Effective WorkerClient Interactions

1
Improving the Quality of Visits Presented
by Rose Wentz A consultant for
www.nrcfcppp.org
2
The Child and Family Services Improvement Act of
2006
At a minimum, that the children are visited on a
monthly basis. The caseworker visits must be
well-planned and focused on issues pertinent to
case planning and service delivery to ensure the
safety, permanency, and well-being of the
children. The majority of the visits are to
occur in the residence of the child. The
majority of visits at the residence at least
50 of monthly visits at home the child lives at
3
Relationship of Caseworker Visits with Children
and Other Outcomes in First Round of CFSR
A strength rating for Item 19 (caseworker
visits with child) was significantly associated
with substantially achieved ratings for 5 of
the 7 outcomes.
4
Relationship between Caseworker Visits with
Children and Other Indicator Ratings in First
Round of CFSR
Significant relationships were found between
caseworker visits with children and .
. .

• Providing services to protect children in
  the home and prevent removal
• Managing the risk of harm to children
• Establishing permanency goals
• Achieving reunification, guardianship and
  permanent placement with relatives

5
Relationship between Caseworker Visits with
Children and Other Indicator Ratings in First
Round of CFSR
Achieving goal of other planned living
arrangement Placement with siblings
Preserving childrens connections while in
foster care Maintaining the childs
relationship with parents Assessing needs
and providing services to children and families
Significant relationships were also found between
caseworker visits with children and .
. .
6
Relationship between Caseworker Visits with
Children and Other Indicator Ratings in First
Round of CFSR
Involving children and parents in case
planning Caseworker visits with parents
Meeting the educational needs of
children Meeting the physical health needs
of children Meeting the mental health
needs of children
Finally, significant relationships were also
found between caseworker visits with children
and . . .
7
The Circle of Attachment

Child feels discomfort
Child feels comfortable
Child expresses discomfort
Parent comforts child (need is met)
8
Worker Visits and Attachment

• In order to meet a childs needs and make
  attachment possible, we must first recognize what
  is missing in childrens lives.
• Learning about a childs
  unique needs and
  
  situation is one of the
  primary reasons for
  
  conducting meaningful,
  purposeful worker/child
  visits.
• And this requires workers
• to develop a connection
• with the child.

9
Children are more resilient when they have
multiple healthy connections or
attachments.Resiliency is the key to surviving
trauma.
10
Stages of Grief and Loss

• Shock
• Denial
• Anger
• Protest
• Bargaining
• Depression
• Acceptance

There are no set pattern of reactions or specific
order but most children experience these stages.
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Impact of Separation Chart
12
The Cycle of Conducting Purposeful and
Meaningful Caseworker/Child Visits
Preparation
Engagement/ The Visit
Next Steps
Assessment Commitments
13
The Visit Step One

• Establish purpose of the visit
• Obtain information
• Develop mutual goals
• Involvement in case planning
• Determine strengths and resources that can be
  used to address issues

14
Tools

• Suggestions for Conducting Contacts/Visits with
  Children and Caregivers
• Developed questions on safety, permanency and
  well-being issues
• To be used to plan a visit once the worker has
  determined purpose of the visit
• Questions phrased based on the childs
  developmental age

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Sample questions

• For school age child
• On a scale of one to ten, where ten is the best
  place to live and one is the worst, how would you
  rate this family?
• For a toddler
• Do you like living at _____________s caregivers
  name) house? What is the best thing? What is the
  worst thing?
• Caregiver questions
• What do you need to know or tell me about the
  child that would help all of us do a better job
  making of this child safe and getting him/her a
  permanent family?

16
Step Two The Visit

• The warm-up,
• establishing the purpose of the visit,
• making the connection with the child,
• Alone time
• gathering the information

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Strategies

• Solution Focused questions
• Coping questions
• Exception seeking questions
• Miracle questions
• Scaling questions

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Step ThreeAssessment and Commitments

• Assessing information gathered during visit.
• Making commitments and plans with the child.
• Sharing information with the caregiver.

19

• Understanding a child developmentally,
  culturally, and as a traumatized child.
• Engaging, sharing information and involving even
  very young children in their case plan.
• Using experts and supervision to help assess the
  information gathered.
• Engaging the caregiver in assessment, decisions
  about actions that need to occur, and involvement
  in case planning

20
Step Four Next Steps

• Consulting with supervisors and other experts.
• Documenting visit.
• Implementing case plan decision or changes in
  services.
• This is the preparation step for the next visit.

21
Documenting the Visit

• Date
• Type of Contact
• Where it occurred (if not in the least
  restrictive setting, explain)
• Who was there?
• Who conducted the visit?
• Did some of the interview occur in private? How?
  If not, why?

Be very clear in your documentation as to what
part of the visit occurred in private.
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Documenting the Visit

• Summary of information What happened (purpose
  of visit achieved)?
• Childs Developmental Progress
• Childs Involvement in Case Planning
• Safety, Well-being or Permanency Issues
• Any concerns or red flags that need follow up

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SACWIS How to document using agencys forms
24
LaToya

• Lets hear from a youth about the positive impact
  workers have when they do this practice right.

http//www.youthtrainingproject.org/
25
Challenges

• Workload
• Distance
• Working in collaboration with other staff in your
  agency
• Working in collaboration with other staff in
  OTHER agencies
• Not meeting the intent of the law
• Attitudes and beliefs
• Quality vs. quantity
• Supervision and Management support

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Resources from NRCFCPPP

• Curriculum on contacts/visits with children and
  their caregivers
• Curriculum on contacts with birth parents
• Recommended question lists in both of these
  curricula
• http//www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/info_se
  rvices/caseworker-visiting.html

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NRCFCPPP Can Provide AssistanceSupport from
by top consultants Technical Assistance with
collaboration from other NRCsSupporting
improvements in practice including Program
Improvement Plans.We can help withPolicies,
laws, forms, tools, curricula, training of
trainers, locating national experts, helping your
agency to make contact with other agencies who
have solved similar issue, etc.Free Information
on our Website Teleconferences, Webcasts,
Curriculums in English and Spanish
Tools/Guidelines, Powerpoints
www.nrcfcppp.org Stephanie Boyd Serafin (212)
452-7049