PPT Permanent Connections.pdf
Transcript of PPT Permanent Connections.pdf
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Supervising forPermanent Connections
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Whatare permanent connections
Positive, reliable caring adults in theyouths life who will stick by themwhile they are in care and who willcontinue to support them after theyleave care, through their youngadulthood and beyond
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Who are permanent connections?
People with whom the youth has someemotional attachment (birth family,extended family, kin, adoptive family,
mentors, foster family, etc.) People with whom the youth would like to
stay connected/re-establish contact
People who the youth defines as family
and/or supports
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The meanings of permanency
Legal Traditional view of
permanency, a
legally establishedrelationship(adoption,guardianship, birthfamily)
Emotional/
Relational
Permanency ismore aboutemotionalattachmentsbetween youth,
caregivers, andother family andkin
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The meanings of permanency
Cultural
A continuousconnection tofamily, tradition,race, ethnicity,culture, languageand religion
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Iowas vision of youth permanency
(draft)
Every child in Iowas child welfareand juvenile justice systems willhave permanent relationships withone or more caring, capable andsupportive adults.
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From Casey Family Services:
Youth permanency involves:
An enduring family (or family-like)relationship that provides forphysical, emotional, social,cognitive and spiritual well-being
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Permanency is.
(according to youth in care)
having the key to the house
a chance for someone to choose youand for you to choose them
knowing where you are going to beburied
having your picture on the wall in
someones househaving your side [of the church] full
when you get married
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Exercise: Build a Model for Achieving
Permanency for Older Youth in Care
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Other Important Elements of
Permanency
Opportunity to maintain contactswith siblings
Involvement of the youth as theparticipant or leader in the process
- California Permanency for Youth Projectconvening
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Keep in mind
Most youth who age out of carereconnect with their families oforigin, even if parental rights wereterminated
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Youth may need support innegotiating relationships withparents, setting boundaries, anddealing with disappointments asthey re-establish relationships
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Best practice planning for permanency:
Meaningfully engages the significantadults in the youths network
Involves birth/former adoptivefamily members in planning anddecision-making
Honors the role of birth/formeradoptive families in the youths life,though they are unable to parentfull-time
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Steps for Achieving Permanency Using
A Youth-Centered Team Approach*
1. Identify significant adults from withinyouths circle of existing relationships
2. Involve the youth and the significant
adults in a team planning and decision-making process
3. Explore and support the highest level ofcommitment that each adult can make
as a permanent parent or extendedfamily member
Source: Frey, L. (Casey)
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Steps for Achieving Permanency
continued
4. If a permanent family is notidentified among those present,participants may agree to
help recruit a family or
be a permanent connection.
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Steps for Achieving Permanency,
contd.
5.If a permanent family is identified, othersmay commit to provide support for thatfamily.
6.Engage the youth and adults in jointactivities for preparation for adulthood sothat reciprocal relationships are
strengthened and supported while theyouth is still in care.
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Until a permanent family or permanentconnections are established, the questionshould always be asked:
Then what would it take?
The youth and significant adults/family
members are encouraged to keep thedoor open and let the relationshipsevolve over time
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Strategies and Tools for Helping Youth
Make Permanent Connections
Finding previously supportive adults
Placement genogram
Remembered People chart
Family Finding tools
Strengthening connections
Permanency Pact
Relationship building blocksTips for Initiating the Permanency
Conversation with Youth
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Placement Genogram
A visual picture of theyouths experience in
placement constructedfrom:Case records
Youths perspectiveFamily and other adults
Understanding the childs experience of
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.writeenough.org.uk/images/formats/format_genogram_order_of_children.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.writeenough.org.uk/formats_genogram.htm&h=150&w=190&sz=2&hl=en&start=14&tbnid=m_GoqH1OJIlrnM:&tbnh=81&tbnw=103&prev=/images?q=genogram&gbv=2&svnum=10&hl=en -
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Understanding the child s experience of
adults in placement may help the
worker:
appreciate resilience/understand thecost of multiple losses;
better understand the reasons for
placement disruption; identify patterns, leading to new
ideas about interventions,appropriate placements, andsupports for the young person; and
uncover important people from theyouths past
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Remembered People Chart*
Ages
Where Ilived
Who Irememberespecially
well
What Id liketo do aboutthem
Source: Robert Lewis
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How might you use a tool like this in
supervision?
Encourage the conversationsworkersshould not rely exclusively on thewritten case record
Talk about what the youth is sayingabout his/her desires for permanentconnections
Talk about how to translate thisinformation into concrete action steps
How to prepare the youth for re-establishing connections/rejections
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Tips for establishing reconnections
Youth must be interested in making theconnection
Discuss potential connection with youth,including risks. Be honest with youth if a
connection is ill-advised. Its preferable to begin with a letter to the
prospective connection, so that a phonecall doesnt catch them off-guard
Follow up soon with a phone call Facilitate contact with youth/invite to a
youth centered team meeting
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The Permanency Pact (a tool)
See participant handbook
a document created by Foster Club
offers 45 suggested supports that aSupportive Adult might offer to ayouth transitioning from care.
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Uses for the Permanency Pact
Offers concrete suggestions of ways anadult can help a young person whodoesnt have a permanent home
Suggests that there are ways for an adultto commit to a youth for ongoing supportwithout agreeing to have that person livewith you
This can be formalized in a ceremony, ifdesired
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Limitations of the Permanency Pact
if there arent many things checkedon the list, it may not reallyrepresent the kind of life-long
commitment we think of asrelational permanence
as a tool it might be overwhelmingto a young person to see the list of
things that they may need help onthat they dont have
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Building Blocks for Establishing
Permanent Connections
Youth:
Identifies need for help
Knows who and how to askExperiences support
Learns to trust over time
Learns norm of reciprocity
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Making the ConnectionBetween Permanency and
Placement Stability
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What we know about placement1
stability
Most children in foster care do notexperience multiple placements
If a child stays in care for longer than12 months, increased likelihood of 3 ormore placements
Adolescent placements are more likelyto be unstable than those of youngerchildren
Most movement occurs in the first 6months of a placement1
Wulczyn,Kogan & Harden (2003)
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What we know about placement
stability, contd
One study found that 70% ofplacement moves are the result ofagency decisions, not youth
behaviors2
Relative placements tend to be morestable than other types of
placements2 James, S. (2004)
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Placement Stability and
Educational Attainment
Students who change schools 4 or moretimes lose approximately one year ofeducational growth by 6th grade
High school students who changedschools even once were less than half aslikely to graduate
Foster youth are twice as likely to change
schools during the year and twice as likelyto repeat a grade
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Practices to improve placement stability
Provide substantial support in first 6months of placementthe mostvulnerable time for disruption
Increase visits and therapeutic support to
adolescents in foster care due to theirgreater vulnerability for disruption
Use group care strategically to provideinitial stability for youth who experiencemultiple disruptions
Recruit foster parents who are acceptingof/experienced with adolescents andteens
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Practices to Improve Placement
Stability, contd
Provide more professional supportand respite for foster parents; morefoster parent to foster parentsupport;
Workers emphasize the importanceof stability and urge caregiver
patience
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Permanent connections and placement
stability
Maintaining permanent connectionssupports placement stability by attendingto youths ongoing need for ongoing
emotional connectedness Permanent connections are also important
when placement changes have to bemadephysical location may change, but
emotional connections can be sustained
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Practices to improve placement stability
Participation of youthAbout Me
My Foster Care Plan
Preparation of youthFoster Home Intro
Foster Club: http://www.fyi3.com/fyi3
Forms Online at Foster Club website (seehandout for url location)
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Case Scenarios
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Supervising for permanent connections
Teach staff about the importance ofpermanent connections for youth
Set expectations for permanent
connections as an essential part ofpermanency and transition planning
Coach staff in how to maintain and re-establish connections
Develop a youth-centered team approachto building permanent connections
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Supervising for permanent
connections
Support workers in.
listening to youththey are the best source ofinformation
thoroughly reviewing case file to identify
connections from the past (but dont relyexclusively on this)
searching for lost relatives using locator services
making contacts with significant adults
reconnecting youth with birth family
helping youth through joys and disappointmentsof reconnections
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Supervisors strategies (what if...?)
Worker reports that youth has noconnections
Think about who has shown up for meetings,
court hearings; who has called about or visitedthe youth
Talk with caretakers and providers about whothe youth calls or goes to, who calls the youth
Talk to the youth more about previous
placements, family and kin relationships Dont forget the paternal side of the family
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Supervisors strategies (what if?)
The worker reports feeling uncomfortabletalking with youth about permanentconnections
Talk about emotional needs of adolescents asthey move toward adulthood; normalize theneed for connectedness
Provide opportunities for further training
Provide opportunities for worker to observe a
more experienced worker, or co-facilitatemeetings with youth to model good practice
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Supervisors strategies (what if?)
Permanent connections areidentified but not active in case plan Talk with worker about how the youth
is involved with permanent connections Encourage worker to talk with youth
about the role of permanentconnections during transition
Suggest using the Permanency Pact asa way to open the conversation withyouth
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Supervisors strategies (what if.?)
Transition plan does not includepermanent connections
Support conversations about
permanent connections in transitionmeetings and the written plan
Review the Permanency Pact forideas of how permanent connections
can be helpful for youth in transition
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Write a Practice Goal forPermanency