ASFA TRAINING PROJECT PHONE POLL OF CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES

Ilinois

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: Managers understand the requirements of ASFA well.

b. Supervisors:

Comments: Like Managers, supervisors understand the requirements of ASFA well.

c. Workers:

Comments: We have a very high turnover rate and a young staff of workers so that may limit their understanding of the requirements of ASFA and how ASFA effects their day to day work.

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

Note: In IL, you can give a child an independent living goal at the age of 12. This has created a mindset that makes it difficult for workers to think of older kids, disabled kids and large sibling groups as adoptable. The agency is working to change this law and the mindset

a. Managers?

• How to find foster homes for older children, disabled children and large sibling groups.
• Reunification skills.
  

b. Supervisors?

• Same as managers
  

c. Workers?

• Same as managers and supervisors

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.
  We had a law the predated ASFA by about a year that allowed us to make certain structural changes such as moving Family Workers into the Protection Unit so that now investigation and supporting services are together in one unit. Also, we implemented Performance Contracting for all foster care contracts.
  
• Internal communication? No Yes
  If yes, please describe
  As part of the on going administrative process, we send out management reports to the regions that contain data on performance at the case level and progress toward outcomes. These reports are issued monthly.
  
• Performance appraisals? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
  
• Job descriptions? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
  Not on the individual worker level.
  
• Staff recruitment? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
  

4. How do you handle staff training on ASFA?

a. Please describe the training.

When our pre-ASFA law passed, we went all over the state to train staff on its requirements. We also did training for our providers. When ASFA passed, we trained staff on the 15 out of 22 requirements, which is the only major difference between our law and ASFA.

b. Who does the training?

The DCFS Training Division directly and through contracts with universities.

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

Incorporated.

d. Have you done any training with or for the courts? No Yes
If yes, please describe.

Individual counties have done training for the local courts. Several judges have also done peer to peer training on ASFA.

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?

Our SACWIS system is not implemented yet so the system we have seems somewhat inadequate. It can issue some key reports, such as the management reports on outcomes, but there are some issues with underreporting.

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

N/A

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

Performance Contracting. 80% of our services are delivered through contracts with providers so it is critical that we have with our providers a common understanding that permanency is important, that permanency is a viable goal, that they will get the resources they need and that they are expected to perform as agreed upon.

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

Staff turnover

Not having a SACWIS. We are doing a lot of work manually at the agencies and our providers have no access at all.

Mindset on limitations on permanency planning for older teens.

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?

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