Family Service Agency Research Articles

Strengthening Trauma-informed Therapeutic Practice Approaches in Out-of-home Care

This paper provides a snapshot of early work undertaken to develop a trauma-informed complex case management and therapeutic practice model for kinship and foster care within a family and community services agency. The approach taken has initially involved supporting case workers and carers and working towards organisational cultural change. The shift in focus described arose from a concern that stability and healing goals were not well supported within the existing programmatic framework and practice approaches. Purposeful integration of theory with practice has been central to the change process. There is a clear rationale that working from a strong evidence base can create better outcomes for children and young people in out-of-home care. The paper reflects on work in progress. Action taken to date has educated the workforce around trauma-informed responses, developed clear protocols and a set of practice tools. This has embedded a strong foundation for further development as resources become available.

Using the Best of Research and Practice to Create an Outcome Measurement Framework: A Family Service Agency's Experience

While social service providers and researchers alike continue to debate the value of evidence-based practice or practice-based evidence, a family service agency in Atlanta has used the best of research and practice to improve services for clients. This article outlines the agency's framework, which includes the following six components: (a) staff training and support, (b) incorporation of existing research and evidence-based practices, (c) logic model development and maintenance, (d) continuous quality improvement plans, (e) data collection methods and measurement instruments, and (f) monitoring and reporting. A program case study illustrates how this framework was implemented. Implications for practice and lessons learned about the framework implementation are also discussed.

Agencies’ Views on the Effects of the Council on Accreditation Process

While accreditation is widespread, the evidence of its effectiveness is still developing. This exploratory, multiple case study of five children and family service agencies aims to understand agency leaders’ and employees’ views on the effects of undergoing COA accreditation. COA affected processes, including quality improvement practices, policies and procedures, and communication among staff. COA spurred some structural changes, such as decreased caseloads and creation of new staff positions. Some employees were skeptical about accreditation, and the COA experience both increased and decreased morale. COA’s effect on client outcomes was not always prominent. Further research is needed to maximize accreditation’s potential.

Former Spouse Ties and Postdivorce Relationship Quality: Relationship Effort as a Mediator

ABSTRACT One potential problem area in remarriages is problems with or ties to an ex-spouse. This study focuses on identifying factors central to the relationship dynamics such as relationship satisfaction and stability. Additional emphasis is placed on specific and targeted work in a relationship with the goal of improving it, and its potential mediating effect on any negative relationship between ex-spouse ties and low relationship quality. Using secondary data from the RELATionship Evaluation Survey (RELATE), a sample of 1,546 individuals in postdivorce romantic relationships was examined. The results indicate that unresolved issues and negative interactions with an ex-spouse are negatively associated with relationship quality, but effort to mediate this negative association shows promise. Practice recommendations include exploring how family service agencies and clinicians can better serve couples in postdivorce relationships. Further, a focus on the repartnered family system and a recognition of its difference from other family system types (i.e., first marriage) are important for agencies, clinicians, and researchers interested in providing services to stepfamilies and family life after divorce.

Children and Family Service Agencies' Experience with the Initial Council on Accreditation Process: An Exploratory Study

Accreditation is widespread among human service agencies, yet it remains understudied. To build a strong evidence base, the accreditation experience needs to be understood from agencies' perspectives. This study focused on 5 child and family service agencies' experiences to explore the challenges, costs, and lessons learned from undergoing the accreditation process through the Council on Accreditation (COA). In-depth interviews, focus groups, document reviews, and limited observations reveal agencies' different approaches to delegating the work and variance in the length of the process according to COA's recommendations. While the self-study was the most demanding component, many employees described a positive site visit experience. Results highlight implications for agencies and COA. The policy context and need for further research are also discussed.

Placement decisions and disparities among Aboriginal children: Further analysis of the Canadian incidence study of reported child abuse and neglect part A: Comparisons of the 1998 and 2003 surveys

ObjectiveFluke et al. (2010) analyzed Canadian Incidence Study on Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS) data collected in 1998 to explore the influence of clinical and organizational characteristics on the decision to place Aboriginal children in an out-of-home placement at the conclusion of a child maltreatment investigation. This study explores this same question using CIS data collected in 2003 which included a larger sample of Aboriginal children and First Nations child and family service agencies. MethodsThe decision to place a child in an out-of-home placement was examined using data from the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2003 and a reanalysis of CIS-1998 data (Fluke et al., 2010). The CIS-2003 dataset includes information on nearly 12,000 child maltreatment investigations from the time of report to case disposition. The CIS-2003 also captures information on the characteristics of investigating workers and the child welfare organizations for which they work. Multi-level statistical models were developed to analyze the influence of clinical and organizational variables using MPlus software. MPlus allows the use of dichotomous outcome variables, which are more reflective of decision-making in child welfare and facilitates the specific case of the logistic link function for binary outcome variables under maximum likelihood estimation. ResultsFinal models revealed the proportion of investigations conducted by the child welfare agency involving Aboriginal children was a key single agency level predictor of the placement decision. Specifically, the higher the proportion of investigations of Aboriginal children, the more likely placement was to occur. Contrary to the findings in the first paper (Fluke et al., 2010), individual Aboriginal status also remained significant in the final model at the first level. ConclusionsFurther analysis needs to be conducted to further understand individual and organizational level variables that may influence decisions regarding placement of Aboriginal children. There is also a need for research that is sensitive to differences among, and between, Métis, First Nations and Inuit communities. Results are not generalizable to Québec because data from this province were excluded.

Aspirations of adult learners in Aboriginal family service agencies

There is a gap in the literature on the experiences of Aboriginal adults who have made the transition into education and employment after moving to an urban community. Staff of three Aboriginal inner-city family services agencies participated in an interview that included the question: What changes do you see in your employment and education? Forty-four participants made a total of 70 unique responses. Participants grouped the responses into nine concepts including: advancement in their work, formal education, gaining new skills, teaching others, learning more about themselves, professional development, work experience, helping the youth and working for their own community. Results are compared to the available literature and implications for future research are presented.

Education and employment opportunities among staff in Aboriginal family service agencies

The purpose of the study was to describe ways that successful culture-based Aboriginal preventive family service agencies offer employment and education opportunities for staff. Staff in three inner-city, culture-based Aboriginal family agencies were asked about their employment and educational opportunities. Forty-four individuals were asked the question: ‘what employment and education opportunities have you had while in this job?’ A total of 81 unique responses were received. Participants grouped the responses into eight themes including: planning for services, promotion within the agency, specific skill development, enhanced self-confidence, cultural awareness, teaching others, workshops as well as certified training. Differences between the experiences of study participants and the existing literature indicate that practices within culture-based Aboriginal family agencies are distinct in relation to funding, staff mobility, strengths-base, practical training and cultural knowledge, and that these should be understood and recognized formally in funding decisions and in future research.

Data Mining in Children and Family Services: The Contra Costa County Experience

Despite access to a comprehensive administrative database that would allow for timely data retrieval and utilization, regular use of data to inform service provision remained infrequent at one children and family services agency. To address this issue, a research and evaluation manager was hired to facilitate regular data use and evidence-informed service provision. This led to a shift in agency culture that moved from viewing data collection as a burden and threat, to now valuing data as a powerful tool for improving programs and outcomes for children and families. This case study presents the experiences of this agency, describing the process by which the research and evaluation manager was hired, how data are now used by the agency, significant changes resulting from the agency's new data use practices, and perspectives of the evaluator and staff on data use and changes in agency culture.

The Uses of Humour in Case Management with High-Risk Children and their Families

While humour is prevalent in social services, discussions of humour are rare in social work journals. The present article discusses the uses of humour among a team of service providers in a child and family service agency where the families are among the most high-risk in the county that the agency serves. We viewed humour as the amusement at incongruity, which appears to be its essential feature, and recognised that humour can foster effectiveness but also can be cruel (Morreall, 2010). The present research provides case examples of situations a team of service providers found amusing. We found that case managers use humour to regulate negative emotions, to express frustration that led to tension relief and then to creative problem solving, to diffuse anxiety and to express liking and admiration for service users. This article contributes to practice and policy by highlighting the potential advantages of humour in highstress service situations and by recommending that the use of humour be evaluated in terms of the ethical imperative of doing no harm.

Data Management System Selection in a Family Service Agency

This case study examines how a medium-sized, nonprofit family service agency in Atlanta, Ga., used social work knowledge and skills in the selection of a data management system. The problem-solving model was used as a practical and conceptual framework. Using a social work approach to system selection helped harness agency strengths and involved representatives from all levels of the system. Determining available vendor resources and relationships with other system purchasers, and defining the contract very clearly were all keys to success. In addition, the recognition that selection of a new data management system is an organizational change, a technical upheaval, and a major purchase that requires active senior management support were all important lessons.

Reforming child welfare

As the director of the District of Columbia?s Child and Family Services Agency, Olivia Golden led reform of a system in federal receivership. Now, in Reforming Child Welfare, she uses her expertise as an administrator, an academic, and an advocate to pinpoint the factors that lead to success. ?Writing from the inside,? she maintains, ?makes it possible to analyze, in retrospect, what we thought we were doing, what it felt like, and what led us to good or bad choices.? By sharing her personal story, along with her analysis of the research literature and two other case studies in Alabama and Utah, Golden finds fresh insight on improving outcomes for imperiled children and families.

Family Violence and Maternal Mortality in the South Asian Community: The Role of Obstetrical Care Providers

ObjectiveSouth Asian women face multiple barriers to accessing information and support if they are experiencing spousal abuse. We conducted a study among South Asian women in Surrey, British Columbia, to define a role for obstetrical care providers in assisting women who experience family violence. MethodsSouth Asian women survivors of abuse participated with representatives of family and victim services agencies in a workshop to identify key opportunities for violence prevention and intervention by obstetrical care providers. Participants grouped issues affecting women’s vulnerability to violence into four themes and identified strategies to address them. ResultsThemes focused on cultural issues, services and supports, education and prevention, and policy and advocacy. Participants highlighted challenges posed by the patriarchal nature of their culture and, for many families, by recent immigration. They emphasized the importance of routine assessment for family violence by obstetrical care providers and stressed the need to treat the entire family, not just the identified victim. They focused on the role of the caregiver as a conduit of information about social services and other resources. Community-level interventions to address abuse were endorsed, including the use of lay media to deliver key messages about health and safety. ConclusionPregnancy offers caregivers an opportunity to be advocates and to provide information and referrals for women in the South Asian community who may be at risk of violence. Obstetrical caregivers may be an important influence in protecting women from lethal harm.

Gender Dynamics and Role Adjustment During the Transition to Parenthood: Current Perspectives

This review of recent literature addresses the issues of marital change across the transition to parenthood, the process of redefining gender roles, the division of labor in the family, striving for equally shared parenting, and the struggle to maintain egalitarianism after the birth of a child. Furthermore, this article also provides practice-related implications for practitioners, an inclusive term that includes family life educators, couple and family counselors and therapists, social workers, family service agency personnel, home health aides, and others working with couples and families.

Evidence‐based intervention and services for high‐risk youth: a North American perspective on the challenges of integration for policy, practice and research

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the cross‐national challenges of integrating evidence‐based interventions into existing services for high‐resource‐using children and youth. Using several North American model programme exemplars that have demonstrated efficacy, the paper explores multiple challenges confronting policy‐makers, evaluation researchers and practitioners who seek to enhance outcomes for troubled children and youth and improve overall service effectiveness. The paper concludes with practical implications for youth and family professionals, researchers, service agencies and policy–makers, with particular emphasis on possibilities for cross‐national collaboration.

Examining the impact of parental risk on family functioning among homeless and housed families.

The present study used data from 132 families that were homeless and a comparison group of 434 housed families in order to compare family functioning across the two groups. Family functioning was assessed by family support workers when the families sought help from one of seven family service agencies in Washington, DC. Multiple regression models showed that there were few differences between homeless and housed families; a difference that did emerge showed that homeless families fared better than housed families in terms of children's developmental stimulation. However, when considering the compounding effects of additional family risk factors, adverse effects of homelessness were observed. As compared with housed families, homeless families with a history of parental mental illness had limited access to support networks and poorer interactions with their children. Poor financial and living conditions were observed among homeless families with histories of substance use. Policy implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Broadening the Array of Services: Integrating Legal and Social Work Services for Youth and Families

ABSTRACT The Community Justice and Legal Assistance Clinic (CJLA) is a unique community-based legal clinic developed through a partnership between a law school and a child and family service agency embedded within a low-income community. This article describes the development of this clinic through a community assessment process; its unique multidisciplinary features; the services provided to clients in three of the agency's service areas; the benefits of the partnership for clients, the social service agency, the participating law students, and the law school; and lessons learned for replication of this type of clinic in other communities.

What Is Mental Retardation? Ideas for an Evolving Disability in the 21st Centuryedited by Harvey N. Switzky and Stephen Greenspan; Washington, D.C., American Association on Mental Retardation, 2006, 358 pages, $59.95

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Book ReviewFull AccessWhat Is Mental Retardation? Ideas for an Evolving Disability in the 21st CenturyLee Combrinck-Graham M.D.Lee Combrinck-Graham M.D.Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:1 Nov 2007https://doi.org/10.1176/ps.2007.58.11.1506AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail This book is both an elaboration of and debate about the 2002 update of the criteria for "diagnosing" mental retardation published by the American Association on Mental Retardation. Facing 358 pages of arguments, explanations, historical review, and references on the subject is truly daunting but fascinating, both because of the passion and erudition of the contributors and because naming and diagnosing are at the heart of how we work throughout the health and mental health fields.The condition now referred to as mental retardation has been called idiocy, feeblemindedness, and mental deficiency. In fact the previous name of the American Association on Mental Retardation used to be the American Association on Mental Deficiency. And the name, itself, is still in evolution: the term "intellectual disabilities" has recently come into common usage among professionals.The 1992 update of criteria claimed "a new paradigm," a focus on the adaptation of the individual in society rather than on "absolute" measures, such as IQ. The essence of changes in definition in the most recent publications is the increasing focus on functionality and service needs and decreasing reliance on IQ test measurements as determining the diagnosis. Some of the authors disdain this relativism as ignoring science and ultimately degrading the definition.As the many polemics in the book elucidate in one way or another, there is a significant tension between a definition that provides a platform for research—based on measurable parameters—and a definition that supports the individual's qualifications for services. An example that has always been frustrating for those of us who work in schools is that a child whose IQ is above 75 does not qualify for special education services, unless the child is identified as having a specific learning disability. If there were a proper classification for "mental retardation" with appropriate educational interventions associated with it, then such children might receive a more effective and relevant education.David Coulter, in his chapter on neighbors and friends, states, "Families are looking for help so that their child can become a valued, productive, and responsible member of the community." A definition that focuses on the interaction between the individual and society as the object of assessment and intervention seems most appropriate for furthering this objective. At the end of his chapter, Coulter describes a dream trip through his community populated with individuals with intellectual disability working along with others as students, teammates, waitresses, condominium owners, and even representatives in local government.DSM-III introduced five axes for diagnosis to identify general medical and psychosocial factors in psychiatric functioning, as well as to try to distinguish state and trait. A major problem in practice has been the emphasis on axis I and sometimes on axis II and a relative failure to use the information from axes III, IV, and V significantly in treatment planning. As for research, axes IV and V seem to be problematic. This has led to procrustean distortions of axis I diagnostic categories, forcing developmental, historical, and traumatic outcomes into disease states. The 2002 American Association on Mental Retardation classification is nowhere near perfect. But as this book illustrates, the effort to get minds around these challenges is heroic.Dr. Combrinck-Graham is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who consults for Family Service Agencies, Fairfield County, Connecticut, and is associate clinical professor at the Yale Child Study Center, New Haven. FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited ByNone Volume 58Issue 11 November, 2007Pages 1506-1507PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES November 2007 Volume 58 Number 11 Metrics PDF download History Published online 1 November 2007 Published in print 1 November 2007

Nutrition, food security, and obesity

In “Nutrition, Food Security, and Obesity,” Harold S. Beebout, a senior fellow at Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., and chief information officer at the Child and Family Services Agency, District of Columbia, reviews what is known about nutrition, food security, and obesity. He relies on the following data sources: the Continuing Survey of Food Intake for Individuals (CSFII), the CPS, the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES), and state administrative data reported to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Beebout first examines the forces behind the dramatic decline in food stamp rolls, which dropped by 9.1 million (35 percent) between August 1995 and July 2000. He describes how the welfare reform law (PRWORA) restricted eligibility, particularly for able-bodied adults who have no children and who work less than twenty hours per week. He adds that many legal immigrants were disqualified under the legislation as well. But, he notes, these changes explain only about 20 percent of the food stamp decline. Most of the decline occurred among households with children, many of which still appear to be eligible for benefits.

Effects of early and later family violence on children's behavior problems and depression: A longitudinal, multi-informant perspective

Objectives To examine the effects of different forms of family violence at two developmental stages by assessing a sample of 110 Israeli children, drawn from the case files of Israeli family service agencies, studied longitudinally in both middle childhood and adolescence. Methods Information about the children's adjustment was obtained from parents, teachers, and the children themselves when the children averaged 10.6 and 15.9 years of age using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Teacher Report Form (TRF), Youth Self-Report (YSR), and Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). Information about the history of family violence was obtained from the mothers, fathers, children, and social workers. Results The results paint a mixed picture of the effects of family violence on children and adolescents. The relationship between concurrent behavior problems and abuse group varied by informant and study phase, although they were strongest when children were the informants. Predictions regarding the relationship between early abuse and later adjustment were only partially confirmed. Different informants did not agree about which groups of children were most adversely affected, there was little stability over time in the pattern of reported effects, and children were more likely than other informants to report levels of maladjustment that varied depending on recent or concurrent exposure to family violence. Many families changed their abuse status over time, and children who were new victims at follow-up had the most internalizing problems. Girls were found to be at more risk for internalizing and externalizing behavior problems than boys. Conclusions Multiple informants are necessary to evaluate and assess the effects of family violence on children's behavior. Younger children may be more susceptible to the effects of family violence than older children, but problems manifest by some children may not carry over to adolescence. Changes in family and parenting practices, as well as in children's capacity to appraise and cope with family violence may help mitigate the adverse effects of family violence.