Buzzwords: Moving to Behavioral Descriptors doodle video is a short, animated video that follows a child involved in a child welfare investigation. The video describes what buzzwords are and illustrates the impact they can have on children and families. It also demonstrates how to recognize buzzwords and offers strategies for transforming buzzwords into objective, behavior-based descriptors.

This publication looks at buzzwords in the context of words or phrases commonly used in child welfare reporting and documentation that can be subjective or carry negative connotations, and offers strategies to minimize their negative impact.

Explores the first task of team building: identifying the team’s purpose by developing mission goals and objectives. This module helps the team write a mission statement as part of a change and implementation process at a child welfare agency.

Examines the second task of team building: identifying team members to ensure diverse representation across all levels and positions within the organization. This module also provides information on how to define the team structure to clarify roles and responsibilities and encourage collaboration among team members.

Presents the third task of team building: developing the team’s charter to set a foundation for teamwork by clarifying how the team will operate, divide responsibilities, and share in decision-making.

Introduces the fourth task of team building: developing a team communication plan and external communication strategy. This module helps teams clarify protocols for the flow and methods of communication and to define roles and responsibilities in the communication structure.

Explores the fifth task of team building: guiding the change process by creating a detailed, comprehensive work plan based on the team charter that organizes the work through each step of the change and implementation process.

Presents the sixth and final task of team building: debriefing, evaluating, and identifying the next steps to assess completion and determine how the team will sustain the intervention. As explained in this module, at this point teams also determine whether they need to continue with their work or whether another team needs to be convened.

This tool is a role-playing activity, designed to help child welfare workers and supervisors become more familiar with the process of recognizing and translating buzzwords into descriptive language.