Strengthening Assessment and Decision-Making for Improved Outcomes: Child Welfare Virtual Expo (CWVE) 2017
Explore how to improve the quality of assessments and effectively use data to inform decision-making. Pair the videos with the reflection worksheets to identify opportunities for change and growth in these key areas:
- Using data and evaluation in assessment, decision-making, and service delivery
- Conducting assessments and identifying services for families in child welfare with co-occurring issues
- Conducting comprehensive assessment of parents
- Engaging in Safety and risk assessment and decision-making
- Reflecting and recommitting to child welfare practice
Ready to Get Started?
First, select the topics that align with your personal and team interests. Then, watch the videos individually or incorporate the videos and reflection questions into team discussions to create a shared understanding of how these topics relate to everyday work and develop action plans to move the work forward.
Explore how having access to the right information at the right time can improve assessment and decision-making at the child/family level and how aggregate data can be used to support system improvements. Watch the videos and work through the reflection worksheet to:
- Better understand challenges and innovative practices in using data to inform child welfare assessment and decision making
- Explore innovations and challenges related to data sharing within agencies and practice areas
- Identify opportunities for improving the use of data with internal and external partners
The Right Information at the Right Time: Supporting the Field With Relevant, Actionable Data
Walk through three phases of child welfare interactions with families—front-end investigation, case planning/service provision, and case resolution—as speakers highlight successful strategies for cross-system collaboration among child welfare, substance abuse, domestic violence, and mental health partners. Watch the video and work through the reflection worksheet to:
- Discover how collaboration among service providers can impact child welfare assessments
- Identify strategies or models to promote collaboration
- Plan for engaging system partners in collaborations that enhance assessment and decision-making practices
Assessment and Decision-Making in Cases With Co-Occurring Issues
Listen in as parents and workers share their perspectives on the value of and approaches to improving comprehensive assessment of parents. Hear about the impact meaningful assessments have on the experiences of children, youth, and families in child welfare. Watch the video and work through the strategies and reflection worksheets to:
- Understand the role frontline staff play in fostering positive interactions with parents in the field
- Identify strategies to improve interactions between frontline workers and parents that lead to better assessments
- Explore biases that can affect interactions with parents
- Learn how courageous engagement and goal setting can lead to better assessments
Explore insights on using protective capacities and protective factors to build a continuum of practice that extends from safety to strength building. Watch the video and work through the reflection worksheet to:
- Understand how protective capacities and protective factors can be combined to enhance assessment, planning, and ongoing case management
- Identify how assessment of protective capacities and factors can positively affect family engagement and prevent repeat maltreatment
- Explore approaches to better coordinate and collaborate across the child welfare and prevention sectors
Safety Decision-Making: Using Protective Capacities and Protective Factors
Listen to personal stories from people with lived expertise and professionals in child welfare. Watch the video and engage in team discussions to:
- Reflect on opportunities to strengthen practice
- Recommit to the fundamental values of social work
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 individual sessions.*
*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.
Connect With Us
Learn how we can help your agency build the capacity to thrive.
Email: capacityinfo@icfi.com
Phone: 1.844.222.0272
Visit the Center for States' Contact Us webpage for more information.