Strengthening Families Through Prevention and Collaboration: Child Welfare Virtual Expo (CWVE) 2020
Explore collaborative approaches to advance prevention presented by people with lived and professional child welfare expertise. Pair videos with the related discussion guide to prompt learning and reflection in these key areas:
- Becoming a Prevention-Focused System
- Collaborating With Families for Systems Change
- Creating Effective Partnerships for Primary Prevention
- Developing and Measuring Comprehensive Prevention Frameworks
- Building a Culture and Climate That Support a Prevention-Focused System
- Taking the First Steps Toward a More Prevention-Focused System
Ready to Get Started?
First, select the topics that align with your personal and team interests. Then, use the activities in the discussion guide along with the videos to prepare individuals for group learning, facilitate team discussions, create a shared understanding of how these topics relate to everyday work, and develop action plans to move the work forward.
CWVE 2020 Discussion Guide
The guide includes:
- Descriptions of the videos
- Individual reflection questions tailored to the topic
- Team activities to help child welfare staff and collaborative partners brainstorm
- An action planning worksheet to help teams put new ideas into action
Explore the importance of primary prevention in child welfare, the public systems approach to prevention (including the need for involving multiple voices and partnerships and strategies for developing a robust prevention continuum), and examples of how states have successfully implemented prevention programs. Watch the videos and work through the discussion guide activities for this topic to:
- Gain a foundational understanding of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention in the context of child welfare
- Learn how to engage and involve community partners in prevention planning
- Explore strategies from the public health approach that can support child welfare agencies in anticipating system changes
Becoming a Prevention-Focused System: Conversation With National Experts
Examine the question of how to change a system designed to protect children from their families to one that supports families to keep their children safe and healthy. The session explores the question from several perspectives. Watch the videos and work through the discussion guide activities for this topic to:
- Explore how to build an organizational culture that supports engaging and strengthening families throughout the prevention continuum
- Learn strategies to establish, support, and reinforce collaborative development of a service array that is responsive to families and youth
- Discover strategies used by jurisdictions and private organizations to support family networks and systems
- Hear about unique tribal practices and customs used to engage families
Family Engagement: A Collaborative Process for Systems Change
Gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of effective collaboration and how to avoid pitfalls when implementing partnerships for primary prevention. Watch the videos and work through the discussion guide activities for this topic to:
- Gain insight into key elements of being an effective partner or collaborator
- Hear lessons learned from leaders in the field on pitfalls and speedbumps experienced in building collaborative relationships
- Learn about strategies for enhancing communication in collaborations
- Understand the role of data in child welfare prevention work
Going Behind the Scenes: Effective Partnerships for Primary Prevention
Explore strategies for developing a comprehensive community prevention framework across all levels of prevention and examine how the impact of systems in the prevention framework can be analyzed and measured through data analysis and continuous quality improvement (CQI). Watch the videos and work through the discussion guide activities for this topic to:
- Identify strategies for developing comprehensive community prevention frameworks across all levels of prevention
- Discover how systems within the prevention framework work together to provide services for children and families and how the impact can be analyzed and measured
- Learn how the prevention framework can be integrated into the CQI system and what types of data can be collected and used
- Explore strategies for collaborating with families, youth, and community partners in understanding, sharing, and using prevention outcomes data throughout the CQI system
Developing and Measuring the Success of a Comprehensive Prevention Framework
Learn about the importance of successful collaboration and engagement for implementing prevention-focused systems. Explore strategies for building a prevention-focused agency culture while simultaneously working on collaboratively spreading the vision for prevention beyond the borders of child welfare agencies and into the community. Watch the videos and work through the discussion guide activities for this topic to:
- Examine the meaning of “culture” in the context of child welfare
- Recognize the connection between moving prevention efforts forward and ensuring culture and climate are aligned with agency beliefs and values
- Identify ways to assess and address gaps in culture and climate needed to support prevention
- Learn foundational strategies necessary to lead the organization and community in building a culture, climate, and workforce that support prevention and collaboration
Building Prevention-Centered Systems: Key Leadership, Workforce, and Community Roles
Explore strategies for effective collaboration between child welfare agencies and community-based partners working together to provide prevention services. Learn about engaging partners to work toward authentic, collaborative, and prevention-focused systems. Watch the videos and work through the related discussion guide activities for this topic to:
- Identify strategies for effective collaboration between child welfare agencies and community partners in the provision of prevention services
- Review the FFPSA and develop ideas for incorporating it into state or territory plans
- Develop a better understanding of how prevention-focused systems can improve child welfare outcomes
- Learn strategies for engaging teams and the community around prevention-focused systems, ways to strengthen families, and community partnerships
Continuing Education Credits
We are pleased to offer social work, clinical psychology, counseling, and marriage and family therapy continuing education units (CEUs) with this learning experience. A link to purchase CEUs is provided in the description of each individual session.*
*Note: The CEU sponsor, R. Cassidy Seminars, maintains responsibility for its CEU program. For more information on the licensing program and requirements, please visit the sponsor’s website.
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