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Intensive Reunification Program of Kansas Children’s Service League

Intensive Reunification Program of Kansas Children’s Service League. Kelly McCauley, LMSW Marianne Berry, PhD, ACSW. Intensive Reunification Program Tenets. Time matters (Berry, 2002).

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Intensive Reunification Program of Kansas Children’s Service League

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  1. Intensive Reunification Program of Kansas Children’s Service League Kelly McCauley, LMSW Marianne Berry, PhD, ACSW

  2. Intensive Reunification Program Tenets • Time matters(Berry, 2002). • Children in foster care are at risk of losing their connection to their biological family, and this risk increases over time(Proch & Howard, 1986). • Parent visitation is necessary(Haight, Kagle & Black, 2003). • Clients must have actual control over resources as well as an internalized perception of control(Fein & Staff, 1991). • Concrete help is most predictive of reunification (Berry, 2002).

  3. Intensive Reunification Program Tenets (continued) • Experiential parent training increases safety (Berry, 2002). • Re-abuse rates upon reunification decrease with the amount of time service providers have spent in the biological family’s home during service provision (Berry, 2002). • Biological families are capable and willing (Wilmot, 2001). • Working with parents in groups is effective (Pine, Warsh & Maluccio, 1993).

  4. Intensive Reunification Program Central Tenet To provide multiple opportunities for parents and their children to spend time together.

  5. Family Criteria • Cases were new referrals • Children and parents located within 1 hour travel time from church. • Primary case plan goal must be reunification • If attending while under the influence of chemicals, parents were asked to leave. • Participation was voluntary

  6. The Intensive Reunification Program requires intensive time and skills of foster care staff: • Modeling positive behaviors; • Providing opportunities to practice newly acquired skills; • Imparting community resource information; and • Providing frequent opportunities for participant self-evaluation.

  7. Structure of the Meetings 36 Weeks • Twice weekly meetings for 2 hours each • 144 Total hours for parents and children together in this group setting.

  8. Group Meetings • 1st Half Hour - Group Meal GOAL: Parents learn, from each other and staff, the importance of balanced nutrition, proper meal preparation, tips with meal planning and grocery budgeting. • 2nd Half Hour - Fun Activity between parents and their children GOAL: To provide an opportunity for sharing, communication and fun.

  9. Group Meetings (continued) • 2nd Hour – Educational and Peer Support Groups for both Parents and Children. GOAL: To promote empowerment, knowledge and community awareness.

  10. Meeting Content • Parent participants choose relative educational topics. • Reunification is supported. • “Love & Logic” and the “Incredible Years” curricula are included in the training. • Information is reinforced. • Community supports are incorporated.

  11. Parent Groups Clinical Social Workers Family Support Workers Children’s Groups Case Management Social Workers Volunteers Staffing of Meetings

  12. Weekly Visitation • Weekly 90 minute visits in the birth home between the child and the biological parents. • Support before, during and after visits to maximize their intended effectiveness.

  13. Family Time Together 198 Hours in 9 Months, or 22 Hours per Month

  14. Goal Setting and Mutual Tracking of Progress • Self Evaluations and Group Leader Feedback by participants • Group Log Notes • Monthly Goal and Case Plan Review • Goal attainment ratings • PowerPoint technology as visual aide • Visitation Logs

  15. Program Staffing • Social workers carry 10 intensive reunification cases at a time. • Majority of services are at a centralized location in a group participation format. • Additional staff support • In-house clinical social worker • One contracted clinical social worker • Family support workers • Volunteers

  16. Cost Efficiencies • Intensive model, but requires fewer staff and few staff hours due to group format in centralized location. • Caseloads are half the size of normal reintegration units, but contact hours are increased by 7 times. • Utilizes interns as co-facilitators, collaboration of civic and faith-based groups through donations.

  17. Staff Values • The family is the preferred child-rearing unit. • Family reunification is a process, with a continuum of outcomes and goals. • Diversity in people, family styles and child-rearing methods strengthens all of us. • Families deserve respect and are our partners in the change process. • Self-awareness regarding personal experiences of separation and loss is important to healthy practice. • Competence is improved when it is measured and acknowledged.

  18. Staff Skill Sets • The ability to engage clients and to develop trusting, collaborative relationships with parents and their children, built on mutual respect. • The ability to model, advise and mobilize client energy toward goal attainment. • The ability to assess for readiness of family reunification.

  19. Staff Skill Sets (continued) • The ability to assist parents and their children with identifying and developing clear, measurable, effective goals. • The ability to keep clear, accurate, thorough documentation. • The ability to maintain and then terminate services effectively. • The ability to facilitate group learning processes.

  20. Evaluation of Pilot

  21. Method • Pilot families (n=12) and comparison families (n=16), all with children in care. • Groups were comparable in family sizes, demographics, reunification risk factors. • Measures: • Risk factors to reunification • Adult Adolescent Parenting Inventory (Bavolek) • Strengths and Stressors (Berry) • Post hoc interviews and focus groups

  22. Reunification Process • There were 15 families enrolled in the 9-month pilot program in the first year (3 self-selected out due to the group element). • Average level of contact in pilot group was 10 contacts per month. • Families attended an average of 50 group meetings and had an average of 34 home visits. • Average level of contact in comparison group was 3 contacts per month. • Families had an average length of service of 19 months, and an average of of 53 home visits in those 19 months.

  23. Reunification Outcomes • Seven families completed the 36-week program in the first year. • In those families who completed the pilot program, 58% were reunified. No children returned to care in subsequent 6 months. • Comparison group (n=16) had 29% reunification rate in same time period, and among those reunified, 50% were removed again, within four months of return home, on average.

  24. Specific Outcomes • Greater success with neglect than with abuse, but time to reunification was longer for neglect. • Avg. time to reunification was 6.5 months. • Time to reunification for abuse: 5.5 months • Time to reunification for neglect: 7 months • Greatest gains were in the areas of • parental acceptance of child, • parental expectations of child, and • the condition of the physical environment of the home.

  25. Qualitative Findings • Parents appreciated: • That group leaders were warm, honest, caring • Not feeling judged, by workers or peers • That group discussions were relevant/timely • The fellowship of peers, and learning respect for different ways of thinking/being/living, and the need to stick together through hard times • Access to the program supervisor (also a group leader) without an appointment.

  26. Parents Said: • They: • Matured • Learned to actively parent • Learned to respect others • Learned to be less controlling • Learned to be less self-centered. • Group time and home time were equally important, for different reasons.

  27. Caseworkers Said • Biggest benefit was increased time with children and families. • Faster route to trust • Increased cooperation • Faster progress on case goals. • Big changes in social skills of both parents and children. • Important leader skills: ability to engage, handle intense feelings in group, suspend judgment, have a variety of expertise areas.

  28. Critical to Success • Transportation is critical. Twice per week. • Unstructured time with children, parents. • Very important that everyone understands the reason for the child’s removal. • Ability of the group leader to bend with the pressing issues of the group, as well as folding in important lessons or topics. • Group leaders must be able to withstand large amounts of anger from parents; respond with patience, flexibility, respect.

  29. Intensive Reunification Program Presented by Kelly McCauley, MSW and Marianne Berry, PhD,ACSW Special thanks to: The staff and families of the Intensive Reunification Program; Colleen Hamilton for data entry and management; Tracie Lansing for assistance with program evaluation; and the First Methodist Church of Topeka.

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