ASFA TRAINING PROJECT
PHONE POLL OF CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES

Utah

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:
Would rate managers: 4.5

b. Supervisors:

Comments:
Would rate supervisors 3.5

c. Workers:

Comments:
Would rate workers 3.5

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?

• Negotiation skills
• Facilitation skills
  
  

b. Supervisors?

• Engagement skills to help them do concurrent planning
• Facilitation skills to smooth progress to permanency goal
  
  

c. Workers?

• Understand importance of permanency goal
• Facilitation skills
  

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.
  At state administrative level have blended out of home care, adoption and out of home services
  
  Ortiz' position was developed to insure that policies all match federal requirements
  
  In urban areas have converted to a neighborhood team configuration. Instead of agency personnel occupying a few large buildings, foster care and adoption teams have been relocated to smaller sites in the neighborhoods.
  
  Changed training for foster parents to reflect ASFA provisions.
  
  
• Internal communication? No Yes
  If yes, please describe
  A weekly update is sent out via e-mail that addresses policy and practice concerns. If necessary follow-up with training on some topics.
  
  Did video conferencing at 11 sites throughout the state so that all agency staff could receive the same training on ASFA at the same time.
  
  
• Performance appraisals? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
  Performance appraisals are linked to qualitative reviews. State developed its own process for qualitative review. A team reviews selected files, similar to federal reviews, and interviews the participants in the cases. Supervisors and caseworkers are rated on those reviews, including reviews for ASFA requirements.
  
• 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.

Training on ASFA was done in several ways:

• It was incorporated into training delivered via the management information system (SACWIS). Tracking for ASFA requirements was built into the system and delivered along with training on the SACWIS system.
• Training on facilitation skills and team building is part of the Practice Model Training.
• Supervisory training in requirements of qualitative review is part of the Family Group Conference.
  
  

b. Who does the training?

Several groups:

• Consulting group (Paul Vincent) developed Practive Model training
• Core training was developed by a group in Atlanta
• Agency personnel also did training.
  

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

Material concerning ASFA is now incorporated into core training that new caseworkers must complete before they take a case. The core training is part of the social work curriculum at state colleges and universities.

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

There is joint training once a year for agency and court personnel. Training is also delivered at an annual meeting of judges. There is also district training for court personnel and judges.

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?

Utah has a fully operational SACWIS system. It works well. The only complaint is that system sometimes runs slowly if phone lines and computer hook-ups are old, as they are in some parts of the state.

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

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

In 1994 the state passed legislation that contains more stringent requirements than ASFA does. As a result agency staff were well equipped to deal with ASFA requirements. The state legislation also provided funds for the Attorney General's office to help with meeting ASFA requirements. As a result court was able to hire more judges, attorney generals, and GALs. In addition, the agency was provided with attorneys to represent it in court which they didn't have before.

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

Some problems with courts related to getting information from judges and the assignment of delinquent children to the agency without the agency being in court at the time to make sure certain requirements are met.

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

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?

The process takes along time.

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