understanding early-on practitioners’ provision of services for foster care infants & toddlers...

Understanding Early-On Understanding Early-On Practitioners’ Provision of Services Practitioners’ Provision of Services for Foster Care Infants & Toddlersfor Foster Care Infants & Toddlers

An Early-On PresentationAn Early-On PresentationJune 4, 2010June 4, 2010

John M. Palladino, Ph.D.John M. Palladino, Ph.D.

Department of Special Department of Special EducationEducation

Eastern Michigan UniversityEastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, MIYpsilanti, MI

[email protected]@emich.edu

Mark A. Giesler, Ph.D., Mark A. Giesler, Ph.D., LMSWLMSW

Department of Social WorkDepartment of Social Work

Saginaw Valley State Univ.Saginaw Valley State Univ.

Saginaw, MISaginaw, MI

[email protected]@svsu.edu

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Need for the ProjectNeed for the Project

Reports in the literatureReports in the literature– ““To date, there is a dearth of literature To date, there is a dearth of literature

of empirical research investigating of empirical research investigating foster care program processes or how foster care program processes or how foster care services are actually foster care services are actually delivered” (Unrau, 2005, p. 512).delivered” (Unrau, 2005, p. 512).

– ““Babies less than 12 months of age in Babies less than 12 months of age in foster care are also disproportionately foster care are also disproportionately likely to have disabilities [more than likely to have disabilities [more than 50%]” (Jackson & Muller, 2005, p. 2).50%]” (Jackson & Muller, 2005, p. 2).

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ParticipantsParticipants

Michigan Michigan Early-OnEarly-On service providers service providers– UrbanUrban– Semi-urbanSemi-urban– RuralRural– Downstate & Upper PeninsulaDownstate & Upper Peninsula– Veterans and novicesVeterans and novices

Face-to-face interview format with Face-to-face interview format with 50+ providers50+ providers

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Finding I: Disconnect Finding I: Disconnect between Early-On & DHSbetween Early-On & DHS

Our Participants:Our Participants: Tenure Tenure greater contact greater contact All trees and no forestAll trees and no forest Eyes, ears, but no mouthEyes, ears, but no mouth Lack of purposeful leadershipLack of purposeful leadership

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The Literature:The Literature: Silver & Dicker (2007): “Child welfare Silver & Dicker (2007): “Child welfare

professional may receive limited training professional may receive limited training on early childhood mental health…may on early childhood mental health…may then affect decision making” (p. 50).then affect decision making” (p. 50).

Robertson (2006): “A variety of reasons Robertson (2006): “A variety of reasons for this disconnect exist, including the for this disconnect exist, including the lack of consensus among professionals lack of consensus among professionals to adhere to consistent collaborative to adhere to consistent collaborative training” (p. 185).training” (p. 185).

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The Literature (continued):The Literature (continued): National Center for Children in National Center for Children in

Poverty (NCCP) (2002): “Build Poverty (NCCP) (2002): “Build collaborative relationships collaborative relationships between the courts and child between the courts and child welfare, health care, and early welfare, health care, and early childhood agencies” (p. 20).childhood agencies” (p. 20).

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Finding II: Commitment Finding II: Commitment from the Frontlinefrom the Frontline

Our Participants:Our Participants: Demands dominate and service Demands dominate and service

programs acquiesceprograms acquiesce The quicker-fixer-upper syndromeThe quicker-fixer-upper syndrome Role expansion…and at what cost?Role expansion…and at what cost? Learned helplessness and empathy Learned helplessness and empathy

fatigue implicationsfatigue implications

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Finding II: Commitment Finding II: Commitment from the Frontlinefrom the Frontline

The Literature:The Literature: Unrau (2005): “Overall, the findings Unrau (2005): “Overall, the findings

suggest that service patterns emerged suggest that service patterns emerged more from responses to client and more from responses to client and system demands than to the program’s system demands than to the program’s service model” (p. 511).service model” (p. 511).

Stebnicki (2008): “Approaching one’s Stebnicki (2008): “Approaching one’s clients empathetically and thereby being clients empathetically and thereby being profoundly affected by their stories of profoundly affected by their stories of loss and stress” (p. 16).loss and stress” (p. 16).

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Finding III: Conducting Finding III: Conducting Unnatural Naturalistic Unnatural Naturalistic AssessmentsAssessments

Our Participants:Our Participants: Realities of placements trump legal Realities of placements trump legal

and best practicesand best practices– Diagnostic or strength-based Diagnostic or strength-based

assessment implicationsassessment implications Controversial CAPTAControversial CAPTA Parental consentParental consent Ticking clock and stressed foster Ticking clock and stressed foster

parentsparents9

“The law says that whenever a birth or adoptive parent is ‘attempting to act’ on behalf of the child in the special education system, the school must treat that parent as the decision maker. The school cannot go around the parent by getting a foster parent agreement.”

“The school can only accept the decision of another person when the birth parent is not ‘attempting to act’ [or] if a court has appointed an alternative decision maker” (p. 22).Stotland, J., Stocco, J., & McNaught, K. (2007). Special education decisions for children in foster care: Everyone has a role. Child Law Practice, 26(2), 17, 22-26.


The Literature:The Literature: Scarborough et al. (2004): “One of the Scarborough et al. (2004): “One of the

complex issues in implementing Part C complex issues in implementing Part C has been the question of who should be has been the question of who should be eligible for services” (p. 470).eligible for services” (p. 470).

Robertson (2006): “Research is limited Robertson (2006): “Research is limited on the outcomes of programs that have on the outcomes of programs that have attempted to actively integrate foster attempted to actively integrate foster parents or trusted caregivers in the parents or trusted caregivers in the assessment of their children” (p. 186).assessment of their children” (p. 186).

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The Literature (continued):The Literature (continued): Woods & Lindeman (2008): “The Woods & Lindeman (2008): “The

individualization that is the framework individualization that is the framework of early intervention is lost when jargon of early intervention is lost when jargon such as ‘natural environments’ is used such as ‘natural environments’ is used frequently and documentation requiring frequently and documentation requiring signatures is amassed. To put it simply, signatures is amassed. To put it simply, families need clear descriptions of what families need clear descriptions of what their roles are so that they can their roles are so that they can participate” (p. 275).participate” (p. 275).

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Finding IV: Infant Mental Finding IV: Infant Mental HealthHealth

Our Participants:Our Participants: The “how to” when there is no “go The “how to” when there is no “go

to”to” Myth busting Myth busting Where, oh where, in Michigan?!Where, oh where, in Michigan?! Outward finger pointing (and Outward finger pointing (and

inward?)inward?)

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Finding IV: Infant Mental Finding IV: Infant Mental HealthHealth

The Literature:The Literature: McNeil et al. (2005): “Parent-Child McNeil et al. (2005): “Parent-Child

Interaction Therapy (PCITI) is an Interaction Therapy (PCITI) is an empirically supported, parent-training empirically supported, parent-training program. Preliminary evidence program. Preliminary evidence suggests that a two day intensive PCIT suggests that a two day intensive PCIT workshop may be an effective way to workshop may be an effective way to train foster parents to better manage train foster parents to better manage disruptive child behavior” (p. 191).disruptive child behavior” (p. 191).

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Finale: Explicating the Story Finale: Explicating the Story (see additional handout)(see additional handout)

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Tenure in the field Greater Collaboration with Willingness to Speak DHS Policy Parental Consent Bound Focus Job Demands Leadership Assessments & “Fixer” Syndrome Empathy Fatigue Assessments CAPTA Referrals Infant Mental Health Finger Pointing

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