Ventura County

Safety Organized Practice Implementation Team Charter

May 2015

This Charter creates a clear and mutually agreeable definition of Ventura County’s Safety

Organized Practice (SOP) Implementation Team’s scope of work, as well as how the work will be

developed and applied. The Charter may be revised as better ways of functioning emerge. The

Charter will be reviewed quarterly or when major changes to the group’s structure or function

occur to assure their relevance and appropriateness to the work.

1. Creation. The SOP Implementation Team is a working team of the DMT or SOP Steering

Committee.

2. Purpose. The purpose of the Implementation Team is to serve as a focused, accountable

structure for assisting in the countywide implementation of Safety Organized Practice and

making recommendations that will increase the likelihood of consistent, successful,

implementation of the intervention. As possible, the Implementation Team will use principles

Department Management Team (DMT)

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Ventura County – SOP Implementation Team Charter – DRAFT

and frameworks based in implementation science to assess Safety Organized Practice and

inform DMT of recommendations. Examples of potential Specialized Practice Teams include:

Family Engagement, Family Strengthening and Case Planning teams.

3. Membership. Membership will be broad based so as to represent a cross section of

department programs related to the purpose of the Implementation Team. Current

membership includes:

4. Terms. Membership terms shall be for at least one year, beginning from the date of the SOP

Implementation Kick-off through full implementation of SOP.

5. Responsibilities By accepting appointment, Implementation Team members agree to:

Provide alignment, continuity, and coordination of Safety Organized Practice

implementation recommendations. The team will use implementation frameworks to

assess core implementation components, ensure integration and systems alignment,

and create sustainable practice-policy-practice feedback loops.

To provide input to DMT on critical implementation decisions. As part of a continuous

program improvement cycle, the Implementation Team will work collaboratively with

DMT to address implementation challenges and to make key implementation

County SOP Implementation “Design” Team -

•Pamela Grothe - Sr. Manager– Co-chair/Representative from DMT

•Angie Lopez - Child Welfare Sup - ER/Co-Chair

•Deby Cisneros - OA IV - Scribe

•Laura Magallanes - Program Manager - Ongoing/YSD

•Ellen Mastright - Program Manager - ER

•Ann Reyes - Program Manager - CQI

•Elizabeth Thasiah - Program Manager - RDS

•Jeannene Roberts - Admin Specialist

•Renee Lodder - Child Welfare Sup - Ongoing

•Kimberly Koerner - Child Welfare Sup - Central/TDM

•Robyn Licht - CWSW - ER

•Rosanna Salazar - CWSW - Court

•Leann Engeldrum - CWSW - Permanency

•Rachael Berry - CWSW - Central

•Lena Swift - Prog Asst - Support Staff rep

•Jeannette Maxwell-McGowan - FBCA Sup

•Haleh Hashemzadeh - Admin Specialist

•Donna Kuonen - Admin Specialist

•Amy Jaffee - Public Child Welfare Training Academy

•Lucia Hermens - Casey Family Programs

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Ventura County – SOP Implementation Team Charter – DRAFT

recommendations. While final decision rests with DMT, the Implementation Team

plays a critical role in filtering information to DMT, making preliminary

recommendations, and providing feedback on decisions.

To assist in the development of a communication plan to message the Safety

Organized Practice implementation. The Implementation Team will develop

recommendations on how to effectively communicate and market Safety Organized

Practice internally to staff and externally to system partners, stakeholders, youth and

families. Implementation Team members also play a key role in ongoing

communication activities and serve as “champions” of the implementation. They will

facilitate bi-directional communication and play a critical role in in bringing

information back to their programs and stake holders.

To ensure the inclusion of key system partners and stakeholders. The Implementation

Team will work with DMT to help develop and ensure that feedback loops are created

to allow key system partners (e.g. Courts, Parent Partners, VCBH, etc.) and

stakeholders to be informed and where appropriate, help inform, design

recommendations and decisions related to SOP implementation. In addition, where

possible, Implementation Team members will look for opportunities to include key

system partners and stakeholders on specialized practice teams or workgroups.

To give input on strategies that support successful implementation of Safety Organized

Practice. Team members will assist in recommending strategies for strengthening

each implementation driver. For example;

o Staff Selection - Development of competencies and job descriptions

o Training – Pre-service and in-service training requirements

o Coaching Protocols – Coaching service delivery plans

o Performance Assessment – Criteria measures to ensure successful and

sustained implementation

o Decision Support Data Systems – Recommended process and outcome data

elements to be collected

o Facilitative Administration – Policies and procedures to support Safety

Organized Practice

o Systems Intervention – Strategies for strengthening key partnerships

The Implementation Team will serve as “trouble shooters” along with DMT, and

project consultants on the “big picture” problems that occur in development and

execution of implementation plans. Implementation Team members also provide

oversight to assure successful Safety Organized Practice implementation.

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Ventura County – SOP Implementation Team Charter – DRAFT

6. Values and Ways of Work. The work of the Implementation Team is guided by the

Department Vision of Protecting Children by Strengthening Families in order to focus on the

tools needed to do our work differently using the lens of Safety Organized Practice.

The Implementation Team is encouraged by DMT to be proactive and participate in

every step of the implementation process.

The Implementation Team is intended to be a collaborative entity. Transparency is

valued and expected.

The Implementation Team values innovation and excellence.

The Implementation Team seeks to create outputs and decisions which are well

thought out and inclusive of internal staff and system partners/stakeholders.

Implementation Team members are expected to commit the time to review materials,

attend meetings, arriving prepared to discuss the topics at hand, and participate fully.

Implementation Team members are encouraged to be aware of the distraction the use

of cell phones and other electronic communications can pose during meetings and to

use technology prudently.

7. Meetings. The Implementation Team shall meet a minimum of one time each month, but

may meet more frequently based upon need. The regular monthly meetings will be scheduled

for two hours each. Implementation Team members are expected to attend the first meeting

each month in person. The second monthly meeting can be attended in person or via

conference call. In person, phone or web-based meetings may take place in between

regularly scheduled meetings. Extended workgroup meetings, using Lean 6 Sigma process

improvement tools, may also be utilized.

8. Attendance. Implementation Team members shall make a good faith effort to attend each

Implementation Team meeting. In the event that an Implementation Team member misses

two consecutive meetings, without prior notification or approval of the co-chairs, the DMT

Representative/Co-chair will speak with the Implementation Team member and if necessary

her supervisor to discuss their continued participation.

A member who is unable to attend in person may request the co-chairs to allow the member

to participate by conference call. However, committee members are strongly urged to

participate in person for a fully effective Implementation Team.

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Ventura County – SOP Implementation Team Charter – DRAFT

9. Decision Making, Consensus Building and Reporting. Formal recommendations of the

Implementation Team shall be decided by consensus. DMT has final decision-making

authority on Implementation Team recommendations; however authority on

recommendation determination rests with the Implementation Team.

10. Linked Communication Protocols with DMT and the Implementation Team. It is expected

that DMT and the Implementation Team will be accountable to each other through linked

communication protocols which facilitate bi-directional communication and sharing of

information among groups. Target dates will be set between DMT and the Implementation

team indicating by which time recommendations and reporting must be made in order for the

effort to move forward.

Linked communication protocols include:

The Implementation Team co-chairs will serve as liaisons with DMT and facilitate bi-

directional communication. The co-chairs will attend the first DMT meeting regularly

scheduled each month to provide status updates, give recommendations, present

decisions needing to be made by DMT and request resources and supports. This

information will be provided through both written and verbal reports.

When possible, DMT will provide immediate responses and feedback to the co-chairs

during the first DMT meeting each month. If an immediate response cannot be

provided, DMT will provide the co-chairs with a response within one week of the

meeting unless a different date is agreed upon. This information will be provided

through both written and verbal reports. The co-chairs will be responsible for

reporting back information from DMT to the Implementation Team at their next

meeting.

11. Minutes. Decision-making minutes shall be kept at every meeting of the Implementation

Team and distributed to its members for review prior to the next meeting.

12. Specialized Practice Teams or Workgroups. The Implementation Team may form such teams

or workgroups it believes necessary to complete its work. A specialized practice team or

workgroup should consist of select members of the Implementation Team and such other

persons who the co-chairpersons believe will assist in a full exploration of the issue under

review. Where possible the Implementation Team will identify key system partners and

stakeholders to participate on specialized practice teams or workgroups.

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Ventura County – SOP Implementation Team Charter – DRAFT

Specialized practice teams/workgroups should remain relatively small in size, generally not

exceeding 3-6 members.

Upon determination that a specialized practice team or workgroup is needed, the

Implementation Team will ensure that clear objectives and timeframes for completion of the

team/workgroups task(s) are identified and agreed upon. A lead person will be identified for

each team/workgroup. This person will ensure that the team/workgroup is moving forward

with completion of their task(s) within the indicated timeframe(s).

The Implementation Team co-chairs and lead person for the specialized practice team or

workgroup will be responsible for ensuring that bi-directional communication occurs between

the team/workgroup and the larger Implementation Team at each Implementation Team

meeting.

13. Effective Date. These guidelines will be presented to the Implementation Team on

May 11, 2015. The Implementation Team will have three weeks to review and make

recommendations regarding clarifications, additions or deletions to the guidelines. DMT will

consider and make final revisions to the Charter with the intention that these guidelines will

become effective on May 11, 2015.