The Core Practice Model: Engaging FamiliesJarred VermillionManuel Lua LMFT

Objectives ○ Understand the effect of trauma on

engagement of children/youth and families with professionals

○ Discuss ways to develop full partnership with children/youth and families in the Child and Family Team

○ Adjust engagement approaches so that they are sensitive and responsive to cultural differences

○ Assure family voice, choice, and preferences throughout the process

Your Needs

Why did you Chose a Training on Engagement?One thing You Want To Walk Away with?

Mental Models ?"The image of the world around us, which we carry in our head, is just a model. Nobody in his head imagines all the world, government or country. He has only selected concepts, and relationships between them, and uses those to represent the real system” -Jay Wright Forrester

Mental Models Impact on Engagement

The concepts, ideas, believes we carry in our heads about families will impact our relationship and our ability to engage and create facilitate HOPE

Mental Model Challenge

What are the key bodily components required to drive a car?

Engagement with Families…. Starts With Our

Mental Model

DriveMovie

What Key Concepts Can We Learn From Richi When Engaging With Families

Introduce self and share key concepts

Todays Mental Model

○Family Engagement is…..

○ Strength Based

○ Family Centered

○ Partnerships

What Do you see?

Strength Based is…….★ Creating Space for Compassion,

Connection and Competence ★ An approach and energy to

discover/assess, increase and build on an individual or families strengths:

★Focus on the strengths vs solely deficit-based approach

■skills ■knowledge■experiences ■positive qualities ■Talents■Characteristics

Family Centered is…….

ACTIVITY: Pair up and share, about a time when someone told you, how it was, what you should do and did not ask for your perspective. Please share with each other.

Family Centered

○Challenges traditional mental models of the who the client is….

○Challenges traditional mental models of what a family is…

○Challenges traditional mental models of who can help…..

Family Centered Activity

If you were the clients 1. Who would I have o get to know to know you

2. Who makes up your family

3. Who is/are the most helpful in your life

Partnership means…….○ Service is Developed and Delivered in

Collaboration● Partnering beyond,

○ Family○ Youth○ Children's Mental Health ○ Child Welfare○ Family supports

○ Requires Teamwork:○ Shared Vision and Beliefs○ Communication○ Team Decision Making ○ Commitment

Partnership Activity Shared Vision and Beliefs

CommunicationTeam Decision Making

Commitment

Objective 1Effect of Trauma on

Engagement of Children/Youth and Families with Professionals

What Is Trauma ○ A serious injury or shock to the body, as

from violence or an accident.

○ An emotional wound or shock that creates substantial, lasting damage to the psychological development of a person, often leading to neurosis.

○ An event or situation that causes great distress and disruption

Trauma Affects ○ Brain Function○ Attainment of Developmental Milestones○ Social Perceptions○ Health○ Emotion and Behavior

○Relationships

Typical Response to Trauma

○ Fight

○ Flight

Describe a “disengaged “ client

In groups discuss the behaviors that impact YOUR relationship with your client?

Fight behaviors?Flight behaviors?

Multiple TransitionsMovie

Trauma & THE “SYSTEM”Group Questions

1. Can the “System” cause trauma?

2. What are typical “symptoms” associated to System Trauma”

3. How is engagement impaired?

Trauma-informed practice focuses upon what has happened to a child and his/her family rather than what is wrong with that child or family. It means using knowledge of trauma and recovery to design and deliver services.-Core Practice Model

Trauma Informed Care Elements National Child Traumatic Stress Network Child Welfare Committee

○Maximize physical and psychological safety for children and families

○• Identify trauma-related needs of children and families○• Enhance child well-being and resilience○• Enhance family well-being and resilience○• Partner with youth and families○• Enhance the well-being and resilience of those

working in the system○• Partner with child-serving agencies and systems

Objective 2

Partnerships for Engagement

Partnerships Creates Interconnectedness

Mental Model for Partnerships

Acknowledge and Deconstruct Power Deferential and Hierarchy Narrative

What s the “traditional” Mental Model regarding

Hierarchy with the Clients we Serve?

1. Who holds the Power2. Who makes the decisions3. Who's on tip of hierarchy?4. Who’s on bottom

EDUCATION

JUVENILE PROBATION DEPT

EDUCATION+

MENTAL HEALTH

MENTAL HEALTH

MENTAL HEALTH

+ JUVENILE

PROBATION DEPT

ED+MH+JPD

CHILD WELFARE

CHILD WELFARE +

JPD

Youth and

Families

ED+CW+JPD

ED+MH+CW

EDUCATION+ CHILD

WELFAREJPD+ MH+CW

Deconstructing the Narrative Starts with Understanding the

Narrative

“Timelining” the experience of “the system”

Key Timeline QuestionsPacing and Leading

Pacing (Colombo Approach)

○ When did you first become involved?○ Can you tell me about the different

people that attempted to help you? ○ Who was helpful…..who wasn’t?○ What was the least helpful ?○ What was the most helpful○ What was the hardest/most challenging

part of your experience?

Key Timeline QuestionsPacing and Leading

Leading (pay attention to key descriptors)

○ If you could do that part all over again (select any part of timeline) how should it been handled?

○ What would have been more helpful○ Given you’ve gone through all this, what have

you learned about yourself that would be helpful to me

○ What do I need to know about working with you?

○ If you were your own provider how would you approach working with you?

Seeking the Transformative Statement

What are we offering to families? ○Commodities

○Products

○Services

○Experiences

○Transformations

Partnerships for Engagement ○Seek to understand their desired transformation not

our assessed problem..

○When ever possible, use their language….everywhere

○Allow them to change goals as frequent as needed

○CREATE A CULTURE WHERE FEEDBACK IS VALUED

Deconstructing the Hierarchy

Nonjudgmental Communication

“Communication is the largest single factor determining what kinds of relationships she or he makes with others and what happens to each in the world”-Virginia Satir

Elements of CommunicationVirgnia Satir

○ We bring our Bodies○ We bring our Values○ We bring our Expectations○ We bring our Sense Organs-eyes, ears,

nose, mouth, and skin○ We bring our Ability to Talk-How we

Talk ○ We bring our Brains/Knowledge

The Communication DanceVirginia Satir

You are face to face with me. Your senses take in what I look like, how I sound, what I smell like, and, if you happened to touch me, how I feel to you. Your brain then reports what this means to you, calling on your past experiences, your book learning. Depending on your brain reports, you feel comfortable or uncomfortable, your body is loose or tight.

Meanwhile, I am going through something similar,. I too, see, hear, feel something, think something, have a past, and have values and expectations and my body is dong something…….

Tips to Developing Partnerships ○ Common Goals ○ Developed Trust ○ Clear Unity and Purpose ○ Effective Conflict Management ○ Inputs valued ○ Roles are clear and able to flex ○ Accountable to each other ○ Shared Commitment

Interconnectedness

Movie

Objective 3Engagement Approaches ”sensitive and responsive to cultural differences”

It is important to recognize how challenging the engagement process can be, particularly among minority cultures and families dealing with serious mental illness and/or substance use disorder.

Cultural Connections

Activity: Thinking about the families we work with, as a group breakdown culture. Define and list

the different types of culture.

Discussion Big Ideas:

★ Youth Culture

★ Individualized Approach vs Cultural Assumptions

★ Awareness of our Culture

Engagement Styles and Skills

★ Seeking to understand

★ Showing genuine interest

★ Creating opportunities for cross teaching

★ Encouraging

autonomy and transparency

★ Using your senses○ Sight ○ Smell ○ Touch ○ Hear

★ Seeking strengths to defuse anger

★ Finding common Ground

Engagement Approaches-CPM○Be diligent in reaching out to children and families in ways that

are welcoming, appropriate and comfortable for them.

○Model honest and respectful communication.○Ensure that the child and family receive needed information,

preparation, guidance, and support during their involvement with the child welfare and/or mental health systems

○Communicate regularly with team members and make sure each

team member has the informations/he needs to make informed decisions

○Encourage and support the participation of children and families in

defining and/or determining their individual treatment and services. Ensure that they understand what is and is not in their control

Hearings continue every 6 months until

dependency is dismissed

StatusReview

Hearings

Child Welfare SystemOut of Home Placement

Emergency:• Home Visit• Criminal Record• Child Abuse Index

Ongoing:Family Assessment

6 MonthHearing

(12 mos)Permanency

Hearing

(18 mos)Permanency

ReviewHearing

ContinueFR

ContinueFR

Permanency Alternative Identified

Family Reunification

No FR

Long-TermFoster Care

.26Hearing

TPR for Adoption or Order Guardianship

End FRNO

FamilyMaintenance

Services

Referral to CPS

Path 3 CPS responds

DetentionHearing

Child Removed? Yes

ChildReturned

Child Returned

Dispo/JurisHearings

FR

Path 2 w/CBO

Path 1Refer to CBO

Extended FC (AB 12)

Objective 4

Voice and Choice for Engagement

Voice and Choice is………Prioritize and elicit family/youth voice and

choice including: ○Choosing Supports, Services and Providers○Setting Goals○Designing and Implementing programs ○Monitoring Outcomes and Determining Effectiveness of all supports

Youth Voice: Engagement Styles

(INSERT VIDEO)

Voice and Choice for Engagement

THANK YOU

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