Transcript Definitions and Examples of Practices vs. Services in Child Welfare The Service Array Process The National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement A Service of.

Definitions and Examples of
Practices vs. Services
in Child Welfare
The Service Array Process
The National Child Welfare Resource Center for
Organizational Improvement
A Service of the Children’s Bureau, U.S.D.H.H.S.
April 28, 2008
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Child Welfare Services
What is a health or human service?
 A human service is something someone
provides to another person to address a
human need. For example, a doctor
provides an annual physical examination to
a patient.
 It can also be something provided in
partnership with a client—for example,
marriage and family therapy.
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Here are Several Examples of
Child Welfare Services
 Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and
Treatment (EPSDT): A mandate in Medicaid that
requires states to conduct regularly scheduled
examinations (screens) of all Medicaid-eligible
recipients under the age of 22 to identify physical and
mental health needs or problems. If a problem is
detected and diagnosed, treatment must include any
federally authorized Medicaid service, whether or not
the service is covered in the state plan. If problems
are suspected, an “interperiodic” screen is also
required so the child need not wait for the next
regularly scheduled checkup.
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Here are Several Examples of
Child Welfare Services (continued)
 Home Visits to Parents with Newborns:
An early intervention and prevention
program for new parents. Its purpose is to
promote positive parenting and child health
and development, thereby preventing child
abuse, neglect, and other poor childhood
outcomes. The largest home visiting
program in the United States, Health
Families America, is sponsored by Prevent
Child Abuse America (PCA America).
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Here are Several Examples of
Child Welfare Services (continued)
 Intensive Family Preservation:
Intensive in-home clinical and other
services offered to families. Services are
designed to assist in the preservation of
families—including adoptive and extended
families whose children have either
experienced or are at risk for parental
abuse or neglect, or are in crisis and are at
imminent risk for removal from their
homes.
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Child Welfare Practices
A child welfare practice is a bit harder to define.
 Practice is the philosophical approach to achievement of
outcomes.
 A child welfare practice often has more to do with how
you provide a service because a child welfare practice
has a value or principle base.
 For example, family engagement is a practice. Family
engagement has a value base: the best way to
successfully provide a service to a client is to show
respect for the client. Family engagement also has a
principle base: the best way to ensure that the service
provided to a client is effective is to genuinely engage
the client as a partner in the selection, design, and
implementation of the service.
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Child Welfare Practices (cont’d)
 A child welfare practice can also be considered a
“semi-service.” It is a service because it is providing
something to a client. But it is still very much driven
by a value or principle.
 For example, “Wraparound” is often considered a
service.
 Here’s a definition. Wraparound: providing flexible
and “whatever is needed” services to a client or
family to achieve the desired and defined
outcome.
 But Wraparound is based on the principle of
“individualizing services.” “One size fits all” doesn’t
work in child welfare. Rather, the way to provide
services is to tailor or individualize the service to the
needs of the client and “do whatever it takes.”
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Here are Some Examples of
Child Welfare Practices
 Concurrent Case Planning with
Families: When a child has been
abused/neglected, the development
of two plans with the family, usually
one for reunification, and an
alternative permanency plan if
reunification does not prove feasible.
The child welfare agency and the
family team work on both goals at the
same time.
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Here are Some Examples of
Child Welfare Practices (cont’d)
 Family Group Decision-Making: FGDM is a
family-focused, culturally sensitive approach to
developing permanency plans for children who
are in foster care or who are at risk of entering
foster care due to parental abuse or neglect.
With FGDM, the child’s immediate and
extended family begin work early with child
welfare workers and a family group coordinator
in developing a plan for the safety of the child,
a plan for family reunification, or deciding on
another permanency option such as relative
care, guardianship, or adoption.
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Practices and Services Must Work
Together
 The foundation is practice because of
its value and principle base.
 Services must utilize effective
practices.
 Services are effective only when they
have a value and principle base
drawn from practice.
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