1 / 25

Family Search & Engagement

Family Search & Engagement. Trainers . Kimberly Mineard Steiner Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter Northeast Ohio Adoption Services Nikaeda L. Griffie, MSSA, LSW Adoption Resource Manager Summit County Children Services Mike Kenney co-Director Waiting Child Fund. Our Agenda for Today.

bettina
Download Presentation

Family Search & Engagement

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Family Search & Engagement

  2. Trainers Kimberly MineardSteiner Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter Northeast Ohio Adoption Services Nikaeda L. Griffie, MSSA, LSW Adoption Resource Manager Summit County Children Services Mike Kenney co-Director Waiting Child Fund

  3. Our Agenda for Today Introduction to 6-steps of Family Search & Engagement (FSE) Step 1 - Setting the Stage Step 2 - Discovery Case Study Step 3 - Engagement & Exploration Step 4 - Planning Case Study Step 5 - Decision Making Step 6 - Sustaining the Relationship Case Study Taking FSE to your Organization

  4. Introduction History • Created by Kevin Campbell when working at Catholic Charities in Washington State • Grew from research about Red Cross efforts to locate family members affected by natural disasters • Being implemented successfully across the country on both the public and private level

  5. Introduction Goal The goal is to identify members of the child’s extended biological (and non-related) family and other caring adults from the child’s past who • Will commit to an ongoing, meaningful presence in the child’s life • Can offer support and love throughout the child’s lifetime • Will help the youth to find permanence • and/or commit to being a permanent placement plan for the youth.

  6. Introduction Overview of 6 Steps Want Find Hook Meet Encourage Remember Them ThemThemThemThemThem

  7. Setting The Stage & Discovery Children in Permanent Custody • Determine the decision makers • Present FSE to them • Team meeting to clarify roles • File mining • Find 40 relatives • Interview child • Mobility mapping

  8. Setting The Stage & Discovery Children in Temporary Custody • Referral Process • Where to start? • Family Team Meeting • Meeting w/ case manager • At this level, we have access to bio parent(s) • Relative notification letter

  9. Setting The Stage & Discovery Tools • Background checks • Releases of information • Ecomaps • Genograms • Internet search engines • ACCURINT • CRIS-E • Gen-Pro • Meetings, reports, and lots of communication!

  10. Setting The Stage & Discovery Barriers • Procedural issues (case plan amendment) • Lack of role clarity • Buy-in (courts, foster care agency) • Access to records • Unorganized files • Child-related issues (when to introduce new worker & engage in process)

  11. Case Study

  12. Engagement, Exploration, & Planning Children in Permanent Custody • Contact relatives, other important connections • Let them know truth of what child has endured • Restoration of dignity • Gauge their interest in & appropriateness for team • Hold “Network for Life” meeting • Share child’s mobility mapping drawings • Fill in calendar • Begin permanency planning conversation

  13. Engagement, Exploration, & Planning Children in Temporary Custody • Helping relatives to understand that they are not "interfering" by getting involved • Relationship does not have to lead to placement • Defining the goal for the team • True concurrent planning

  14. Engagement, Exploration, & Planning Tools • Supervision checklist • Kinship notification letters • Phone call scripts • Communication!!! • Monthly logs and reports

  15. Engagement, Exploration, & Planning Barriers • Agency history with family • Location of relatives • Balancing act • Handling inappropriate family members • Coordinating visits

  16. Case Study

  17. Decision Making & Sustaining the Relationship Children in Permanent Custody • Hold follow-up meeting to note progress & address challenges • Celebrate successes!! • Engage in more in-depth discussion of permanency planning • Develop Plans A Z & decide next steps • Are necessary supports in place? • “Plans fail, but our children do not.” • Choose team member to facilitate future meetings

  18. Decision Making & Sustaining the Relationship Children in Temporary Custody • Different outcome goals (Legal Custody) • Connections can serve as support if child is reunified • Helping connections to keep the relationship open with biological parents • Dealing with family conflict

  19. Decision Making & Sustaining the Relationship Tools • Permanency Pact • Diligence • Communication!!! • Success Stories (celebrate success)

  20. Decision Making & Sustaining the Relationship Barriers • Engaging too late (children bonding to foster parents while FSE is being explored) • Agency policies and procedures • Keeping continued buy-in • Family follow-through • Red tape (home studies)

  21. Case Study

  22. Taking FSE to Your Organization • Identify those who “buy in” first • Assemble a team • Task Force • Work Group • Management Team • Develop goals and objectives • Develop/attend FSE training • Identify needs for overcoming barriers • Policy & procedure • Supervision checklist • Accountability measures • Measure & celebrate success • Adapt & adjust

More Related