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:
DO NOT NEED IT
1
2
3
4.5
5
COMPREHENSIVE
Comments: Managers appear to have a strong understanding
of timeframes and compelling reasons.
b. Supervisors:
DO NOT NEED IT
1
2
3
4.5
5
COMPREHENSIVE
Comments: The supervisors who do permanency planning
have a very strong knowledge of ASFA. As a state, we may be able
to better document use of Compelling reasons; because of the large
number of Native Alaskan children in custody, there is a reluctance
to petition the courts to not provide reasonable efforts, so Alaska
has not used those two provisions of ASFA to a great degree.
c. Workers:
POOR
1
2
3
4
5
COMPREHENSIVE
Comments: They know timeframes and what constitutes compelling
reasons, but may not know that ASFA is the source of the requirements.
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:
DO NOT NEED IT
1
2
3
4
5
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
Collaborative skills
DO NOT NEED IT
1
2
3
4
5
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
Understand Requirements of ASFA
DO NOT NEED IT
1
2
3
4.5
5
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements
DO NOT NEED IT
1
2
3
4
5
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
Using data effectively
DO NOT NEED IT
1
2
3
4.5
5
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
b. Supervisors?
Case work skills:
DO NOT NEED IT
1
2
3
4
5
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
Communication Skills:
DO NOT NEED IT
1
2
3
4
5
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
Collaborative Skills:
DO NOT NEED IT
1
2
3
4
5
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements
DO NOT NEED IT
1
2
3
4
5
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
Using data effectively
DO NOT NEED IT
1
2
3
4
5
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
c. Workers?
Case work skills:
DO NOT NEED IT
1
2
3
4
5
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
Collaborative skills
DO NOT NEED IT
1
2
3
4
5
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
Communication Skills:
DO NOT NEED IT
1
2
3
4
5
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements
DO NOT NEED IT
1
2
3.5
4
5
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
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.
Internal communication?No
Yes
If yes, please describe
Performance appraisals?
No Yes
If yes, please describe.
Job descriptions?
No
Yes If yes, please describe. The social workers job descriptions have changed but it was
because of licensing requirements not ASFA.
Staff recruitment?
No Yes
If yes, please describe.
Case Review?
No Yes
If yes, please describe. We have some changes planned but not implemented yet.
Foster/Adoptive parent recruitment?
No Yes
If yes, please describe. We have some changes planned but not implemented yet.
4. In the past year, since our earlier
survey, has there been any ASFA training for child welfare agency
personnel? If yes, go to question 4a. If no, go to question 4e.
Yes
a. What topics were covered in that ASFA training?
Adoptions, timeframes, reunification
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
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
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 providers
h. What topics were covered in the ASFA training?
Adoptions and home studies. We also have on going discussions
with the tribes around identifying permanent placements within the
15 of 22 month guideline. We have 230 tribes in Alaska and 55-60
% of the kids in care are native and that presents us with some
challenges and opportunities.
5. 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'
POOR
1
2
3
4
5
OUTSTANDING
a. Why did you give your system that rating?
Our current system is DOS based and is 20 years old. It is a database,
not a case management system so the information in it is not always
accurate.
b. If a rating of 1 or 2 is given, probe as to the status of
the SACWIS system.
We are going out to bid now for our SACWIS and expect it will be
‘live’ in 18 months.
6. 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
NOT IMPORTANT
1
2
3
4
5
CRUCIAL
Increased communication
NOT IMPORTANT
1
2
3
4
5
CRUCIAL
Resources to support staff
NOT IMPORTANT
1
2
3
4
5
CRUCIAL
ollaborative efforts with stakeholders
NOT IMPORTANT
1
2
3
4
5
CRUCIAL
Seeing ASFA as good casework practice
NOT IMPORTANT
1
2
3
4
5
CRUCIAL
anagement support
NOT IMPORTANT
1
2
3
4
5
CRUCIAL
Revising policy to support ASFA
NOT IMPORTANT
1
2
3
4
5
CRUCIAL
Monitoring implementation
NOT IMPORTANT
1
2
3
4
5
CRUCIAL
Other, please specify and rate:
NOT IMPORTANT
1
2
3
4
5
CRUCIAL
7. 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’)?
Lack of resources
Difficult relationship with courts (certain 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
8. (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
9. At which point in the Child and
Family Service Review process is your agency?
a.
Planning
Statewide assessment completed.
Review complete
Working to complete the activities described in the PIP
b. Are there any significant lessons you learned from the CFSR
process that you suggest we include in our curriculum? If so, please
describe.
10. Is there anything else that you
want to tell us regarding the best way to support staff as they
implement the requirements of ASFA?
The difficulty we face is a resource issue both internal and external
to the agency.
Do you mind if we call you again if we need additional information?
No
Yes
No
Yes