Transcript Involving Youth in Permanency Efforts

Involving Youth in
Permanency Efforts
The Foundation of Successful
Permanency
California Youth Connection
Why Involve Youth?
• It’s Our Life!
• Youth Deserve to Be Centrally Involved In their
Lives
• Differing Ideas about the Meanings and Needs
for Permanence
• Youth Will Resist Plans Made About Them,
Without Them
• Youth Have Expert Knowledge
How Youth Involvement Can Impact
Permanency Work
• Defining Permanency: Siblings, Children,
Definition of Family
• Opportunities for Healing and Growth
• Provides Resource for Workers
• We’re Fun to Work With!
• New creative ideas and leaders
• Spreading the message
California’s Law on Youth
Involvement
• AB 408 (Chapter 813, Statutes of 2003) requires social
workers to ask youth aged 10 or older in group homes
about any important relationships and take steps to
maintain these relationships.
• Requires the court to determine whether agency has
made reasonable effort to maintain identified
relationships.
• Requires court to make a formal finding of why any
youth over the age of 10 is not at a court hearing.
California’s Law On Youth
Involvement
• AB 1412 (Chapter 640, Statutes of 2005) specifies a phased-in
expansion of AB 408 beginning with youth in non-relative
placements.
• Provides that every foster youth has the right to be involved in
development of case plan and permanency plan.
• Includes youth as a team member to develop case plan.
• Allows youth over the age of 12 to review their case plan.
• Requires that a youth’s case plan includes statement of the child’s
wishes regarding their permanent placement and an assessment
of those wishes.
So, What’s the Problem??
• Can Be Difficult Emotionally and Practically for
Adults
• Requires Changing Paradigm/Power Dynamics
of Social Work and Learning New Skills and
Tools
• Requires Investment in Youth
• Requires Different Use of Time and Resources
• System Barriers: Turnover, Caseloads, etc.
When to Engage Youth?
• All the time at every level!
• All ages: Differing Developmental Approaches
• Every forum: case plans, staffings, court
hearings, TDMs, placements, etc.
• Every Level: Individual and Systems
• AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE!
Involving Youth In Individual Cases
• Support: Pre and Post Therapeutic and/or
relational support for feelings that will arise
• Explaining Your Role: What your role in youth’s
permanency work is, frequency of contact, type
of issues you can help with
• Developing Youth’s Ability to Be a SelfAdvocate/Decision Maker: Youth’s rights, selfadvocacy skills, discussing power experiences
• Listen Thoughtfully and Respect
Involving Youth In Individual Cases
• Building Youth’s Power with Information: Full
Disclosure, choices, explanation of who, what, when,
why.
• No Lingo: Speak to youth about their case without
complicated social work or legal lingo.
• Roleplaying
• Creative and Artistic Expression: collages, scrapbooks,
poetry
• Logistics!
• Measure Youth Satisfaction
Involving Youth in System
Permanency Efforts
• Invest in Preparation: leadership development for
meaningful preparation
• Be Aware of Power Dynamics on Both Sides
• Make Needed Internal Changes
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Hours for Meetings
Transportation
Food
Agency staff preparation/training
Language
Meeting Formats
Resources
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Y.O.U.T.H. Social Worker Training Project
Digital Stories
CPYP/CYC Permanency Report
Bob Lewis’ Material
CYC Chapters
Youth You’re Working With!
This is the Biggest Impact You Can
Make and Youth Depend On You!
Keep Up the Good Work!
California Permanency for Youth Project 2006 Annual
Conference
California Youth Connection, 2006
Jennifer Rodriguez: [email protected]
916-444-2560 ext. 23