UCLA Center on Child Welfare

1. EnhancingStrengths/Needs Based Practice:Effectively Assessing Behaviors to meet the Unmet Needs of Children and FamiliesDay 2 UCLA Center on Child Welfare

2. Agenda • Welcome Back! • Housekeeping • Agenda

3. Lessons Learned • Highlights from Day 1 • Share the transfer of learning activities: • Strengths/Needs Assessment Checklist • Strengths/Needs Matrix • The safety factors • Your initial Bio/Psycho/Social hunches

4. Reviewing the Strengths/Needs MatrixJack • Linking: • Behaviors & Concerns • Client Hunches • CSW Hunches • Needs & Needs Statement • Desired Outcomes

5. Completing the Strengths/ Needs MatrixJack • Identifying Mobilized Strengths • Crafting Solutions & Strategies

6. Paradigm Shift in Practice • Coaching & Mentoring • The Family • The Caregivers • The Team

7. Coaching to Enhance Strengths/Needs Based Practice Challenging Behavioral Expression: Families and Workers Child Safety

8. Coaching to Enhance Strengths/Needs Based Practice Challenging Behavioral Expression: Families & Workers Establish beliefs & truths about the person Based on past information both good and bad Often focused on deficit model thinking Often based on judgments and bias Child Safety

9. Confirmation Bias occurs when we selectively notice or focus upon evidence which tends to support the things we already believe or want to be true while ignoring that evidence which would serve to disconfirm those beliefs or ideas. Confirmation bias plays a stronger role than empirical evidence.

10. Recency Bias is the tendency to extrapolate information from recent events to make concrete decisions about the future. The recency effect is a cognitive bias that results from disproportionate attention to recent observations. This occurs when CSWs only attend to that which has been occurring in the recent history of a family and NOT their long term patterns.

11. Coaching to Enhance Strengths/Needs Based Practice Challenging Behavioral Expression: Families & Workers Establish beliefs & truths about the person Your language and actions reflect your beliefs Child Safety

12. Coaching to Enhance Strengths/Needs Based Practice Challenging Behavioral Expression: Families & Workers Establish beliefs & truths about the person Your language and actions reflect your beliefs Your actions impact and influence the actions of others Child Safety

13. Coaching to EnhanceStrengths/Needs Based Practice Beliefs drive our thoughts Thoughts drive our language Language drives our actions Our actions influence the thoughts, language and actions of those around you We pick up on the emotional tone/energy from those around us and act/behave accordingly

14. Gathering Information & Making Assessments from a Deficit Focus I do not value this person This person is incompetent and unmotivated, and can’t solve their own problems I know the answers and it is up to me to solve this person’s problems I questions this person’s abilities and commitment This person is time consuming and wears me out!

15. Gathering Information & MakingAssessments from a Strength Focus This person has value and is worthwhile This person is capable and has the ability to make a difference This person has his/her own answers and can identify their underlying needs This person is an inspiration to me This person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect

16. Strengths/Needs MatrixSmith Case VignetteDenise • ONE Behavior & Concern • Client Hunches • CSW Hunches • Desired Outcome • Needs Statement • Mobilized Strengths • Services/Strategies Link to Safety Concerns

17. Lunch

18. Know Yourself and the Families With Whom You Work • A Principle of the Strength Based Perspective • Supports Cultural Awareness & Humility • Why is this important? Adapted from office of Affirmative Action

19. Parallel Process Administrators Supervisors Social Workers & Collaborative Partners Parents & Caregivers Children

20. Communication Guidelines • Recognize your communication style • Expect to learn something about yourself and others • Speak clearly and use personal examples when making a point • Participate honestly and openly • Engage in the process by listening, as well as speaking • Confidentiality • Take responsibility for yourself and what you say

21. Race Color National Origin Religion Sex Political Affiliation Disability Age Marital Status Sexual Orientation (California Specific) Civil Rights Protected Areas

22. Defining Diversity Diversity is defined as race, gender, age, language, physical characteristics, disability, sexual orientation, economic status, parental status, education, geographic origin, profession, life style, religion, personality, position in the company hierarchy, and any other difference.

23. Four Layers of Diversity • Organizational • External • Internal • Personality

24. Review: Smith Family Vignette What are some of categories/groups that the Smith Family belongs to?

25. Questions will be asked about our diversity and experiences Please raise your hand to identify what group best describes you Cultural Awareness Activity: Who We Are

26. Defining Culture Culture is life-styles, habits, behavior patterns, customs, rituals, language and other unique characteristics of a given people or group. Culture is developed and refined over time

27. Expressions of Culture Food, Music, Rituals Communication and Language Dress and Appearance Time Consciousness Rewards and Recognition Relationships Values and Norms Sense of Self and Space Beliefs and Attitudes

28. Expressions of Culture • We all judge and place value on these expressions of culture as: Helpful Hurtful Healthy Unhealthy Constructive Destructive Good Bad

29. Expressions of Culture Our judgments & values of culture have a basis in: Personal Systemic • Bias • Fear • Awareness • Understanding • Research • Laws • Policy • Education

30. From the first CPS activity, in which categoryhave you experienced this? How did it make you feel? How did you respond? Where do you think you learned this response? Personal Experiences of Bias and Discrimination

31. Self Reflection Worksheet Identify three personal biases you have about a group of people: Resolved Current Emerging For each personal bias, indicate: What circumstances/experiences caused you to have this bias? How has this bias caused you to feel, think , and react toward this group of people?

32. Questions will be asked regarding your feelings/beliefs about different groups of people Indicate your response using the remote control Classroom Performance System Activity: Identifying Our Biases

33. Identifying Our Biases • Why is it important to continuously become aware of our biases? • To enhance our strength based practice with all families • To ensure that we are treating all families with dignity & respect • To ensure that we are giving all families equal access to services • To ensure that we are not contributing to disproportionality/disparity in CWS

34. Diversity Appreciation Scale • Appreciation • Acceptance • Tolerance • Avoidance • Repulsion

35. Changing Your Biased Behavioral ResponseWhen Working with Families • Revisit Self-Reflection Worksheet: • How did you change/ improve your bias behavioral response? • How does this support the paradigm shift to strengths/needs based practice? • How does this support enhancing cultural competence?

36. Life’s Lessons: • People work best when they feel appreciated/accepted • People cannot work at their best when they feel tolerated/avoided • Each individual is on a continuum of self reflection and awareness on their life journey

37. Transfer of Learning • Complete Strengths/ Needs TOL Checklist for Day 2 • What information/ strategies/ practices will you take back into the field with you?

38. Coming Attractions • Engaging Families • Teaming • Coaching and Mentoring

39. Have a Wonderful Evening! • Closing and Evaluations