ASFA TRAINING PROJECT PHONE POLL 2002

Minnesota

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: Minnesota is a county administered state. The rating that Ms. Renstrom gave was for state employees, not county employees.

b. Supervisors:

Comments:

c. Workers:

Comments:

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

Understand Requirements of ASFA

Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements

Using data effectively

b. Supervisors?

Case work skills:

Communication Skills:

Collaborative Skills:

Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements

Using data effectively

c. Workers?

Case work skills:

Collaborative skills

Communication Skills:

Understanding how to implement ASFA requirements

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.

Staff recruitment? No Yes
If yes, please describe.
No specific recruitment activity has been undertaken; however, since ASFA more emphasis placed on hiring people with skills important in ASFA implemention.

Case Review? No Yes
If yes, please describe.
Working on an external review process. Improve tracking of permanency hearings.

Foster/Adoptive parent recruitment? No Yes
If yes, please describe.
Restructured statewide recruitment efforts to be based more on community collaboration.

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?

Legal issues, change in 4-E

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?

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?

The training was a Court Improvement project. It focused on training for 10 key judges. Topics included court practices, scheduling, emphasis on one judge-one case, child development issues, permanency

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?

*There has been collaboration with mental health providers around time frames and compelling reasons, not really formal training.
**There is an on-going advisory council made up of tribal representatives who work on ASFA and NICWA issues; not really formal training sessions.

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?

Using a SACWIS system that has been operational since 1999. It still needs improvement. It focuses on county data, doesn't measure federal timeframes or permanency timelines as well.

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

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

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:

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 (diverse)
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.
Coordinate what you are doing with the Review. The Review process pushes change.

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?

NO

Do you mind if we call you again if we need additional information?
No
Yes

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