Buzzwords: Moving to Behavioral Descriptors Video

Highlights the impact of negative, subjective language in child welfare reporting and documentation, including the effects of unintended biases that can adversely affect assessment, decision-making, and engagement and lead to inappropriate labeling, disproportionality, inadequate services, and other negative effects. This video promotes using more objective language when reporting and recording information from the first intake call throughout the life of the case and offers tips and strategies to translate commonly used subjective language in child welfare into behavior-based descriptions that can lead to more informed assessment and decision-making, improve targeted service delivery, alleviate unintended biases, and promote better outcomes overall for children and families.