Family Team MeetingsFamily Team Meetings

Andy Kogerma

Family Connection Partnership

Family Meetings: ModelsFamily Meetings: Models

• Family Group Conference (New Zealand)

• Family Unity Meeting (Oregon)

• Family Decision Meeting

• Team Decision Meeting (Family to Family)

• Family Team Conference (1st Placement/Best Placement)

• Family Team Meeting (CPPC)

CPPCCPPC

• Community Partnerships for Protecting Children

• Initiative begun in 1995 by Clark

• Four National sites

• Georgia began implementation in 2002

CPPC: PhilosophyCPPC: Philosophy

• Based on the idea that people and places in neighborhoods are primary resources for families in crisis

• Formal and informal resources need to work together

• Protecting children is everyone’s business

CPPC: Broad GoalsCPPC: Broad Goals

• Change the CPS response to families, moving away from a “one size fits all”response

• Develop and expand neighborhood-based resources to help families keep children safe and ensure support before problems become crises

• Involve broad spectrum of community services

CPPC: Core BeliefsCPPC: Core Beliefs

• Child Focused: every child is valued

• Family focused: respect for families’ capacity/skill in caring for their children

• Results Accountability (define results, design/implement results-based strategies for implementation, evaluate results)

• Outcomes based: “What difference are we making?”

Core Beliefs (cont)Core Beliefs (cont)

• Strengths Based: “What is right with this family?”

• Shared Leadership:Promotes the involvement of all parties

• Cultural Differences Valued/Respected

CPPC in GeorgiaCPPC in Georgia

• DFCS Sponsored initiative

• Family Connection Partnership a primary partner

• Other Partners include:Prevent Child Abuse Georgia, UGA-CVIOG, Casey

• Operates through the leadership of local FC Collaboratives with local DFCS assuming key leadership role

CPPC in GeorgiaCPPC in Georgia

• Nine counties selected for participation: Brantley, Catoosa, Clarke, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, Jenkins, Muscogee and Peach

• Each county receives seed money and one assigned DFCS CPPC position

• Each county must implement four key strategies . . .

CPPC: Four Key StrategiesCPPC: Four Key Strategies

#1: CPS Policy/Practice Change#2: Use of Family Team

Meetings/Individualized Courses of Action (“FTM’s”, “ICA’s”) to facilitate change

#3: Develop Network of Community Supports and Resources for families in need

#4: Shared decision making between all parties

Strategy #1: Strategy #1: Individualized Courses of Individualized Courses of

ActionActionDevelop family centered, Individualized Courses of Action (“ICA’s”) for vulnerable families/children

Use strengths-based Family Team Meetings (FTMs”) to generate plan for change

Values Informal support (neighborhood, family)

Involves DFCS/Community agencies

Family Team Meetings Family Team Meetings

• Core Strategy of CPPC

• Involves meeting of family members, facilitators, family support, service providers . . .

• Purpose: to help family identify strengths/needs and generate a plan for change

Family Team MeetingFamily Team Meeting

• Based on core conditions of respect, empathy, genuineness

• Uses active listening skills

• Strengths based: “What is right with this family?”

• Is solution focused

Family Team Meeting: Family Team Meeting: PreparationPreparation

• Must hold face to face preparation interview with family

• May interview others by phone

• Describes purpose of FTM, stages of FTM, what to expect

• Family identifies who they want to attend

• Identifies any potential sources of conflict

• Crucial to successful meeting

Family Team Meeting:StepsFamily Team Meeting:Steps

• Welcome and Introductions

• Purpose

• Outcomes

• Non-negotiables/confidentiality

• Ground Rules

• Family Story

• Strengths to Achieve Outcomes

FTM: Steps (cont)FTM: Steps (cont)

• Identification of Individual and Family Needs

• Brainstorm How to Meet Needs

• Develop Agreement for Plan (who will do what, when, where, etc)

• Assessing what can go wrong

• Next Steps and Closing

CPS and CPPC in GeorgiaCPS and CPPC in Georgia

• Implementing CPPC means changes to CPS policy/practice in nine counties

• In-depth Family Assessment replaces Strengths/Needs Assessment

• Family Team Meeting basis for case planning

• Case Plan written during FTM: “with, not for, families”

• 6 Month time frame for case plan

““Dual Track Response”Dual Track Response”

• Community• Prevention based• Low-risk/self-

identified families• “Hub” conducts

FTM/facilitators may be community members

• Generates Family Support Plan

• DFCS• Intervention Based• Moderate-high risk

families identified through DFCS

• Uses intensive family assessment and FTM

• Conducted by DFCS• Generates 6 month

case plan