Training, Development, and Human Resources

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Example from
the Field

Definition

Training and development refers to the practice of providing training, workshops, coaching, mentoring, or other learning opportunities to employees to inspire, challenge, and motivate them to perform the functions of their position to the best of their ability and within standards set by local, state, Tribal, Federal and licensing organization guidelines. Training and development activities provide all involved system of care parties with the tools they need to develop professionally, increase their knowledge, effectively work with families, and build their capacity to perform the tasks associated with their positions within the system of care.

Since a system of care operates within an existing human service agency, it is expected that most human resource issues, such as hiring, benefits, staff recognition, and performance appraisal issues, would be handled within the agency’s human resources department. It would be important to make sure that system of care principles are infused into the day to day practices of human resources personnel. It is worth noting that many systems of care have developed recognition and award programs for individuals who have exceeded expectations in their system of care efforts.

Why Use a Training, Development and Human Resources Toolkit?

A system of care training and development agenda necessarily will have to involve families, community agencies, the faith community and other community partners. It will have to look at the various needs and requirements of all stakeholders involved. Some of these factors can be addressed through specific agency trainings, but in many cases new methods of training will have to be developed that go beyond any one agency’s agenda or curriculum. For example, training may need to be created that addresses the family involvement aspect of a child and family team meeting.

In today’s social media driven world the way in which training can be delivered is much more varied than in the past. For example, Webcasts, Webinars, and computer-based trainings are the order of the day to ensure maximum participation in a cost effective manner. Another aspect of a modern training and development effort within a systems of care is that of ensuring that all events give participants the ability to evaluate and offer feedback. Data is then analyzed and, if necessary, future training and development activities are modified, enhanced, or eliminated. A number of evaluation forms are listed as resources in the Continuous Quality Improvement Section of this toolkit.

Moving from a traditional training program that is focused on the employees of one agency to a more dynamic interagency and family involved training program can be challenging. A system of care requires reevaluation of how to go about building a training and development program that is open to all involved partners. With one of the systems of care focuses being on family and youth involvement, your local system must think about new presenters and co-presenters, assuring cultural diversity in your presenters and cultural competence in your presentations. Inevitably you will have to look at policies that prevent interagency partners from participating in more department focused trainings and look to find solutions to those issues. This toolkit will provide you with some answers to these difficult issues as you begin to build your system of care training and development program into the daily operations of your work.

Systems of Care Principles and Values

The following are just a few ways systems of care principles and values might be evident in training, development, and human resources in your community:

• Staff members of systems of care agencies and organizations regard children, youth, and families as priorities within the community.
• For certain positions within systems of care, life experience is considered equal to, or in some cases more important than, a degree or other credentials.
• Outcomes are developed that measure and identify changes generated from systems of care principles into training, development, and human resources functions.
• A culturally, linguistically, and ethnically diverse and competent staff is evident in training, development and human resources activities.
• Family and youth involvement is evident in positions (employees or contractors) within the system of care.
• An interagency training and development committee with family membership creates a cross-agency training and development agenda to address system of care personnel needs.
• Ongoing training and development occurs across all systems of care partners to enhance performance of interagency teams.

Goals

Training and Development

Create a continuous learning environment throughout the life of your system of care that encompasses all levels of personnel involved including: biological, foster, and adoptive parents; youth; parent partners; service providers; front-line interagency agency staff; and high level administrative positions.

• Consistently reach out to all stakeholder groups through needs assessments to gauge the training and development needed to aid further knowledge acquisition.
• Create, if not already doing so, training and development opportunities across agencies and departments, to other stakeholder groups, and to families, youth, and other community partners.
• Ensure that the latest evidence-based practices are incorporated into all training and development activities.
• Ensure interagency teams with family representation are utilized to complete tasks associated with systems of care.
• Develop a reward structure for employees and/or contractors who demonstrate an adherence to systems of care principles.
• Staff involved in your system of care should have their performance appraisals in part be based on system of care principles.
• Ensure that policies related to your system of care encourage and promote training and development for all people involved in your system of care.

Human Resources

• Develop performance appraisal systems that support systems of care principles.
• Hire, promote, and retain culturally, linguistically, and ethnically diverse individuals consistent with the cultural and ethnic makeup of the involved community.
• Hire systems of care staff in a timely fashion.
• Incorporate systems of care principles into job descriptions and consultant contracts.
• Hire as employees or consultants, where possible and appropriate, qualified youth and family members who have been service recipients.
• Develop consistent personnel practices across agencies involved in systems of care.
• Consistently and adequately fill administrative and program positions responsible for performing activities within the system of care.
• Develop a performance system that is quantifiable, includes system of care principles, and accounts for continuous professional development.
• Use a strength-based, positive performance approach to affect recruitment, hiring, retention, supervision, and professional development.

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Example from the Field

Site

Clark County, Nevada

Goal

The goal was to enhance staff skills for facilitating Child and Family Teams and strengths-based case planning, and to develop supervisors’ skills as coaches to their staff.

Strategy/Approach

What Was Done

A unit-based approach to training for Child and Family Teams and strengths-based case planning was developed and implemented. The five-part plan included: overview of Child and Family Team/strength-based case planning; a consultant-facilitated actual Child and Family Team meeting with supervisor observing; a supervisor facilitated a Child and Family Team meeting, with consultant coaching; an employee facilitated a Child and Family Team meeting, with supervisor coaching employee and consultant coaching supervisor; and consult based on individual needs of each unit.

Who Was Involved

All child protective services and permanency staff and supervisors received the training. Trainings were individualized to each unit and their supervisor, utilizing the strengths and addressing challenges of each team. As at least three of the consults involved actual Child and Family Teams, families, informal and formal supports, and community providers were also involved in the process.

Time Frame

The initial five-part plan was completed over a 5-month period, with one consult per month for each unit. Ongoing consults were continued for additional support.

Why This Approach Was Selected

The unit-based approach was developed to enhance staff skills, ensure consistency, and maximize use of staff time. Child and Family Teams were being done on some cases and larger group trainings on Child and Family Teams had occurred. With new case planning policy calling for Child and Family Teams for all case plans, it was essential that a consistent and thorough process be developed. By bringing training to each child protective services and permanency unit, the strengths of each team could be built upon and the challenges of each unit could be better addressed. Not only were skills gained, but team building was also reinforced. As staff had multiple time demands, bringing the consultant to each of the sites and engaging in actual Child and Family Teams helped minimize their time away from working directly with families.

System of Care Principles

Nevada’s Program Improvement Program adopted systems of care principles to guide Program Improvement Program activities. To ensure individualized, strengths-based approaches with child and family involvement in case planning, Child and Family Teams were written into new policy and procedures. This training approach and ongoing practice of Child and Family Teams also helped ensure cultural competence and enhance collaboration among child- and family-serving agencies.

Lessons Learned

Barriers/Facilitators

One of the challenges was the constraints and competing demands on staff and supervisors’ time. By taking the training to the units in their neighborhood-based sites, travel time was reduced and staff was better able to recognize the priority the agency placed on this approach. Staff obtained hands-on experience by being coached in real case planning with actual families.

Another challenge was that staff and other providers were sometimes engaging in team meetings that did not always stay true to systems of care principles. By providing consistent training to all staff (and community providers), expectations of the core elements of Child and Family Teams and strengths-based case planning were better understood.

What Might Have Been Done Differently

While community providers had participated in Child and Family Teams for families with whom they were involved, some expressed a desire to have more inclusion in trainings. Plans were developed for future trainings specifically geared toward the involvement of community providers and partner agencies in the Child and Family Team process.

Acknowledgements

toolkit a possibility. Thank you to the Children’s Bureau staff, specifically Bethany Miller and Pamela Johnson (retired), Federal Project Officers, for their guidance and support throughout the writing and editing process. A special thank you goes to the following people for graciously volunteering to be interviewed for the Voices from the Field Section of the toolkit: Rich Weisgal, Contra Costa County, California; Beth Evans, Children & Family Services Administrator, Kansas; and Fred Wulczyn, Chapin Hall Center for Children, New York. Many thanks to the representatives from the nine Systems of Care grant communities of the Improving Child Welfare Outcomes through Systems of Care demonstration initiative who willingly shared sample products and tools which have been highlighted in the Resources Section. Finally, we thank the members of Infrastructure Toolkit Workgroup, who all brought their expertise to the table:

• Susan Franklin, Program Manager, Jefferson County, Colorado, Department of Human Services
• Beth Evans, Children and Family Services Administrator, Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services
• Angela Braxton, Parent Leader, Kansas
• Peggy Taylor, Evaluator, Kansas
• Angela Mendell, Casework Supervisor, Bladen County, North Carolina
• Marie Parrott-Withers, Parent/Provider, North Carolina
• Helen Spence, System of Care Outreach Coordinator, Foster/Adoptive Parent, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
• Ervin Talley, Community Member, Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York City, New York
• Kamelia No Moccasin, Oglala Lakota Tribe, South Dakota
• Paula Loud Hawk (deceased), Caseworker, Lakota Oyate Wakanyeja Owicakiya Pi Okolakiciye (Helping Children of the Lakota People), Oglala Lakota Tribe, South Dakota
• Nicole Bossard, Technical Assistance Team Leader, National Technical Assistance and Evaluation Center
• Gary De Carolis (Chair), Senior Consultant, National Technical Assistance and Evaluation Center
• Elleen Deck, Technical Assistance Liaison, National Technical Assistance and Evaluation Center
• Janet Griffith, Senior Fellow, National Technical Assistance and Evaluation Center
• Ethleen Iron Cloud Two Dogs, Technical Assistance Liaison, National Technical Assistance and Evaluation Center
• Caitlin Murphy, Analyst, National Technical Assistance and Evaluation Center