Moving OCWTP Initiatives Forward

OCWTP staff held their annual planning retreat in September. The objectives of the retreat were to:

Specific initiatives discussed during the retreat include:

Linking Practice Training with SACWIS

The OCWTP is partnering with ODJFS SACWIS staff and county SACWIS super users to link OCWTP practice training (in this case, the CAPMIS Tool Kit) with the SACWIS system. The framework of the pilot includes:

• A CAPMIS Tool Kit session trained by an OCWTP trainer and a CAPMIS/SACWIS Learning Lab trained by a county SACWIS super user
• Integration of the ODJFS CAPMIS Field Guide and county-specific quality assurance issues

The intent of this project is to improve application of CAPMIS knowledge and skills, as well as quality of documentation in SACWIS, ultimately resulting in better decision-making on behalf of families and children. The OCWTP is working to create a seamless learning experience for county staff, and help send the message that "best practice" includes both applying OCWTP practice content on the job and fully using SACWIS.

Coaching

The OCWTP plans to build coaching into a series of training interventions in high priority areas that address all levels of learning. Coaching interventions have been successful because they allow individuals or small groups to develop or enhance identified skill sets from a strengths-based perspective in a safe learning environment. The OCWTP has prioritized coaching supervisors to maximize resources and enhance system-wide outcomes. The OCWTP would also like to further explore coaching for caregivers.

Supporting PCSAs as Learning Environments

There are a number of ways the OCWTP can support PCSAs as learning environments, including:

• Conducting Comprehensive Learning Assessments - a county-specific process to assess and meet learning needs, and promote transfer of learning strategies
• Building the OCWTP as a "learning community" by increasing our own knowledge and skills about how to help PCSAs be learning environments
• Increasing the resources and tools available on the OCWTP website, such as the new Priority Training Page which helps supervisors and staff identify learning opportunities by topic and by level of learning

Supporting Supervisors

The OCWTP can support supervisors beyond traditional classroom learning by:

• Offering a series of building block trainings on clinical supervision, based on the experience of the supervisor
• Providing opportunities for supervisors to network across the state and learn from each other
• Offering "just-in-time" resources to supervisors
• Helping supervisors use BIC and ROM (SACWIS reporting systems) to monitor and improve casework practice
• Promoting coaching for supervisors, and exploring the idea of an "orientation to supervision" coach
• Expanding the traditional definition of supervisor to include staff who have supervisory responsibility for caregivers, such as foster care licensing specialists 

Building Partnerships

The OCWTP will continue to grow its relationships with stakeholders and consumers. Targeted groups include:

• Partnership for Ohio Families' technical assistant teams. These ODJFS teams include SACWIS staff, Technical Assistance Specialists, and policy staff who provide assistance directly to counties.
• Youth in foster care and alumni of the foster care system. OCWTP continues to identify naturally occurring opportunities to use their expertise to improve our products and the delivery of our products.
• ODJFS Technical Assistance Specialists (TAS's). RTC staff will continue to participate with TAS's in county CPOE 9 reviews. In addition, RTC staff are interested in regular meetings with TAS's to exchange information and discuss trends in training needs.

 TRAINER TIPS

With Boomers retiring at the rate of one every ten minutes (nearly 64 million by the end of the decade) the workforce is shifting. Gen Y'ers, aka Millennials, are changing how things are done. Their influence is likely showing up in the training room, too.

Gen Y'ers have been described as having diverse cultural, economic, and geographic backgrounds, which means your training participants likely come from a different background than you and have had very different experiences from each other. As a result of the technology they have grown up with, they have the ability to rapidly sort through and digest information. This characteristic might allow you to move through material faster, but they are just as quick to tune-out if they can't see how your training material applies to them directly.  Gen Y'ers prefer experiential learning and interactive communication rather than lectures, and they enjoy working in groups. They are in constant communication with friends and family (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, texting) and expect regular feedback.

Keeping in mind these are stereotypes, here are some tips to adapt your training to meet their learning preferences:

• Assure content isn't based on assumptions of shared experience and give participants an opportunity to talk about their differences
• Point out the relevance of new concepts or skills early in the introduction and be specific 
• Provide ample time for group discussions, small group activities, simulations, etc.
• Incorporate games to trigger the multimedia sensory stimulation
• Keep your pace lively and divide your material into shorter segments with built-in review
• Acknowledge contributions and provide detailed feedback when participants share in a discussion or participate in an activity
• Consider offering your training as distance learning (Contact your RTC or an IHS staff person if you are interested in this option - we'd love to help you make this a reality) 

References

Meet Foster Care Alumni Trainer Amanda Dunlap 

Amanda is a licensed social worker with a bachelor's degree in Social  Work from The Ohio State University. She was adopted from the foster care system, and has actively advocated locally and nationally for systemic changes for over  five years. She enjoys sharing her experiences from foster care and adoption in training with staff and caregivers to influence change in child welfare practices.

We asked Amanda to share her ideas for foster care reform: 

What is one of your specific advocacy areas related to foster care?

"Something that I think is important to focus on is lifelong connections.  Youth need positive role models who can be in their life while in care and continue the relationship when they age out."

 Can you give some examples of why this area needs reform?

"Many youth today age out of the system without the resources they need to help them succeed. Vital to their success is a connection to someone after care they can trust and can go to for help. This is why it is critical for workers and caregivers to realize the importance of allowing youth the opportunity to make these connections while in care."

 
What about this issue do you want caseworkers/foster parents/adoptive parents to know?

 
"I want people to know that it can be hard for youth to age out and feel like they have no one or no support. While they are in your care they can start to build these relationships with the people around them. Naturally occuring opportunities to develop relationships present themselves at places like church or work, so it is important to give youth these experiences.   You never know who can turnout to be a lifelong connection - maybe a coach, employer, member of the church, or older sibling.

I had a supportive adult in my life who helped me out with applying to college. The process was long and scary and I was unsure of what to do. With the help of this person, I was able to get enrolled in college and find local scholarships to help me out financially. I owe so much to this person because without them I am not sure I would be where I am today."

Do you have any creative ideas regarding how this information might be shared in a workshop setting?

 
"Yes, through an activity.  The trainer could have trainees draw a picture/outline of three people they had a good relationship with during the ages of 14-19. Inside the picture of the bodies, have them list one important memory or lesson they shared with that person. Organize the participants in pairs, then, have them share their responses with one another. Each person then takes scissors and cuts one person out of their partner's picture and says 'unfortunately you were not given the opportunity to make a lifelong connection with that person and therefore did not get to learn that lesson or have that memory.' This is a very dramatic visual and reminder to trainees that these individuals can have a very big impact on a youth's life."

OCWTP Workshop Approval Process

How do you get a new learning (workshop) approved and entered into E-Track?

The steps:

• An RTC identifies a training need in their region and contacts you to develop a learning to meet that need.
• You develop content based on the information provided by the RTC.
• The RTC submits the proposed learning to the Trainer Development Work Team for review. IHS reviews it at this time for CEU credit as well.
• Work Team members submit questions/suggestions to the RTC, and the RTC brings the compiled list of questions/suggestions back to you.
• Based on the feedback, you and the RTC work together to make the revisions, then the RTC re-submits the revised learning to IHS.
• IHS verifies all Work Team questions were addressed and then enters the learning into E-Track.

During the review process, the Work Team is looking for: 

• A title that clearly indicates the learning topic
• A description of how you gained your expertise specific to the learning topic
• A brief description of the learning that will give potential participants a good understanding of what to expect
• A list of the competencies that are addressed with some depth in the learning
• Applicable categories and sub-categories from the Classification Table (These are used by participants to search for appropriate learnings)
• Information on how the learning directly relates to the audience (caseworkers, supervisors, caregivers, etc.)
• Transfer of learning activities that will help participants apply the information to their jobs/caregiver roles
• How the learning addresses diversity
• Learning objectives that describe what a participant will know and/or be able to do after the learning
• References from credible sources that are current or seminal works
• An agenda detailing the main themes and sub-points and containing descriptions of key terms, activities, discussion topics, etc. so reviewers have a solid, in-depth understanding of the content and methodology