This is what it’s all about… http://www.youtube.com/v/GbSp88PBe9E?autoplay=1&rel=0 Strengthening Families Alaska A Child Maltreatment Prevention Strategy.
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Transcript This is what it’s all about… http://www.youtube.com/v/GbSp88PBe9E?autoplay=1&rel=0 Strengthening Families Alaska A Child Maltreatment Prevention Strategy.
This is what it’s all about…
http://www.youtube.com/v/GbSp88PBe9E?autoplay=1&rel=0
Strengthening Families
Alaska
A Child Maltreatment
Prevention Strategy
Training Objectives
Learn the
Strengthening Families
Framework and ways to implement within
your agency
Review mandatory reporting requirements
& signs of maltreatment
Understand the Office of Children’s
Services Practice Model
Learn how a family moves through the
child protective services system
The Strengthening Families Initiative
Developed by the Center for the Study of Social Policy
www.cssp.org
National Expansion with the assistance of the National Alliance
of Children’s Trust and Prevention Funds
www.ctfalliance.org
Funded by the
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
just the facts…
Research Questions
• With families, what already works?
• What family characteristics promote
children’s healthy development and
link directly to reducing the risk of child
abuse and neglect?
The Protective Factors Framework
• Parental Resilience
• Social Connections
• Knowledge of Parenting
and Child Development
• Concrete Support in
Times of Need
• Social and Emotional
Development
Center
for the
Study
of
Social
Policy
Protective Factors
are based on building resiliency rather than
reducing risk
Protective Capacities
Intellectual skills
Emotional skills
Physical care skills
Motivations to protect
Social connections
Resources such as
income, employment or
housing
Protective Factors
Parental resilience
Social connections
Knowledge of parenting
and child development
Concrete support in
times of need
Social and emotional
competence of children
Protective
Capacities
are concrete and
identifiable behaviors,
emotions, social
connections and resources
necessary for insuring
child safety. Source: Child
Welfare Institute
Well-being
Permanence
Safety
Parental
Resilience
Parental Resilience
Psychological health; parents feel supported and
able to solve problems; can develop trusting
relationships with others and reach out for help
Parents who did not
have positive
childhood experiences
or who are in troubling
circumstances need
extra support and
trusting relationships
Social
Connections
Social Connections
Relationships with extended
family, friends, co-workers,
other parents with children
similar ages
Community norms are
developed through social
connections
Mutual assistance networks:
child care, emotional support,
concrete help
Knowledge of
Parenting and Child
Development
Knowledge of Parenting and Child
Development
Basic information
about how children
develop
Basic techniques of
developmentally
appropriate discipline
Alternatives to parenting behaviors experienced as a
child
Help with challenging behaviors
Concrete
Supports in
Times of Need
Concrete Supports
Response to a crisis: food,
clothing, shelter
Assistance with daily needs:
health care, job opportunities,
transportation, education
Services for parents in crisis:
mental health, domestic
violence, substance abuse
Specialized services for children
Social and Emotional
Competence
Social and Emotional Competence
Normal development (like using language to express
needs and feelings) creates more positive parentchild interactions
Challenging behaviors,
traumatic experiences or
development that is not on
track require extra adult
attention
A Surprise: What children
learn in school or other
programs goes home to
their families
Small but significant changes in
everyday practices can produce
huge results in preventing child
abuse and neglect for young
children – and helping families
stay strong even under stress
Let’s watch how one program in
Arkansas does it…
http://www.ctfalliance.org/arkansasvideo.htm
Mandatory Reporting
AS47.17.020.
Persons Required to Report.
Practitioners of the healing
AS 47.17.290.
arts
Definitions.
http://hss.state.ak.us/ocs/ChildrensJustice/M
andatoryReporting.htm
Definition of Child Maltreatment
“child abuse or neglect" means the physical injury
or neglect, mental injury, sexual abuse, sexual
exploitation, or maltreatment of a child under the
age of 18 by a person under circumstances that
indicate that the child's health or welfare is
harmed or threatened thereby; in this paragraph,
"mental injury" means an injury to the emotional
well-being, or intellectual or psychological
capacity of a child, as evidenced by an observable
and substantial impairment in the child's ability to
function
General Characteristics of
Maltreating Families
Isolation
– absence of friends, family &
support
Stress & coping – ineffective at coping
w/stress
Violence – primitive problem solving
approach
Support – lack of support systems
Multi-generational – historical, “normal”
Maltreating families…
Parental
capacity – basic care and
protection
Maturity – own emotional needs unmet
Self-esteem – value and self-confidence
Social reinforcement – maladaptive
behaviors
Tension – conflict and tension, continued
crisis
The Prevalence of the Problem
Every 34 minutes a child is reported to OCS.
Each year approximately 6% more alleged victims from
the previous year are reported to OCS.
In May of 2008, OCS had as many as 2,224 children in
OOH on a single day, today there are only 1,993
children.
More than half of all children exiting out of home care
reunified with their families. While this has not
changed significantly, the rate at which children age
out has been cut almost in half since 2006, as more
children find forever families through adoption.
http://hss.state.ak.us/ocs/Statistics/default.htm
Office of
Children’s Services
PRACTICE MODEL
Safe Children,
Strong Families
Mission
The Office of Children’s Services works in
partnership with families and communities to
support the well-being of Alaska’s children and
youth. Services will enhance families’ capacities
to give their children a healthy start, to provide
them with safe and permanent homes, to
maintain cultural connections and to help them
realize their potential.
Key Components of the Practice Model
Begins at point of intake
Family centered assessment throughout the life of the
case
Information gathering – 6 questions
10 safety threats – safety vs. risk
Analysis of identified safety threats
Unsafe or high risk children/families served
Effective safety planning
Out of home placement last option
Intake
Protective Services Reports
Information and Referrals
Front door, first contact with OCS, customer service
As much information gathered as possible
Aids in decision-making
– screening & response time
Responsiveness to reporters
Initial Assessment
Instead of “investigation”
Goes beyond substantiated/not
substantiated
Family engagement, family centered practice
Decision making based on safety and risk
Keep children in their own homes whenever
possible - in-home safety plan
If unsafe or at high risk = Family Services
Safety determined at 2 points (IA)
Present Danger – at initial
contact
If so, Protective Action Plan
Impending Danger –at
conclusion of initial assessment
If so, Safety Plan
Present and Impending Danger
Present – Immediate, significant, clearly observable family
condition occurring in the present tense, endangering a
child
Impending- Family behaviors, attitudes, motives,
emotions and/or situations pose a danger which may or
may not be currently active but can be anticipated to have
severe effects on a child
6 Questions
Extent of maltreatment
Circumstances surrounding
maltreatment
General parenting practices
Disciplinary practices
Child functioning
Adult functioning
Safety Threats
No adult in the home is performing parenting
duties and responsibilities that assure child safety
One or both caregivers are violent and/or acting
dangerously
One or both caregivers are not/will not/cannot
control their behavior
A child is perceived in extremely negative terms
by one or both caregivers
The family does not have or use resources
necessary to assure a child’s safety
Safety Threats – con’t
One or both caregivers are threatening to severely
harm a
child or are fearful they will maltreat the child and/or request
placement
One or both caregivers intended to seriously hurt the child
One or both lack knowledge, skills and motivation necessary
to assure a child’s safety
A child has exceptional needs that affect his/her safety which
the caregivers are not meeting, cannot or will not meet
Living arrangements seriously endanger the child’s physical
health
Safety
Children are considered safe when
there are no present danger or
impending danger threats, or the
non-maltreating caregiver’s
protective capacities control
existing threats
After a determination of unsafe Safety analysis
How the safety factors work within the
family
Non-offending parent’s protective
capacities
Safety planning
What needs to happen in order for
children to remain in their own homes
Transfer to Family Services
Family Services
Family Services Worker meets with initial
assessment worker to “transfer”
information
Worker reads complete case file, prepares
to meet the family
Worker assures that safety plan is still
working to keep the child safe
Worker meets the family and spends time
building rapport to engage with the family
Family Services, continued
Worker continues
to meet with family
regularly to assure they understand the
safety threats and discuss ways in which
they will make changes to keep their
children safe without OCS intervention
Case Plan is developed, Change Strategies
determined
Case Plan is reviewed with family every 90
days
Benefits
Family provides information, gives input into
decision making
Statewide consistency
OCS has standardized criteria for intervention
Effective safety planning means more children can
remain in their own homes
Families who design their own case plan are more
likely to make changes to protect their children
Federal outcomes are achieved
Safe Children, Strong Families
Strengthening Families Program and
Early Childhood Interventions
Infants,
Toddlers, Preschoolers
Vulnerability/ Interventions
Laws and policy
ALASKA
In October of 2010, 49% of
children with a substantiated
allegation of maltreatment
were between birth and five
years of age
EARLY YEARS MATTER!
90%
of brain
development takes
place before the age of
3
Early brain
development
determines continued
development
Jack P. Shonkoff, M.S., Center on the Developing Child. Presentation
1/18/07
44
Relationships with Caregiver
Brain
development
requires healthy
caregiving
Stress
associated
with abuse and
neglect impairs
brain development
45
A majority of children entering
foster care are under the age of 6
As many as 90%
experience serious
or chronic health
problems
These children
experience
developmental delays at
4 -5 times the rate of
other children
These children may have fundamental and severe
difficulties with friendships, school,
independence, and self esteem.
Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) linked
to emotional, behavioral, and health
problems in adults.
Best Practices for Children under 6
If…
The key to healthy and social and emotional
development is positive and consistent early
experiences with loving caregivers
And early brain development is supported by
caregiving by trusted adults who can play with,
talk to, and comfort a child.
Then…
How do we assure that the children we work
with have these supports, connections, and
attachments.
What are best practices for the children we work
with?
Best Practices for Children under 6
If…
Young children are more likely to have physical
health problems than other children and many
enter foster care with complex physical health
needs
Then…
How do we assure the children we work with
have their medical needs met?
What are best practices for the children we work
with?
Best Practices for Children under 6
If…
If a young child is not adequately supported at the
time separation, then a separation can be
traumatic for a child. To reduce the impact of
separation on a young child, the child needs to
maintain healthy contact with caregivers.
Then…
How do we assure the young children who have
been separated from caregivers maintain healthy
family contact with those caregivers?
What are best practices for the children we work
with?
Best Practices for Children under 6
If…
If a young child is not adequately supported at the
time separation, then a separation can be
traumatic for a child. To reduce the impact of
separation on a young child, the child needs to
maintain healthy contact with caregivers.
Then…
How do we assure the young children who have
been separated from caregivers maintain healthy
family contact with caregivers?
What are best practices for the children we work
with?
To get more information visit:
http://www.cssp.org/reform/strengthening-families
http://strengtheningfamilies.alaska.gov/
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http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/childwelfareacademy/
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