Winter2005/2006

Permanency Planning TodayPermanency Planning Today

On August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrinaslammed into the Gulf Coast as a Category 4storm. In Washington, D.C., representativesof all the states were meeting at theAdoptUSKids National Adoption and FosterCare Recruitment Summit, hosted by theChildren's Bureau/ACF/DHHS through itsgrantee, AdoptUsKids. By the time the meet-ing was over on Tuesday afternoon, it wasclear that there was major storm damagealong the coasts of Alabama, Mississippi andLouisiana, and that New Orleans had suf-fered flooding from the breeching of its lev-ees. Colleagues from the affected states leftthe meeting not knowing what to expectwhen they arrived home. The rest of us won-dered what we could do to help them, bothpersonally and professionally.

The devastation caused by Katrina and byher cousin Rita, who ripped into Texas andLouisiana less than a month later, has disrupt-ed every aspect of life for people in thosestates, and will have long-reaching effects onthe region and the nation. For the child wel-fare professionals who met in Washington,and their peers around the country, some ofthe most immediate critical questions wouldbe “How will this affect children in out-of-home care, their biological families, and thefamilies and institutions that care for them?”and “What can we do help?”

In response, the Children's Bureau led the way,making full use of its many resources to provide:

✪ Constantly-updated resource lists on thewebsites of the National ResourceCenter for Family-Centered Practice andPermanency Planning and the NationalAdoption Information Clearinghouse/National Clearinghouse on Child Abuseand Neglect Information.

✪ A special issue of the NRCFCPPP WeeklyUpdate electronic newsletter devoted toKatrina relief efforts, sent on September2 to our nearly 3,000 electronic sub-scribers.

✪ A toll-free hotline for people interested inproviding a home for children in theaftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Callerswere connected to a network of localfamily referral organizations across thecountry, which connect families to agen-cies which license or approve foster oradoptive families.

✪ A series of conference calls for child wel-fare directors, foster care managers,adoption managers, ICAMA managersand ICPC administrators, enabling themto share information to assist Louisiana,Mississippi and Alabama in supportingtheir foster and adoptive families whichmay have been displaced by HurricaneKatrina. Notes from the calls were post-ed on the NRCFCPPP website.

✪ Each of the seven national child welfareresource centers and AdoptUsKids

HURRICANES&CHILD WELFARE

received funding from ACF to assist states inrebuilding child welfare service deliveryand family court systems disrupt-ed by Hurricane Katrina.The NRCFCPPP usedpart of its funding toconnect theL o u i s i a n aDepartment ofSocial Serviceswith KevinCampbell, ourconsultant expert inthe area of familyfinding (see the storyon page 3 for moreabout Kevin and his work).

Other agencies, organizations and individ-uals did their part as well. Some of the larg-er efforts included:

✪ The American Public Human ServicesAssociation (APHSA) issued a detailedmemo on child welfare issues relatedto Hurricane Katrina, which includedinformation on tracking children dis-placed by Hurricane Katrina; cross-checking against other information onmissing children; adoption assistanceand foster care maintenance pay-ments; medical assistance; the num-ber of foster and adoptive childrenwith special needs who are potential-ly displaced; education of children lefthomeless by Hurricane Katrina; andinformation on HIPAA.

✪ The Child Welfare League of America(CWLA) created the Katrina Kids Fundto support its member agencies whoserve children and families in theaffected regions, and partnered withthe Freddie Mac Foundation in theKatrina Fund for Foster Children toenable children in foster care to havethe services and supports they need torecover from the devastating effects ofthe hurricane. This fund providedimmediate disaster relief and address-es the longer-term recovery needs ofcommunity-based agencies to helpthem rebuild their capacity to assistchildren in foster care.

✪ The National Foster Parent Association(NFPA) launched a clothing drive andrelief fund to support foster familiesdisplaced by Hurricane Katrina.

✪ The National Center for Missing andExploited Children posted informationabout children and families, separatedby the storms, who were searching forone another.

✪ Individuals in every state, concernedabout children who were separatedfrom their families, contacted agencies

about providing temporary homes.Because the safety of children in

care remains the number onepriority, foster parent licens-ing regulations could not bewaived. However, this pre-sented an opportunity toencourage many to learnmore about the 518,000children who need out-of-

home placement every day,as well as the 119,000 chil-

dren and youth waiting foradoption.

STATUS OF EFFORTSAs of early November, Louisiana has locat-ed all but eight children in foster care whowere displaced by Hurricane Katrina andsome again by Hurricane Rita. About2,000 children in care lived in the affectedareas of the state; 75% were located with-in the first two weeks after the storm. Effortsto locate children who evacuated with theirfoster families, most of whom are fromOrleans and Jefferson Parishes, were com-plicated by the fact that caseworkers werealso displaced, records destroyed by thedisaster, and the foster parents with whomthese children live are spread out across thecountry, perhaps jobless and lackingresources to communicate. Louisiana has atoll-free hotline for foster parents to call toreport their whereabouts: 800-259-3428.

Mississippi and Alabama have located allof their children displaced by the storm.Texas, which took so many of those dis-placed by Katrina, also had a hotline forfoster parents following Hurricane Rita.

LOOKING AHEADThe psychological effects of Katrina and Ritamay continue for years, for both childrenand families. Child welfare agencies mustbe sensitive to the ways this trauma affectsbehavior, from the stress that can contributeto child maltreatment to the ways children incare act out their emotional turmoil. We willcontinue to share information aboutresources that can help agencies assess,identify, and deal with trauma and stress.

Lessons learned in locating foster familieswho evacuated with their foster childrencan be documented and disseminated, sothat in the future agencies can swing intoaction immediately when disaster strikes.

And most importantly, every agency canprepare its own disaster plan that specifiesemergency procedures and ensures thatthe agency continues to function during aman-made or natural disaster. TheChildren's Bureau has prepared a guidethat describes why a disaster plan is neces-sary and identifies the elements of an effec-tive child welfare agency plan. Topicsinclude how to use agency staff and com-munity resources, ways to locate fosterfamilies, alternative funding sources, intera-gency collaboration, and procedures forreceiving disaster relief funds. Treating childwelfare staff as disaster victims, trainingfoster parents, and plan implementationand maintenance are also discussed. Findthe guide online at <nccanch.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/coping disasters.pdf >

Find out more about the resources mentionedin this article at the following websites:National Resource Center for FamilyCentered Practice and PermanencyPlanning<www.nrcfcppp.org>National Adoption InformationClearinghouse<naic.acf.hhs.gov>National Clearinghouse on ChildAbuse and Neglect Information <nccanch.acf.hhs.gov>Administration for Children andFamilies</www.acf.dhhs.gov>The American Public HumanServices Association< www.aphsa.org>Child Welfare League of America<www.cwla.org>National Foster Parent Association<www.nfpainc.org>National Center for Missing andExploited Children<www.missingkids.com>

LIGHTING THE FIREOF URGENCY

Kevin Campbell, a consultant to the NRCFCPPP, pre-sented his “family finding” work in a Webcast on June 14, 2005.The webcast itself, as well as handout materials, are archived onour website at http://event.netbriefings.com/event/nrcfcpp/Archives/hunternrcfcppp7/. This model engages agencies inprojects to find relatives for children and youth who may other-wise exit the foster care system without permanent connections tocaring adults. The projects have proved very successful in a num-ber of sites in connecting youth to 15 to 50 concerned familymembers. After the presentation, Gary Mallon, ExecutiveDirector of the NRCFCPPP interviewed Kevin. Since then, Kevinhas helped the state of Louisiana in locating families of childrenseparated from them by Hurricane Katrina in September, 2005.

GM: In your presentation, you talk about “Family Finding,Lighting the Fire of Urgency”, why do you think this issueis so urgent?

KC: Many children and young people who live in foster careand other residential settings like long-term in-patient psychi-atric hospitals and juvenile facilities are growing up withoutconsistent and essential relationships with adults. The loss thatthey experience is definable; the U.S. Department of Healthand Human Services has studied the quality of affection thatchildren living in America receive from their mothers andfathers. They reported that children between birth and 13 yearsof age are told that they are loved every day according to morethat 80% of mothers and nearly 80% of fathers. I worked onbehalf of hundreds of young people in residential care to locateconnections. They had not heard those words constantly in adecade or more of moving from foster home to residential facil-ity to juvenile facility.This is an urgent enough reason to be concerned. However,once family finding activities begin public and private agencysocial workers were able to find and engage at least severaladult family members who would have loved most of the youngpeople in the project everyday but were never called.They did this in an average of five and a half hours of work foreach relative, over six months. Surely we can find the time andresources in our agencies to make this possible for every childand young person.The young people in America's child welfare system, their fam-ilies and tax payers cannot afford the consequences or costs of

raising children in temporary care who had willing relativeswho would have helped if we had called them. For the vastmajority of the young people served by these projects the fam-ily was out there every day. The most heard comment fromthem was, "If you could call now, why didn't you call us 10years ago?" The answer is, “We didn't have the tools then, butwe're calling now.”

GM: You explained during your presentation that youtried different combinations of public child welfare andprivate non-profit staff during your projects. Whicharrangements were most effective?

KC: All of the projects, regardless of design, were able toextensively identify family members for young people. But themost effective designs were those that combined public agencysocial workers with private non-profit staff as partners. Withoutexception the child welfare, child mental health and juvenileprobations systems that are most effective are those that col-laborate with at least one shared belief - that children mustgrow up in families.Private non-profit organizations add tremendous value to com-munity systems of care when they truly work as system partnerswith accountability and shared commitments. Pierce and ClarkCounties in Washington State are excellent long-term examplesof this as are Santa Clara, Orange and Sacramento Counties inCalifornia. All of these communities have something in common- a collaboration of systems and key non-profit organizationsworking together with a wraparound philosophy, values andprinciples.Not every community based organization needs to providetruly unconditional acceptance and care to families in a com-munity, but there must at least be one working with every juris-diction. In our projects we included those organizations; it isone of the best decisions I have ever made.I want to mention San Mateo County's use of volunteer CourtAppointed Special Advocates. I am very excited about the pos-sibility of shaping the role of court advocates to become morefocused on the basic needs of children, like having a true senseof lifelong belonging in a family and less on advocating forspecial "treatments" and placements. It just makes sense to methat these volunteers can be the voice of the child in the processemphasizing their need for a forever family. Better yet, let's

include them in helping in the search. I am very pleased to behelping California CASA to write a curriculum for this and pro-vide access to search information so that they can join publicchild welfare in working for the same valued outcomes.

GM: How were you able to consistently achieve success infinding and engaging so many relatives for young people?

KC: Finding the parents and relatives turned out to be easy inmost situations. There was enough information in most childwelfare records to get started. The file review and/or USSearch reports usually lead us to at least one relative, usuallyseveral. It is the interview with the family member that finds thefamily. Asking question such as, "I understand that you don'thave the contact information for your second cousin who plansthe family reunions, but can you and I call someone else nowwho does?" can be extremely productive and garner immedi-ate results.This is followed up by "let's call your sister right now." Doing itnow conveys the importance of this activity more than any otherapproach. Once you have engaged the family, you must alsoinvolve them in a planning meeting as quickly as possible.Action tells the story here; you are either concerned and actingon your concern, or you are saying that you're concerned anddoing business as usual. Business as usual isn't working.

GM: How do you think access to such powerful informa-tion systems to find parents and relatives will change thepractice of child welfare agencies?

KC: The information to locate addresses and phone numbersfor most Americans living in the United States and US Territorieshas been available for years. Data base systems have addressinformation on most of us that goes back to 1983.The due diligence tools used by child welfare agencies canprovide some help. My perspective is that form follows func-tion. We use due diligence tools to prove we tried to find a par-ent, not to find them. Largely they are not used to find relatives.Frankly, because of the institutional beliefs that have been bar-riers to working with the family, there has been no reason toimprove our systems to locate parents and relatives.Today the information is available to identify literally millions ofrelatives for the more than 500,000 children and young peo-ple in foster care. That information is available through serviceproviders like US Search in as little as 20 minutes.

In the past our challenges were about families coming forwardand claiming their lost children. With these systems and prac-tices it's now about us creating the time and support for socialworkers to go to the family and engage them in protecting andplanning for their children.

GM: What is it like to call or knock on the door of familymembers 10 years or more after a child has left the fam-ily? How did adult family members treat social workers?

KC: The first call or visit to a parent or family member fromwhom the child has been separated is almost certainly the mostanxiety-producing part of this work. In most of our projects ithas taken three coaching sessions and sitting with social work-ers to make these initial contacts.As I mentioned earlier, having thought through an engagementstrategy is very important with the first contact. Also important isto write down the specific information that you want from the per-son. These calls are highly emotional for the family and for you.It's very easy to be so captivated by the family member's storyand grief over the loss of these young people that you will endthe call or visit without getting essential information. An amaz-ingly constant experience is how kind family members havebeen to us, even when they ask "If you could find us now, whydidn't you come 10 years ago?"There is nothing that is likely to happen during a first call or visitthat is worse than being a young person who develops as achild without consistent love and affection while they had a fitand willing family member all along who we didn't even call.

GM: Did family members ever refuse to get involvedor help?

KC: There have been situations where a family member hasbeen unwilling to help, but it has been very rare. My sense ofthis is that the circumstances that lead to involvement of thechild welfare system are at its core some of the most painful forindividuals and families to confront. Withdrawal from connec-tion with the family is one way individuals or family groupscope with overwhelming circumstances.This makes the practice of engagement an essential element ofsocial work. Before I try to contact family members and others Iplan a unique engagement strategy for each person I try tospeak to. What do I know about this person? What is their con-nection to the children I'm working for? How difficult might thisphone call or visit be for them? Finally is there something I cando to leave this person feeling that they have done somethingto help these children today?Language is critical, but candor and honesty must be at thecenter of every conversation.... "I'm calling you today because I am worried about your

niece and nephew."... "You can imagine how a child might feel who has been

through the things she has."

... "I believe that you have information that could really helpher today..."

... "No one but you really knows how difficult this has been foryou and your family members, but there is an opportunity forthings to get better and you can really make a difference."

... "For instance, can you imagine how important knowing howmany cousins you have could be? How about talents thatyour niece shares with someone in your family?”

... "Just for her to know that she hasn't been forgotten wouldmean so much."

Engagement is my responsibility as a human rights advocate forchildren and families. I believe that it is a part of my work thatis essential and requires planning. To effectively engage familymembers and parents I must be committed to their well beingand need for connections and their right to know. In otherwords, child-centeredness is a barrier to engaging familymembers in helping their children. We need to be concernedfor each and every parent and family member we work with,now and later.

GM: What kind of changes have child welfare agenciesthat completed these projects made based on what theylearned from the projects?

KC: The simplest change has been the willingness of socialworkers to call the family and ask for help. Each agency andjurisdiction has uniquely incorporated their lessons learned. Apattern seems to be emerging that the first place in their systemthat incorporation of the practice happens is with "emancipat-ing" youth. I presume this is for two reasons; one is that time isshort and there is a sense of urgency as the young person facesdischarge to self. The second is that it seems to be the place

where the concern about the risk of the family to the young per-son is lowest. Institutional beliefs die hard.Of course the question arises early in the project, if we can findand contact so many family members for our longest waitingwhat does this mean for the young children and their familieswe are working with? Stanislaus, Santa Clara and PierceCounties in California are using search strategies now to helpidentify more relatives to support young children and their par-ents when the Child Protective Services and Court Workersmeet families.

GM: How much does it cost to access address informa-tion for parents and relatives?

KC: It has become very inexpensive to buy these reports. Insome cases you can use free web sites to get an address orphone number. The extensive reports that I use in my practicecost between $25.00 and $50.00 per child; of course, theyoften provide the identity of 15 or more relatives and familyfriends.

Kevin Campbell is Vice President of Strategic Planning andService Innovation with EMQ Children and Family Services locat-ed in Campbell, California. He is also a technical assistanceprovider for the National Resource Center. Kevin is primaryauthor of "Lighting the Fire of Urgency: Families Lost and Found inAmerica's Child Welfare System" and "Who Am I? Why FamilyReally Matters." His projects are assisting child welfare agenciesin reassessing the importance of reaching out to all availablefamily members to achieve not only connections for youth, butpermanent relative placements for children earlier in their childwelfare involvement.

These four photographsgraphically display the con-nections of 25 young peoplein Cook County, Illinois whohave been living in out-of-home care placements anaverage of 10 years. In the firstphoto, leaves on the 25branches represent connec-tions known to the child wel-fare agency at the start of afamily finding project. Eachtime a connection was made,a leaf was added. Photos dis-play the results after 30, 60and 82 days.

A Few Words aboutMethampthetamineMethampetamine is a highly addictive stimulant associatedwith serious health and psychiatric conditions, the use of whichis increasing nationwide. Child welfare workers are seeinggrowing numbers of children and families affected by their par-ent's use of this drug, and many professionals are concernedabout the extent and nature of this problem.

This issue of Permanency Planning Today contains an articleabout a promising program in Florida that is having success intreating substance abusing families while ensuring the safety oftheir children. It describes the drug as a serious threat with dan-gerous effects on the user and increased risk of abuse and neg-lect of children of users. However, the ever-expanding body ofinformation about this drug points to the hope that the situationmay not be as dire as is often predicted in the media.

We believe that, as you encounter children affected by theirparents' use of meth, you need accurate information about thedrug, its effects on parents, the potential dangers to children,the efficacy of treatment, and the possibility of recovery for theparent. To provide you with the most recent information on thedrug the following information was obtained from a paper pre-pared for the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, SubstanceAbuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S.Department of Health and Human Services by Cathleen Otero,M.S.W., Sharon Boles, Ph.D., Nancy K. Young, Ph.D., and KimDennis, M.P.A.

Meth is a dangerous drug that can lead to severe problems forusers and puts their children at risk. However, research indi-cates that the physiological damage created by methamphet-amine use is reversible with long-term abstinence. Researchalso shows that treatment models that work for addiction toother substances are also effective for methamphetamineaddiction. Treatment outcomes for methamphetamine usersappear to be similar to those for users of other drugs. Successfultreatment for the parent may lead to family reunification andresultant benefit to both the child and the parent.

In dealing with the children of methamphetamine-using par-ents, child welfare workers must be alert to the immediate andlong-term symptoms of exposure to the drug itself and thechemicals used in its manufacture. They must also be aware ofthe potential dangers to children in a methamphetamine man-ufacturing situation. They need to understand the danger theythemselves face in visiting a location where methamphetaminemay be produced.

Child welfare workers must take into consideration the cogni-tive impairments that result from prolonged use. Residualimpairments may be apparent for a year or more after treat-ment begins. A parent who appears unwilling to meet caseplan requirements may in fact be unable to meet the require-ments without additional support.

The issue of prenatal exposure requires attention as well. Earlyintervention, effective treatment, and supportive follow-up arethe keys to ensuring that a healthy baby is born to a healthymother.

Methamphetamine-using parents may have needs beyondtreatment for addiction, such as needs for mental health servic-es, medical services, housing, and employment. Their childrenmay have needs beyond safety from immediate harm. The mosteffective approach to the problem of methamphetamine-usingparents and their at-risk children is a comprehensive integratedservices strategy, where treatment includes a range of servicesthat support the parent in leaving addiction behind and step-ping into the role of a positive, successful parent.

For the most up-to-date information about methamphetamineand other substance abuse, please check the website of theNational Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, aservice of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health ServicesAdministration's (SAMHSA) Center for Substance AbuseTreatment at:http://www.ncsacw.samhsa.gov/>

Gerald P. Mallon, DSW

from the desk ofTHEDIRECTOR

Understanding Substance Abuse and Facilitating Recovery:A Guide for Child Welfare Workers

This publication is intended for front line child welfare staff. This brief discusses the relationship of alcohol and drugs to families in the childwelfare system; provides information on the biological, psychological, and social processes of alcohol and drug addiction to help staff rec-ognize when substance abuse is a risk factor in their cases; describes strategies to facilitate and support alcohol and drug treatment andrecovery; and explains the benefits of partnering with substance abuse treatment and dependency court systems to improve outcomes forchildren of parents with substance use disorders. Download at <http://www.ncsacw.samhsa.gov/products.asp>

New Program Adaptationsin Response to Growing Meth Abuse

by Shane T. Raymond, MSW

Michael A. Bernstein, LCSW

In many parts of the nation a new drug hasquickly emerged as a serious threat. Theconcoction originated with ingredients usedfor treating nasal congestion, attentionhyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy. Itwas later used to keep soldiers on the moveduring World War II (Kyle & Hansell, 2005).

The drug - methamphetamine and knownas “meth” - can be easily manufactured inthe back of a car, hotel room or in the homeof any American family. As a result of itssimple production methods utilizing over-the-counter products containing Dexedrineand Methedrine, the drug has becomecheap and plentiful. According to the2004 National Survey on Drug Use andHealth, 1.4 million persons age 12 and uphave used methamphetamines in the pastyear, while 600,000 have used within thepast month. Moreover, the same surveyhas indicated that the number of users whomet criteria for illicit drug dependence orabuse grew from 164,000 in 2002 to346,000 in 2004.

Effects of the drug are centered primarilyupon the central nervous system. An initial“rush” tapers off into prolonged alterationsof behavior that can last an entire day. Ithas been known to permanently alter brainchemistry and functioning. Adverse reac-tions include heart attacks, brain damageand stroke. Psychological and behavioraleffects include anger, panic paranoia, hal-lucinations, repetitive behavior, confusion,jerky or flailing movements, irritability,insomnia, aggression, incessant talkingand convulsions. Violent aggressiontoward self and others is not uncommon(Kyle & Hansell, 2005).

Although studies indicate that there is a high-er rate of use among western states, smallerrural communities are also being affected(SAMSHA Advisory, 2005). The tri-countyarea encompassing Florida's Department ofChildren and Families District 14, located inthe center of the state, is no exception. Therural and agricultural area that comprisesPolk, Hardee and Highlands County has apopulation of about 645,000 (U.S. CensusQuick Facts, 2004 population estimate), andis well-known in the state as an area of majormethamphetamine production and use.

Children of parents who abuse drugs oralcohol are three times more likely to beabused and four times more likely to be

neglected than children of parents who donot (Wells & Wright, 2004). A survey con-ducted of 500 county officials throughout45 states indicated that out-of-homeplacements of children have increased dueto methamphetamine use. Survey respon-dents indicated that they believe familyreunification is more difficult in cases involv-ing methamphetamine use than in otherforms of abuse (Kyle & Hansell, 2005).

In response to the elevated abuse of drugs,Gulf Coast Community Care, a division ofGulf Coast Jewish Family Services, hasestablished a program to better meet theneeds of substance abusing families withinthe child welfare system while ensuring thesafety of children. Gulf Coast is a commu-nity-based nonprofit agency that providesprotective services supervision as part ofFlorida's privatized child welfare system.Gulf Coast is one of four providers in thisrural region of Florida under the umbrellaof a fifth non-profit lead agency, Heartlandfor Children.

Gulf Coast's Family Builders Program,established in the mid-1990's, provides in-home therapeutic and skill teaching servic-es to families involved in the child welfaresystem. In July 2005, the Family BuildersProgram contracted with Heartland forChildren to initiate a specialized substanceabuse component to help improve serviceoutcomes and permanency. At least oneparent in every family was involved withmethamphetamine use.

The families referred to this new programcomponent participate on a voluntary

basis and can refuse services at any time.In addition to linking the drug abusing par-ent with community drug treatment agen-cies, and following up to make sure treat-ment is continuing, the program providesintensive in-home services for the parent tomitigate the secondary consequences ofthe addiction on the child and family. TwoCertified Addiction Professionals divide upa caseload and two paraprofessionalsassist with service provision.

Unique interventions are employed inworking with the families assigned to thespecialized substance abuse unit. One ofthe most effective methods involves jour-naling and having the person describetheir life story and how it has led to thepresent situation. On-site drug testing israndomly administered by the counselorsto ensure that the substance-abusing par-ent is maintaining sobriety. The counselorsalso verify that the parent is attendingNarcotics Anonymous/AlcoholicsAnonymous meetings on a regular basisand receiving treatment as appropriate.Program staff also address issues of per-sonal responsibility and decision-making,parenting skills, provide family interven-tions, help develop skills to improve familycommunication and provide transportationto essential appointments

There have been 12 families referred to theprogram through the child welfare system.Treatment plans have been implementedand the interventions appear to be makinga positive impact. The duration of treat-ment is usually 120 days; therefore finaloutcomes have yet to be determined.However, early results indicate a signifi-cant reduction in drug use, and improvedfamily functioning. Eleven of the 12 adultsinvolved in treatment have tested negativefor drugs during each of their random drugtests. Documented observations of thefamily dynamics by the in-home treatmentteams indicate improved communicationand interaction between family members.Program staff informally report reducedindicators of abuse and neglect, and mostsignificantly, a new willingness on the partof methamphetamine abusing parents toassume greater and more functionalparental responsibility.

There is every indication that this interven-tion paradigm is going to be successfulwith methamphetamine-abusing families.

There is undoubtedly a need for in-depthanalysis and research on this newly formu-lated approach to treating drug addictedfamilies. Future research considerationsshould examine methamphetamine useand specific treatment methods. It is hopedthat the Family Builder's substance abusecomponent will reshape the design offuture child welfare intervention programs.As growing numbers of methamphetaminerelated child abuse cases enter the system,it is critical that there be new methods andadaptations to successfully address agrowing problem that is national in scopeand is having a notable impact on childwelfare services.

Shane T. Raymond, MSWProgram DirectorChildren's Protective ServicesGulf Coast Jewish Family ServicesContact:5925 Imperial Parkway, Suite 130Mulberry, FL 33860(863) 904-3000 email: sraymond@gcjfs.org

Michael A. Bernstein, LCSWPresident/CEOGulf Coast Jewish Family ServicesContact:14041 Icot BlvdClearwater, FL 33760(727) 538-7150 email: mbernstein@gcjfs.org

REFERENCESKyle, A.D., & Hansell B. (2005).The Meth Epidemic in America. Two Surveys of U.S. Counties:The Criminal Effect of Meth on Communities; the Impact ofMeth on Children. National Association of Counties.http://www.naco.org/Content/ContentGroups/Publications1/Press_Releases/Documents/NACo-MethSurvey.pdf

Substance Abuse Mental Health Services AdministrationAdvisory. (2005, Sept. 22). 2004 Survey Found MoreMethamphetamine Users Meet Criteria for Dependence andAbuse. http://www.samhsa.gov

U.S. Census Quick Facts (2004). Accessed for Polk,Highlands and Hardee Counties, Florida. ://factfinder.cen-sus.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en.

Wells, K. & Wright, W. (2004). Medical summit. Presented atIdaho's Second Annual Drug Endangered Children confer-ence, Post Falls, Idaho.

Tidbits From the StatesLooking for a new idea or a fresh approach to an old problem? Check out these ideas fromaround the country. Contact the NRCFCPPP for more information on any that interest yoU.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA:“Revamping Youth Services” identifies benchmarks for youth devel-opment that will be addressed at family team meetings for eachyouth at ages 15/16, 17/18, 19 and 20 in the areas of caseplanning/life skills, family/permanent connections, education,employment/ vocation, health/mental health, and housing.Implementation begins in 2006.

NEW HAMPSHIRE:Under a demonstration (research) grant from HHS, the NH Divisionfor Children, Youth & Families is collaborating with Casey FamilyServices. Building on the premise that stronger marriages may pre-vent disruption of adoptive placements, the program allows for “cou-ple retreats” at a residential camp for families. The parents engagein training, and the children participate in camp-like activities. Thefive-year grant allows at least four camping sessions per year for 12families at a time. In addition to the research component, it is consid-ered a post-adopt service for families.

NEVADA: The Division of Child and Family Services supported passage of leg-islation to establish a subsidized guardianship program for relatives.It allows for specified relatives over age 62 with legal guardianshipto receive TANF assistance equal to the foster care maintenancepayment.

OHIO:$10 million in TANF funding has been set aside to provide incentivesto kinship caregivers to take legal custody of children who have beenadjudicated abused/neglected, dependent, or unruly. Families canreceive up to $1,000 initially and $500 per following six-month peri-ods, with a cap of $3,500, to provide this care if they meet incomeand other requirements. This is an incentive, rather than an assis-tance, program.

SOUTH DAKOTA:Issued wireless laptop computers to all CPS staff, who can access theInternet via cell phones and now have the ability to access files and

complete paperless paperwork wherever they are. Other technolog-ical advances include electronic notebooks that allow them to writein longhand, as well as voice recognition software, both of which“translate” information into typed text.

VERMONT: In order to ensure that all children coming into foster care receivedtimely initial assessments, some rural districts have arranged for alocal pediatrician to block out time every week to do assessments onall children who came into care in the preceding six days; follow-upsare scheduled at that time. This also provides an opportunity for thepediatrician to use that time for catching up on paperwork if thereare few new placements during the week.

VIRGINIA: “Pathways to Permanency” is a collaborative effort by the HamptonJuvenile and Domestic Relations District Court and the HamptonDepartment of Social Services, in cooperation with other agenciesproviding services to families for children in the City's foster care sys-tem. The goal is to develop a standardized case planning tool in theform of a binder that the family, social worker, attorneys, serviceproviders and judge all use to document information for the family ina timely manner. The binder includes a startup packet containinginformation about the foster care system. Social workers use addi-tional case planning inserts for each agency that provides services;other inserts include information about best practices such as concur-rent planning that may affect the family.

WASHINGTON:The “Passion for Action” Statewide Youth Advisory Board consists of20 youth and young adults who have been recipients of Children'sAdministration (CA) services. Members were recruited and trained inleadership and self-advocacy at weekend retreats by CA in partner-ship with the Washington Education Foundation and Casey FamilyPrograms. The Board speaks at various state events, participates inongoing collaborative committees, and meets regularly with theAssistant Secretary of CA.

THERE IS A POIGNANT CARTOONfeaturing proverbial chickens separated by aroad. The chicken on the one side shouts to theother, "How does a chicken get to the otherside of the road?" His counterpart replies, "Iam already there!"

This was the common refrain when theWyoming Department of Family Services (DFS)began implementing family-centered prac-tices two years ago in response to the Childand Family Services Review (CFSR).

When told it was moving to family-centeredpractices, nearly all DFS staff responded posi-tively, saying, "That is what we've been doingfor years," or, similar to the chicken's words,"We're already there."

As I read the 81-page CFSR, it became obvi-ous our Program Improvement Plan (PIP) had tobe inclusive of the myriad partners we have inchild welfare, both public and private. Wehave actively involved them in the process, firstagreeing on the role of DFS, which is to ensurecertain families have the tools and support toraise their own children, and that communitiesare encouraged to take responsibility for theirown families.

Although we understood the DFS had aresponsibility to do its job better, we also rec-ognized that even if we did it perfectly, wewere one of many players, and, as much aspossible, all players had to be on the samepage if the system was to change and meetthe goals of the CFSR.

The PIP developed fundamentally around thisobjective, offering a range of initiatives invitingparents and the community to take moreresponsibility for the welfare of families, evenas its specific goals were used to drive animprovement in DFS's practices.

Perhaps the most exciting was developing acommon understanding that ultimate successwould be found in changing systems. TheCasey Family Program was a key player, loan-ing its Wyoming division director to DFS for thetwo-year PIP implementation period. BrendenMcKinney brought considerable knowledgeand resources from Casey, adding credibilityand affirmation to many of our efforts.

The cornerstone of the Wyoming effort is

Family Partnerships. Working with the gover-nor and other human service agency directors,a decision was made to shift to family-cen-tered practice across agency lines. To institu-tionalize the new approach, Wyoming trainedcaseworkers in child welfare, as well as per-sonnel in the areas of probation and parole,mental health and substance abuse, educa-tion, and other areas, to use Family PartnershipTeams as the basis for working with families,regardless of where they entered the system.

Using a process similar to family decision-making, all human service agencies share acommon practice-developing a unified caseplan, with the family driving the result. Familiessit together at the table with the professionalsand their community support system. At times,parents, relatives, friends, church members,teachers, neighbors, and others are included.

The plan starts with the strengths of the familyand concludes with the buy-in and accept-ance of every participant sharing responsibili-ty for the family's success. This process convertsthe phrase family-centered practice into prac-tice. In other words, the chicken actually movesto the other side of the road.

Truly shifting the paradigm isn't simple. Itrequires an honest review so long-time childwelfare staff recognize the difference betweenwhat they've done for years and what is meantby family-centered practice. In training DFSstaff, it became clear that, not unlike the para-ble of the elephant and the six blind men, wewere using the same words to describe entirelydifferent practices. We accomplish this reviewinternally with a quality-assurance protocoland, with our partners, through the keyproviders' active cooperation.

An important provider group, Wyoming YouthServices Association (WYSA) led the way.WYSA is a professional organization repre-senting non-profit group homes and residentialtreatment facilities in Wyoming. These folks,who are worth commending, saw the sameneed, obtained a grant from the Daniels Fund,and undertook a facility-by-facility review oftheir current practices, receiving recommenda-tions from a CWLA review about how to get insync with the department's new direction.

The public system relies heavily on a goodrelationship with nonprofit facilities, and suc-

cessfully implementing the PIP required thiscooperation and common approach.

We also need a shift in our own thinking. Trulydelivering family-centered practices meant aninternal self-examination of our worldview:

Why are people poor? Why are the peoplewe serve in the system? How caseworkersanswer these questions determines their abilityto effectively deliver services.

With Casey Family Program's help, we aretraining all administrators, managers, supervi-sors, and line workers, as well as key commu-nity partners and even client families over threeyears. Called "Undoing Racism," the trainingallows individuals and the group to open anhonest dialogue, not only about the effect ofrace, but also about socioeconomic differ-ences and how long-held beliefs about othersplay a role in service delivery.

How's it all working? We are using a "mini-CFSR" quality-assurance examination to see ifthe practice is actually changing. We think it is.DFS staff, WYSA, and other partners have under-taken considerable training over the last year.Change is hard. How'd the chicken get to theother side of the road? The answer is, "Slowly."

We are reminded of Elaine Ryan's statement toCongress on the CFSR process. TheCongressional Liaison for the American PublicHuman Services Association, Ryan explained toa congressional committee about how hard thestates have worked to improve services: "Mostof the states are now too pooped to PIP!"

We are, but the data is showing it's all makinga difference, and there's no other reason to bein this business.

Rodger McDaniel is Director of the WyomingDepartment of Family Services, Cheyenne.

Brenden McKinney is Executive Director,Wyoming Division, Casey Family Programs,and Assistant Deputy for SystemsImprovement, Wyoming Department of FamilyServices.

Reprinted with permission from the Summer2005 issue of Residential Group CareQuarterly (c) Child Welfare League ofAmerica

FAMILY-CENTEREDPRACTICE S

by Rodger McDaniel & Brenden McKinney

Public child welfare systems have long recognizedthe value of parent/child visitation as a core elementin their work with children and families. The quality ofthe family visitation activity provides an importantmeasure for informing child welfare social workersabout family dynamics, and their strengths andneeds in determining appropriate services to supportreunification goals. As well, structured visitation,viewed through a therapeutic lens, has the addedbenefit of assisting parents with experiential guid-ance in better understanding and performing theirrole as parent, thereby enhancing their parentingskills. Such an approach may be considered some-what unique. In Rhode Island, it is highly regarded.

The Families Together Program - a public-privatepartnership between the Rhode Island Departmentof Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) and theProvidence Children's Museum, is an innovativetherapeutic visitation program that has been provid-ing a strong balance for child welfare social workersand for children and parents struggling to overcomedifficult circumstances. Families Together began in1992 as a small visitation element - centeringaround the playful environment of the children'smuseum - allowing parents to be in a comfortingatmosphere with their children and engage in play-ful activities. Through this process, the FamiliesTogether program director, as a clinician, was ableto observe difficult situations and provide helpfulguidance to parents so that they could handle situa-tions with new behaviors and more confidence. Thisultimately promoted better interactions with theirchildren. The positive results of this small endeavorbegan to be felt in expanding circles within the childwelfare agency, which generated more interest andenthusiasm to allow more families to experience thisunique visitation opportunity. Over the past 15years, the Rhode Island DCYF has been evolving thisinnovative therapeutic visitation program through adeepening collaboration with the ProvidenceChildren's Museum, providing more resources forthe program to expand and add clinical staff.

The Families Together program is designed for chil-dren and parents who are separated by court orderdue to abuse and neglect. This therapeutic visitationprogram promotes opportunities for children andtheir parents to experience a series of visits at theProvidence Children's Museum, the state's only

hands-on museum designed for children and theirfamilies. Since its inception, the program has grownsteadily, gaining respect throughout the DCYF. Asthe Department regionalized into four geographicservice areas, the Families Together Program took oneven more significance. Becoming a visitationattraction throughout the DCYF regions, parents andchildren were able to play and learn together underthe supportive guidance of the Museum's familytherapists. Families Together has served over 2000people in more than 500 families since it began.

Families in crisis face many challenges. Familymembers must develop new relationships - newways of interacting, respecting, understanding andcommunicating with each other. Frequently court-separated parents and children only see each otherin sterile government office buildings or noisy fast-food restaurants. Such environments can create anadditional barrier for parents trying to build orrebuild healthy relationships with their children.

Providence Children's Museum provides a welcom-ing, stimulating, safe environment for family interac-tion. Splashing and experimenting with water,learning about pets or discovering how shapescome together encourages active play and commu-nication between parents and children. The childrenand the parents can discover together that they canmake mistakes and succeed. In some instances theadult can lead; in others the activity will be led bythe child. Both children and parents have an oppor-tunity to share experiences, stories and knowledgein a setting that integrates learning and fun. Thiskind of interaction is encouraged in all families, but isof particular value to families who are rebuildingrelationships. Providence Children's Museumshands-on exhibits are accessible to families of allbackgrounds, abilities and levels of education.Since visits occur when the Museum is open to thepublic, the therapists observe parents and childrenin an active community setting.

Families Together serves children ages 1-11 and theirparents. Families, referred to the program by theirDCYF social worker, make a series of visits to theMuseum over a period of several months. FamiliesTogether therapists work closely with caseworkersand other members of the treatment team to ensurethe visitation strategies are an integral part of the

Visitationas aTherapeutic Intervention

by Heidi Brinig and C Lee Baker

comprehensive case plan. Caseworkers value theobjective viewpoint of the therapists as they designa permanency plan for the child, required under theFederal Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. Inaddition, caseworkers receive a more complete pic-ture of each family, which leads to more accurateand valid recommendations to Family Court judges.Beyond guiding family interaction at the museum,Families Together staff work with DCYF social work-ers, to help them make the best diagnostic and ther-apeutic use of family visitation. The program is con-tinuing to change visitation practice throughoutRhode Island.

Families Together therapists are available in each ofDCYF's four Regional Offices to assist with a visit oroffer guidance to a social worker and, with DCYF'sChild Welfare Training Institute at Rhode IslandCollege, program staff provide formal training onexperiential learning and family-centered practice.Families Together helps social workers move frombeing passive observers to actively assisting parentsgain a better understanding of their own role andresponsibilities in meeting the needs of their children.

In 2003, the Department of Children, Youth andFamilies and the Families Together Program wererecognized as one of only fifteen finalists for thehighly-competitive Innovations in AmericanGovernment Award. The program received a$10,000 grant as a finalist in what is often referredto as “the Oscars” of government award programs.Innovations in American Government is a programof the Kennedy School of Government at HarvardUniversity, which is a partnership with the Council forExcellence in Government. Each year, there are fiveprograms selected from among the 15 finalists, andthese award winning programs represent initiativesof high achievement in government across the coun-try. Each of these initiatives serves to promotegreater confidence in the public sector, and oppor-tunities within the private sector. Innovations inAmerican Government focuses its attention onefforts that will improve government by identifyingfederal, state and local programs worthy of replica-

tion. Though not chosen among the 5 winning pro-grams, the Families Together program is one that iscontinuing to generate interest and discussion - bothamong other states' child welfare professionals andother children's museum directors.As the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youthand Families begins to focus on implementation of itsProgram Improvement Plan and strengtheningopportunities for improving parenting capacities,such public-private partnerships as represented inthe Families Together Therapeutic Visitation Programwill become more and more integral in the opera-tions of the child welfare system. As DCYF Director,Patricia Martinez, points out, “our system has bene-fited significantly from this growing partnership witha community agency not traditionally associatedwith child welfare services.” Ms. Martinez adds, “itis this type of innovation that helps the larger socie-ty better understand the role and responsibilities ofchild welfare agencies, and we all realize that byworking together we are able to identify alternativeapproaches and solutions that can truly make apositive difference for the children and families weserve.” The Rhode Island DCYF is actively promot-ing stronger collaboration with community-basedagencies throughout the state in the design anddelivery of its services. This concentration is gearedtoward further enhancing family-centered practiceapproaches, and emphasizing forums for shareddecision making - with the families and with com-munity stakeholders - in assessing not only child andfamily needs, but the systems' needs as a whole.

Heidi Brinig is the Director of the Families TogetherProgram at the Providence Children's Museum.

C. Lee Baker is the Project Coordinator in theDirector's Office of Rhode Island Department ofChildren, Youth and Families.

Visit Providence Children's Museum and learn moreabout Families Together online at <http://www.chil-drenmuseum.org>

CHILD WELFAREfor the Twenty-First Century

A Handbook of Practices, Policies, and Programs

Edited by Gerald P. Mallon and Peg McCartt HessPublished by: Columbia University Press

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/catalog/data/023113/0231130724.htm

TO ORDER: Call Columbia University Press at (800) 944-8648 or (914) 591-9111or visit their Website, www.columbia.edu/cu/cup (ISBN: 0-231-13072-4)

PROMISING APPROACHESIN CHILD WELFARE

The Child Welfare Review Project assiststhe Children's Bureau in compiling promis-ing approaches that reflect innovativeefforts by the States in meeting the needsof children and families. The promisingapproaches highlighted on the Web siteare organized into descriptions thatinclude the title of the approach, cate-gories in which the approach is classified,the sponsoring agency, contact informa-tion, a brief summary of the approach,and the estimated length of time in whichthe approach has been in existence. Thepromising approaches are listed by Stateand by category. The categories corre-spond with the items reviewed in the childand family services reviews (CFSRs), safe-ty, permanency, and well-being.

http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/cb/cwmonitoring/promise/index.htm

IMPACT OFMETHAMPHETAMINES

ON THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEMMethamphetamine use is a growing prob-lem for children and families across thecountry. The National Clearinghouse onChild Abuse and Neglect Information hasdeveloped a list of resources on a varietyof topics to help child welfare workersunderstand what methamphetamine isand how it affects users.

http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov/topics/issues/meth.cfm

FUNDING OFCHILD & FAMILY SERVICES

REVIEWS PROGRAMIMPROVEMENT PLANS

Although most states are implementingtheir PIPs without major changes inresources, some states have provided new

funding and others have reallocated exist-ing resources in creative ways to supportthe achievement of PIP goals. These newand reallocated resources primarily arebeing used in two ways: to increase andstabilize the front-line child welfare work-force and to enhance states' quality assur-ance efforts. The findings of this reportfrom the National Conference of StateLegislatures are based on a review byNCSL of PIP-related documents and infor-mal telephone interviews with key statecontacts who are responsible for oversee-ing PIP design and implementation.

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/cyf/fundingcfsr.htm

CONCURRENT PLANNING:WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS

This issue brief includes a review and syn-thesis of research on concurrent planningand presents successful examples of con-current planning from the field thatdemonstrate evidence-based practice.Information from the first round of Childand Family Services Reviews relating tohow States use concurrent planning is alsopresented. The brief was developed in

partnership with the Child Welfare Leagueof America Research to Practice Initiative,under subcontract to the NationalClearinghouse on Child Abuse andNeglect Information.

http://nccanch.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/issue_briefs/concurrent_evidence/

index.cfm

STATE RESOURCESON FAMILY

GROUP DECISION MAKINGThe NRCFCPPP web page on familygroup decision-making has several Stateguides for implementing this practice in itsvarious forms. Listings include materialsfrom California, Iowa and Mississippi. Wehope to keep adding state practice proce-dures in this area as well as others inwhich jurisdictions prepare documentsaimed at helping workers put family-cen-tered practices into effect.http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nr

cfcpp/information.html

ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS:A JUDICIAL CHECKLISTTO ENSURE THAT THEEDUCATIONAL NEEDS

OF CHILDREN & YOUTHIN FOSTER CARE

ARE BEING ADDRESSEDThis Technical Assistance Brief from thePermanency Planning for ChildrenDepartment of the National Council ofJuvenile and Family Court Justices pro-vides a field-tested checklist that judgescan use to make inquiries regarding theeducational needs of children and youthunder their jurisdiction with the goal ofpositively impacting their educational out-comes and preparing them for adulthood.

http://www.ncjfcj.org/content/view/572/432/

The NRCFCPPP publishesan electronic newslettereach week that keepssubscribers informed

about new Internet-basedpublications, conferences &

other events of interestto child welfare professionals.This section lists some of thevaluable resources we have

highlighted over the pastfew months.

Best of Weekly Update