ASFA TRAINING PROJECT PHONE POLL OF CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES

Arkansas

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: The ten Area Managers were trained on ASFA and then led training for staff, juvenile justice and court personnel in their area---they know ASFA well.

b. Supervisors:

c. Workers:

Comments: All of the workers have attended ASFA training in their local area.

2. Based on your agency's experience to date, what skills do you think managers, supervisors and workers need to have to implement ASFA?

a. Managers?

• Flexibility
• Organizational skills
• Delegation skills
• Communication skills
• The ability to see an issue and then figure out how to resolve it
  
  

b. Supervisors?

• Knowledge of casework practice, policy and procedures
• Flexibility
• Organizational skills
• Delegation skills
• Communication
• The ability to see an issue and then figure out how to resolve it
  

c. Workers?

• Knowledge of casework practice, policy and procedures
• Communication skills
• The ability to assess a situation, collect data and information, interpret the data to see what it means, develop a case plan to resolve the identified problem(s) and communicate clearly with all involved parties.
  

3. As part of your ASFA implementation has your agency undertaken any activities in the following areas:

• Agency structure? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
  
• Internal communication? No Yes
  If yes, please describe
  We use e-mail a lot now to assure that information gets communicated widely, quickly and accurately. We also hold a series of face to face meetings, for example quarterly supervisors and managers meetings and monthly area managers meetings.
• Performance appraisals? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
• Job descriptions? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
  
• Staff recruitment? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
  

4. How do you handle staff training on ASFA?

a. Please describe the training.

We sent our ten area managers, certain central office staff and court administrative office personnel to training in Dallas sponsored by our Federal Regional office on the ASFA Final Rule. Then we developed standard curriculum around the ASFA requirements, which we used to train trainers from each geographic area, usually the area managers and representatives from the courts and juvenile justice system. Each training team then went back to its area to train all the supervisors and workers as well as personnel from the courts and juvenile justice system.

b. Who does the training?

We contract with the University of AR Little Rock for on-going training and they helped us put the initial ASFA training curriculum together.

c. Is the training just on ASFA or is it incorporated into other training that you provide?

Initially it was just on ASFA; now the ASFA requirements are being incorporated into the new worker and new supervisor training.

d. Have you done any training with or for the courts? No Yes
If yes, please describe.
Court personnel participated in the initial training in Dallas and in the train the trainer and area training sessions on ASFA. The courts have delivered their own ASFA training as well.

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'

a. Why did you give your system that rating?

We are constantly enhancing our SACWIS so that it supports ASFA. We are not fully there yet but we are consistently working to update and improve the system.

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

NA

6. What has worked best for you in terms of supporting staff as they implement the ASFA requirements?

Solid training to help them understand the 'why' of ASFA, not just the 'what'. Since we view ASFA as good casework practice, we stress that ASFA is about what we all want, which is the best for all of the children of Arkansas.

Showing appreciation for a job well done.

Trying for more manageable caseloads.

7. What do you view as barriers to your agency's support for staff as they implement the requirements of ASFA?

Heavy caseloads, which are growing and becoming more complex. Despite efforts by the department to decrease caseloads, the work and stress continue to increase because the children's needs are increasing.

Our high attrition rate. Its is getting more and more difficult for us to keep trained workers on staff; the younger people can make more money in less stressful jobs which don't require the extensive travel our jobs entail.

8. (For County based systems only.) To what extent does the fact that your state is county-based impact your ASFA implementation?
NA

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

ASFA is all about good casework.The focus should be on supporting good practice, not on ASFA.

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