UCLA Center on Child Welfare

Enhancing Strengths/Needs Based Practice for SCSWs:

Effectively Assessing Behaviors to Meet the Unmet Needs Of Children and Families

Introductions Housekeeping Agenda Learning Objectives

Welcome!

Federal Outcome Goals DCFS Strategic Plan Katie A. Lawsuit & Initiative

› Collaboration with DMH Paradigm/Practice Shifts:

› Quality Service Review QSR› Core Practice Model› Coaching and Mentoring

Defining Social Work (Case Work) Practice:

CORE PRACTICE MODEL (CPM )

D R A F T

Teaming

Assessment

Plan & Intervention

Track &Adapt

Engaging

StrengthNeeds

Practice

Basic knowledge, Foundation of CPS, Legal mandates

What is QSR? QSR is an ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING PROCESS offering

ways of knowing what’s working and not working in practice for which children and families and why.

QSR tests the CORE PRACTICE MODEL to be used in actual cases.

QSR connects results to local FRONTLINE CONDITIONS.

QSR supports TEACHING & LEARNING PROCESSES that clarify expectations, provide useful feedback, affirm good work.

QSR stimulates NEXT STEP ACTIONS taken to improve practice and results at all levels of the organization.

QSR/Practice Overview • © Human Systems & Outcomes, Inc., 2010

Coaching Enhances Supervision

Supervision: Requires people to do a set of tasks; Gives advice; Directs and monitors (An important role!)

Coaching: - Helps staff think critically, instead of simply following directions

- Partners with others; Provides support

- Builds competency and future leaders - Adapted from Lorie Lutz

Supervision to Coaching - adapted from Lorie Lutz

Telling Directing Asking Questions

Making Suggestions Reflecting Summarizing

Monitoring Developing Critical Thinking

Partners Supports

Coaching Starts Here

Parallel ProcessAdministrator

s

Supervisors

Social Workers &

Collaborative Partners

Parents & Caregivers

Children

What is:

Enhanced Strengths Needs Based Practice?

Connecting Behaviors &

Underlying Needs

•Blue behavior find white need

•Green behavior find yellow need

•Introduce yourselves

•Discuss how the behavior and need connect

•Prepare to share with the large group

Interaction with a family from Hotline to:› Emergency Response› Dependency Investigation › Intensive Services› Family Maintenance› Family Reunification› Adoption› Legal Guardianship

Denise

MarkJohn

Robert Christine

Jack

*Note the Family Strengths

Uncle Patrick

GrandmotherPatricia

Shout out as many strengths for each family

member and record responses on Handout #9 Advanced Strength Based Practice

At your table, write the needs for the family on the flip chart paper & share with the large group

Behavioral Expression

Intervention Solutions:Services

Desired Results:Completion/Compliance

with services

AssessmentChild

Safety

Assessing Underlying

Need:Strengths Based

PracticeEngagement

Teaming

Behavioral Expression

Intervention SolutionsStrategies Services

Desired Results:Awareness, Understanding, Lasting Behavioral Change

Child Safety

Enhances our case management/social work skills

Helping families engage to motivate change Supports lasting change for families Moves us from:

Deficits Strengths

Problem Focused

Solution Focused

Why:Enhanced Strengths/Needs Based Practice

Family/Child Needs

Cultural Competency

Formal & Informal Support Systems

Child Safety

Their behaviors are visible, their needs are not

We want their behaviors to change “Underlying needs” sounds new and

different Their behaviors are easy for everyone

to talk about, but “underlying needs” is not in everyone’s vocabulary

We are accustomed to interventions based on behaviors

When we use the term “needs” often these are family needs

When we use the term “needs” often these are services disguised as needs

Appreciating the child’s needs is easier after the strengths have been recognized

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs&

Self Sufficiency Goals

Safety Shelter & Food & Rest

Permanence Affiliation & Relationship &

Stability

Well Being Nurturance & Love &

Achievement

Needs Connected to Child Welfare Out Goals

Safety from exposure to threats of harms Safety from risk to self/others Stability pattern Permanency prospects Living Arrangement Health/physical well-being Emotional well-being Learning and development

Adapted from the Quality Service Review QSR

Categories to Consider When Identifying Children’s Needs from QSR

Principles of Strengths Based Perspective Lexicon of Strengths Based Perspective A New Paradigm for Discovering and

Assessing Family Strengths Guidelines for Strength Based Assessment Strength Based Discovery Questions

EnhancedStrengths Based Perspective

Challenging Behaviors

Underlying Needs

Strengths

Balancing Strengths & Needs

Research shows that change is caused by:

› 55% already doing well› 30% relationship

› 15% hope and expectations

AlreadyDoing WellRelationship

Hope

Character Strengths:

Characteristics or descriptions of the individual, family, community, and social supports

A source of resilience, pride, hope, empowerment, beliefs within a cultural framework

Mobilized Strengths:

How the character strengths can be used/mobilized/put into action by the individual and family

Support and enable the family to endure and cope with difficult situations, and to bounce back in the face of trauma

Can be used to achieve the identified outcomes of the family

 

BiologicalPsychologicalSociological

National Association of Social Workers Definition of Social Work Case Management

Behaviors & Concerns Client Hunches CSW Hunches Needs Statement Desired Outcome Functional Strengths Services/Strategies

Review Safety Factors taken from the SDM Safety Assessment

› Physical Abuse Excessive Discipline

› Emotional Abuse Speak of the child in negative terms

Complete Column 1 using the Smith family vignette in a role play

› One person will role play Denise› One person will role play the CSW› All others are observing and

Discuss with Denise the challenging behaviors she identifies for Jack

Ideas, Beliefs & Thoughts Feelings & Gut Reactions

Intuition & Projection

Based on

BiasResearchExperience Facts

To complete Column 2 Returning to role play with Denise

› Identify a different CSW › Other table members observe and

support the CSW as needed Discuss with Denise her hunches regarding what is driving Jack's challenging behaviors using the Bio/Psycho/Social Model

To Complete Column 3

Individually each CSW: › List your hunches regarding what is

driving Jack's challenging behaviors using the Bio/Psycho/Social Model

› Share your hunches with your table

To complete Column 4 Returning to role play with Denise

› Identify a different CSW › Other table members observe and support the

CSW as needed

Denise and CSW share their hunches Using the hunches, Denise and CSW:

Identify Jack’s underlying needs Select three needs for Jack that

address the initial safety factors

Developed with the family Written in the family’s language Written in strength based language States how the family will “look” when

the needs are being met Reframes the problem Clarifies understanding of the

underlying issues Supports the family’s vision Prioritized Linked to safety, permanence and well

being

To Complete Column 5 › Continuing to role play with Denise

Identify a different CSW Other table members observe and

can share ideas as needed

Write three needs statements for Jack based on Column 4

Write statements on flip chart paper

To Complete Column 6 Continuing to role play with Denise

Identify a different CSW Other table members observe and can

share ideas as needed Discuss what the desired

outcome/change in behavior will look like for Jack when the underlying needs are met

Use Strength Based Language

To Complete Column 7 Select a new Denise

Identify a different CSW Other table members observe and support the CSW as

needed

Review the list of functional strengths Identify strengths which meet the

underlying needs creating the desired outcomes

Help Denise identify additional mobilized strengths to meet Jack’s needs

To Complete Column 8 Continuing to role play with Denise

Identify a different CSW Other table members observe and support the CSW as

needed

Identify services/strategies that can be used to address the underlying needs and create the desired outcomes

What professional and para-professional team members might help support the family

Coaching & Mentoring› The CSW

› The Family › The Caregivers› The Team

Assessing Underlying

Need:Strengths Based

PracticeEngagement

Teaming

Challenging Behavioral Expression

Intervention SolutionsStrategies Services

Desired Results:Awareness, Understanding, Lasting Behavioral Change

Child Safety

Coaching to Enhance Strengths/Needs Based Practice

Challenging Behavioral Expression: Families and Workers

Child Safety

Coaching to EnhanceStrengths/Needs Based Practice

Challenging Behavioral Expression: Families & Workers

Child Safety

Establish beliefs & truths about the person

Based on past information both good and badOften focused on deficit model thinkingOften based on judgments and bias

Coaching to EnhanceStrengths/Needs Based Practice

Confirmation Bias

occurs when we selectively notice or focus upon evidence which tends to support the things we already believe or want to be true while ignoring that evidence which would serve to disconfirm those beliefs or ideas. Confirmation bias plays a stronger role than empirical evidence.

Recency Bias

is the tendency to extrapolate information from recent events to make concrete decisions about the future. The recency effect is a cognitive bias that results from disproportionate attention to recent observations. This occurs when CSWs only attend to that which has been occurring in the recent history of a family and NOT their long term patterns.

Challenging Behavioral Expression: Families & Workers

Child Safety

Establish beliefs & truths about the person

Your language and actions reflect your beliefs

Coaching to EnhanceStrengths/Needs Based Practice

Challenging Behavioral Expression: Families & Workers

Child Safety

Establish beliefs & truths about the person

Your language and actions reflect your beliefs

Your actions impact and influence the actions of others

Coaching to EnhanceStrengths/Needs Based Practice

Coaching to EnhanceStrengths/Needs Based Practice

Beliefs drive our thoughts Thoughts drive our language Language drives our actions Our actions influence the thoughts, language

and actions of those around you

› We pick up on the emotional tone/energy from those around us and act/behave accordingly

Gathering Information & Making Assessments from a Deficit Focus

1. I do not value this person2. This person is incompetent and

unmotivated, and can’t solve their own problems

3. I do know the answers and it is up to me to solve this person’s problems

4. I questions this person’s abilities and commitment

5. This person is time consuming and wears me out!

Gathering Information & MakingAssessments from a Strength Focus

1. This person has value and is worthwhile

2. This person is capable and has the ability to make a difference

3. This person has his/her own answers and can identify their underlying needs

4. This person is an inspiration to me

5. This person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect

A Principle of the Strength Based Perspective

Supports Cultural Competence Why is this important?

Adapted from office of Affirmative Action

Know Yourself and the Families With Whom You Work

Recognize your communication style Expect to learn something about

yourself and others Speak clearly and use personal

examples when making a point Participate honestly and openly Engage in the process by listening, as

well as speaking Confidentiality Take responsibility for yourself and what

you say

Diversity is defined as race, gender, age, language, physical

characteristics, disability, sexual orientation, economic status, parental status, education,

geographic origin, profession, life style, religion, personality, position in the company hierarchy, and any

other difference.

•Organizational

•External

•Internal

•Personality

Culture is life-styles, habits, behavior patterns, customs, rituals, language and other unique characteristics of a given people or group.

Culture is developed and refined over time

Please raise your hand to indicate the category which best describes you!

Large group sharing of thoughts

Who We Are

Food, Music, Rituals Communication and Language Dress and Appearance Time Consciousness Rewards and Recognition Relationships Values and Norms Sense of Self and Space Beliefs and Attitudes

We all judge and place value on these expressions of culture as:

Helpful HurtfulHealthy UnhealthyConstructive DestructiveGood Bad

Our judgments & values of

culture have a basis in:

Personal Systemic•Bias •Fear•Awareness•Understanding

•Research•Laws •Policy•Education

From the first Who We Are Checklist, in which category have you experienced this?

How did it make you feel? How did you respond? Where do you think you learned this response?

Personal Experiences of Bias and Discrimination

Why is it important to continuously become aware of our biases?› To enhance our strength based practice with

all families› To ensure that we are treating all families with

dignity & respect› To ensure that we are giving all families equal

access to services› To ensure that we are not contributing to

disproportionality/disparity in CWS

04/20/23

Questions will be asked regarding your feelings/beliefs about different groups of people

Indicate your response using the remote control

Know yourself and your family

Appreciation

Acceptance

Tolerance

Avoidance

Repulsion

Complete SCSW Transfer of Learning Checklist

What information/ strategies/ practices will you take back into the field with you?

Engaging Families Teaming

Closing and Evaluations