FINDING “HOPE” USING STRENGTH BASED STRATEGIES

1. FINDING “HOPE” USING STRENGTH BASED STRATEGIES John Mayo MA, LMHC Success 4 Kids and Families Tampa, Florida

2. Success 4 Kids and Families (S4KF) • Mission Success 4 Kids and Families embraces system of care values and principles to provide children and their families with a comprehensive array of services. This value system means that a strength-based, culturally competent and family driven approach is used when working with children and their families.

4. Systems of Care Are: 1. Family Driven and youth guided, with the strengths and needs of the child and family determining the types and mix of services and supports provided. 2. Community based, with the locus of services as well as system management resting within a supportive, adaptive infrastructure, processes, and relationships at the community level. 3. Culturally and linguistically competent, with agencies, programs, and services that reflect the cultural, racial, ethnic and linguistic differences of the populations they serve to facilitate access to and utilization of appropriate services and supports and to eliminate disparities in care.

5. System of Care Practice Review (SOCPR) The SOCPR was designed to provide a tool for assessing whether systems of care values and principles are implemented at the level of practice where children and their families have direct contact with service providers. It also provides a measure of how well the overall service delivery system is meeting the needs of children with serious and complex emotional/behavioral issues and their families. Theory of change logic models. (2009). Retrieved from http://logicmodel.fmhi.usf.edu/SOCPR.html

6. SOCPR • Anecdotal issues benefits of training and supervision: • SOCPR challenges staff to evaluate their practice in relation to SOC values • from training to direct work in the field • supervision based on values • quality improvement at the agency, program, and individual level • Exposes families and youth to SOC values • Allows for a different type of reflection as to their satisfaction with services

7. SOCPR Summary • S4KF has implemented the SOCPR as a Quality assurance tool for six years • Benefits are seen in supervision, funding, improvements in training, and staff competence • SOCPR will continue to be a centerpiece of Quality assurance

8. SOCPR • Quotes from interviews are valuable • Be prepared to have feedback for improvement no SOCPR has ever been perfect • Present data and results using SOC values; strengths, needs, recommendation for proactive change

9. S4KF SOCPR Score Comparisons between FY2010-2011 and FY2011-2012

10. S4KF SOCPR Mean Scores FY2008-2009 through FY2011-2012

11. PRIOR RESEARCH original seven strength categories • Observation of 118 family team meetings • SOCPR data of 65 family teams assessing fidelity to SOC values • Field notes(Davis, Mayo, Sikand, Kobres and Dollard, 2007)

12. Current research ten strength strategies • Ten family team meetings observed and transcribed • Examined transcripts for strengths disclosure. • Identified new categories • Conducted line-by-line coding of strengths disclosure • Conducted a “peer debriefing” finalizing the types of strengths strategies.

15. Strength-Based Process • “The Wraparound Process begins with respect for a family’s strengths, culture and choices.” • Strengths, culture, family talents and preferences are the resources that family’s rely upon to meet their needs in their daily lives and within crisis situations as well. Callejas and Mayo (2008) Raices/Promotoras Model

16. Strength Based Assessment • “People practicing a strengths-based philosophy don’t ignore problems; they assess the needs behind problems and focus on strengths as pathways to solutions.” (Davis, Mayo, Sikand, Kobres and Dollard, 2007)

17. Facilitating a Child’s Mental Heath and Well-Being • “The most natural way to facilitate a child’s mental health and well-being is to identify the strengths and resources of a child, family, school and community so that these strengths and resources can be coordinated to support the child’s metal health and well-being.”

18. How to Identify and Coordinate Strengths and Resources Ask - Who are the people and what are the things that make it possible for you or your child: • To experience satisfaction and happiness • To learn • To accomplish tasks • To be connected to other people

20. Definition of Strength “A gift, talent or special quality that enhances a child and a child’s impact on his or her family, friendships, school and community.”

22. Definition of a Resource “Something that can be used for support or help.”

23. Eleven Key Types of Strengths • Trait Strengths - Skills, or things in which the child or family (or team members) excel in (past or present) • Behavior Strengths - Specific behavioral examples of strengths (past) example: install a bathtub, do well on an assignment • Resiliency Strengths - The ability to survive in the face of chronic stressful situations, having a sense of humor, strong spiritual or religious faith (Davis, Mayo, Piecora, and Wimberley, 2013)

24. Strengths Continued… • Possibility Strengths - Goals or dreams set in the future toward which the family and team are working • Resource Strengths - Financial, time, and knowledge resources available to help the family and team • Borrowed Strengths - Strengths taken from an exemplary other person or by the strengths of the intervention or treatment itself (Davis, Mayo, Piecora and Wimberley, 2013)

25. Strengths Continued… • Past Strengths - Strengths in the family’s past (ex: history of overcoming disability, homelessness and crises) • Hidden Strengths - Strengths that are manifested, on the surface, through undesirable behaviors or the strengths you are not aware of (Davis, Mayo, Piecora and Wimberley, 2013)

26. Strengths Continued… • Environmental Strengths - Positive things in the environment (ex: family has a home with a mother and father at home) • Feeling, Attitude or Value Strengths - Attitudes or beliefs that are helpful for a family or team member to have (ex: desire to keep family intact is a value strength) (Davis, Mayo, Piecora and Wimberley, 2013)

27. Strengths Continued… • Interest Strengths - Things a child or family is interested in doing that would move them in a positive direction (ex: interest in crafts) (Davis, Mayo, Piecora and Wimberley, 2013)

28. Eleven Types of Strengths • Trait • Behavior • Resiliency • Possibility • Resource • Borrowed • Past • Hidden • Environmental • Feeling, Attitude or Value • Interest

30. Strengths Exercise - Identify your own Strengths Picture Exercise

31. Individual Strengths Might include: • Optimism • Curiosity • Creativity • Compassion • Energy • Diligence • Athletic Talent • Others

32. Individual Resources Might include: • A video collection • A pet snake • A part-time job • Others

34. Family Resources Might include: • An apartment that meets all safety codes • A car • A large extended family who can babysit • Others

35. School Strengths Might include: • Teachers who spend time getting to know each child • A philosophy of actively involving parents in teaching their children • Others

37. School Resources Might include: • A well stocked library • Safe, well lit, clean school grounds • Bilingual education classes • A school counselor who helps anxious children learn relaxation strategies • Others

38. Community Strengths Might include: • Neighborhood pride • Lots of natural, outdoor play space • A warm climate

39. Community Resource Might include: • A free public library • A strong transportation system • A nearby community mental health center • Others

40. What is the Family Support Plan? • Participant, or family, centered; created and written in partnership with the Wrap Facilitator • A planning process/road map for interaction with the participant and family • A guide of services provided by the Wrap Facilitator and Team • A document that shows how identified concerns, priorities and resources are being addressed

41. What makes the Family Support Plan Essential ? • Increases families’ use of strengths, supports and referrals to decrease risk factors and improve outcomes for their health and well-being • Aids in problem-solving skills, increasing the chance of success • Models the importance of planning which is characteristic of a healthy family

42. What makes the Family Support Plan Essential ? • Provides a record of success, which is a characteristic of a healthy family • Teaches families to set goals and achieve them • Guides the Wrap Facilitator and Team in working on areas that the family is willing to work on

43. A Successful Family Support Plan Focuses On: • Enabling and empowering families • Helping families acquire a sense of control • Strengthening families and their natural supports • Helping families acquire competencies • Giving hope to the family and to the team

44. Family Team • A team chosen by the family to create a Family Support Plan. The family may invite informal supports such as friends, relatives or religious leaders. They also choose which formal supports they want at the meeting. Formal supports include the case manager, school personnel, mental health professionals, mentors etc…