North Carolina Child Welfare Family Leadership Model and Parent Cafés

1. NC Department of Health and Human Services North Carolina Child Welfare Family Leadership Model and Parent Cafés Overview 2019 NCACDSS Social Services Institute July 30, 2019

2. Presenters Deborah Day Community Based Program Administrator NC DHHS | DSS | Child Welfare Services Section Family Partners, Child Welfare Family Advisory Council Teka Dempson, Biological Parent Gina Brown, Kinship Caregiver County Partners Natasha Harcum, Durham County DSS Kimberly Nesbitt, Forsyth County DSS Theressa Smith, Richmond County DSS Kara Allen-Eckard, MSW Center for Family and Community Engagement North Carolina State University

3. How We Got Here North Carolina History • Multiple Response System (MRS) anchored in Family-Centered Programming • SAYSO (Youth Advocacy Organization) for Securing Youth Voice • Required Family Voice in Community-Based Funded Programs 2015 CFSR Key Experiences • Interview Rates for OSRI (and OSRI results on child outcomes) • Systemic Factor: Agency Responsiveness to Community • Stakeholder Assessment Interviews • Family Voice in PIP Development Meetings 2017-2018 Program Improvement Plan • Included State-Level Child Welfare Family Advisory Council • Subsequently added county-level comparable programming • Co-created with Family Partners and Community Stakeholders

4. Child Welfare Family Leadership Model • Tier Model of Engagement • All family leadership grounded in quality case level family engagement • Tier 1: Family Leadership Exploration (Educational Exchange) • Tier 2: Family Leadership Development (County-Level Systemic Involvement) • Tier 3: Child Welfare Family Advisory Council (State-Level Systemic Involvement) • Model supports the CFSR Systemic Factor: Agency Responsiveness to Community • Multiple Opportunities Acknowledge Readiness and Willingness • Training and Skills Development Included • Connection and Information Sharing Between Tiers

5. What is an Family Engagement Committee (FEC) • County-Level Equivilent to the State-Level Child Welfare Family Advisory Council • Discuss, implement, and support strategies to improve outcomes • Includes biological parents who have been involved in the child welfare system • Can include other families and community stakeholders • Helps to ensure counties have ongoing consultation from consumers of services • Meets at least quarterly

6. Where Can We Start?

7. World Café Model “A method of facilitating meaningful, reflective conversations that promote leadership and collaboration.” The World Café (http://www.theworldcafe.com/method.html)

8. World Café Model • Flexible format for hosting large group dialogue. • Include the following components: • Café “Setting” • Welcome and Introductions • Small Group Rounds • Questions • Harvest The World Café (http://www.theworldcafe.com/method.html) Picture by Nancy Margulies

9. Seven World Café Design Principles • Set the Context • Create a Hospitable Space • Explore Questions that Matter • Encourage Everyone’s Contributions • Connect Diverse Perspectives • Listen for Patterns and Insights • Share Collective Discoveries The World Café (http://www.theworldcafe.com/method.html)

10. Café Design Principles: Child Welfare Set the Context • Café goal is to learn more about how families experience CPS/child welfare services and practice • Stereotypes and trust issues exist on both sides (family and agency staff) • Participants provide feedback about personal experiences • Host agency ready to hear authentic feedback

11. Café Design Principles: Child Welfare Create a Hospitable Space • Time and location is family friendly • Childcare and food is provided • Childcare staff trained to support children/youth who may have strong feelings about being at DSS • Family Partner co-hosts with DSS • Consider Family to Agency ratios • Share community resources

12. Café Design Principles: Child Welfare Questions That Matter • Connect to theme of event • Appreciative Inquiry design • Responses will reflect personal experience • Allow participants to educate through story • Feedback can inform actual change • Share questions or topics ahead of the café

13. Let’s Build Questions That Engage Families

14. Tips for Questions That Engage Families

15. Explore questions such as… How did your involvement with DSS help you and your child? What were the most useful parts of your case plan? What do you think is important for social workers to know about their first interaction with families? Limit Café Questions to Three

16. Café Design Principles: Child Welfare Encourage Everyone’s Contribution • Develop recruitment strategies • Make sure families are not out-numbered • Identify table facilitators • Assign table notetakers • Have multiple ways to share

17. Café Design Principles: Child Welfare Connect Diverse Perspectives • Preparation and Self-Care • Consideration of Perspectives • Trauma-informed/Psychological Safety

18. Café Design Principles: Child Welfare Listen for Patterns/Insights • Two part harvest (table and big group) • Review of all input • Consider psychological safety Share Collective Discoveries • Feedback to participants • Turn around time impacts trust in the process

19. 30 min Leadership Welcome/Dinner15 min Purpose/Format/Questions20 min Question 120 min Question 220 min Question 315 min Table Discussion/Questions15 min Café Harvest15 min Action Planning/Next Steps 2.5 Hour Café Example

20. What Do Family Partners Want Counties To Know?(Lessons Learned) • Be clear on why you are hosting a café so you can develop a plan to recruit participants • Include experienced family partners in your recruitment and preparation of families for café events • Give families enough information to decide their own readiness to participate in a café event • Make sure there is a plan for a feedback loop with families

21. What Do Counties Want Other Counties To Know?(Lessons Learned) • Preparation • Ensure café has a clear goal and purpose • Ensure questions are framed to maximize engagement • Establish a robust recruitment plan • Consider location, food, childcare, and staffing needs • Ensure agency leadership support for next steps • Family and Social Worker Readiness • Take necessary steps to adequately prepare staff • Take necessary steps to adequately prepare families • Share questions with families ahead of time • Match experienced families with new for coaching and peer support • Communications • Establish a plan for follow-up with families

22. Where Do We Go From Here? Café experience can develop partnerships between families and agencies Café feedback can inform outreach and learning opportunities

24. Family Partners make sure the work we do, the words we use, and the processes we create make sense to those outside of child welfare. They are an essential partner in improving the system that serves North Carolina’s most vulnerable children and their families! Lisa Cauley | DSS Deputy Director | Child Welfare Services

25. For More Information Kara Allen-Eckard, NCSU | CFACE Community Developer krallene@ncsu.edu 919-515-5511 Deborah Day, DHHS| DSS Community-Based Programs Administrator Deborah.Day@dhhs.nc.gov 919-527-6436

26. Resources Coming Soon! https://www2.ncdhhs.gov/dss/CWFAC/ Interested Families Should Watch: go.ncsu.edu/wheredoesyourstoryfit Everyone interacting with the child welfare system is encouraged to watch this short video: www.fosteringnc.org/cw101

27. You Are Invited September 4, 2019 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch and Learn Developing Good Questions for Parent Cafés Through Appreciative Inquiry Submit Interest for Lunch and Learn: go.ncsu.edu/parentcafequestions

28. For all you do to strengthen families across North Carolina! Word Art from CWFAC/FEC Meetings