UCLA Center on Child Welfare

1. UCLA Center on Child Welfare Enhancing Strengths/Needs Based Practice: Effectively Assessing Behaviors to Meet the Unmet Needs Of Children and Families Day 1

2. Review Introductions Housekeeping Agenda

3. Learning Objectives Knowledge Skill Value Review Adult Learning Styles: Kinesthetic Auditory Visual

4. Links to: Federal Outcome Goals Safety Permanence Child & Family Well Being DCFS Strategic Plan Katie A. Lawsuit & Initiative Collaboration with DMH

5. Links to: Paradigm/Practice Shifts: Quality Service Review QSR Core Practice Model Coaching and Mentoring

6. Defining Social Work (Case Work) Practice: CORE PRACTICE MODEL (CPM ) Basic knowledge, Foundation of CPS, Legal mandates D R A F T

7. SCSW Led Coaching & Mentoring: Support to do the Work! Facilitate REGULAR individual & group case conferences Coaching to core practice & strength-need practice skills while also enhancing safety decisions Create a learning environment characterized by support and mutual trust Oversee quality of services and practice Opportunities to review success!

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

9. Ice Breaker Activity Connecting Behaviors & Underlying Needs • Blue behavior find white need • Green behavior find yellow need • Introduce yourselves • Discuss how the behavior and need connect • Prepare to share with the large group

10. Setting the Foundation What is: Enhanced Strengths Needs Based Practice?

11. Present Casework Cycle & Responsibilities Interaction with a family from Hotline to: Emergency Response Dependency Investigation Intensive Services Family Maintenance Family Reunification Adoption Legal Guardianship

12. Smith Family Vignette Denise John Mark Grandmother Patricia Uncle Patrick Jack Robert Christine *Note the Family Strengths

13. Strengths Needs Activity Select a reporter & recorder Individually, list as many strengths for each family member on Handout #9 Advanced Strength Based Practice Share strengths at your table and then with the large group At your table, write the needs for the family on the flip chart paper & share with the large group

14. Current Practice Behavioral Expression Desired Results: Completion/ Compliance with services Child Safety Assessment Intervention Solutions: Services

15. Enhanced Strengths/Needs Practice Behavioral Expression Assessing Underlying Need: Strengths Based Practice Engagement Teaming Intervention Solutions Strategies Services Child Safety Desired Results: Awareness, Understanding, Lasting Behavioral Change

16. Why:Enhanced Strengths Based Practice Enhances our case management/social work skills Helping families engage to motivate change Supports lasting change for families Moves us from: Solution Focused Strengths Deficits Problem Focused

17. Assessing Family/Child Behaviors to Identify & Meet the Underlying Needs Ensuring Child Safety Adapted from Marty Beyer, Ph.D. Cultural Competency Family/Child Needs Child Safety Formal & Informal Support Systems

18. Behind Behavior:The Challenge of Appreciating Child & Youth Needs Their behaviors are visible, their needs are not We have to look behind the child’s behavior to understand their needs We want their behaviors to change Addressing the needs behind the child/youth’s behaviors can be the most effective way to ensure safety and support their feeling successful

19. Behind Behavior:The Challenge of Appreciating Child & Youth Needs “Underlying needs” sounds new and different Their behaviors are easy for everyone to talk about, but “underlying needs” is not in everyone’s vocabulary At DCFS, we are not used to talking about underlying needs.

20. Behind Behavior:The Challenge of Appreciating Child & Youth Needs We are accustomed to interventions based on behaviors Underlying needs are very diverse and decision making should reflect a child’s uniqueness Children’s behaviors are often a response to trauma Developmental Trauma Disorder, Bessel A. van der Kolk, MD

21. Trauma Based Needs:The Challenge of Appreciating Child & Youth Needs When we use the term “needs” often these are family needs Meeting the family’s needs supports the desired outcome of meeting the child’s needs

22. Behind Behavior:The Challenge of Appreciating Child & Youth Needs We are accustomed to interventions based on behaviors Underlying needs are very diverse and decision making should reflect a child’s uniqueness When we use the term “needs” often these are family needs Meeting the family’s needs supports the desired outcome of meeting the child’s needs

23. Behind Behavior:The Challenge of Appreciating Child & Youth Needs When we use the term “needs” often these are services disguised as needs A stronger plan gets developed when the child’s strengths and needs are identified first and then services are tailored Appreciating the child’s needs is easier after the strengths have been recognized

24. Definition Needs VS Needs Statements

25. Identifying Needs Activity Safety Shelter & Food Permanence Affiliation & Relationship Well Being Nurturance & Love List as many needs as possible for children within the category you are given Use strength based language Think of children in different age groups

26. Safety from exposure to threats of harms Safety from risk to self/others Stability pattern Permanency prospects Living Arrangement Health/physical well-being Emotional well-being Learning and development Other Needs to Consider:

27. Writing a Needs Statement Safety Shelter & Food Permanence Affiliation & Relationship Well Being Nurturance & Love Write a needs statement for Christine and Robert Remember to link the underlying need to the identified challenging behavior/condition

28. Lunch

29. Why:Enhanced Strengths Based Practice Why do you think CSWs are not always as effective as they could be? As a CSW, what is your role in a family’s life?

30. Every individual, group, family and community has strengths Trauma and abuse, illness and struggle, may be injurious but they may also be sources of strength Assume that you do not know the upper limits of the capacity to grow and change. Take individual, group and community aspirations seriously Modified from Lorrie Lutz & Dennis Saleebey, DSW Principles of Strengths Based Perspective

31. We best serve clients when by collaborating with them Every environment if full of formal/informal resources Caring, caretaking and context Families have the right to make mistakes and learn from them Know yourself and the families with whom you work Principles of Strengths Based Perspective

32. Believing in the client Dialogue and collaboration Empowerment Healing and wholeness Hope Membership Plasticity Resiliency Lexicon of Strengths Based Perspective

33. What people have learned about themselves and others Personal qualities, traits, virtues What people know about the world around them Talents people have Cultural and personal stories and lore Pride The Community Spirituality A New Paradigmfor Discovering and Assessing Family Strengths

34. Balancing Strengths & Needs Challenging Behaviors Strengths Underlying Needs CSWs are Change Agents !

35. Give primacy to the clients’ perspectives Believe that clients have the capacity to change Discover what the clients want, their aspiration goals and dreams Direct the Assessment toward personal and environmental strengths Guidelinesfor Strength Based Case management

36. Make the assessment of strengths multi-dimensional Discover the clients’ uniqueness Use language the clients can understand Avoid blaming Avoid cause and effect thinking Avoid diagnosing and labeling Guidelinesfor Strength Based Case Management

37. Strength Based Discovery Questions Meaning questions Exception questions Possibility questions Esteem questions Perspective questions Change questions Support questions

38. Research: Dr. Barry Duncan Research shows that change is caused by: 55% already doing well 30% relationship 15% hope and expectations

39. Discovering Strengths Character Strengths: Characteristics or descriptions of the individual, family, community, and social supports A source of resilience, pride, hope, empowerment, beliefs within a cultural framework

40. Discovering Strengths Mobilized Strengths: How the character strengths can be used/mobilized/put into action by the individual and family Support and enable the family to endure and cope with difficult situations, and to bounce back in the face of trauma Can be used to achieve the identified outcomes of the family

41. Discovering Strengths Activity At your tables complete the activity worksheet: Identify one participant to role play Denise Identify the first participant to role play the CSW Other table group members can support the process as needed Using strength based strategies & techniques, identify Denise's character and mobilized strengths Using strength based strategies & techniques, identify John’s character and mobilized strengths

42. Discovering Strengths Activity Identify the second participant to role play the CSW Other table group members can support the process as needed Using strength based strategies & techniques, identify Grandmother Patricia’s character and mobilized strengths Using strength based strategies & techniques, identify Jack’s character and mobilized strengths

43. Bio/Psycho/Social Assessment Biological Psychological Sociological National Association of Social Workers Definition of Social Work Case Management Permanence Safety & Well Being

44. Bio/Psycho/Social Assessment Use this model to identify needs A methamphetamine addict • Biological • Psychological • Sociological

45. Strengths/Needs Matrix Behaviors & Concerns Client Hunches CSW Hunches Needs Statement Desired Outcome Functional Strengths Services/Strategies

46. Strengths/Needs Matrix:Safety FactorsJack Review Safety Factors taken from the SDM Safety Assessment Physical Abuse Excessive Discipline Emotional Abuse Speak of the child in negative terms

47. Strengths/Needs Matrix:Challenging Behaviors & ConcernsJack Complete Column 1using the family vignette in a role play One person will role play Denise One person will role play the CSW All others are observing and Discuss with Denise the challenging behaviors she identifies for Jack

48. Strengths/Needs Matrix:Bio/Psycho/Social Hunches Ideas, Beliefs & Thoughts Feelings & Gut Reactions Intuition & Projection Based on Research Experience Facts Bias

49. Strengths/Needs Matrix:Bio/Psycho/Social HunchesJack To complete Column 2 Returning to role play with Denise Identify a different CSW Other table members observe and support the CSW as needed Discuss with Denise her hunches regarding what is driving Jack's challenging behaviors using the Bio/Psycho/Social Model

50. Strengths/Needs Matrix:Bio/Psycho/Social HunchesJack To Complete Column 3 Individually eachCSW: List your hunches regarding what is driving Jack's challenging behaviors using the Bio/Psycho/Social Model Share your hunches with your table