National Staff Development and Training Association

Annual Professional Institute October 5, 2015, Denver, CO

Anne J. Atkinson, Ph.D., NTI Partner Cooperative Agreement (Grant #90CO1121), DHHS, The Administration on Children,

Youth and Families/Children’s Bureau

A five year, $9 million federal commitment by the Children’s Bureau to address the unmet mental health needs of children in foster care preparing for or having achieved permanence through adoption and guardianship.

To establish a web-based training initiative that builds the capacity of State, Tribe and Territory child welfare and mental health practitioners to understand & better address the mental health needs of children and families experiencing adoption or guardianship.

To improve well-being outcomes for the children and families with goals of adoption or guardianship, as well as provide support and the appropriate therapeutic interventions to assure stable and secure post-permanency experiences for these youth and families.

To complement other state training and program initiatives aimed at improving safety, permanency and well-being outcomes

Core Partners Center for Adoption Support & Education – Project Management &

Oversight - Debbie B. Riley, C.A.S.E. CEO and Dawn Wilson, NTI Director

- - national leader in adoption-competent support with foster and adopted children and adults, their families and the network of professionals who assist them.

- - mental health services & training, including intensive, clinically-focused Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) now in 14 states.

- Additional information at www.adoptionsupport.org/

University of Maryland School of Social Work – The Institute for Innovation & Implementation/Online Training Center – Web-based Training Production & Delivery - Rick Barth, Dean; Marlene Matarese & Meredith Waudby

Evaluation: Bethany Lee and Devon Brooks (University of Southern California), Evaluation

- major training and implementation center with nationally recognized expertise in children’s mental health and child welfare; OTC is a centralized location for virtual trainings for individuals working within the child-serving systems.

Additional information http://theinstitute.umaryland.edu/training/onlinetraining.cfm

NTI Core Partners Curriculum Developers – Development of Curriculum Content

based on defined competencies - Susan Livingston Smith, Ph.D. and Carol Bishop, LMFT

PolicyWorks, Ltd. – Jurisdictional Scans & Profiles; Quality Assurance Systems; & Informational Products - Anne J. Atkinson, President

Expert Advisors and Consultants

A broad range of nationally recognized experts are providing valuable guidance for the development and implementation of NTI training.

National Network Stakeholders National Association of State Adoption Programs – Linkages with state adoption program

managers and other state program and training leaders; development and implementation consultation

National Public Human Services Association/National Association of Public Child Welfare Agencies/National Staff Development & Training Association – Linkages re: development & implementation with state child welfare program & training leadership

National Indian Child Welfare Association – Cultural responsiveness consultation; linkages within tribal CW/MH providers & training programs; development & implementation consultation. Terry Cross – Founding Director/Senior Advisor

National Association of State Mental Health Program Managers – Linkages with state mental health program directors; development and implementation consultation

New England Association of Child Welfare Commissioners & Directors – Linkages to New England state child welfare leaders; development & implementation consultation

Others …

Phase I – Years 1-2 Develop definitions and define

competencies – Expert advisors & consultants

Complete scans of training and jurisdictions to inform planning & pilot site selection

Develop curricula & convert to web-based format

Select pilot sites – up to 8 “representative” of all

Build coaching component of training

Build relationships and implementation plans with national organizations and leaders in States, Tribes & Territories

Phase II – Years 3-5 Complete pilots of web-based

training & coaching; refine as needed

Deliver training & related TA nationwide

Build Blueprint for Certification Competency Process

Evaluate effectiveness of web-based curriculum implementation with selected sites

Determine costs of development, implementation, evaluation, revision, sustainability

Design of Web-Based Training Curricula

Child Welfare Workers (employees & contracted services providers)8 modules x 5 lessons x .5 hours per session = 20 hours

Child Welfare Supervisors8 CW worker modules + 2 supervisor-specific modules x 3 lessons x .5 hours per session = 23 hours

Mental Health Practitioners (agency-based; private practitioners)10 modules x 5 lessons x .5 hours per session = 25 hours

Coaching for Mental Health PractitionersPractitioners complete 4 of 6-8 90-minute topical coaching sessions offered = 6 hours

Focus the behavioral and mental health needs of children specific casework and clinical practices demonstrated to be

effective

Competency Domains (examples) Assessment & treatment planning Attachment Loss and grief Trauma Positive identity formation Family stability pre- and post-adoption/guardianship

For Whom is Training Designed? Child Welfare Professionals and CW Supervisors . . .

Mental Health Professionals who . . .

a. Provide casework services for children in foster care who have a goal of adoption/ guardianship

a. Provide clinical services for children in foster care who have a goal of and/or are preparing for adoption/ guardianship

b. Prepare children/youth for adoption/ guardianship

c. Prepare parents/guardians for adoption/ guardianship of children from foster care.

b. Provide clinical services for parents/ guardians who are preparing to adopt or assume guardianship of a child from foster care

d. Provide support for families (both children and adoptive parents/guardians) in the immediate post-placement period, prior to finalization

c. Provide clinical services for adoptive parents/ guardians and children/youth in the immediate post-placement period, prior to finalization

e. Provide post-permanency/post-finalization casework services with adoptive parents/guardians and children/youth from foster care

d. Provide post-permanency mental health services with adoptive parents/guardians and children/youth, including those adopted through private domestic and international adoption

Examples of Training Objectives for Child Welfare Professionals The critical child welfare professional role as a bridge to healing relationships and

experiences for children

New paradigms for effective assessment and services/treatment planning

Specific techniques of attachment-based casework

Therapeutic tools and language that reduce and prevent further trauma

Strategies for engaging and empowering parents and caregivers as healing agents, fully involved in the treatment process, and skilled in using therapeutic parenting strategies

Culturally appropriate casework tools and strategies that promote healthy identity formation and address issues of race, culture, and diversity

Specific casework tasks that address mental health needs during preparation for and after achieving permanency through adoption or guardianship

How to identify a qualified and appropriate mental health professional, make an effective referral, set appropriate treatment expectations, and assure caregivers are involved in the healing process

Web-Based Training Benefits for Learners Accessibility and availability of standardized training to build

adoption and guardianship competency of urban and rural workforce

Web-based learning is enhanced by prompted learning reflections

The effectiveness of online learning approaches appears quite broad across different content and learner types

There are no significant differences in learning outcomes in face-to-face instruction compared to online learning, even in courses that are clinical in content (e.g. clinical social work skills)

Features of OTC Web-based Learning Adobe Presenter 10” used to produce presentations PowerPoint slides with pictures, text, and interactions Pre-test/post-test questions Embedded knowledge-checking through quiz

questions/activities Printable notes Closed caption capabilities Synced audio recording Interactive learning capacity

Web-Based Training Benefits for Systems Can be integrated and infused in state child welfare

and mental health training systems. Can address CFSR permanency and well-being

program improvement plans as well as CFSP Training Goals.

Provides incentives for learners through CEUs and certificate of knowledge and completion.

Technology and implementation technical assistance provided.

Pilot Site Selection Up to 8 sites that are collectively

“representative” of all child welfare systems Want to learn from and prepare for what will

be experienced in nationwide implementation Timeline: Collaborative dialogue re:“fit” - fall

2015

Selection by 3/31/16

Selection Criteria (in development) Child welfare system (i.e., size/complexity of system; # in care, #

exits to adoption and to guardianship and key demographics; urbanicity and geography; privatized/contracted child welfare services configurations)

Public/private child welfare program configurations Child welfare training organization; adoption/guardianship relevant

training offered; web-based training experience and capacity Mental health services configuration pre- and post-finalization;

relationship of child welfare and mental health systems Numbers of child welfare professionals, child welfare supervisors,

and mental health professionals who are potential trainees Willingness and capacity to participate in pilot implementation

and evaluation, including leadership commitment

Expectations for Pilot Sites (not finalized) Engage in a methodical process of implementation from which we learn. Plan for and establish the requisite technical capacity to enable learners to

access the NTI web-based training and coaching. Provide substantial input into the design of training and related coaching. Provide substantial feedback on pilot implementation NTI training and

coaching. Collaborate with NTI in formulating, testing, and learning from

implementation of processes and strategies that: Help us learn how to facilitate integration of NTI web-based training into

the STT child welfare training systems across diverse contexts and Help us learn how to enhance infusion of adoption competence in the

provision of mental health interventions across diverse contexts.

Please Tell Us About . . . How are you using web-based

training?What have your experiences been? What challenges should we consider?

Thank You!