Evaluation of the Improving Child Welfare Outcome through Systems of Care Grant Program - Parent Partner Interviews

Parent Partner Interview Protocol

Interview Guidelines:

• Briefly discuss the purpose of the interview: To gather information regarding their activities in their local SOC (use local name).

• Convey to each interview participant our confidentiality policy: 1) the interview is voluntary; 2) they can decline to answer any questions, or they can stop the interview at any time; 3) the information will be held in confidence; and 4) only evaluation staff will have access to the interview tape and interview data.

• Please remember to ask permission to tape record the interview. They can decline.

• Ask if they have any questions for you before you begin.

Background

1. Can you tell me about your [PARENT PARTNER] program?

a. How long has it been in place?

b. How many parent partners are there? Full time or part time?

c. How long have you been a [parent partner]?

d. Where are you located?

e. How are you funded? (who is your employer)

Role of Parent Partner

2. What are your day to day roles and responsibilities as a [PARENT PARTNER]?

Probe: Provide support? Information? Advocacy? Assistance with concrete needs (e.g. transportation, food)?

a. How are families referred to you? At what point in the life of their case (e.g., at time of initial court hearing)? Is there an attempt to match certain types of families with certain parent partners?

b. How many families are you working with right now? (what is the average number of families you work with at a given time)?

c. How long do you usually work with a family (number of weeks)? Range? Does your involvement automatically end with case closure?

d. How do you and the child welfare agency handle issues of confidentiality? Do parents sign a confidentiality waiver so that you have access to information? Any obstacles or difficulties posed by state/agency confidentiality policies?

e. How would you describe your knowledge of and connection to community resources?

f. Do you provide training to child welfare staff? Other? (including formal and informal training)

f. Have you attended [TERM FOR CHILD AND FAMILY TEAM] meetings with families that you work with? If so, how have those gone? Have you seen any changes over time in [TERM FOR CHILD AND FAMILY TEAM]s?

Probe: Do you see an individualized, strengths-based approach in team meetings? Cultural competence? Family member viewed as equal partner? Can you give an example?

3. What aspect of your job as a parent partner do you find most challenging? Most rewarding?

Organizational Environment

Structural Support

4. Did you receive training when you first started? Can you describe what was covered in that training (what topics)? How satisfied were you with the training provided to you in terms of it preparing you for working with families?

5. Who supervises you? Are you satisfied with the level of supervision and/or support you get from your supervisor?

6. How satisfied are you with the reimbursement you receive for your work as a Parent Partner?

Agency Climate

7. How do caseworkers view the Parent Partner Program? Has this changed over time?

Probe: As a threat or a resource? Examples?

8. How would you describe caseworkers’ views about the nature of their relationships with family members? Has this changed over time?

Probe: Families viewed as equal partners? Adversarial relationship? Operate from a strengths-based perspective? Culturally competent?

Overall Program Goals

9. What are the goals of the Parent Partner program?

a. Has the program changed since it first began? If so, what led to the change/s?

10. Is there a mechanism in place to track progress toward program goals?

11. From your perspective, is the Parent Partner program achieving expected outcomes? Examples?

12. What is required to successfully engage family members in case planning? What

is required to successfully engage youth in case planning?

13. Do you believe that families involved with [CHILD WELFARE AGENCY] are

engaged in their case planning? Why or why not?

a. Have you noticed any changes in the level of family involvement in case planning since you have been a parent partner/involved with SOC? If so what are the changes and what led to the changes?

Collaborative Partnership

14. Other than your role as Parent mentor/ family navigator, what is your involvement with [NAME OF SOC PROJECT]? Do you sit on collaborative committees? If so which ones? How often? (Obtain specifics as to whether the committees they sit on are at the governance level or other)

15. Would you say that the right organizations and right people are active and engaged in your SOC partnership? In your subcommittees?

a. Are family members adequately represented? To what degree, which family member populations, and in what roles?

b. Do family members have meaningful input into decisions made and activities undertaken?

c. Do family members participate in policy decisions?

d. Do family members participate in CFSR process?

General SOC Implementation

16. What activities has your SOC implemented in the past year and what are your current plans for SOC activities in the coming year regarding each of the SOC principles?

1. Interagency collaboration

2. Cultural competence

3. Family involvement

4. Community based resources and services

5. Individualized and strengths-based

6. Accountability

17. Are you familiar with the case planning protocols in the child welfare agency? (If NO, skip to next question)

If YES, can you describe the extent to which the following systems of care principles are addressed in case planning protocols:

• Interagency collaboration?

• Family involvement?

• Cultural competence?

• Individualized, strengths-based care?

• Community-based care?

1. Were any of these protocols developed through your SOC efforts?

2. What challenges remain in ensuring that case planning reflects these principles?

18. To what extent would you say that the service array that you have available to your target population is comprised of services that are:

• Culturally appropriate? (e.g., do staff speak relevant languages; are services provided in a way that are respectful of culture – including different family members based on culture)

• Individualized and strengths-based? (e.g., individuals are assessed and services are tailored to their needs; curricula and services identify family strengths and focus on them to overcome challenges)

• Community-based? (self-explanatory)

• Family-focused? (e.g., give family members input into how services are delivered)

19. What challenges exist in ensuring that the available services are consistent with each of these principles?

20. What needs of children and families are not being met? Are there key services that are lacking, and if so what are they?

21. What activities have you planned or implemented to sustain SOC efforts and activities once federal funding ends?

22. Finally, what would you say are the two greatest facilitators in your community to your [SOC NAME] efforts? The two greatest barriers?

Systems of Care Stakeholder Interview Protocol 5