Supervisor 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
•Review court reports, Structured Decision Making (SDM) assessments, ongoing assessments for specific behavioral detail that is linked to the impact on the child/youth
• Articulate the difference between harm, danger, complicating factors, safety, and strengths, and review these with workers in supervision
• Go into the field with each social worker at least once per rating period to assess that the worker and family have a clear understanding of safety
• Utilize SDM in real-time in consultation with workers
• Ensure workers read and understand SDM definitions
• Remind workers to conduct reassessments prior to making case decisions
• Monitor open cases for safety assessments and risk level
• Check Safe Measures a minimum of once a week in supervision and unit meetings
• Utilize genograms, eco-maps, and Circles of Safety and Support during supervision with workers.
• Promote the use of Family Centered Meetings (FCMs) for decision-making
• Train and coach staff to feel confident conducting mappings in the field
• Understand how to conduct safety mapping and role model this behavior
• Utilize Safety-Organized Practice (SOP) language during supervision and review all assessment documents for such language
• Inquire about utilization of SOP tools in conjunction with pre-placement preventative services during supervision, consultation, and prior to removal
• Document and schedule regular supervision with workers
• Ensure workers utilize multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) at appropriate points in case decision-making and help prepare workers to present
• Articulate the difference between harm, danger, complicating factors, safety, and strengths, and review these with workers in supervision
• Go into the field with each social worker at least once per rating period to assess that the worker and family have a clear understanding of safety
• Utilize SDM in real-time in consultation with workers
• Ensure workers read and understand SDM definitions
• Remind workers to conduct reassessments prior to making case decisions
• Monitor open cases for safety assessments and risk level
• Check Safe Measures a minimum of once a week in supervision and unit meetings
• Utilize genograms, eco-maps, and Circles of Safety and Support during supervision with workers.
• Promote the use of Family Centered Meetings (FCMs) for decision-making
• Train and coach staff to feel confident conducting mappings in the field
• Understand how to conduct safety mapping and role model this behavior
• Utilize Safety-Organized Practice (SOP) language during supervision and review all assessment documents for such language
• Inquire about utilization of SOP tools in conjunction with pre-placement preventative services during supervision, consultation, and prior to removal
• Document and schedule regular supervision with workers
• Ensure workers utilize multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) at appropriate points in case decision-making and help prepare workers to present
Build shared understanding and agreement through family engagement
• Demonstrate to workers how to be transparent with families, and provide specific coaching about having difficult conversations with families, including language and respectful ways to present the information
• Ensure workers are aware of resolutions for complaints and provide coaching to workers to support their engagement skills
• Attend FCMs at key decision points
• Model the use of solution-focused questions in supervision
• Inquire as to the position and voice of the family during supervision including trauma history, cultural issues, language and any other issues that may impact family engagement
• Ask the worker about the family’s trauma history, and help the worker strategize their case planning with the family while utilizing a trauma-informed lens in order to create an effective case plan
• Ensure workers use the Case Plan Field Tool with families for case planning discussions, and when reviewing case plans
• Monitor case plans to ensure behaviorally descriptive language is incorporated
• Review SDM Family Strengths and Needs Assessment and Child Strengths and Needs Assessment, and ensure that the strengths and needs are incorporated in the case plan
• Ensure workers are aware of resolutions for complaints and provide coaching to workers to support their engagement skills
• Attend FCMs at key decision points
• Model the use of solution-focused questions in supervision
• Inquire as to the position and voice of the family during supervision including trauma history, cultural issues, language and any other issues that may impact family engagement
• Ask the worker about the family’s trauma history, and help the worker strategize their case planning with the family while utilizing a trauma-informed lens in order to create an effective case plan
• Ensure workers use the Case Plan Field Tool with families for case planning discussions, and when reviewing case plans
• Monitor case plans to ensure behaviorally descriptive language is incorporated
• Review SDM Family Strengths and Needs Assessment and Child Strengths and Needs Assessment, and ensure that the strengths and needs are incorporated in the case plan
Maximize family strength and build on their skills and abilities
• Support workers to facilitate safe contact with all family members
• Conduct regular check-ins with workers to increase strengths assessments
• Review court reports to ensure strengths and the voice of the family and child/youth are included
• Model and coach engagement tools and language in supervision, meetings and case consultations, building upon worker strengths
• Encourage workers to help them identify family strengths to develop acts of protection and the use and development of the family’s safety network
• Conduct regular check-ins with workers to increase strengths assessments
• Review court reports to ensure strengths and the voice of the family and child/youth are included
• Model and coach engagement tools and language in supervision, meetings and case consultations, building upon worker strengths
• Encourage workers to help them identify family strengths to develop acts of protection and the use and development of the family’s safety network
Partner with the whole family to create long-term safety, ongoing permanency and well-being
• Utilize FCMs to ensure the family is part of the process at crucial decision making points
• Ensure the use of and attend permanency round tables for all APPLA cases to achieve relational and legal permanence
• Have a working knowledge of every case/referral under your supervision
• Ensure that existence of and/or progress toward safety, permanency, and well-being is discussed in every court report
• Promote the utilization of the “All About Me” form
• Use the SOP three questions about what’s working, what are we worried about, and what needs to happen next in consultation with social workers to gain a balanced assessment
• Assist workers with articulating the evaluation of the family’s use of their safety network and ensure this is documented in court reports
• Check for accountability in the evaluation of the safety network and ensure workers are testing the use of the network
• Discuss progress toward achieving the safety/permanency goal of each case, including visitation, family finding, and reunification efforts, at least once a month during supervision
• Monitor cases for genograms, eco-maps, and concurrent planning
• Ensure all collaterals are invited to FCMs
• Review the eco-map with workers to help identify potential collaterals
• Help social workers understand and apply legal timeframes for reunification by sharing and using data about safety, permanency, and well-being to brainstorm with workers to eliminate any barriers to meeting these goals
• Coach workers and help them practice explaining their role to birth, resource, and kinship families
• Explain to social workers why it is important to see birth, resource, and kinship families in different environments to assess safety, permanency, and well-being, and help workers prioritize their workload and identify ways to arrange visits in different environments
• Ensure the use of and attend permanency round tables for all APPLA cases to achieve relational and legal permanence
• Have a working knowledge of every case/referral under your supervision
• Ensure that existence of and/or progress toward safety, permanency, and well-being is discussed in every court report
• Promote the utilization of the “All About Me” form
• Use the SOP three questions about what’s working, what are we worried about, and what needs to happen next in consultation with social workers to gain a balanced assessment
• Assist workers with articulating the evaluation of the family’s use of their safety network and ensure this is documented in court reports
• Check for accountability in the evaluation of the safety network and ensure workers are testing the use of the network
• Discuss progress toward achieving the safety/permanency goal of each case, including visitation, family finding, and reunification efforts, at least once a month during supervision
• Monitor cases for genograms, eco-maps, and concurrent planning
• Ensure all collaterals are invited to FCMs
• Review the eco-map with workers to help identify potential collaterals
• Help social workers understand and apply legal timeframes for reunification by sharing and using data about safety, permanency, and well-being to brainstorm with workers to eliminate any barriers to meeting these goals
• Coach workers and help them practice explaining their role to birth, resource, and kinship families
• Explain to social workers why it is important to see birth, resource, and kinship families in different environments to assess safety, permanency, and well-being, and help workers prioritize their workload and identify ways to arrange visits in different environments
Honor and incorporate the voices of the children and youth
• Help workers identify which solution-focused questions are best utilized with each child/youth
• Ask about the child’s/youth’s perspective at every major decision point
• Coach social workers to identify verbal and nonverbal communication
• Ensure that narratives and court reports include knowledge of age appropriate child/youth development and specific developmental delays that may be relevant and are part of ongoing assessments; discuss this during supervision
• Encourage workers to use quotes in their documentation and in meetings to show that they are gathering the child’s/youth’s voice
• Support workers in considering the voice of the child/youth when making decisions about their best interests
• Use examples of excellent assessments that include the voice of the child/youth through direct quotes and specific behavioral detail as teaching tools for other line staff
• Help social workers determine which partners to collaborate with to better understand the child/youth’s needs and wishes
• Help social workers determine when appointing a CASA would be beneficial to the case
• Help social workers balance the required visit settings with opportunities to see the child in various settings
• Coach workers to help them provide trauma-informed opportunities for children/youth to participate in proceedings
• Ask about the child’s/youth’s perspective at every major decision point
• Coach social workers to identify verbal and nonverbal communication
• Ensure that narratives and court reports include knowledge of age appropriate child/youth development and specific developmental delays that may be relevant and are part of ongoing assessments; discuss this during supervision
• Encourage workers to use quotes in their documentation and in meetings to show that they are gathering the child’s/youth’s voice
• Support workers in considering the voice of the child/youth when making decisions about their best interests
• Use examples of excellent assessments that include the voice of the child/youth through direct quotes and specific behavioral detail as teaching tools for other line staff
• Help social workers determine which partners to collaborate with to better understand the child/youth’s needs and wishes
• Help social workers determine when appointing a CASA would be beneficial to the case
• Help social workers balance the required visit settings with opportunities to see the child in various settings
• Coach workers to help them provide trauma-informed opportunities for children/youth to participate in proceedings
Recognize and appreciate the family’s culture
•Ask the social worker if interpreter or cultural liaison is needed and ensure proper translation and cultural services are available
• Inquire about culture and/or ensure that cultural representatives are present during case consultations
• Inquire as to cultural issues on every case, including race, gender, age, socio-economic status, sexual orientation in order to help the social worker help the family to create safety and well-being for the children
• Facilitate and allow time for training to ensure cultural competence
• Support placing children in culturally appropriate homes and understand the impact on the family when this does not happen
• Ask workers about the family’s racial and ethnic identity and discuss cultural bias or potential bias in supervision
• Ensure that Team Decision Making meetings (TDMs) explore family’s options to maintain the child’s/youth’s connections to their culture, and ensure the voice of the child/youth is considered when making placement decisions
• Understand and get to know staff’s cultural background, strengths, expertise, and which families they work well with for best case assignment
• Have discussions with workers about the cultural components impacting each case
• Inquire as to the availability of culturally appropriate homes and discuss barriers with managers and talk with caregivers about supporting cultural connections
• Inquire about culture and/or ensure that cultural representatives are present during case consultations
• Inquire as to cultural issues on every case, including race, gender, age, socio-economic status, sexual orientation in order to help the social worker help the family to create safety and well-being for the children
• Facilitate and allow time for training to ensure cultural competence
• Support placing children in culturally appropriate homes and understand the impact on the family when this does not happen
• Ask workers about the family’s racial and ethnic identity and discuss cultural bias or potential bias in supervision
• Ensure that Team Decision Making meetings (TDMs) explore family’s options to maintain the child’s/youth’s connections to their culture, and ensure the voice of the child/youth is considered when making placement decisions
• Understand and get to know staff’s cultural background, strengths, expertise, and which families they work well with for best case assignment
• Have discussions with workers about the cultural components impacting each case
• Inquire as to the availability of culturally appropriate homes and discuss barriers with managers and talk with caregivers about supporting cultural connections
