San Francisco Training Project

San Francisco Training Project

and

Parenting for Permanency College

Third Quarter Report,

Fiscal Year 2011 – 2012

Written by,

Erika Ducati and Cyndia Kahn Cole

Submitted by,

Judith A. Lefler

Assistant Director

April 15, 2012

1. INTRODUCTION

This report is submitted to summarize the activities performed in the Third Quarter on the San Francisco Training Project (SFTP) and the Parenting for Permanency College (PPC).

1. SFTP UPCOMING SCHEDULE OF EVENTS – 4th Quarter of FY 2011-2012

Date / Title of Event
4/11/2012 / AB12: Fostering Connections After 18 (AM Session)
4/11/2012 / AB12: Fostering Connections After 18 (PM Session)
4/12/2012 / AB12: Fostering Connections After 18 (AM Session)
4/12/2012 / AB12: Fostering Connections After 18 (PM Session)
4/12/2012 / Courageous Conversation Unit Meeting: Stollerman
4/12/2012 / Courageous Conversation Unit Meeting: Hernandez
4/24/2012 / The Art of Asking Questions: Best Motivational Interviewing, Signs of Safety, and Solutions-Focused Practice
4/26/2012 / Safety Organized Practice
5/8/2012 / ERU Overview
5/17/2012 / FCS All Staff Division Meeting
5/24/2012 / Safety Organized Practice
5/30/2012 / Racial Sobriety
6/6/2012 / CPS 101
6/14/2012 / LGBTQ: Straightlaced
6/28/2012 / Safety Organized Practice

1. PPC UPCOMING SCHEDULE OF EVENTS – 4th Quarter of FY 2011-2012

Date / Title of Event
4/25/2012 / Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) Module 14
4/9/2012 / Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) Module 1
4/14/2012 / SA/HIV 36 Hour Training Series for Spanish Speaking Foster/Adoptive Parents: Module 1
4/16/2012 / Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) Module 2
4/21/2012 / PPC Pre-Service Training for Foster/Adoptive Parents – Cycle 2, Session 1
4/21/2012 / SA/HIV 36 Hour Training Series for Spanish Speaking Foster/Adoptive Parents: Module 2
4//23/2012 / Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) Module 3
4/28/2012 / PPC Pre-Service Training for Foster/Adoptive Parents – Cycle 2, Session 2
4/28/2012 / SA/HIV 36 Hour Training Series for Spanish Speaking Foster/Adoptive Parents: Module 3
4/30/2012 / Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) Module 4
5/1/2012 / Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) Module 5
5/3/2012 / PPC Pre-Service Training for Foster/Adoptive Parents – Cycle 2, Session 3
5/5/2012 / SA/HIV 36 Hour Training Series for Spanish Speaking Foster/Adoptive Parents: Module 4
5/7/2012 / Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) Module 6
5/11/2012 / Foster Parent Appreciation Event
5/12/2012 / PPC Pre-Service Training for Foster/Adoptive Parents – Cycle 2, Session 4
5/12/2012 / SA/HIV 36 Hour Training Series for Spanish Speaking Foster/Adoptive Parents: Module 5
5/14/2012 / Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) Module 7
5/19/2012 / PPC Pre-Service Training for Foster/Adoptive Parents – Cycle 2, Session 5
5/21/2012 / Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) Module 8
6/2/2012 / PPC Pre-Service Training for Foster/Adoptive Parents – Cycle 2, Session 6
6/4/2012 / Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) Module 9
6/11/2012 / Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) Module 10
6/12/2012 / Working with LGBTQ Youth
6/18/2012 / Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) Module 11
6/25/2012 / Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) Module 12
Date TBD / ABC’s of Baby Care

1. SFTP DELIVERABLES

Deliverable #1: Training

The SFTP shall provide 310 classroom hours of training, a minimum of 6200 participant hours, and 150 unduplicated participants.

SFTP continues to work with consultant Debbie Raucher as well as consultant/trainer Maryanne Rehberg to ensure that all staff is up to date on the most recent “over 18 foster youth” mandates by offering a series of mandatory module training for all staff. April 11th and 12th will conclude the series on case planning and re-entry, as well as answer a lot of staff’s questions about this often changing new legislation. Though this series will be completed for the current fiscal year, SFTP looks forward in assisting FCS on future “AB12/ Over 18” training, as new information is available.

Following up on an overview offered by Susan Brooks introducing “Signs of Safety,” SFTP has continued working with staff that have come forward to be the “Early Adopters” in the department learning about “Safety Organized Practice.” SFTP has offered training of “The Three Houses,” as well as beginning the nine modules in March (one per month) that will cover all aspects of Safety Organized Practice. So that staff can apply what they learn, BAA’s coaches/mentor’s are available to staff on a weekly basis, and have been trained on all nine modules. Staff who are not currently taking part in the training that is offered are still able to meet individually with the consultants in order to work on improving family engagement with family team meetings, Safety Organized Practice, and other tools that focus on the family’s strengths, support networks, and their own abilities to create positive outcomes.

SFTP staff successfully collaborated with FCS staff to ensure that the department’s 15 new PSW employees were able to enroll in CORE as well as assisted in the creation of a comprehensive induction schedule that included all aspects of 2940’s day to day job duties. The induction training is complete and SFTP has created an induction evaluation to look at areas of strength and ideas for improvement.

181.5 hours of training and 2625.5participant hours have been provided to date. There were 398 unduplicated participants, including any Special Events participants when training credit was given at the event.

Please see Appendix A1 for specific Training Deliverable data, and Appendices C1 and C2 for evaluation data.

Deliverable #2: Special Events

The SFTP shall provide comprehensive delivery of three (but will assist in four) special events with a minimum total of 2360 participant hours.

The last FCS All Staff Division Meeting was held on February 28, 2012. SFTP collaborated with Family Builder’s LGBTQ Director Rob Woronoff to put on an event that would raise awareness and start a discussion about P4, “Putting Pride Into Practice”, while encouraging more staff involvement in this growing foster care issue. The event was attended by 175 staff, and included author/speaker Justin Reed Early as well as an LGBT foster youth panel. The event was interactive and many staff were able to have their questions answered. Continuing LGBT awareness, SFTP is collaborating with previous foster youth Shani Heckman who is having a screening and panel discussion of her thesis film project on May 17, 2012. SFTP will be offering registration and CEU units for staff participation, as well as advertising the event to staff, and CBO’s.

On March 15th, SFTP hosted FCS’s 2012 All Staff Appreciation Event. Author/comedian Brian Copeland’s presentation continued our ongoing discussions focused on Racial Sobriety by talking about his book, “Not a Genuine Black Man: Or, How I Claimed my Piece of Ground in the Lily-White Suburbs.” The event was well received by almost 100 staff, and several positive discussions regarding Race and the way FCS staff communicate followed the presentation.

FCS’s next All Staff Division Meeting will be on May 17, 2012, and will have Cynthia Billups and Margaret Jackson present findings from the Courageous Conversation Unit Meetings, and presenting a piece of their “Racial Sobriety” training which will be followed up with the full training on May 30, 2012.

1398participant hours have been provided to date. Please see Appendix B1 for specific Special Events data.

Deliverable #3: Transfer of Learning

The SFTP shall prepare a report summarizing the transfer of learning evaluation data.

This quarter, the last few FCS units are participating in Courageous Conversations with Cynthia Billups. At each meeting staff are filling out a questionnaire that is being collected by Cynthia and charted by SFTP to find out where staff is when it comes to racial awareness within the department. A follow up meeting and survey will be scheduled as well as having Ms. Billups participate in the “All Staff Division Meeting” on May 17th to discuss the results that these continued discussions are having on staff and on the department as a whole.

Deliverable #4: Support and enhance HSA FCS’s Program Initiatives, including but not limited to Gomez v. Saenz Appeal Process, Peer Quality Case Review (PQCR), Mental Health Consultants and Business Objects/Analyst Consultation.

This quarter SFTP staff and consultants continue meeting with units individually to spread the word about the importance of Family Engagement tools, and offering support through coaching and mentoring with Ryan Pickrell and Veronica Piper-Jefferson. Both consultants have continued to educate themselves on Safety Organized Practice, which they are integrating into their unit meetings, coaching, and have trained the new hires on the benefits of the practice. On January 25th, SFTP began having both of the consultants available to staff for coaching, mentoring, as well as staff being allowed the opportunity to earn training credit as a bonus for using the consultants. Staff will continue to be able to utilize the consultants for assistance with family engagement using FTM/SDM and SOS tools when working with families.

Bill Madsen, consultant for Signs of Safety (SOS), came to San Francisco last year to discuss SOS and implementation. He also followed up with a meeting on how to use SOS during group case supervision as well as answer questions about how San Francisco can move forward with its implementation process. This quarter Mr. Madsen worked with FCS management and supervisors by facilitating a retreat, “Reflective Leadership in Frenzied Times.” Bill is following up his work with monthly webinars for those in leadership that are implementing Safety Organized Practice, and discussing with them what’s working well, and their “worries.”

Mark Lane completed his series of “contact templates” and SFTP was able to assist Mark with organizing staff focus groups for feedback and revisions. After all staff were trained on how to use the templates and staff offered feedback, a series of meetings are scheduled to revise the templates based on the feedback for improvement.

Mark Lane also continues his assistance with the Gomez hearings. In January he consulted on one hearing and in March he consulted on two.

Daniel Dizon continues his CWS/CMS consulting services for FCS. He is working to ensure FCS’s effective use of Business Objects, data mining and reports. He is developing training modules utilizing data from the generated reports and training these modules.

FCS continues to examine disproportionality and disparity among children in Child Welfare. FCS has completed the “Race: The Power of An Illusion” film viewing and discussion series with Cynthia Billups. Ms. Billups then worked with supervisors and management to prepare supervisors for meeting with their line staff utilizing “Courageous Conversations.” Ms. Billups has almost completed facilitated discussions in unit meetings, having met with most units in the department including Eligibility. Once Ms. Billups completes her individual unit discussions, she will present her findings at the All Staff Division Meeting on May 17, 2012, and follow up with her and Margaret Jackson’s “Racial Sobriety” Training on May 30, 2012.

Last quarter FCS was fortunate to hire two new Mental Health consultants, Carolyn Salvador- Moses, and Zoe Collins, who join Valata Jenkins-Monroe. All three consultants have worked for years in different capacities, offering mental health support for the department in many different areas. They now join together to offer staff support, individual and group consultation, and evaluation of the myriad of complicating factors social work staff have to assess with each family.

SFTP/BAA has been an integral part of FCS’s involvement with the Fatherhood Initiative. SFTP continues to participate on the “Fatherhood Workgroup” which is being led by FCS staff and attended by community partners. SFTP will collaborate with the workgroup on supporting an upcoming event and panel discussion planned for June 2012.

1. PPC DELIVERABLES

Deliverable #1: Newsletters

BAA has continued to contribute to the publication of a PPC newsletter in January, February, and March. Contributions have included informational articles on Positive Parenting Programs (Triple P) and AB12.

Deliverable #2: Training

BAA has had a very active 3rd quarter of training. BAA rolled out the first cycle of the revised Pre-service training for Foster/Adoptive Parents.

Curriculum was developed with input from foster parents, licensing and BAA staff. Training began on January 17, 2012 for eight modules for a total of 27 training hours. Following the completion of this pilot, pre-service trainers met to review training evaluations and make further revisions to the curriculum. This version of the pre-service will be offered in April 2012.

In collaboration with City College of San Francisco, BAA provided the SA/HIV 36 hour Training Series, formerly known as Options For Recovery. This training series is delivered by medical professionals and designed to provide caregivers with the skills and knowledge they need to provide care to medically fragile infants and children. This five week series began on March 3rd. The number of participants ranged from 9-13 participants each week.

BAA provided its first of two advanced training on the ABC’s of Baby Care. This curriculum was developed with input from Child Protection Center staff, PHN Kimberlee Pitters and Dr. Anne Trevino. BAA was fortunate to secure two teaching dolls so that this could also include some hands on practice. Two sessions were offered training a total of 13 foster parents. Evaluations were excellent for this training ranging from 4.40 to 4.80 out of a scale of 1 to 5.

BAA provided a Pre-service training class for Spanish speaking foster parents. The original PRIDE curriculum was used as the revised curriculum for Pre-service will not be translated into Spanish until the final revisions are made. We anticipate that the next Spanish speaking cycle offered will be the new curriculum. This series started on March 3rd for a total of four seven-hour sessions. The number of participants ranged from 2-4 participants each session. Licensing is aware that further recruitment efforts are needed to recruit Spanish speaking foster parents.

152 hours of training and 1499 participant hours have been provided to date.

Please see Appendix A2 for specific Training Deliverable data, and Appendix C3 for evaluation data.

Deliverable #3: Events

Planning is underway for our final event for this fiscal year which is the Foster Parent Appreciation Dinner. The planning committee is comprised of BAA staff, licensing, foster parents and relative caregivers. The Theme is Foster parents making the difference in the lives of children and families. This event is planned for May 11, 2012.

Please see Appendix B2 for specific Events data.

Deliverable #4: Triple P Modules

In collaboration with the Parent Training Institute, BAA offered the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) for foster parents. This series began on February 1st and was offered for 13 sessions. Foster parents found it so beneficial that they requested it be extended for an additional two sessions so they could continue to practice the parenting strategies learned. The number of participants has ranged from 9-13 participants each week. Evaluation for this series will consist of assessments completed after the last class and a focus group conducted once the series concludes. A comprehensive evaluation will be included in the next quarterly report.

Please see Appendix A2 for specific Training Deliverable data.

1. SFTP SUMMARY

This has continued to be a very busy year for San Francisco FCS. The SFTP team has been offering more coaching, mentoring and small unit discussions as opposed to large, more traditional trainings. In the survey conducted by SFTP, staff requested smaller trainings and more one on one support, so we are excited to move in this direction and this quarter our contracted “coaches/mentors” are really beginning to be utilized as word gets out about their positive work. We will provide a comprehensive summary regarding the hours and work completed by our consultants in our final year-end report, which will also contribute to the number of staff training hours and deliverables for this fiscal year.

There will be continued work with facilitation of family engagement through team meetings/integration of Safety Organized Practice, SDM, as well as the work being done around “quality contacts.” SFTP will continue to assist in supporting the implementation of Safety Organized Practice with the support of FCS staff and our wonderful consultants.

It continues to be a challenging time to be working in the child welfare field. At the same time, it is a pleasure to be able to participate in the changing atmosphere. The BAA/SFTP staff looks forward to continuing the training project through this fiscal year.

1. PPC SUMMARY

This has been a busy quarter for the Planning for Permanency College. We have continued to appreciate the contributions and support offered by partners at our PPC quarterly planning meetings.

Our goal is to offer additional advanced training in the upcoming quarter that will include training on After 18 (AB12) and LGBTQ Youth. Additionally, we will be offering an additional cycle of Triple P and a Spanish speaking SA/HIV series.

We are working closely with our partners as we start to build the mentoring piece of our PPC College.