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Explore how to involve families, empower decision-making, collaborate with community partners, and improve communication in case planning. Policy guidelines and the MiTEAM Practice Model support engagement for successful child welfare outcomes.
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MiTEAM Engagement
Ask yourself the hard questions… • How can we better involve families, youth and caregivers in case planning? • How can we better empower families to make their own decisions? • How can we best work with community partners? • How can we improve the communication of the case plan to all parties? • What can be improved for you to feel more supported/empowered in your work?
The answers to the hard questions are in policy….. • FOM 722-6: “Casework service requires the engagement of the family in the development of the service plan.” • FOM 722-8C: “Parental participation is required in developing parent/caretaker goals and objectives.” • PSM 714-1-: “With family input develop a strength based service agreement which focuses on the issues identified on the risk and needs and strengths assessments.” • SRM 131: Provides guidelines for releasing reports. Policy supports the MiTEAM Practice Model!
Engagement The skill vital to successfully establishing a relationship with children, parents, and individuals that work together to help meet a child or family’s needs to resolve child welfare related issues.
Family engagement is not… • An Interview or questionnaire ; • Being “friends” with families; • Setting aside consequences in lieu of building rapport ; • Pre-determined bias ; • Minimizing valid safety concerns ; • An additional CPS investigation ; • A Court review hearing.
Why do we engage? Why do we engage? • To develop partnerships and build rapport; • To diffuse a crisis; • To minimize trauma; • To accurately gather information to assist with the case planning; • To identify strengths and goals and encourage participation in the planning process; • To keep children safe. Why do we engage? Why do we engage?
Family engagement requires… • A shift in the belief that families are incapable of planning for themselves; • Allowing the family to fully participate in case planning; • Being upfront with families and communicating with them about their circumstances; • Understanding and communicating the dynamics of the Child Welfare System and its interactions with other systems.
Benefits of Family Engagement • Shared case planning; • Family more likely to comply with a plan they helped to develop. Shifts responsibility for child well-being, safety, and permanency from DHS to the family: • May assist in preventing children/youth from coming into care; • Increases placement options (relative and community); • Clear expectations and outcomes.
Engagement All staff will utilize a series of intentional interventions that work together in an integrated way to promote safety, well-being and permanency for children, youth and families. Techniques utilized include: • Solution focused interviewing; • Active listening; • Asking for parent, child and caregiver input; • Listen for needs, interests, and concerns; • Assist family members in identifying connections and strengths.
Core Engagement Skills:Empathy • Recognize the person’s experience & feelings. • Recognize how the family is communicating non-verbally. • Communicate with words your understanding of the person’s experience. • Allow families and youth to vent and validate their feelings. Communicating with empathy results in more openness with people!
Core Engagement Skills:RESPECT • Communicate warmth. • Show commitment. • Recognize & use a person’s strengths. • Be open- minded. Respect can KEEP YOU SAFE!!
Core Engagement Skills:Genuineness • Be aware of and make sure your non-verbal behavior, voice tone and verbal responses match. • Communicate trustworthiness and acceptance. • Express yourself naturally without acting fake or phony. • Be open and receptive to the families point of view. Be Yourself!
Core Engagement Skills:Competence • Actively Listen. • Show Commitment/Make progress toward goals. • Follow-through. • Be open-minded/Provide and welcome feedback . • Be knowledgeable. Say what you mean, and mean what you say!