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Home > Family-Centered Practice > Family-Centered Casework Practice > Working With Families & Youth > Casework Processes/Worker Skills

Casework Processes/Worker Skills

The family-centered practitioner assists the family in achieving the goals and objectives of its service plan through a range of casework activities, using diverse knowledge and multiple skills to:

  • Assist the family with practical needs such as food, housing, and income support
  • Provide information on child development and parenting, as well as direct assistance such as counseling and family mediation
  • Help build parenting and daily living skills
  • Assist the parent in building supportive connections with other parents, extended family, and community groups
  • Conduct family meetings

Adoption and Safe Families Act Curricula
National Resource Center on Child Welfare Training and Evaluation (2004)
Five-day training program for supervisors about case planning in the context of the Adoption and Safe Families Act. Topics include supervisor-worker relationships, skills assessment, the Family Solutions Model of casework, client engagement, readiness for change, family team meetings, and case consultation.

Beyond the Buzzwords: Key Principles in Effective Frontline Practice
Kinney, Strand, Hagerup, & Bruner (1994)
View Abstract
Provides an overview of six principles, including theory, evaluation results, and a checklist for applying each principle in practice.

Building Solution-Focused Partnerships in Children's Protective and Family Services
Berg & De Jong
Protecting Children, 19(2), 2004
View Abstract
Summarizes the nature of solution-focused practice, a promising contributor to partnership-based practice that assists professionals in forging cooperative relationships with consumers who are invited to create solutions.

The Casework Process
Comstock & McDaniel (2004, 2nd ed.)
In Helping in Child Protective Services: A Competency-Based Casework Handbook
View Abstract
Describes all the components of casework and the multiple roles that professionals play as they collaborate with related agencies, family members, and the court system. The requirements of law and policy are explained.

Child Protective Services: A Guide for Caseworkers. 2003
Series Title: User Manual Series (2003)
Author(s): Office on Child Abuse and Neglect (DHHS)
DePanfilis, Salus
Availability: View Publication
Printable Version (PDF - 4470 KB)
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Year Published: 2003 - 141 pages
This manual examines the roles and responsibilities of child protective services (CPS) workers. It describes the purposes, key decisions, and issues of each stage of the CPS process: intake, initial assessment/investigation, family assessment, case planning, service provision, evaluation of family progress and case closure. The manual also covers strategies for casework supervision, training, and support. Appendices include a glossary of terms, resource listings of selected national organizations, State toll-free telephone numbers for reporting child abuse, and the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics. 8 tables and 173 references.

Child Welfare Caseworker Visits with Children and Parents
National Conference of State Legislatures (2006)
Presents background information about caseworker visits, including the elements that comprise quality visits. Also offers questions that legislators and their staff can use to facilitate a dialogue about caseworker visits with their child welfare agency administrators. (PDF - 348 KB)

Core Competencies in the Field of Family Support: Essential Knowledge and Skills for Parent Educators, Home Visitors, and Other Professionals Who Work with Families
Wisconsin Children's Trust Fund (2004)
Identifies specific skills and levels of knowledge for all family support workers and advanced workers, as well as suggested topics for continued learning.

Empowerment Skills for Family Workers Instructor's Manual
Palmer-House & Forest (2003)
View Abstract
Provides course outlines and instructions for implementing the Empowerment Skills for Family Workers curriculum for social workers and other professionals who serve families.

Empowerment Skills for Family Workers: A Worker Handbook
Forest (2003)
View Abstract
Describes practice strategies for implementing the family development approach.

Family-Centered Child Welfare Practice: A Resource Manual for Child Welfare Workers, Administrators, and Educators
Tollefson (1999)
View Abstract
An overview of family-centered practice and practical techniques for applying the family-centered approach.

Family-Centered, Neighborhood-Based Services: Performance-Based Behaviors for the Child Welfare Practitioner and Community Providers (PDF - 121 KB)
Public Children Services Association of Ohio (2003)
Designed to assist Ohio counties with implementation of family-centered, neighborhood-based child protection services (CPS). Lists specific performance-based behaviors in different areas of CPS that reflect a family-centered, neighborhood-based approach.

Family Practice: A Curriculum Plan for Social Services
Child Welfare League of America (1992)
View Abstract
Provides an overview of family-centered practice, tracing its evolution from child-centered practice, and assessing the planning, policies, and professional standards for implementing the model. Addresses the curriculum in detail, including clinical practice, macro practice, social policies, social work research, field education, and social work practice in school settings.

Guiding Principles and Practices for Delivery of Family Centered Services (PDF - 27 KB)
Iowa's Early ACCESS & Project SCRIPT (2000)
Seven principles of family-centered services selected to guide programs delivering services, with examples of practice behaviors for staff.

Handbook of Community Practice
Weil & Reisch (2005)
View Abstract
Examines the range of practice methods focused on community interventions; considers trends that are changing the context of practice; and analyzes the ways in which knowledge, methodology, and research can provide direction and inform leaders and practitioners of ways to strengthen communities and service systems.

Helping in Child Protective Services: A Competency-Based Casework Handbook
Brittain & Hunt (2004, 2nd ed.)
View Abstract
Describes all aspects of the casework process, from intake through case termination.

The Indian Child Welfare Act: You Must Understand Why
Graves (2005)
View Abstract
Collection of tutorials that examines the rationale for the Indian Child Welfare Act and recommends specific practices to support its implementation. Written for non-Native professionals, the modules address the importance of compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act, Native American identities and values, relationships between tribes and the United States government, and jurisdictional issues.

Meth and Family-Centered Child Welfare Practice
Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, University of North Carolina
Practice Notes, 10(2), 2005
Describes the impact of family methamphetamine use and production on children. The articles review risk factors for child maltreatment and suggest techniques for helping families. (PDF - 287 KB)

Promoting Child Welfare: Training Professionals to Support Healthy Marriages, Relationships and Families (PDF - 246 KB)
Syracuse University College of Human Services and Health Professions (2005)
Includes tools and exercises to help professionals develop effective communication and conflict resolution skills and learn how to develop these skills in consumers.

Relationship-Based Practice and Reflective Practice: Holistic Approaches to Contemporary Child Care Social Work.
Ruch
Child and Family Social Work, 10(2), 2005
View Abstract
An outline of contemporary understandings of relationship-based and reflective practice, as well as findings from doctoral research to identify how reflective practice complements relationship-based practice.

Rethinking Child Welfare Practice Under the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997: A Resource Guide
Author(s): Children's Bureau (HHS)
Availability: Printable Version (PDF - 332 KB)
Year Published: 2000 - 62 pages
The provisions of the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) intended to promote the safety, permanency, and well-being of children will have a significant impact on child welfare practice. ASFA requires state child welfare agencies to engage parents early in the process, redesign service delivery to achieve permanency goals for children, ensure sufficient resources for families, and partner with the courts. This guide provides a framework for redesigning child welfare practice. It includes an analysis of the key provisions of the Adoption and Safe Families Act and identifies casework practices that are consistent with the law. It highlights the recommendations ...

SCARF: Supporting Children and Responding to Families: A Family Casework Model With Client and Worker Friendly Assessment, Planning and Review Tools
Tolley
Child Abuse Prevention Newsletter, 13(2), 2005
Highlights a casework model designed for services assisting vulnerable families and children in Australia. The model is based on ecological theory, which suggests that individuals are connected to and interact with the environment in which they live. (PDF - 96 KB)

Social Work Practice with Children (PDF - 259 KB)
Webb (2003)
Text for social work students reviews practice strategies for contemporary family problems such as homelessness, family violence, foster care, divorce, and substance abuse. The techniques encourage consideration of the environments in which children live.

Social Work Practice with Children and Families: A Family Health Approach
Yuen (2005)
View Abstract
Focuses on nurturing the family unit based on systems theory, ecological concepts, and the principles of individual and family development. The interdisciplinary approach uses techniques such as reliance on formal and informal resources, confrontive strategies, social advocacy, psychoeducation, and prevention.

Training Parents Reported for or at Risk for Child Abuse and Neglect to Identify and Treat Their Children's Illnesses
Bigelow & Lutzker
Journal of Family Violence, 15(4), 2000
View Abstract
Research assistants, caseworkers, and a nurse provided health care skills training to parents at risk or reported for child abuse or neglect. A health reference guide and other training materials were validated by health care professionals.

Tough Problems, Tough Choices: Guidelines for Needs-Based Service Planning in Child Welfare
Feild & Winterfeld (2003)
View Abstract
Intended to assist child welfare caseworkers in making decisions about the development of service or case plans and the delivery of child welfare services.

 

 

Related Information Gateway Topics

Family-centered practice: Family-centered services
Systemwide: Cultural competence - Child welfare staff training
Systemwide: Cultural competence - Family-centered practice
Systemwide: Cultural competence - Working with children and families
Systemwide: Cultural competence - Working with youth

 

 

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