English - Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies

More documents

Recommendations

Info

$Marie Collins \$

The focus group participants made the following suggestions to improve the service planning process: > > Develop service plans with the mother and father, whenever possible > > The parent needs to know that s/he does not have to sign the service plan and needs to understand the implications of not signing it > > Be realistic about the demands being placed on the family > > Once a service plan has been developed, ensure that the parents have the appropriate resources and services to carry out the plan. They may require referrals and in some cases specific supports (e.g. transportation and childcare to attend appointments). > > Follow up with the service providers that have been recommended. Are they culturally appropriate and respectful > > In addition to a paper copy, the expectations in the service plan need to be clearly explained in a conversation > > Visit families more regularly to check in and see how they are doing. When visiting, credit the family for what they are doing well. BUILD TRUST Most parents want their children to be well supported, even when they as parents are not at their best. Service users and child welfare professionals have common interests in the safety and well-being of the children, which is a good starting point for building trust in the relationship. Some practice suggestions from focus group participants included: > > Declaration of a conflict of interest if the child welfare professional is related to the family or has a connection with the family within the community > > If the situation is tense and the family is distrustful, bring a third party when entering the family’s home (e.g. clan mother, community advocate, community member, etc.) > > Limit the use of social media (e.g. Facebook, Google) as it can make family members feel like they are being watched 110 > > Explain the results of the safety, risk and parenting capacity assessments to the family in a respectful way. Engage the family in a conversation, rather than simply handing down a judgment.
USE OPEN COMMUNICATION The greater the engagement of the family as a partner, the greater the likelihood that the family will view child welfare as a helper towards positive change. Focus group participants felt that the current way that CAS communicates is to withhold information and shows disrespect. USE QUESTIONS THAT SHOW RESPECT In order to perform an accurate assessment and build a positive relationship, the child welfare professional will need to ask questions of the family. To promote respect, structure questions in a way that builds on the family’s history, culture and background, recognizing the family as the experts in their life. If the family’s answers are not clear, ask deeper questions. A family that is knowledgeable about their culture, for example, could be asked: > > What is important to you as you raise this child What do you want to ensure is part of her upbringing > > In your community, what did the community do when a parent was not meeting his/her responsibilities When answers are not clear, ask deeper questions. Be prepared to answer the family’s questions. USE INTERVENTIONS THAT PROMOTE THE CIRCLE Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes are interventions that include family members, community representatives, Elders and other service providers to strengthen the circle of care for the family and child. ADR processes can be adapted to fit the needs of the family and include more service providers in the circle. Talking and Healing Circles are powerful tools that child welfare professionals can use to engage families and communities. Circles help to equalize the power between child welfare professionals and family members, and reinforces that child welfare, parents and community members are partners in making the family stronger. Using talking circles and asking questions that are solution-focused and meant to help strengthen families creates more opportunities for positive change in a family. CLOSE THE FILE EXPEDITIOUSLY Some participants expressed concern that child welfare took too long to close files for some families. Women who had been in an abusive relationship felt that many assumptions were made about them, including that they would let their children be exposed to violence again. While focus group participants recognized that child welfare must focus on the child and mother’s safety, they also felt that mothers were not engaged to help create their own safety responses for herself and her children. 111
Page 1:
WORKING WITH FIRST NATIONS, INUIT A
Page 4 and 5:
SUPPORTING ABORIGINAL FAMILIES Than
Page 6 and 7:
THE STEERING COMMITTEE Native Child
Page 8 and 9:
8 4 > STRENGTHENING YOUR PRACTICE /
Page 10 and 11:
Child welfare professionals have a
Page 12 and 13:
4. To successfully protect First Na
Page 14 and 15:
A range of violent behaviour can oc
Page 16 and 17:
“The term ‘Aboriginal’ is off
Page 18 and 19:
The Practice Guide is an invitation
Page 20 and 21:
Clan family: This structure is base
Page 22 and 23:
Family violence (witnessing and bei
Page 24 and 25:
could live on the land and in the c
Page 26 and 27:
The historical trauma of Aboriginal
Page 28 and 29:
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN Adapted from
Page 30 and 31:
FAMILY VIOLENCE Family violence in
Page 32 and 33:
General characteristics of lateral
Page 34 and 35:
G. ATTACHMENT Culture has commonly
Page 36 and 37:
In Indian country, we should probab
Page 38 and 39:
Customary Care: Customary Care reco
Page 40 and 41:
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corpora
Page 43 and 44:
2 > FIRST NATION, INUIT AND MÉTIS
Page 45 and 46:
First Nations people living outside
Page 47 and 48:
First Nations, Métis and Inuit peo
Page 49 and 50:
and meeting obligations to medicine
Page 51 and 52:
C. THE INUIT In 2006, there were 2,
Page 53 and 54:
population relates primarily to the
Page 55 and 56:
Individuals or their children were
Page 57 and 58:
status as a result of marrying non-
Page 59 and 60: MILLENNIUM SCOOP In her report, Pro
Page 61 and 62: G. ABORIGINAL FAMILIES AND CHILD WE
Page 63 and 64: . . . if we go back to the origi
Page 65 and 66: Effectiveness of Healing Activities
Page 67 and 68: 3 > UNDERSTANDING CHILD WELFARE AND
Page 69 and 70: and linguistic development, is a de
Page 71 and 72: The Medicine Wheel is an ancient sy
Page 73 and 74: Life Cycle Wheel training and teach
Page 75 and 76: 1. Piliriqatigiinngniq — worki
Page 77 and 78: Traditionally, it was the women who
Page 79 and 80: The OACAS Practice Guide, Critical
Page 81 and 82: THE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK TO END VIOL
Page 83 and 84: 2. In order for development to occu
Page 85 and 86: Circles and involves the community
Page 87 and 88: A key tool that is often used to he
Page 89: Four Worlds International Institute
Page 92 and 93: A. HOW ABORIGINAL FAMILIES DESCRIBE
Page 94 and 95: Indigenous knowledge, including how
Page 96 and 97: “I felt judged by the workers. I
Page 98 and 99: The focus group participants gave t
Page 100 and 101: “When a CAS protection worker cam
Page 102 and 103: Offer as many interventions as poss
Page 104 and 105: The model below shows elements invo
Page 106 and 107: F. PRACTICE: ENGAGE OTHERS TO SUPPO
Page 108 and 109: What are the strengths of this fami
Page 112 and 113: “CAS was called in because the fa
Page 114 and 115: 3. Focus group participants express
Page 116 and 117: Some of the training provided to re
Page 118 and 119: SOURCES Ajunnginiq Centre, National
Page 120 and 121: A. WHAT DOES “ABORIGINAL COMMUNIT
Page 122 and 123: Organizational change within CAS in
Page 124 and 125: ESTABLISH A COMMITTEE OF CHILD WELF
Page 126 and 127: “Our organization has agreements
Page 128 and 129: AHWS Healing Continuum Aboriginal H
Page 130 and 131: SOURCES Aboriginal Healing and Well
Page 132 and 133: A. WHAT DOES ADVOCACY MEAN Child we
Page 134 and 135: community initiatives, conducted re
Page 136 and 137: To download a copy of Children Firs
Page 138 and 139: 3. What interventions are offered t
Page 140 and 141: and ongoing needs with the resource
Page 142 and 143: A. A PROCESS OF RECONCILIATION In 1
Page 144 and 145: S O U R C E S Blackstock, C., Cross
Page 146 and 147: ONTARIO ABORIGINAL ORGANIZATIONS Ch
Page 148 and 149: APPENDIX A GLOSSARY Unless specific
Page 150 and 151: emaining within Canada. All 10 prem
Page 152 and 153: APPENDIX B SAFETY PLANNING FOR WOME
Page 154 and 155: APPENDIX C SAFETY PLANNING FOR THE
Page 156 and 157: flag situations arise from rigid ex
Page 158 and 159: REFERENCES 2-Sprited People of the
Page 160 and 161:
Castellano, M.B., Archibald, L., &
Page 162 and 163:
Hudson, P. & McKenzie, B. (2003). E
Page 164 and 165:
Ontario Association of Children’s
Page 166:
Teillet, J. (2010). Métis law in C
show all

English - Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?