ASFA TRAINING PROJECT
PHONE POLL OF CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES
2003

Alabama

1. How would you rate your agency's staff in terms of their understanding of ASFA requirements? We are particularly interested in the level of understanding of managers, supervisors and workers. Please rate their understanding on a scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being 'poor' and 5 being 'comprehensive'.

a. Managers:

Comments: We had a huge retirement incentive recently and that had an impact on staff throughout the agency. We have many new county directors who need training on many areas, including ASFA.

b. Supervisors:

Comments: Many of our supervisors are fairly new and thus weren’t part of our early ASFA training and implementation efforts.

c. Workers:

Comments: 50% of our workers have been with us 5 years or less.

2. Following are some of the skills that managers, supervisors and workers need to have to implement ASFA. Please rate each of these on a scale of 1-5 with one being 'do not need it' and 5 being 'extremely important.'

a. Managers:

Case work skills:

Collaborative skills

Understanding requirements of ASFA

Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements

Using data effectively

Other, please specify and rate:

Tracking outcomes

b. Supervisors:

Case work skills:

Communication skills:

Collaborative skills:

Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements

Using data effectively

Other, please specify and rate:

Tracking outcomes

c. Workers:

Case work skills:

Collaborative skills

Communication skills:

Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements

Using data effectively

Other, please specify and rate:

Understanding what data is needed

3. In the past year, since our earlier survey, as part of your ASFA implementation has the agency undertaken any activities in the following areas:

Agency structure? No Yes
If yes, please describe.

Comment: We have restructured Family Services to reflect the 9 Districts; that redesign will benefit ASFA however the impetus was the consent decree, sustainability and the PIP.

Internal communication? No Yes
If yes, please describe.

Performance appraisals? No Yes
If yes, please describe.

Job descriptions? No Yes
If yes, please describe.

Comment: We are just starting to see generic statements about supporting ASFA principles in job descriptions.

Staff recruitment? No Yes
If yes, please describe.

Case Review? No Yes
If yes, please describe.

Comment: We’ve done a lot of work on our case review system but it isn’t ASFA related.

Foster/Adoptive parent recruitment? No Yes
If yes, please describe.

4. In the past year, since our earlier survey, has there been any ASFA training for child welfare agency personnel? No Yes
If yes, go to question 4a. If no, go to question 4e.

Comment: If best practice is followed, ASFA is attended to. Thus, we’ve done quite a bit of practice training but nothing specifically on ASFA.

a. What topics were covered in that ASFA training?

b. Which of the following did you use for the ASFA training?

Statewide training
In service training
Pre-service training
Forums on ASFA topics
Conferences on ASFA topics
Regularly scheduled meetings
Managers train people
Interactive video on ASFA topics
Teleconferences on ASFA topics
Training by federal agencies
Information is circulated about ASFA

c. Who did the training?

Agency/training unit staff
Outside consultants
State university
Court staff
Central office staff
Regional staff

d. Was the training just on ASFA or was it incorporated into other training that you provide?

Incorporated
Incorporated into new worker training
Not incorporated

e. In the past year, since our earlier survey, have you done any of the following ASFA training with or for the courts? No Yes
If yes, continue with this question; if no go to question 4g.

Comment: There has been a resurgence of discussions with the Administrative Office of Courts and training will be one of the outcomes of those conversations.

Joint training sessions
Agency and court staff have worked together on local level
Court Improvement Project events attended by agency people
ASFA workgroups of agency and court staff
Agency staff have trained court people
Agency published a newsletter for court staff
Other

f. What topics were covered in that ASFA training for the courts?

g. Have you done ASFA training with or for any of the following:

Schools
Health care providers
Mental health providers
Tribes
Other, please specify

h. What topics were covered in the ASFA training?

5. Thinking about future training for your agency and community partners (not just on ASFA), what do you think is the number one training need of:

a. Agency managers:

To know what data you need and how to use the data to track outcomes and assess case progress.

b. Agency supervisors:

More about global goals and a clearer connection between ASFA and best practice.

c. Agency workers:

More about global goals and a clearer connection between ASFA and best practice (x10).

d. Foster parents:

e. Schools:

f. Health care providers:

g. Mental health providers:

h. Tribes:

i. Courts:

We are identifying training needs during discussions with the Administrative Office of Courts.

j. Is there any other group you think has a training need? Please specify.

6. How well does your information system support the work of managers, supervisors and workers in implementing ASFA? Please rate the support provided by your system on a scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being 'poor' and 5 being 'outstanding'.

a. Why did you give your system that rating?

We have many new workers who are trying to master practice and documentation at the same time so our data is a bit untidy now.

b. If a rating of 1 or 2 is given, probe as to the status of the SACWIS system.

7. Please rate the importance of the following in terms of supporting staff as they implement the ASFA requirements, with 1 being 'not important' and 5 being 'crucial.'

Training

Increased communication

Resources to support staff

Collaborative efforts with stakeholders

Seeing ASFA as good casework practice

Management support

Revising policy to support ASFA

Monitoring implementation

Other, please specify and rate:

8. Do you see any of the following as barriers to your agency's support for staff as they implement the requirements of ASFA (check if 'yes')?

Comment: We’ve had an administrative focus on addressing our consent decree requirements.

Lack of resources
Difficult relationship with courts
Staff turnover
Limitations or lack of computer system
Lack of understanding/knowledge about ASFA
Heavy workload
Lack of support
Difficulty meeting ASFA requirements
Large number of cases
Differences in interpretation
Lack of services
Lack of time
Lack of training
Problems caused by a county-based system
Other, please specify:

9. (For County based systems only.) Do any of the following impact your ASFA implementation (check if 'yes')?

Must be responsive to local needs
Lack of uniform practice standards
Communication can be difficult
Approach is fragmented
Limited state control
Limited resources
Other

10. At which point in the Child and Family Service Review process is your agency?

a.

Planning
Statewide assessment underway
Review complete
Working to complete the activities described in the PIP

b. Are there any significant lessons you learned from the CFSR? If so, please describe.

We probably could have done a better job helping to ensure values consistency on the part of reviewers, especially around foster care.

11. Is there anything else that you want to tell us regarding the best way to support staff as they implement the requirements of ASFA and the CFSR?

Present, expect and normalize ASFA as best practice.

Do you mind if we call you again if we need additional information?

No
Yes

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