SUPPORT WORKER ORIENTATION TRAINING

1. SUPPORT WORKER ORIENTATION TRAINING Presenters: Doug McIvor Rosie McGillivary Location: Kikiwak Inn, Bignell Room A Date: September 20 - 21, 2006

2. Introduction Resource Department Staff Agency Mandate Resource Mandate Legislation Child & Family Services Act Program Standards Agency’s Policy Smoking, Drugs & Alcohol TABLE OF CONTENTS

3. Roles & Responsibilites Job Description Confidentiality Planned & Unplanned Uses of a Support Worker Escorting Hotel Intervening Respite Restraint Court Attendance Suspension/Cancellation of Contract Child Abuse What is child abuse Recognizing behaviors of child abuse Child disclosures, how to respond TABLE OF CONTENTS

4. Documentation Report forms Incident report Absent without leave Separation & Loss Children in care separation and loss Understanding the grieving process What can we do to help a child through this process Contract & Payment Rate of payment Understanding the timesheet Renewal of Contract TABLE OF CONTENTS

5. The Resource Program is the program that deals with the resources of the agency, foster care and support worker's. This is to ensure that families and children are receiving the appropriate supports. Support worker's are matched with the foster child's needs, except in emergency situations. INTRODUCTION RESOURCE DEPARTMENT

6. There are two (02) types of support worker's, intervener and escort. The intervener is a worker that spends one on one with a child in care, usually in a hotel placement. This is to ensure the well being of the child and to keep the child occupied with positive activities. The escort is assigned to travel with a ward for scheduled appointments or change of placements as planned by the case manager. INTRODUCTION RESOURCE DEPARTMENT

7. Resource Coordinator - Claudette Lehmann She is from Sapotaweyak Cree Nation. She graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1999 with a Bachelor of Social degree. She has been employed with the agency for 7 years. Resource Worker - Doug McIvor Doug is from Split Lake. He graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1996 with a Bachelor of Social Work degree. He has been employed with the agency for 8 ½ years. INTRODUCTION RESOURCE STAFF

8. Resource Worker - Rosie McGillivary Rosie is from and resides in Opaskwayak Cree Nation. She has been employed with the agency for 4 ½ years. Resource Worker - Michelle Guimont Michelle Guimont is from Misipawistik Cree Nation (Grand Rapids First Nation). She graduated from the First Nations University of Canada in 2004 with a Certificate in Indian Social Work. She has been employed with the agency for 7 ½ years. INTRODUCTION RESOURCE STAFF

9. I/Special Needs Worker - April Kematch April Kematch is from Misipawistik Cree Nation (Grand Rapids First Nation). She graduated from the University of Manitoba in 2004 with a Degree in Social Work. She has been employed with the agency for 1 ½ years. Resource Administrative Assistant - Bonita Stevens Bonita is from Sapotaweyak Cree Nation Bonita has been employed with the agency for 2 years. INTRODUCTION RESOURCE STAFF

10. Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency is dedicated to providing comprehensive child and family services that are community- based and incorporate both protection and prevention services. Our agency will strive to maintain family unity. INTRODUCTION AGENCY MANDATE

11. To promote and recruit supportive care giver resources for the children and families of Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency services based on Swampy Cree Culture, traditions and beliefs. To provide and advocate training for professional development to staff and care giver resources. To build healthy working relationship with families and communities of the Swampy Cree Tribal Council. INTRODUCTION RESOURCE MANDATE

12. The Child & Family Services Act, specifically directs agencies to work with families to prevent crisis and to work together with the communities they serve. The legislation defines what support services are provided to families and what services should be provided to children in care. LEGISLATION CHILD & FAMILY SERVICES ACT

13. Standard 466 defines when it is appropriate for respite and what these dollars for foster parents are meant to be utilized for. It is a right for every foster family to take respite (time off) and enjoy a period of rest. Respite is not intended to cover babysitting costs due to an emergency in the foster home (hospitalization of a foster child or a sudden illness or death in the family); so a foster parent may take a foster child for medical/special appointments while other children are in the home; so a foster parent may attend parent -teacher interviews and for foster parents to attend orientation and training workshops. LEGISLATION PROGRAM STANDARDS

14. Standard 466 cont’d: Respite can be provided in the foster parents home or in the home of a respite provider. The home of a respite provider may be a licensed respite home or in a casual respite home. Casual respite homes can be members of the immediate family of the foster family or families that have no relationship, however, all respite homes must complete the child abuse registry, prior contact and criminal records check. LEGISLATION PROGRAM STANDARDS

15. Standard 461 outlines the support services that can be provided to a foster family. As well as the approval process for support workers. LEGISLATION PROGRAM STANDARDS

16. Standard 240 deals mainly with family support agreements. The agency does enter into these agreements in order to prevent a child coming into care of a child and family services agency. However, with these agreements no immediate family members, including grandparents or sibling or persons residing in the family home are paid for providing homemaker or parent aide services. LEGISLATION PROGRAM STANDARDS

17. The agency has an internal support worker policy identifying the roles and responsibilities both for staff and support worker's. LEGISLATION AGENCY’S POLICY

18. At no time, while under contract with the agency can a support worker consume alcohol or drugs. The support worker must show for work sober and not under any influence of alcohol or drugs. This includes situations when providing respite for foster parents. If the child in care is of legal age, the child cannot consume alcohol while with an agency representative, such as a support worker. LEGISLATION ALCOHOL, DRUGS & ALCOHOL

19. A child in care cannot smoke cigarettes unless they are the legal age of consent. However, at no time can a support worker purchase cigarettes or supply cigarettes to a child in care. It is illegal to purchase cigarettes for a child under the legal age of consent. At no time, is the use of narcotics allowed for either the support worker or child. This is an illegal activity and charges can be laid. LEGISLATION ALCOHOL, DRUGS & ALCOHOL

20. The support worker must inform the child's worker or after hour services should the child in care be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Also, if it completing shift work with another support worker, cannot leave the child with a support worker who seems to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It is that support worker's responsibility to inform the agency the next working day or immediately if a problem should arise. LEGISLATION ALCOHOL, DRUGS & ALCOHOL

21. Support workers are required to be approved as outlined in section 18 of the Foster Home Licensing Regulation . Such persons must be approved by the placing agency before commencing work. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES JOB DESCRIPTION

22. Intervener: An intervener provides appropriate crisis intervention when necessary and ensures that the agency provides follow - up. The support worker will ensure the safety and well - being of the child. This support worker can provide direct intervention to change inappropriate behaviors of a child in care in terms of using behavior modification skills. They encourage and support the child's cultural identity through the promotion of language and cultural activity. They can provide support services to a foster parent. They are a positive role model to children. Provide educational support or tutoring when required to a child in care. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES JOB DESCRIPTION

23. Escort: This support worker will provide transportation arrangement to children in care or families that are receiving service through the agency. Ensures that the child in care reaches their destination without delay and without unnecessary detours or stops. During these contracts only the support worker and the child are allowed in the vehicle at all times. The support worker's spouses, children and friends are not authorized to travel in the same vehicle. The only exception is a family member who is an approved support worker or employee of the agency if approved through the case manager. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES JOB DESCRIPTION

24. A support worker must sign and complete a confidentiality agreement form prior to completing any contract with the agency. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES CONFIDENTIALITY • Should the agency provide the support worker with written information on the child in care, this must be returned to the agency upon completion of the contract. The responsibility for confidentiality does not change, even after the working relationship has ended. • There are exceptions to maintaining the child's confidential information. When a child makes a disclosure of abuse, when the child is pregnant, is intoxicated or under the influence of drugs or indicates they are a danger to themselves or others, must be shared with the case manager or after hours services immediately upon disclosure.

25. The Support Worker will not, at any time, or in any way, take or reproduce Confidential Information unless required by his or her contract. The Support Worker will, upon ceasing to be under contract to the Agency, return to the Agency all Confidential Information in his or her possession or under his or her control whether such Confidential Information belongs to the Agency or otherwise. The Support Worker will also return all property then in his or her possession or under his or her control which belongs to the Agency or its Employees. The Support Worker specifically should be aware of the confidential provisions of The Child and Family Services Act (Manitoba) including section 76 of the said Act, a copy of which is attached. The Support Worker specifically should be aware that failure to comply with the confidentiality provisions of the Act may constitute an offense under The Summary Convictions Act (Manitoba). ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES CONFIDENTIALITY

26. Breach of confidentiality is grounds for closure of the support worker file. There can also be criminal charges laid and/or a monetary fine put into place for breach of confidentiality. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITES CONFIDENTIALITY

27. There are planned uses of a support worker, which include family visits, respite for a foster parent and escorting a child in care to another placement. The support worker is told of the event well in advance and the information regarding the child in care. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES PLANNED USES OF SUPPORT WORKERS

28. There are also unplanned uses of a support worker, which could include emergency travel situations, for instance to attend a funeral and hotel placements. The support worker is called and needed immediately for services. Some of these times, the case manager may not know too much information regarding the child. This could be because the child was recently apprehended. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES UNPLANNED USES OF A SUPPORT WORKER

29. This is when a child is being moved from placement to placement or attending a family visit. This could also include emergency travel, such as, attending a family's funeral or crisis within the child's immediate family. The support worker is provided information regarding the destination point and who to drop off the child with. The support worker should check the child's bags or luggage to ensure the child is not taking any item that is not their own. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES ESCORTING • At no times, is the support worker to leave the child unattended or with another person not identified. For instance, if dropping the child off at a foster home and the foster parent(s) is not home, the support worker cannot leave the child with someone in the home. The support worker is to contact the case manager or a worker in the community to locate the foster parent(s).

30. The support worker must provide the agency with a copy of their valid driver's license and vehicle registration. The vehicle being utilized to transport a child in care must have the $2 million liability insurance. This allows the support worker to claim if there is an accident with that vehicle. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES ESCORTING • The agency will reimburse the support worker the cost of the vehicle insurance deductible if the cause is from the child. At no time, will the agency reimburse the cost of repairs. A copy of the Manitoba Public Insurance Claim must be provided for reimbursement.

31. There could be situations where a support worker is required to stay in a hotel placement with a child in care. Most hotel placements are shift work, meaning the support worker is completing 12 hour shifts with another support worker. There may be times when another support worker cannot be located and therefore there may be a requirement for the support worker to remain with the child for a 24 - hour period. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES HOTEL INTERVENING • Hotel placements are usually a 24 - 7 supervision contract, meaning that the child must remain in the support worker's care at all times. If the child leaves, the support worker must inform after hours or the child's worker immediately. The RCMP must be notified with a description of the child's clothing and last time seen. The support worker is to remain in the hotel placement until the child returns or until their shift ends. Whether the shifts will continue will be up to the discretion of the case manager. The support worker must remain on shift or standby until the case manager identifies a different plan.

32. There can be visits with the child's friends, however, this is at the discretion of the support worker. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES HOTEL INTERVENING

33. A child in care can have situations where there are dual supports put into place to not only secured the stabilization of the placement but also to provide role modeling for the child. The support worker initiates positive interventions to correct inappropriate behavior and ensures positive role modeling and support to the child. The quality time spent with the child may reduce the stress associated with providing foster care to high needs children. This will help prevent the breakdown of a foster home. Therefore, reducing the harmful effects of children moving from foster home to foster home. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES RESPITE

34. Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency complies with the philosophy as taught in the Non - Violence Crisis Intervention training (NCI). At no time, should a support worker utilize any restraints or holds unless trained in NCI. The support worker will remain calm during acting out behaviors. Should the support worker require assistance during a situation, they should contact the child's worker during office hours and/or either the Band Constable/RCMP after office hours. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES RESTRAINTS

35. There may be times when a support worker is required to attend court, either to escort a child in care or to testify before the Court on matters related to the support worker's duties with the agency. When the support worker receives a subpoena the support worker is to notify the case manager and forward a copy immediately. All activity and case notes will be provided to the case manager immediately upon receiving the subpoena. The support worker will meet with the case manager to discuss attendance and payment options. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES COURT ATTENDANCE

36. A support worker contract may be suspended or cancelled for child neglect, consuming alcohol or non - prescription narcotics while providing care of a child, gambling while providing care for a child in care, alleged abuse of a child, recent or pending criminal charges and complaints from outside sources. The file can also be closed at the support worker's request. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES SUSPENSION/CANCELLATIONOFCONTRACT

37. Abuse can come in many forms, mainly physical, sexual, emotional and verbal. Physical abuse is any act or omission which results in physical injury/harm to a child. Emotional abuse is any act or omission which may produce emotional distress for the child. Sexual abuse is any exploitation of a child for the sexual gratification of another person. CHILD ABUSE WHAT IS CHILD ABUSE

38. Physical abuse behavioral indicators may be but not limited to: •withdrawn/remote •frozen watchfulness/blank stare - mainly in infants •fear of physical contact/timid •clinging dependency/no boundaries •appear depressed/lack of emotion •role reversal •physical signs of stress •aggressive with others •difficulty in relating to others •hyperactive •over dressing/unnecessary clothing •abuse of alcohol and drugs or solvents •truancy/skipping school •absent without leave/refusing to go home CHILD ABUSE RECOGNIZING BEHAVIORS OF CHILD ABUSE

39. Sexual abuse behavioral indicators may be but not limited to: •self - mutilation •suicide ideation •age inappropriate sexual play •playing out sexual acts with toys, self or others •sexual explicit drawings, descriptions or unusual sexual knowledge •promiscuity •prostitution •seductive behaviors •fear of home •depression •verbal disclosure of sexual abuse •mistrust to others •isolation •dresses in large clothing •change in school performance •masturbation (excessive) •low self esteem, poor body image, negative self-perception •nightmares •sudden fear of phobias •resists undressing, being undressed or in infants, fear of having diaper changed •frequent complaints of abdominal pain or genital discomfort, genital discharge, pain, swelling, itching, laceration or bleeding CHILD ABUSE RECOGNIZING BEHAVIORS OF CHILD ABUSE

40. Neglect abuse behavioral indicators may be but not limited to: •developmentally delayed •unresponsive •depression •out of control •school failure •often tired •steals food, begs from peers •reports no care giver is at home CHILD ABUSE RECOGNIZING BEHAVIORS OF CHILD ABUSE

41. Emotional abuse behavioral indicators may be but not limited to: extreme withdrawal, aggression or mood swings overly complaint, constantly apologizes extreme attention seeking behaviors poor peer relationships severe depressions, low self - esteem/worth runs away from home failure to thrive shows age inappropriate behavior passive, demanding, shy or episodes of anger CHILD ABUSE RECOGNIZING BEHAVIORS OF CHILD ABUSE

42. If a child discloses to you: Remain calm and do not overreact. These behaviors may be misread by the child where he/she may blame themselves for the incident or they will develop feelings of guilt and shame. Talk to the child in a private quiet place. Do not interview the child but listen to the child and provide support and comfort. Reassure the child but never promise to keep the disclosure a secret. CHILD ABUSE CHILD DISCLOSURES - HOW TO RESPOND

43. Let the child know that you will do something to get him/her help. Report the incident immediately to the agency. Document the disclosure and provide written report to the child's case manager. If the disclosure occurs after working hours, please notify the intake/after hours. CHILD ABUSE CHILD DISCLOSURES - HOW TO RESPOND

44. Remember when a child discloses to someone, it is very difficult for them to tell or talk about their abuse, because in some cases the offender may be the parent. The child is going through inner turmoil. It is also very difficult for the child to disclose about abuse, because of their loyalty and love they have for their parent and their family. CHILD ABUSE CHILD DISCLOSURES - HOW TO RESPOND

45. The support worker's written data must include their signature, date, time, names and addresses of people involved. The support worker must describe all contacts, including telephone and written communication with child/ren in care, relatives, neighbors and other agency staff. All case notes must have the support worker's signature. The support worker's case notes should include all activities and observed behaviors of the child in detail. DOCUMENTATION REPORT FORMS

46. All incidents/accidents involving damage to personal or public property or bodily injury must be reported to the case manager. This includes damage to the worker's own vehicle caused by a child in care or an accident occurring while transporting a child in care. If there are personal damages incurred while providing a service to the agency is the support worker's responsibility to fix these damages. DOCUMENTATION INCIDENT REPORT

47. When writing your account of the incident: List the when, who, what, where, why and how of the incident chronologically; Exact location of incident, including building address, floor, area of floor or room; approximate space within room, relative to doorways, furniture, appliances; Conditions - please describe the scene: event outside, weather (ice, rain, overcast, cold or hot); event inside - lighting, wet floors, cluttered area. Full names of staff involved; title of staff; description (approximate height, weight); description of their part in the incident. DOCUMENTATION INCIDENT REPORT

48. Be objective - free of commentary and hearsay; Tell the truth; - Tell the whole story; Be aware of precipitating factors, what led up to the incident. Sign and date report; Write legibly with no erasures or whiteout; Make sentences declarative (subject-verb-object) -stick to facts Make sure names and addresses are accurate; Indicate direct quotes; and avoid jargon and specialized terms. DOCUMENTATION INCIDENT REPORT

49. When a child leaves without consent by the support worker or the case manager, this is considered absent without leave. The support worker must notify the case manager or after hours emergency immediately upon the child leaving. The support worker must notify the RCMP of the missing child and provide a recent description of the child's clothes. The support worker is to look for child around the community, if feasible. DOCUMENTATION ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE • The support worker is to remain in the hotel until the child returns or the next working day. The support worker is to report to the agency office the next working day if child has not returned to speak with case manager of plan for contract.

50. If the child returns the support worker must notify the case manager or the after hours emergency immediately upon return. DOCUEMTATION ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE