Working Together as Child Intervention is Changing to Improve Outcomes for Children and Families

Working Together as Child Intervention is Changing to

Improve Outcomes for Children and Families

June 16, 2014

Jon ReevesRegional DirectorCalgary and Area Child and Family Services

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Calgary and Area CFS

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1. Child Intervention Practice Framework2. Practice Principles3. Outcomes4. Four Priorities5. Research and Trends in Child Intervention6. Re-cap7. Changing Roles

Calgary and Area CFSFuture Direction

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Child Intervention Practice Framework

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Calgary and Area CFS Future DirectionChild Intervention Practice Framework

• Child Intervention practice in Alberta has, by evolution is become evidenced informed and collaborative based.

• A child intervention practice framework is a natural and expected continuation of a commitment to improving outcomes for children and families.

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• A well-defined practice framework supports everyone involved in Child Intervention, provides confirmation that their work is important and valued, and guides their efforts to achieve the best possible outcomes for vulnerable children, youth, and families

• A practice framework outlines the core principles that underlies our approach to working with children, youth, families, and communities

• The practice principles have now been affirmed and work is underway to embed the principles throughout the organization

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Calgary and Area CFS Future DirectionPractice Principles

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1. Aboriginal ExperienceFirst Nations, Métis and Inuit people have always had their own ways of ensuring that vulnerable members, including children, are safe and protected. We honour this by recognizing their expertise in matters concerning their children, youth and families.

2. ConnectionChildren and youth are supported to maintain relationships that are important to them, be connected to their own culture, practice their religious beliefs and, for those in care, have a plan for their care where they are included in the decision-making process.

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3. CollaborationWe are child-focused and family-centred. We collaborate with families, community agencies, and other stakeholders in building positive, respectful partnerships across integrated multidisciplinary teams and providing individualized, flexible and timely services to support these efforts.

4. Continuous ImprovementWe share and use information appropriately. Our approach is outcome-oriented and evidence-based therefore we support innovative practice, monitor our performance and strive for continuous improvement.


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5. Strengths-basedOur approach is reflective, culturally responsive and strengths-based. Because all families have strengths and resources, we recognize and support the right and responsibility of parents to share in the decision-making process for them and their children.

6. Preserve FamilyWe believe children and youth should be safe, healthy and live with their families, therefore we focus on preserving and reuniting families and building on the capacity of extended family and communities to support children, youth and families.


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1. Vulnerable children live successfully in their community

2. Children in temporary care are reunited quickly with family

3. Children in permanent care are placed in permanent homes more quickly

4. Youth transition to adulthood successfully

5. Aboriginal children live in culturally appropriate homes

Calgary and Area CFS Future DirectionOutcomes

Calgary and Area CFS Future DirectionFour Priorities

1. Improving Child Intervention Practice

2. Aboriginal & Cultural Engagement

3. Prevention and Early Intervention

4. Organizational Culture

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IMPROVING CHILD INTERVENTION PRACTICE

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Improving Practice

-Front End Enhancements-Signs of Safety-Ongoing Case Management-Kinship and Family Teaming-Enhancing Permanency-Youth-Caregiver Support-OBSD

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Improving Child Intervention PracticeFront End Enhancements • Started in April 2013• Used AB Incidence Study 2008 as beginning

foundation• 6 areas implementing beginning in July 2013• Edmonton, Region 7 and 10, Calgary and 2

DFNA’s• Practice Shift Assessment Currently underway• Based on the 6 principles of the Child

Intervention Practice Framework• Support the 5 outcomes for children and families

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Improving Child Intervention PracticeFront End Enhancements Four Key components:

• Supervisor Consults

• In Care Consultations

• Family/Natural Support Meetings

• Reinforce Collaboration with Aboriginal Communities

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Signs of Safety (SoS) • The SoS is one such initiative that harmonizes with Child

Intervention Practice Framework core values and principles Signs of Safety as one such initiative that supports the core values and principles to improve Alberta child intervention service delivery to families and children.

• SoS enhances the entire spectrum of child intervention, from front-line staff practice, to the roles and responsibilities of supervisors and managers, to on-going practice support for continues improvement in the discharge of Alberta child intervention duties in a flexible, values-based ethical way

• SoS is a child intervention practice approach that is designed to create a shared focus amongst all stake holders and facilitate professional collaboration in working with families

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Improving Child Intervention PracticeOngoing Case Management

Three key areas identified for ongoing case management are:

• Applying Front End and Signs of Safety Strategies to ongoing cases

• Addressing the medical needs of children and youth

• Addressing the mental health needs of children and youth through supports to caseworkers and caregivers

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Improving Child Intervention PracticeOngoing Case Management

Addressing the medical needs of children and youth:

Pediatrics for Kids in Care is reviewing youth and children who came into care prior to P-KIC and ensuring they have access to a comprehensive pediatric assessment, oral health and a medical home

role of foster care, kin, group and residential caregivers role of caseworker

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Improving Child Intervention PracticeKinship Enhancement & Family Teaming

• Strategic Objective: To increase the number of children placed in kinship care, by defining and realigning kinship care with the outcome of increasing placements in kinship care.

– History– Current Status– 2014-15 Activities and Focus

• Kinship Search• Cultural Kinship• Family Teaming

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Improving Child Intervention PracticeEnhanced Permanency

Relationship• Enduring relationships

• Recognizes the value of past and current significant relationships

• Maintaining a child’s positive connections to family history, traditions, race, ethnic heritage, culture, community religion and language

• Maintains child’s connections to extended family, siblings, and other significant adults

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Improving Child Intervention PracticeEnhanced Permanency

Placement• Stable placements

• Minimal disruptions

• Sense of belonging

• Healthy attachments

Legal• Adoption

• Private guardianship

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Improving Child Intervention PracticeCaregiver Support

In support of achieving our desired outcomes for our children in care, we will be supporting our caregivers in a different way.

Support initiatives will be directed in three target areas:

1. improving child well being

2. increasing caregiver capacity

3. emphasizing caregiver connection to the child’s case team and an integrated plan

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Improving Child Intervention PracticeReconnect Youth

• Lifelong partnerships are an essential part of permanency

• Permanency outcomes and options look different for youth with most (92%) aging out of permanent care

• We need to look at more creative ways to meet the permanency goals for youth

• Regional Youth Teams

• Current formation of Youth Assessment Team that will focus on our Front End strategies and using SOS, along with our partnering agencies at the HUB.

• Future Steps: Contracting SIL etc.

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Improving Child Intervention PracticeOutcome-Based Service Delivery (OBSD)

OBSD….the journey continues:

OBSD started in Region 3 July 2009 with Woods Homes and the Forest Lawn MST

Aboriginal OBSD started July 2013 with an alliance of Pathways, Boys and Girls Club and Enviros called Mahmawi-atoskiwin

Through OBSD the CFS and lead agency work collaboratively to achieve the 5 outcomes

Measurement of Outcomes data (Provincially and Regionally) show OBSD sites achieve better outcomes in family preservation, family reunification and reoccurrence after file closure

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OBSD…the journey continues:

Collaboration is a key principle of OBSD and is also a key principle of the Child Intervention Practice Framework, Signs of Safety practice approach and Front End practice approach

Having OBSD with a lead agency provides increased opportunities for flexible, responsive and creative service provision

Provincially and Regionally OBSD agencies are developing consistent tools and interpretation of the tools for assessing and measuring child development and parenting capacity over time and the effectiveness of interventions i.e. Ages and Stages, Family Assessment Tool, CAFS.

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Next Steps OBSD will continue to be implemented in Region 3.

Learnings from Woods/Forest Lawn, Aboriginal Services/Mahmawi-atoskiwin, other provincial OBSD sites and the current practice shifts will be used to inform the continued implementation of OBSD.

Based on current practice shifts, OBSD agency role will focus on the early involvement and front end practice.

OBSD agencies will be expected to focus on increasing family wellness and utilizing models that have promising evidence and research.

The gradual implementation of OBSD will continue this fall with a tender.

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Aboriginal and Cultural Engagement

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Aboriginal and Cultural EngagementAboriginal Framework

• 2009, began the development of the Aboriginal Framework

Principles• Culture and Language• Self Determination• Holistic Approach• Ongoing Learning/Best Practice

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Aboriginal and Cultural EngagementDiverse Cultures

• Cultural brokerage program with Muslim community

• Expanding cultural brokerage program to include ethno cultural backgrounds (of the majority of our referrals)

• The Cultural Brokerage Program will:

– Centre around the mentorship and connection of children and youth to their community

– Assist families with navigating with CI

– Awareness/prevention/education between ethno cultural committees and ourselves.

– Cultural kinship/foster care recruitment

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Prevention and Early Intervention

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As a region, we are committed to implementing the Prevention and Early Intervention Framework

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Prevention and Early Intervention (EI)

• The framework is about implementing a continuum of evidence-based prevention and early intervention services that will effectively address the key drivers that cause children and youth to require child intervention services.

• There are a number of key elements of the framework which will influence and shape the work we want to do in the region.

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Prevention and Early Intervention (EI)


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Research and Trends in Child Intervention

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Calgary and Area CFS Future DirectionResearch and Trends in Child Intervention

Front-End Practice Sites CFSD - Resulted in Intervention

85/15

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R03 R06 R07 R100.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

30.10% 28.40%30.41%

38.24%

28.18% 27.04% 17.96%

48.94%

23.62% 22.54%

28.48%

50.33%

12.79%15.63%

27.03%

26.23%

Front-End Practice Sites CFSD - Resulted in Intervention

2010-20112011-20122012-20132013-2014

Regions

% o

f Int

akes

that

Res

ulte

d in

Inte

rven

tion

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Caseload Trends in Region 3

Service SoonerMore At Home

More EngagementMore Kinship

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AprMay Ju

n Jul

Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan

Feb Mar Avg0

100200300400500600700800900

1. Screening Started by Group I.D.

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Apr

May Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep Oct

Nov

Dec Jan

Feb

Mar

Avg

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4. CP & FE Caseload

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Apr

May Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep Oct

Nov

Dec Jan

Feb

Mar

Avg

0100200300400500600700800900

5. Family Enhancement Caseload

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Apr

May Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep Oct

Nov

Dec Jan

Feb

Mar

Avg

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

2,000

2,200

8. In-care Caseload

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Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Avg0

50100150200250300350400450500

9. Kinship Care


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Re-cap

Calgary and Area CFSFuture Direction - Recap

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• Focus on 4 priorities

• Realign front end service delivery

• Use research and data to enhance practice

– Alberta Incident Study

– Brain Development Research

• Use evidence informed and best practice programming to meet our outcomes

Changing Roles – How will foster care and kinship fit into this “new world of practice

• Reunification• Permanency• Complex child and youth

management

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Questions?

Documents

Working Together as Child Intervention is Changing to Improve Outcomes for Children and Families