skills and strategies for working with fathers 2014

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Skills and Strategies for Working with Fathers

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Part I


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Today’s Learning Objectives

Explain the importance of father involvement and the impact of father absence

Assess personal values and how they influence work with fathers

Explain how different life situations of fathers may impact their involvement

Explain paternity establishment and legitimation processes in Georgia

Identify strategies for identifying and locating non-residential fathers

Recognize different barriers to father involvement

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3 4

5 6

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THE IMPORTANCE OF FATHERS

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Activity: Media Fathers

What makes a “good” father?

1. Think of a male from television, movies, books, or news that you would like to have as a father. Write the name on an index card. Under the name, write why you would like to have this person as your father.

2. Think of a male from television, movies, books, or news that they would not want as a father Write this name on the back of the card. Under the name, write why you would not want this person as their father.

3. Share your two names and reasons you would or would not want this male as a father.

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24 million (1 out of 3 children) live absent their

biological father

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Importance of Father Involvement

Healthy child development Gender identity Responsible sexuality Emotional and social commitment Financial security

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Negative Outcomes of Father Absence

Poverty Child maltreatment Delinquency Emotional and behavioral problems Rates of incarceration Teenage pregnancy Drug and alcohol abuse Low educational achievement

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Critical Father Roles

Provider

Protector

Nurturer

Teacher

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Protector and Provider

The ability to provide and protect is still connected with the average man’s sense of self and sense of manhood.

Feelings of inadequacy in this role can influence father involvement.

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Nurturer and Teacher May look different

in mothers and fathers but father nurturing is just as important to a child’s well-being

Fathers serve as an important guide to the outside world.

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Self-Awareness and Work with Men

Our values in the context of relationships with men

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Fathers in Different SituationsMarriage

Most often associated with

positive outcomes for children

Maltreatment may be an

indication of problems in

the marital relationship

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Fathers in Different Situations cont

Cohabitating parents

A lot like marriage, but not exactly the same, especially when children are involved.

May mean less

commitment and stability

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Incarcerated fathersMay never have learned to be a good father

Most incarcerated men are fathers, but most have never been married and weren’t living with their children at the time of their arrest.

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Multiple Fathers Which man is “dad” in the eyes of the child?

Each one can potentially help to keep the child safe. The task is to determine which one will do it.

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Boyfriends

May not have same

emotional commitment as

a biological father

Poses a higher risk to children

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StepfathersResearch varies as to the risk

they pose to children. Carefully assess the family dynamics and the role the stepfather plays in the family system.

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Process for Working with Fathers

IDENTIFYLOCATE

and ENGAGE

INVOLVE

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PATERNITY, LEGITIMATION, AND DILIGENT SEARCH

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Father Definitions Biological Father: The man whose

sperm caused the baby to be conceived.

Putative or alleged father: A man who someone claims is the biological father of the baby.

Presumed Father: A man who was married to the baby’s mother at the time of the baby’s birth, or shortly thereafter.

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Father Definitions cont Legal Father: The man who:

a) Has legally adopted the child;

b) Was married to the biological mother of that child at the time the child was conceived or was born, unless such paternity was disproved by a final order

c) Married the legal mother of the child shortly after the child was born and recognized the child as his own

d) Has legitimated the child by a final order

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Paternity vs. Legitimation

Paternity: establishes that a man is the biological father of a child, and therefore has a duty to support the child he has fathered.

Legitimation: establishes a biological father’s legal rights concerning a child who was “born out of wedlock.”

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Paternity Establishment Both parents sign Voluntary Paternity

Acknowledgment form Legal determination of paternity Paternity testing available through OCSS if

father denies paternity Names the biological father, obligates the

biological father to pay child support, but does not entitle the biological father to visitation with the child.

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Legitimation

To legitimate a child in Georgia, the biological father has two options:

(1) Administrative legitimation through completion of the Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgment, including the Legitimation Section.

(2) File a petition for legitimation with the court.

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Process for Working with Fathers

IDENTIFYLOCATE

and ENGAGE

INVOLVE

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IDENTIFYING AND ADDRESSING BARRIERS

TO FATHER INVOLVEMENT

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Barriers Vs. Excuses

Generate a “Top Five List” of the reasons fathers give for being absent, not being involved, or not being more involved in their children’s lives. Record your list on a sheet of paper and then decide if the reason listed is a Barrier or Excuse

Lack of involvement – are there barriers or are we just

hearing excuses?

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Barriers to Father Involvement

Case manager and systemic bias Overburdened case managers

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Barriers to Father Involvement

Personal circumstances of the father Psychological pain

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Barriers to Father Involvement cont

Case manager’s reluctance to involve a male perpetrator

History of intimate partner violence

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Not knowing he’s a dad Father has a new family to think about Remarriage of either parent

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Geographical distance Lack of finances

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Lack of confidence in parenting skills Lack of appropriate male role models

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Frustration in dealing with legal system and bureaucracies

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This session brought to you by…….

Thank you…………for your attendance and participation!

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Part 2


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Today’s Learning ObjectivesDevelop strategies for addressing barriers to father involvement

Develop strategies for engaging mothers around the issue of father involvement

Decide how to identify, locate and engage fathers in different situations

Identify opportunities for involving fathers in the assessment and case planning processes

Identify formal and informal support services for fathers

Engage in purposeful conversations with fathers

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3 4

5 6

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IDENTIFYING AND ADDRESSING BARRIERS

TO FATHER INVOLVEMENT

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Values Voting

Listen as each statement is read.

Decide which option best represents your position on the statement: Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Our values about mothers,

fathers, co-parenting, and relationships

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Mothers Gatekeeping

The father’s relationship with the mother (or maternal grandmother) may be the greatest determinant of successful father involvement.

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Strategies for Enlisting Mothers’ Support

Be aware of your approach and the way you communicate with mothers about father involvement

Alleviate fears Demonstrate

respect Be culturally

sensitive Tailor the

approach to fit the family’s situation

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Strategies for Enlisting Mothers’ Support

Explain: The importance of father

involvement Father has a legal right to

see his children (legal father)

Children have a right to know their father

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Strategies for Enlisting Mothers’ Support cont

Listen: To what the mother is saying

about the father. To what the father is saying

about the mother For values/beliefs impacting the

mother’s willingness to involve the father

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Address safety concerns

of mother and child

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Encourage mother to look beyond personal issues with the father

Lifetime benefits to the child Extra support for her during rough times

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Addressing Barriers to Father Involvement

Five categories for addressing the barriers to father involvement.

Take actions that: Prevent Prepare Establish Involve Support

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Addressing Barriers to Father Involvement

Prevent Prevent further child maltreatment and emotional harm to children by emphasizing to men their responsibility as fathers.

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Addressing Barriers to Father Involvement cont

Prepare Prepare fathers by helping them attain the knowledge, skills, and financial resources to adequately care for their children.

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EstablishHelp fathers firmly establish their relationship with their children. This includes the legal relationship and the parenting relationship

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Involve Involve fathers in the child’s life. Most critically, involve the father in the case process.

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Support Provide fathers with ongoing support that will help them sustain beyond the life of the DFCS case

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FATHER INVOLVEMENT: ASSESSMENT, CASE

PLANNING AND SERVICES

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Factors Associated with Fathers and Maltreatment

Poverty, underemployment, or unemployment

Substance abuse Childhood history of abuse Low sense of self-worth

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Child Support TypologyAble & Willing To

PayWilling But

Unable To Pay

Able But Unwilling To Pay

Unwilling And Unable To Pay

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Fathers and Decision Making Meetings

Fathers should be engaged in the same manner as mothers in the planning and decision making process related to their children. This includes non-custodial, alleged or putative fathers.

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Fathers and the Confidentiality Issue

Do not allow concerns about confidentiality to become and excuse for not engaging fathers!

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Father Friendly Services Value fathers and the role they play Address fathers’ needs Are supportive; not punitive Are respectful of gender differences in parenting Where possible, provide positive male role

models Provide services at times and locations that are

accessible to fathers Provide an environment that is inviting to fathers

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Case Managers as a Resource For Fathers

Purposeful visits with fathers: Review of safety, permanency, and well-

being issues and case plan goals/activities Provide relevant resources Follow up – ask if he has accessed the

resources, what he thought about them, additional ideas/resources he came up with, changes made

Share “messages fathers need to hear”

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PURPOSEFUL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT

FATHERS

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Empathy

Father’s perception: CPS is a threat to me and my family. I am a failure because I did not protect my children.

Case Manager’s response: Demonstrate empathy (the ability to perceive and communicate with sensitivity the feelings and experiences of another person)

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Respect

Father’s perception: I am being disrespected by the case manager, “the system.”

Case manager’s response: Don’t provide a reason (by your actions, words, nonverbal communication, “attitude”) for father to accurately conclude that he is being disrespected.

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Genuineness

Father’s perception: I don’t trust DFCS, I don’t trust this case manager. This is going to turn out badly for me.

Case manager’s response: Be honest and authentic. Be consistent with what you say and do. Don’t give fathers a reason to accurately conclude that you are setting him up or “running a game” on him.

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Conversation vs. Interview

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Communication with Male Clients

Acknowledge that it can be difficult for a man to ask for and accept help

Demonstrate expertise ---show that you know something about men and have a toolbox for working with them

Send signals that you actually like men Don’t assume he’s good at talking about his

problems or that he knows what to expect from conversations with you

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Communication with Male Clients

Understand that he may not know specifically what to do in a certain situation with his child or his child’s mother

Don’t assume he’s a stereotypical guy Don’t expect him to use feeling words Acknowledge that he is a father

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This session brought to you by…….

Thank you…………for your attendance and participation!

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“This project was supported in part by the Governor’s Office for Children and Families through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Community Based Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CFDA 93.590). Points of view or opinions stated in this document are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the Governor’s Office for Children and Families or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Community Based Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CFDA 93.590)."

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