suggested training day was Friday with 36% of respondents indicating that was the best day to attend training. Additional feedback has been divided into general and specific feedback about the training, feedback about the training presenters, and suggestions for change. The responses have been grouped by theme and specified in detail where possible. In general, feedback from trainees indicates that the training events were widely regarded as very successful. Out of a total of 219 comments received, 157 (72%) of the comments provided praise about the training events. The most frequently cited positive qualities of the training were regarding the content of the training and the skilled presenters of the training. Some trainees reported that they would like some training events to be longer to be able to spend more time with the material, or that some sessions targeted material that was designed for a less experienced audience. Other feedback included suggestions for improvement of training accommodations such as adjusting the room temperature, parking availability and providing coffee or tea as snacks. Table F11: Additional Comments General Positive Feedback About Training: ! “Excellent training, would highly recommend to coworkers and others working with children and families” ! “Excellent presenter, good course of information, useful handouts” ! “Wow, wow, wow! Awesome presentation for such a complex and multifaceted topic. Thanks
64
Appendix F Qualitative Data Child Welfare In-Service Training Specific Positive Feedback About Training: ! “Awesome training that left you wanting more. It takes a lot of courage for youth to speak in front of adults and want to thank the youth for the willingness to share. Having the presenter share his personal story also added to the presentation.” ! “Great job ladies! One of the best trainings I've attended. Very fitting for MYOL coordinators. The use of multiple intelligence to keep all interested was awesome!” ! “This training had a great balance of knowledge and information on the practice and theory of TFCBT and practical skills that workers can use. I feel like I understand it and can implement the skills presented to partner with theory being done. (the handouts, assessment tool, and safety plan sheet were very beneficial.” Feedback about Training Presenters: ! “XXXX keeps this interesting, relatable, and moving along. Good information that I will remember and use. ! “Dr. XXXX was excellent! I loved the training and she was so engaging! Will definitely recommend to others.” ! “Ms. XXXX was very good and kept my attention. She also did good with keeping us into the subject. She engaged us and it was helpful.” ! “The trainer was excellent!” ! “Good discussion with instructor during the break” Suggestions for Change in Training: ! “I prefer large CEU trainings (at least 6 hours). It makes blocking off the day easier.” ! “I was sitting closer to the back of the room, it was a little hard to hear the presenter as he spoke in a very low tone.” ! “Maybe have a longer time for this training.” ! “The last part was the most beneficial as we spent the least amount of time with. It can be helpful to recognize that we know the basics and have the time to really focus.” ! “Cold-Its October so the AC probably doesn't need to be on.”
How Will Training Information Be Implemented in Your Professional Work? As part of the training evaluation materials, trainees were asked how they planned to implement the knowledge gained from attending the child welfare in-service training in their professional work. Trainees referenced a wide range of content that was addressed and provided many examples for utilization of the knowledge they gained through the training process. A list of the various ways the training will be implemented by trainees has been copied and pasted in Table F12 below.
65
Appendix F Qualitative Data Child Welfare In-Service Training Table F12: How Will Training Information Be Implemented? Quotes Provided by Trainees • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
A better understanding of DV to educate and support those dealing with children that have experienced this type of trauma A reminder that I need to remember that my staff struggle with these issues as front line workers and how to best respond ABO documentaries Access to scholarships for youth in foster care. Technique on how to discuss college options Added knowledge for pts and families dealing with TBI Addressing behaviors of clients by considering complicated grief Addressing current needs during fir-service plans effectively important Affects of drugs, treatment plans All All is applicable All of it All of it all of it All of it All of it All of it All of it was very helpful All of it-psyched on effects of trauma/sexual abuse All of it: roles of children, parents, reasons why abuse happens, self care techniques All of it! All of it! All of it. All of it. All of it. I plan to be more conscious of culture in my position. All of the info All of the information presented All of the information will be implemented, as necessary! All of the testifying tips All of the training will be implemented All that was presented All the information was good and will bring knowledge in my professional work Always keeping their things in mind helps remind us to be patient and offer lots of grace Answer the questions directly and straight to the point Approach with families (initial interventions) and children- working with families and foster families, as well as children in foster care As a licensing worker I will be able to inform foster parents of what to expect from foster children and how to handle the behaviors As a new employee in child welfare, I will be using all of the information gained today as I begin testifying in court. I will now be able to understand paperwork from court and the terms on them. Asking more questions, identifying girls in abusive/exploiting situations and take resources given to help them Asking more solution focused questions when working with clients when problems arise in adoptive homes 66
Appendix F Qualitative Data Child Welfare In-Service Training to help them determine their own way through problems • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • •
Assessing risk factors for suicide/depression Assessment of suicide risk Assessment options find someone to administer them Assessment tool, work better with clients and see behavior as only part of them Assist foster families and increase skills in assisting staff advocacy for children’s education Assisting foster children with autism and assisting foster parents FC with autism Attachment bonding and the effects on children - self care Balance Basic knowledge of how the children are affects Be aware of brain injury when doing assessment and how it relates Be better prepared for court and use silence when needed Be mindful on the lasting trauma after we leave the home Be more aware and continue to educate myself. ask questions and be open, do not want it to be a silent area Be more aware and observant of children emotions/reaction during a removal. try to identify ways to elevate the stressful situation Because kids are being taught to express themselves more openly - that it's okay, these types of teachings keep you updated on the continuing trends/ aspects of what sexuality & gender represent. Behavior Plans Being "curious" and asking clients questions about how they feel, what they are thinking. etc Being able to find appropriate coping skills, finding triggers, and making plans for them and their caregivers Being an ally Being honest. how & ways to speak to others, acknowledge the positive interactions you see Being more aware of how I practice listening, use of listening skills Being more aware of the trauma and the services survivors will need Being more effective approaching clients with options/information Being more open to the culture and influence on the children/youth in care Being more sympathetic to families that are prescribed medical medication as an intervention for substance abuse Being sensitive to the history and needs of children in foster care and listen to them about what they need Being sure to document all information, as well as making contact on a regular basis with parents Better able to deal with IEPs and services needed Better able to educate/ support parents and specifically if/when looking for/ assessing adoptive home for a child with autism. Better understanding Better understanding of the reasons behind difficult adolescents. early diagnosis, interpreting their behaviors Better understanding of what causes secure attachment & what doesn't Bring assessment tools back to the agency to perhaps implement with birth or foster families / talk about attachment and the concerns of the children and how caregivers may be able to help eliminate the children's concern Bringing the conversation up in a "student led" atmosphere. The role-plays were interesting and helpful but it isn't realistic in every setting. By making sure I process the situation before communicating Calming techniques and the safety plan material Caring for myself is reflective as to how I interact with my families Case law, phrases to avoid, methods used by defense lawyers to affect caseworker testimony CBT
67
Appendix F Qualitative Data Child Welfare In-Service Training • • •
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Child is not identified by the "part" or symptom Children Children don’t always have the words to express themselves but they still tell us a story with their actions and body language. I will pay more attention to what children show me. Also I will treat the child at their developmental age and not chronological age. Communicating better with the children during removal process and understanding the trauma of removal better Communication and relationships Community resources Compassion fatigue, what is normal? Contacts - supports in the area Coping with stress to be able to live productively De-escalation techniques with angry clients DHS involvement Diagnostic specifies Difference between grief and trauma and that outside help such as counseling is needed Document everything! Drug use and the effects on children, assist with helping to identify behavior issues with adolescents Dynamics Educating foster parents on the needs of LGBT youth in foster care and exploring their feelings and beliefs that could affect their parenting, how to be supportive of these youth Educating foster/adoptive families and working hard to find good matches for kids Educating Mothers & Fathers on DV in the home and the affect on their children Effective listening, physical stance, and de-escalation Effects of removal and foster care long term/ short term effects Empowering the youth that I work with. I am not a supervisor but I supervise youth aging out and this information can be spun with adolescent youth Encourage parents and teachers to be familiar with the process and laws Encouraging the foster care staff at my agency or to be aware of a foster child's sexual preference/orientation- giving the child an opportunity and safe environment to share this Engage in stress reduction; listen to coworkers when their stressed Enjoyed the future predictions chat, also talking about expectation Everything I have learned is useful Everything, great training Everything, loved interventions and materials Everything! Example based activities to re-engage kids during interviews / example based activities to demonstrate to foster parents trauma effects, reactions, and perceptions Exception questions, paraphrasing/summarizing Expanded my knowledge of infant perspective / embrace ambiguity/ illegible Explain answers, don't just answer with yes or no Explaining to biological parents that they will have to work hard and not become frustrated if their child reacts negatively toward them at times. Working to re-establish the bond between parent and child. Explore the reasons that caused the actions of the mothers Express the importance of lifelong connections in the lives of the children we work with Finding strengths in parents Focusing on emotional self care
68
Appendix F Qualitative Data Child Welfare In-Service Training • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • • • • •
Formal requests/timeline obligations Gathering a family's cultural involvement and activities to find the most appropriate placement Getting clients to relax using activity forms such as coloring and other relaxation techniques Good to know more resources for infant mental health, more referrals for children under 3 to have mental health services Great training for new workers. As an experienced worker, I didn't learn much new information. Discussion was helpful. Handouts and relaxation strategies Having more staff retreats - more regular shut off work when I get home Having more understanding of people with brain injury and being more patient Helping foster and adoptive parents understand behavior at placement. Also helping bio family understand reaction of child during visits or reunification Help child welfare staff better understand how grieving appears in infant and young children Help children identify with their cultures Help relative placements that are adopting to understand the potential adoption issues (isn't being addressed by adoption worker), help child understand what has happened (termination of parental rights) and what is happening (aunt becoming the mom) use descriptions of the different types of parents to help child and adoptive parents Helping adoptive families recognize and understand trauma responses in the children they are matched with Helping clients go beyond behavior modifications and explore what thoughts motivate behaviors Helping foster children deal with a child coming into care / helping parents understand children during visits Helping foster parents with toddlers & young children understand infant-related trauma and associated behaviors Helping inform caregivers of trauma responses, helping children with coping skills Helping LGBT youth; advocating for LGBT foster parents How my young girls at shelter are at risk of human trafficking How the use of substances are in direct correlation to negative behaviors How to advocate for a child needing special end How to be a better listener How to be a better supervisor How to better engage with a difficult adolescent, specific behaviors displayed by difficult adolescents How to better prepare... How to handle myself in an appropriate and professional manner How to have staff engage with grandparents raising their grandchildren differently than those being licensed to take non-related children. Also provide information on the resources provided to give the grandparents our agency has licensed. How to help families understand the effects of violence on themselves How to help prevent disruptions How to identify HT victims and speak/work w/ them How to identify that children may display and could be a result of autism / how to support parents with children who have autism How to prepare for a referral for SED waiver to get approved How to prepare for court, appropriately dress and how to present myself confidently How to react with a youth if they were to come out. Also become more knowledgeable of local resources How to recognize and use treatment interventions for complicated grief How to specifically help with transition and moves, how to engage the caregivers to relate to the children & remain focused on their needs and not take it personal
69
Appendix F Qualitative Data Child Welfare In-Service Training • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • •
How to testify effectively / how to do best practice with all clients I am a part of a TF-CBT certificate program for my MSW so I will be implementing it in my internship I am unemployed I appreciate that the training spent nearly 2/3 of the training time with true intervention techniques. I attend trainings that provide a lot of cause, signs, symptoms, but then only give 10 minutes of hands on techniques I believe much of the information here will be impacting my work as it applies to sexual abuse and trauma in general I can use some of the information/ideas in counseling sessions with our clients I do not... (illegible) traumas I enjoyed learning about the affect regulation and will use this for my day to day interaction with my clients I enjoyed the specific phrases or interventions she suggested we do I expect to better interpret children’s behavior during removal + respond more appropriately to minimize the trauma I feel like I am better able to recognize trauma symptoms and implement basic intervention strategies I feel the information presented is basic and would like to see more advanced training I have a child in my caseload that has been sexually abused. She is currently in in-home therapy however, I will referring to this specific therapy to address this trauma I hope to add this information to my training of new workers and supervisors. I hope to be able to better educate others @ my agency and create a more inclusive environment I liked learning about the type of listener I am I liked the duck, swam, and goose exercise and videos. Presentation was very good, good knowledge of topic. I also appreciated the what to do if youth discloses section I often take crisis calls from post adoptive families. Frequently, their children are having behavioral issues in school and not getting IEP or SO4 support. This training will help me support these families and point them to helpful resources I plan on using the cognitive thinking I plan to (illegible) in the class exercise I think I will use this concept in my work I thought it would be more specific to children in foster care I will apply some of this to working with my clients. I have observed that I am more tasks than relationship oriented, be confident that they can do it, daily task lists and balance your empathy. I will ask that this training be mandatory for foster care workers I will be able to give families/ foster families the knowledge they need to abstain services and will be able to advocate for the children I will be able to identify signs of STS and Burnout I will be able to inform caregivers and parents tools to use when with their infant I will be able to share some of the resources that I was previously unaware of with families. Some of the specific examples will make me more aware of the needs of these families. I will begin asking families if they are open and accepting to LGBTQ kids when doing home studies and placing kids I will better observe children in our youth group especially the ones w/ troubled homes I will ensure I implement effective stress management techniques to I can adequately meet their needs. Can relate my experience of secondary trauma in brain with the process in children - found new ways to explain to foster/adoptive families I will share this information to our site team; to ensure that they are knowledgeable I will try to inform youth of risk and influence. I will engage openly on strengths and speak privately with youth, I will help them think about their issue and self-soothe I will use all of the information to help with a child that is on my caseload
70
Appendix F Qualitative Data Child Welfare In-Service Training • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
I will use the information for my job when interviewing people for home studies I will use the resources provided. I will also use the technique - student fed problem solving I work in a hospital pediatric unit and at times work with suicidal teens that have overdosed. I will have an additional sensitivity to any sexual orientation or identity struggles that may be a part of their life IDA, train staff Identify grief vs. trauma, questions to ask, be direct Identification of (if adoption cases involve HT) Identification of symptoms of trauma, how to assist foster parents in caring for their own children's trauma, self care Identify and develop behavior plans and support systems Identify and develop behavior plans and support systems Identifying autism, Gaining knowledge on support available Identifying behavioral issues brought on from past trauma Identifying/ addressing attachment issues between child & caregiver IMH work Impact of DV on children's brain. Brain development. Impact on relationships, interactions at school, and encourage foster/adoptive parents to attend therapy Impacts of trauma on kids, learning about teaching kids thoughts, feelings, etc. Importance of intervening as early as possible when issues arise Improving communication, providing support to grandparents In CPS we put band-aids on many situations- hopeful with my clients I am able to not just band-aid the problem or issue but help indentify the trigger of behavior Include culturally competent discussions during family team meetings Incorporate discussion of SPST reduction strategies in supervisory conferences. Implement safeguards for staff and caregivers. Incorporating some mindfulness exercises into my days working on supervision, teaching curiosity while acknowledging staff's needs and challenges Increase self-care methods into my daily life and ways to implement it. Increase understanding of child development and difficult adolescence features Indentifying secondary trauma and burnout in myself and coworkers Inform parents of their rights to help their children receive appropriate services, as well as explaining the process to them with follow up, as appropriate Information regarding how attachment in early life directly impacts children's future ability to attach Informed trauma Interactions with children w/ foster and biological parents Intervention strategies Intervention, More self care Intervention, Trauma Questions Interventions Interventions Interventions for traumatized youth in child welfare system. Interventions, Helping my staff to debrief and self care, helping my staff to understand the behavior of our youth Interventions, resources, support It is applicable in life and I will always be interacting with LGBT no matter what field I am in It is important for me to look at the child's behavior, why children behave a certain way- it is based upon their core beliefs
71
Appendix F Qualitative Data Child Welfare In-Service Training • • • •
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
It is important to start building bonds with foster children immediately. The attachment discussion relates to PRIDE training-very helpful. It opened my eyes that reliving a traumatic event can be re-traumatizing Journaling helps track feelings and distract, will use journals more often Just being more aware of how children/infants/toddlers are affects by grief and how its important that when doing removals and placing with foster parents making sure they have appropriate training & understanding in regards to this topic Just having the knowledge to assess and identify human trafficking. Keeping my staff understand where they are and dealing with the stress and trauma of their job and help them strengthen their skills in this job and encourage self care. Know the outline for CBT Knowing difference between sexuality and gender / knowing right from wrong terms to be used Knowing how to address the issue of substance abuse with clients and being able to properly refer them Knowing when to take time out to care for myself in order to care/understand my clients. Knowledge and awareness of this issue in day-to-day life. Was introduced to new information on the subject I was aware of Knowledge of specific legal statues and rights Language, terminology, questions to ask, and awareness Learn how to not let the stress get to me and not take work home with me Learning how to de-escalate issues during special investigations Listening to find out the problem or area of concern for the client; then try to offer concrete solutions to solve them Look for clues/ signs Looking for red flags that may suggest sexual exploitation Making referrals Making sure grandparents have a clear understanding of their role and responsibility, making sure the lines of communication are open between all parties involved, making sure they have a support system More behavioral plan with child and parents; using more positive reinforcements to initiate improved behaviors More effective ethical decision making More in terms to my staff and peers More knowledge working with clients More pre-meetings with family More preparation for challenges in years ahead More self-care More thought on recovery and relapse My approach, utilizing community resources to help families & kids I work with My understanding of the development of the child's brain and the importance of its first impressions. Move around in my SW to not burn out of be cynical of families. Navigating through IEP decisions from schools Need to do more for my staff New links for support New ways to advocate for and address grandparent needs None. It seems as though the presenter did not have a good understanding of what kind of issues, children or concerns seen in the child welfare system Not currently working Nothing in my current position, however I’m interested in obtaining my degree in counseling
72
Appendix F Qualitative Data Child Welfare In-Service Training • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Observing the behavior of infant/toddler clients interactions w/parents and foster parent for a better understanding Opiate knowledge Paper assessments and case planning Parallel process Paying closer attention to parent/child interactions to look for even brief moments of correlation Picture book, positive psychology-strengths Plan to continue to assist care provider with understanding early trauma and impact on current emotional & behavioral issues in children in foster care Plan to review step 2 more on my own so I can better reflect on what was presented Plan to take information and train the rest of my staff, specifically ways to prepare families prior to OTR and what to watch for (high risks), as well as interventions for families in crisis Points on how to engage the victim and statistics given Policy updates PRACTICE Practice treatment components and strategies Preparation and what to stay away from Preparing for testimonies Preparing kids and families for potential problems/concerns post adoption Presentation with foster parents and activities with children Prevention - to create plan and activities to stop burnout Prevention was most important, along with remembering to put myself first prevention- personal - seek help, debrief with supervisor, know my clients, continue rituals - pray, read bible Priorities of unconscious attention- appropriate for sharing with caregivers Providing education and support especially to families (adoptive) caring for a child with brain injury providing support to parents of children with autism Recent case law Recognize burnout with families and staff Recognize grief response Recognizing behaviors of specific disorders, the impact of drug usage in adolescents Recognizing signs of burn out or vicarious trauma Recognizing the physical cues before I become burnt out to better serve my clients Recognizing victims of SEC and CSEC and effective advocacy Recognizing what I can do as a team member. Recommend for successful treatment Reduce trauma in removals and replacements for children in foster care. Seeking out trauma focused therapist for my clients Referral for specific assessments Referring to SCAO Reframing. Relating mission/vision to the work we are doing, use of mindfulness in self care Relationship questions Relaxation techniques, encouraging bio parents/teaching bio parents about TFCBT relaxation techniques, examples of types of maladaptive thinking Reminder of trauma's impact not only on victims but workers Removal of children/routine counseling right away
73
Appendix F Qualitative Data Child Welfare In-Service Training • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • •
Requesting IEPS, compliance by districts, manifestation determination reviews Resources Resources Resources and tools (genera, behavior plan) Resources for children whose parents suffer from BI Resources for families Resources for funding; student centered conversations Resources to use to better write/present reports and info Resources, knowledge. Cultural awareness and use of terminology/how to address people in a nonjudgmental significant other, partner, promote awareness/tolerance/accepting in agency Respect for child's background Retired Reviewing court forms to understand what the judge sees reviewing my personal values and help my employees process their beliefs as they interact with clients Risk factors, how to work with youth to help them address issues and check on the feelings of the child Scaling - relationship Secondary trauma & Domestic Violence SED waver, CAFAS Self care Self Care Self care assessment tool, writing w staff, be more aware of where they are, is style/manner of supervision effective for them. Self care practices, reflect on my role in supervisee vs supervisor relationship Self care supervision techniques Sensory- resources for parents Services for the parents and the child offering them examples to make them not feel like they are bad parents Services, supports Shaken baby syndrome Share info with staff who work with BI children and adults Share information and tools with direct case workers Share it with staff and supervisor, specific things about trauma, and how to self-care and how supervisors can encourage it. Share the dangers of human trafficking with the residents who AWOL regularly Share with those who... Sharing normal trauma responses with caregivers via education Sharing these current guides/ brochure/ training information with my staff so they can better assist youth. Sharing with parent mentors and other Para-pros working with families Signs and symptoms of TF-CBT Some of the power points Some techniques that were suggested during the removal process Speaking with foster parents about how the children will not have an instant bond. How children who may be older have had a series of neglect/emotional trauma that triggers negative behavior. Also not to expect results over night Specific calming and emotion regulation tools Specifics of PRAC to help my child clients understand that the way they feel/act is normal and they can tell me about their trauma Spend longer time explaining needs of child to foster parents at placement 74
Appendix F Qualitative Data Child Welfare In-Service Training • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• • • •
Statistical and demographic Stats, services, specialized training, groups; I will focus on all of these. Steps in decision making and considerations in ethical decision making Steps to minimize trauma during removal, impenitent trauma focus in parenting time, focusing activities Strategies for families and parents that show them how to put themselves in their child's shoes. Realize their child has feelings and thoughts and an agenda Strategies for supporting the children Strategies for working with children Strategies to help child transition Strategies to improve moves to adoptive homes Strategies to use to support young children when have to be moved Strategies/interventions Stress relieving techniques Substance use assessment Support for families Take better care of myself Take info back to staff of 14 and other departments to help make decisions to refer Take more consideration on youths emotions if and when removal occurs Take time for myself, allow for boundaries between work and personal time, and have more specific expectations for supervision. Taking time to evaluate before responding Talk more to children during removals Talk to staff and adoptive parents to work past the behavior of children and to see them as reacting to the trauma they experienced. Suggest adoptive parents take this class talking to youth about grief and loss / addressing behaviors associated with grief and loss Techniques for precise and effective courtroom testimony Techniques for working with adolescents Techniques regarding questioning Techniques to deal with children who are having tantrums or meltdowns. Ask parents if they need help/assistance Techniques to prepare families and child for adoption matching/placement, how to help families keep realistic expectations of foster children, how to handle crisis situation/potential disruption Techniques, patience, sympathy/empathy for clients Testifying & whets appropriate vs. annoying Testifying in CA/N cases, knowledge of new laws and trends Testifying in court and what to avoid saying Testifying tips Testifying tips - factual statements, preparation and documenting throughout case. Testifying tips, tricks to finding information, learn what words and phrases not to use in court The "first impressions" video The "repair work" with caregivers and infants and helping the caregivers understand different methods of helping young kids progress in mental health treatment. Setting boundaries that are age appropriate and how to respond to limits The ability to provide positive reinforcement of cultural identity The additional knowledge to work with teens in my profession The affect DV has on children's displayed behaviors The different activities and skills of the practice therapy especially psycho educational with foster parents
75
Appendix F Qualitative Data Child Welfare In-Service Training and teaches the ways to tie emotions with bodily states and the importance of talking • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The different techniques (relaxation techniques, focusing games, etc.) The effects of treatment and its effectiveness The examples were helpful and the "tricks" were good to know and will be used frequently The financial resources when working with Jar and Sr students The foster/adoptive parent and child perspective The gingerbread man - behaviors/responses to LGBT youth, resources, The importance of education for foster and adoptive families / the importance of families to know their own trauma and to know foster or adoptive kids will push buttons and their own issues will surface The information regarding the difference between abuse & dependency and the scope of the abuse and how it impacts children The information that substance use with arrest brain development & behavior. Assists with keeping in mind that many adults are still (emotionally/developmentally) adolescents The issues of LGBTQ foster children who are aging out of foster care The resources The resources and sources will be extremely helpful The resources available to the families and children. Honestly, Kalamazoo has so much more than Allegan The skills to use with the various age groups The specific interventions and games (jingo feelings game, Uno cards, etc.) The TF-CBT model The tool kit, listening skills; seeking strengths about kids/families Therapeutic strategy- being clear about your support for LGBTQ youth Think more about the cultural focus.... their heritage Thinking of ways to prepare and comfort the child This could be all day training - lots of material to cover and it felt rushed This did not provide any new or different information This training has reminded me that not all grandparents are familiar with child welfare and need more assistance than traditional foster families Tips for accurate testifying Tips on testifying, especially tips on confidence and answering Tips/strategies for effective testimony, Do's and Don’ts To be able to get resources to families/children who may have experienced some trauma that has been unsolved To be positive (already are), but continue to be positive & helpful with all families (cooperative or not). To be understanding even if you are not the same To better know how to identify victims of human trafficking To provide grandparents and relative caregivers more resources To reduce stress To take care of yourself well is to take care of your clients as well Train more staff and child welfare professionals in this topic as well as foster parents that I work with Training foster parents to understand infant/ caregiver perspective, empathy, & understanding that infants are affected by traumas and don't forget Trauma focused Trauma informed supervision practices Trauma symptoms helping youth to cope with struggles, helping build support systems and relationships, teach self regulating techniques Treatment interventions
76
Appendix F Qualitative Data Child Welfare In-Service Training • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Treatment of survivors and identifying victims Tricks Trigger should be indentified before solving problem. Don’t just replace the behavior but find the problem Types of services, adoptive families needed Underlines the value of the PRAC portion of therapy Understand child and parent expressions of grief, how to identify & understand the varied responses a person could have, relate to CPS investigations Understanding & gaining knowledge of new coping skills Understanding how to prepare family and children, better understand disruption dynamics Understanding how trauma from 0-3 has long term consequences for children placed in foster care especially in ability to attach, trust, & feel empathetic Understanding specific needs and how to advocate for clients Use of assessments Use of drug related disorders Use of the screening tool Use the parallel process Using empathy, seeing how the child feels, looking deeper into how trauma has affected child Using the info so that if there were LGBT youth that I work with that they would feel safe opening up to me. Also, talking to foster families about taking in LGBT youth and not judging them Using the relaxation exercises to help with children Utilizing listening skills more effectively Values - identifying world view and the dimension of influence Very informative, would have liked more info on self-care Ways as an organization to address Ways to approach/address clients sexuality with family and friends Ways to change my work environments to improve my level of stress We are currently developing an agency wide practice model for trauma informed case management. Web resources What I can testify to When it is appropriate to make a TF-CBT referral for foster children When to refer for additional services and what tools should be used When/if this ever present itself in my career I will have a knowledge base and resources While all of the information was relevant, I plan to implement the critical thinking skills as well as inkstand the values of social work Will look into getting some of the interventions and activities Will utilize in my personal life but could also utilize in some case work Work more closely with staff. I am going to talk to my program manager about other managers Work with adults & families - will be able to be more understanding Work with staff to incorporate some of the assessment tools. Also looking for different questions to pose during the assessment process Working with foster parents more, how they will assist the children learning and embracing their ethnic and cultural heritage Working with people/ equality Working with staff, monitoring their own possible secondary trauma. And my own
77
