Family Partnerships as a Model of Practice

1. Family Partnerships as a Model of Practice Susanne Klawetter, LCSW Jon Singletary, Ph.D., M.S.W., M.Div.

2. Baylor School of Social Work • Center for Family and Community Ministries (CFCM) • Calvary Baptist Church

3. Vision • Partner CBC volunteers with community families in ways that facilitate caring and friendship. • Empower CBC volunteers to share skills and resources within areas of expertise or training. • Utilize social workers’ skills and resources for case management and counseling. • Develop evidence-informed model of pairing social work skills with congregations

4. Family Partnership Program • Collaboration between BSSW/CFCM and CBC • Social Work theoretical underpinnings and techniques: • Strengths Perspective, Structural Family Theory, Systems Theory • Family Group Conferencing, Multisystemic Therapy

5. Family Partnership Program • Collaboration between BSSW/CFCM and CBC • Congregation-based models • Stand in the Gap • Open Table

6. Family Partnership Program: Roles • Partners • Consultants • Participant Families • Social Work Interns

7. Partners • CBC volunteers – individuals, couples, families • Long-term commitment • Focus on relationship building, support, encouragement • May have pre-existing relationship with family

8. Consultants • CBC volunteers – individuals • Short-term commitment • Focus on sharing specific skill sets, resources, expertise • EX: navigating legal or educational system; nutrition

9. Participant Families • Families with young children • Already in relationship with CBC and/or CBC volunteers • Located in neighborhood surrounding CBC • Voluntary

10. Social Work Interns • MSW interns in Children and Families Concentration • Interested in community-based work • Interested in collaborating with churches in social work role • Supervised by Program Coordinator (LMSW) and Research Faculty (LCSW)

11. Pilot Year Implementation • 4 families referred, 3 families agreed to participate, 2 families completed program • Goal: • Strengthen parenting skills • Increase social support • Pre/post-test evaluation: Participant Families • Family Support Scale • Parent Stress Index • Qualitative evaluation: CBC Volunteers • Field evaluation: MSW Interns

12. Implementation: CBC • Book Study: When Helping Hurts • Development focus • FPP training • Strengths Perspective • Family Focus • Cultural Sensitivity • Case Studies • Asset Mapping within CBC Congregation

13. Implementation: Participant Families • Engagement and Assessment • Genograms and Ecomaps • Family Group Meeting • MST Fit Circles • Intervention • Parenting Partners Curriculum • Case Management: CBC Partners, CBC Consultants, Formal and Informal resources • Counseling: Marriage/Couples, Depression, Parenting Stress, Addiction

14. Outcomes and Implications: Participant Families • Family Group Meetings • Assessment, intervention, termination • Emphasis on natural support networks and strengths • Parenting Support • PSI: lacked statistical significance • Offer parenting curriculum in community setting • Family Support • FSS: lacked statistical significance; longitudinal study • What we missed • Measure presence and change in depressive features • Qualitative study

15. Outcomes and Implications: CBC Volunteers • Measure impact of book study • Impact of social work frameworks • Strengths perspective • Understanding family and community context

16. Outcomes and Implications: Social Work Interns • Engagement skills • Professional social work role • Power differentials

17. Social Work with Congregations • Ethical integration of faith and social work practice • Approach congregations from a strengths perspective • Acknowledge value conflicts and challenges • Provide clear definition of professional roles, values, limitations