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Family Search & Engagement. Trainers . Kimberly Mineard Steiner Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter Northeast Ohio Adoption Services Nikaeda L. Griffie, MSSA, LSW Adoption Resource Manager Summit County Children Services Mike Kenney co-Director Waiting Child Fund. Our Agenda for Today.
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Trainers Kimberly MineardSteiner Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter Northeast Ohio Adoption Services Nikaeda L. Griffie, MSSA, LSW Adoption Resource Manager Summit County Children Services Mike Kenney co-Director Waiting Child Fund
Our Agenda for Today Introduction to 6-steps of Family Search & Engagement (FSE) Step 1 - Setting the Stage Step 2 - Discovery Case Study Step 3 - Engagement & Exploration Step 4 - Planning Case Study Step 5 - Decision Making Step 6 - Sustaining the Relationship Case Study Taking FSE to your Organization
Introduction History • Created by Kevin Campbell when working at Catholic Charities in Washington State • Grew from research about Red Cross efforts to locate family members affected by natural disasters • Being implemented successfully across the country on both the public and private level
Introduction Goal The goal is to identify members of the child’s extended biological (and non-related) family and other caring adults from the child’s past who • Will commit to an ongoing, meaningful presence in the child’s life • Can offer support and love throughout the child’s lifetime • Will help the youth to find permanence • and/or commit to being a permanent placement plan for the youth.
Introduction Overview of 6 Steps Want Find Hook Meet Encourage Remember Them ThemThemThemThemThem
Setting The Stage & Discovery Children in Permanent Custody • Determine the decision makers • Present FSE to them • Team meeting to clarify roles • File mining • Find 40 relatives • Interview child • Mobility mapping
Setting The Stage & Discovery Children in Temporary Custody • Referral Process • Where to start? • Family Team Meeting • Meeting w/ case manager • At this level, we have access to bio parent(s) • Relative notification letter
Setting The Stage & Discovery Tools • Background checks • Releases of information • Ecomaps • Genograms • Internet search engines • ACCURINT • CRIS-E • Gen-Pro • Meetings, reports, and lots of communication!
Setting The Stage & Discovery Barriers • Procedural issues (case plan amendment) • Lack of role clarity • Buy-in (courts, foster care agency) • Access to records • Unorganized files • Child-related issues (when to introduce new worker & engage in process)
Engagement, Exploration, & Planning Children in Permanent Custody • Contact relatives, other important connections • Let them know truth of what child has endured • Restoration of dignity • Gauge their interest in & appropriateness for team • Hold “Network for Life” meeting • Share child’s mobility mapping drawings • Fill in calendar • Begin permanency planning conversation
Engagement, Exploration, & Planning Children in Temporary Custody • Helping relatives to understand that they are not "interfering" by getting involved • Relationship does not have to lead to placement • Defining the goal for the team • True concurrent planning
Engagement, Exploration, & Planning Tools • Supervision checklist • Kinship notification letters • Phone call scripts • Communication!!! • Monthly logs and reports
Engagement, Exploration, & Planning Barriers • Agency history with family • Location of relatives • Balancing act • Handling inappropriate family members • Coordinating visits
Decision Making & Sustaining the Relationship Children in Permanent Custody • Hold follow-up meeting to note progress & address challenges • Celebrate successes!! • Engage in more in-depth discussion of permanency planning • Develop Plans A Z & decide next steps • Are necessary supports in place? • “Plans fail, but our children do not.” • Choose team member to facilitate future meetings
Decision Making & Sustaining the Relationship Children in Temporary Custody • Different outcome goals (Legal Custody) • Connections can serve as support if child is reunified • Helping connections to keep the relationship open with biological parents • Dealing with family conflict
Decision Making & Sustaining the Relationship Tools • Permanency Pact • Diligence • Communication!!! • Success Stories (celebrate success)
Decision Making & Sustaining the Relationship Barriers • Engaging too late (children bonding to foster parents while FSE is being explored) • Agency policies and procedures • Keeping continued buy-in • Family follow-through • Red tape (home studies)
Taking FSE to Your Organization • Identify those who “buy in” first • Assemble a team • Task Force • Work Group • Management Team • Develop goals and objectives • Develop/attend FSE training • Identify needs for overcoming barriers • Policy & procedure • Supervision checklist • Accountability measures • Measure & celebrate success • Adapt & adjust