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Engaging Youth in Permanency. New England Youth Permanency Convening Portland, ME November 27 + 28, 2012. LEARNING OBJECTIVES. Participants will be able to demonstrate and/or describe: *The importance of team, voice and belief in engaging youth in their own permanency work
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Engaging Youth in Permanency New England Youth Permanency Convening Portland, ME November 27 + 28, 2012
LEARNING OBJECTIVES Participants will be able to demonstrate and/or describe: *The importance of team, voice and belief in engaging youth in their own permanency work *The essential roles of the permanency social worker, legal custodian, birth family, foster parent and therapist in engaging youth in permanency planning *Tools and strategies to engage youth in permanency work, especially during times of ambivalence
VIDEO Lifelong Families Casey Family Services
TABLE DISCUSSIONS • Think about: • A personal experience or example of engaging a youth in his or her own permanency work. • Share with the group: • One thing that worked well • One thing that didn’t work well • One place where you got “stuck” in the process
Casey Family Services Definition of Permanency • An enduring family relationship that: • Is safe and meant to last a lifetime; • Offers the legal rights and social status of full family membership; • Provides for physical, emotional, social, cognitive and spiritual well-being; and • Assures lifelong connections to birth and extended family, siblings, other significant adults, family history and traditions, race and ethnic heritage, culture, religion and language.
ENGAGING YOUTH IN PERMANENCY TEAM – VOICE – BELIEF
TEAM • Youth-focused • Youth assists in selecting team members and setting team meeting agendas • Youth is prepared to participate in meetings and in discussion
TEAM • Family-centered • Family members are included in the team • Family permanency prioritized as the outcome
TEAM • Enriches the youth permanency assessment • Where is the youth on the permanency continuum? • What does youth understand about reason in foster care • What does the youth understand about role of birth parent/family in the process?
VOICE • Listen to what the youth is saying about permanency • Start where the youth is “in the moment” • Move the youth “beyond the moment” • Use clarification questions and tools • Help the youth hear what other youth are saying about permanency
CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS Who am I? What happened to me? Where am I going? When will I get there? How and when will I know I belong? Henry, Darla. The 3-5-7 Model of Preparing Children for Permanency. Children and Youth Services Review 27 (2005) 197-212.
TOOLS Life books Genograms Eco-maps Time lines 3-5-7 Model Belonging and Emotional Security Tool Permanency Pact
BELIEF • You play an essential role • Be convinced of it • Be clear about it • Expect ambivalence – “ ride the wave” • Be realistic – “know the risks”
CO-FACILITATORS Lauren Frey, MSW, LCSW New Haven Administrative Office Lizabeth Harrington, LCPC-C Portland Division Casey Family Services