Social Worker Value 1
Relationships with Children, Youth, and Families are the Foundation
Recognize that enhancing safety for children and youth in the home is the top priority for
everyone involved
everyone involved
• Incorporate the child’s, youth’s, and family’s voice when creating harm and/or danger statements, safety goals, etc throughout the life of the case and through documentation
• Identify and document acts of protection demonstrated over time by the family
• Monitor safety and conduct thorough Structured Decision Making (SDM) assessments, both initially and reassessed, as new information becomes available throughout the life of the case
• Identify support systems using eco-maps, genograms, Circles of Safety and Support, and Family Centered Meetings (FCMs)
• Utilize safety mapping at key points (i.e., imminent risk, visitation progression, change of placements, reunification)
• Utilize the Safety Organized Practice (SOP) approach in daily practice
• Utilize supervision and consultation with supervisor, county counsel, etc., to gain clear understanding of safety concerns/goals
• Identify and document acts of protection demonstrated over time by the family
• Monitor safety and conduct thorough Structured Decision Making (SDM) assessments, both initially and reassessed, as new information becomes available throughout the life of the case
• Identify support systems using eco-maps, genograms, Circles of Safety and Support, and Family Centered Meetings (FCMs)
• Utilize safety mapping at key points (i.e., imminent risk, visitation progression, change of placements, reunification)
• Utilize the Safety Organized Practice (SOP) approach in daily practice
• Utilize supervision and consultation with supervisor, county counsel, etc., to gain clear understanding of safety concerns/goals
Build shared understanding and agreement through family engagement
• Promote family understanding of where they are in their case by reviewing and answering questions about existing laws, policies, and procedures
• Convene FCMs to support family participation and understanding
• Engage the family using solution-focused inquiry, including asking when children and youth were safe
• Discuss family history with the family, review documentation prior to meeting with the family and utilize open communication and engagement
• Use the Case Plan Field Tool when case planning with families:
○ Continually involve the family and include their input in the plan’s timely creation of the case plan and updates
○ Jointly develop behaviorally specific and measureable goals with the family
○ Review and assess progress on the case plan at every visit
• Convene FCMs to support family participation and understanding
• Engage the family using solution-focused inquiry, including asking when children and youth were safe
• Discuss family history with the family, review documentation prior to meeting with the family and utilize open communication and engagement
• Use the Case Plan Field Tool when case planning with families:
○ Continually involve the family and include their input in the plan’s timely creation of the case plan and updates
○ Jointly develop behaviorally specific and measureable goals with the family
○ Review and assess progress on the case plan at every visit
Maximize family strength and build on their skills and abilities
• Conduct ongoing dialogue with the child/youth, family, and their support system about what has gone well and document (i.e., in court reports, case plan, FCMs, narratives, etc.)
• Utilize the SOP three questions about what’s working, what are we worried about, and what needs to happen next with the family, and use solution-focused inquiry to identify strengths
• Work with the family to identify and utilize additional resources to enhance their safety and strengths through referrals, FCMs, community
resources, schools, etc.
• Utilize the SOP three questions about what’s working, what are we worried about, and what needs to happen next with the family, and use solution-focused inquiry to identify strengths
• Work with the family to identify and utilize additional resources to enhance their safety and strengths through referrals, FCMs, community
resources, schools, etc.
Partner with the whole family to create long-term safety, ongoing permanency and well-being
Educate birth, resource, and kinship families about the social worker role
• Arrange and participate in FCMs with the whole family at crucial case points:
○ Include extended relatives and identified networks
○ Recognize who the family identifies as “family” and support system and include them in the support network
• Attend permanency roundtables for APPLA cases to achieve relational and legal permanence
• Establish “aftercare” (e.g., safety networks/plans, post-adoption services)with children, youth and families to provide support after a case or referral closes
• Encourage/share in the completion of the child/youth’s “All About Me” form to reduce placement change trauma and support well-being
• Utilize the SOP three questions early and ongoing with families and safety networks
• Create, update, and test safety networks on a regular basis
• Link families to community partners to provide ongoing support
• Use genograms and eco-maps as an engagement tool with families to help them self-identify important connections and support networks
•Engage with collaterals to strengthen safety networks continuously:
○Educate collaterals on CWS practice
○Share SOP concepts with families, community based organizations (CBOs), and others to encourage common frame of reference
• Educate parents and the safety/support network on impacts of trauma on children and youth
• Take opportunities to see birth, resource, and kinship families in different environments (i.e., Incredible Families, FCMs, visitation, home visits) to better assess family relationships and the strength of the safety network (51% of the time must be in the home that the child lives in)
• Arrange and participate in FCMs with the whole family at crucial case points:
○ Include extended relatives and identified networks
○ Recognize who the family identifies as “family” and support system and include them in the support network
• Attend permanency roundtables for APPLA cases to achieve relational and legal permanence
• Establish “aftercare” (e.g., safety networks/plans, post-adoption services)with children, youth and families to provide support after a case or referral closes
• Encourage/share in the completion of the child/youth’s “All About Me” form to reduce placement change trauma and support well-being
• Utilize the SOP three questions early and ongoing with families and safety networks
• Create, update, and test safety networks on a regular basis
• Link families to community partners to provide ongoing support
• Use genograms and eco-maps as an engagement tool with families to help them self-identify important connections and support networks
•Engage with collaterals to strengthen safety networks continuously:
○Educate collaterals on CWS practice
○Share SOP concepts with families, community based organizations (CBOs), and others to encourage common frame of reference
• Educate parents and the safety/support network on impacts of trauma on children and youth
• Take opportunities to see birth, resource, and kinship families in different environments (i.e., Incredible Families, FCMs, visitation, home visits) to better assess family relationships and the strength of the safety network (51% of the time must be in the home that the child lives in)
Honor and incorporate the voices of the children and youth
• Utilize a set of solution-focused inquiry questions and/or SOP tools with children/youth
• Ask the child/youth to participate in case planning and what they think the safety concerns are
• Recognize verbal and non-verbal child/youth actions as communication (i.e., eye contact, attachment behaviors)
• Assess and document child’s/youth’s developmental functioning, including how trauma and other factors may impact developmental milestones
• Incorporate knowledge of child and youth development into strategies for engagement and case planning
• Include child/youth statements in all documentation (e.g., court reports, transfer summaries, etc.) and meetings and consultations
• Let child/youth identify who their family and support networks are and make efforts to maintain meaningful connections
• Use/update genogram and eco-map tools with children and youth
•Team/collaborate with school community partners, and support network to gain an understanding of child’s/youth’s needs/wishes
• Evaluate/advocate for a Court Appointed Special Advocate to be assigned if necessary
• Plan time to visit with child/youth individually, monthly, and in various settings, with at least 51% being in the home where the child lives
• Provide trauma-informed opportunities for the child/youth to participate in all proceedings associated with their case
• Ask the child/youth to participate in case planning and what they think the safety concerns are
• Recognize verbal and non-verbal child/youth actions as communication (i.e., eye contact, attachment behaviors)
• Assess and document child’s/youth’s developmental functioning, including how trauma and other factors may impact developmental milestones
• Incorporate knowledge of child and youth development into strategies for engagement and case planning
• Include child/youth statements in all documentation (e.g., court reports, transfer summaries, etc.) and meetings and consultations
• Let child/youth identify who their family and support networks are and make efforts to maintain meaningful connections
• Use/update genogram and eco-map tools with children and youth
•Team/collaborate with school community partners, and support network to gain an understanding of child’s/youth’s needs/wishes
• Evaluate/advocate for a Court Appointed Special Advocate to be assigned if necessary
• Plan time to visit with child/youth individually, monthly, and in various settings, with at least 51% being in the home where the child lives
• Provide trauma-informed opportunities for the child/youth to participate in all proceedings associated with their case
Recognize and appreciate the family’s culture
• Engage/coordinate with cultural brokers, interpreters, community supports during group meetings (e.g., FCMs)
• Include culturally respectful objectives, safety actions, and services in case plans
• Complete genograms, eco-maps, Circles of Safety and Support; expanded eco-maps to draw
out more culturally specific language
• Be open to learning about norms, values and customs of each family:
○ Show respect and recognize cultural norms (i.e., eye contact, use of first or last names, removing shoes, language, male-female elationships, etc.)
○ Discuss family specific questions on immediate family’s identity/culture (don’t make assumptions)
○ Incorporate culture questions when asking for ideas in all meetings and interactions
• Bridge the family’s understanding and differences between their cultural practices and local laws
• Ask children/youth questions about their culture, provide them with opportunities to stay connected, and talk with caregivers about supporting cultural connections
• Include culturally respectful objectives, safety actions, and services in case plans
• Complete genograms, eco-maps, Circles of Safety and Support; expanded eco-maps to draw
out more culturally specific language
• Be open to learning about norms, values and customs of each family:
○ Show respect and recognize cultural norms (i.e., eye contact, use of first or last names, removing shoes, language, male-female elationships, etc.)
○ Discuss family specific questions on immediate family’s identity/culture (don’t make assumptions)
○ Incorporate culture questions when asking for ideas in all meetings and interactions
• Bridge the family’s understanding and differences between their cultural practices and local laws
• Ask children/youth questions about their culture, provide them with opportunities to stay connected, and talk with caregivers about supporting cultural connections
