FDC Portfolio Advisor's Training and Review - Redlands Christian ...

Family Development Credential Portfolio
Advisor’s Training and Review
For new and experienced portfolio
advisors.
Presented by Regina Wright, MHC, MS
(941) 809-3504
reginaw@rcma.org
Adapted from Cornell PowerPoint Presentation for use in the Florida FDC Program -- 2/15/2010

2010 RCMA FDC Portfolio Advisors’
Orientation and Training
Purpose:
• To orient new Family Development Credential
(FDC) portfolio advisors to their roles.
• To provide a refresher overview for current FDC
portfolio advisors.

Objectives of the FDC Portfolio Advisor’s
Training and Orientation
Present basic principles of family development.
Review the role of an advisor.
Instruction on completing required forms.
Instruction for supporting the student’s learning:
• Activities to Extend Learning
• Skills Practices
• Family Development Plan & follow-ups
Tips for Portfolio Advisors

Principles of Family
• Every person and family
has strengths.
• Every family has its own
values and knowledge of
its needs.
• Workers are effective
when they share power
with families.
• Families have a right to
set their own goals.
Development

The Curriculum
1. Family Development: A Sustainable Route to Healthy Self-
Reliance
2. Communicating with Skill and Heart
3. Taking good care of yourself
4. Diversity
5. Strengths-based Assessment
6. Helping Families Set and Reach Goals
7. Helping Families Access Specialized Services
8. Home Visiting
9. Facilitation Skills: Family Conferences,
Support Groups and Community Meetings
10. Collaboration

Student Requirements
• 90 hours of class
work.
• Field work.
• Statewide exam.
• Development of
portfolio.

The Portfolio
Each Chapter:
• 3 Activities to Extend
Learning from three
different sections.
• One Skill Practice
A Goal Plan
• A Family Development
Plan created in
partnership with a family.
• Two reviews of the
Family Development Plan.
• One reflection.

What is the role of a FDC portfolio advisor
The FDC Portfolio Advisor
offers support and
guidance to workers
preparing their FDC
portfolio .
The advisor also
supports students in
applying family
development skills to
real work with families.

How does a FDC Portfolio Advisor help
• Meets with the student for 45-60 minutes for each
chapter.
• Reviews three Activities to Extend Learning for each
chapter and provides VERBAL or written feedback.
• Assists with development and provides verbal and
WRITTEN feedback on a worker’s Skills Practice for
each chapter.

Requirements for Portfolio Advisors
• A B.A. is recommended but not required for
Florida FDC portfolio advisors.
• Demonstrate quality support to students.
• Register with Redlands Christian Migrant
Association.
• Participate in biannual support
meetings/conference calls.

FDC Portfolio Development Forms
• Statement of Confidentiality
• Activities to Extend Learning
and Skills Practice Plan
• Activities to Extend Learning
• Student Skill Practice
• Advisor’s Feedback
• Family Development Plan
• Family Development Plan
Reflection
• Portfolio Checklist
• Application to Receive FDC
Credential

Statement
Of
Confidentiality

Activity to
Extend
Learning
and
Skills
Practice
Plan

Sample
Activities and
Skill Practice
Plan

Advisor’s Role in assessing
Activities to Extend Learning
Read each chapter’s three Activities to Extend
Learning for completeness to ensure:
– The responses address each part of a question.
– Responses demonstrate learning about a strengthbased
approach.
– Responses show critical thinking and reflection.
* Written feedback on Activities to Extend Learning is
not required, however verbal feedback is expected.

Activity
To
Extend
Learning
Form

Sample
Activity
To
Extend
Learning

Advisor’s Role in development of
Skills Practices
Review the Skills Practice Plan with workers to
determine that:
– The Skills Practice demonstrates application of a
learning objective from the chapter.
– It is a pre-planned activity that has not been
previously done.
– It is doable with a balance of comfort and “stretch”
in demonstrating skills and concepts.
– Includes a reflection after completion that
demonstrates knowledge or understanding (vs. only
an account of the activity).

Advisor’s Role in development of Skills
Practices (continued)
For every Skills Practice, the portfolio advisor
provides written feedback that:
– Is addressed to the worker (not the reviewer, RCMA
or FGCU)
– Identifies a worker’s strengths that are observable
or implied from the practice
– Connects knowledge and understanding with
suggestions for future practice.
– Describes specific examples of learning instead of
generic strengths (i.e. “good job”).

Skill
Practice
Form

Sample
Skill
Practice

Advisor
Reflection
Form

Sample
Advisor
Reflection

Advisor’s Role in Assessing Family
Development Plans
Review the Family Development Plan (original
plan and the two follow-ups to ensure they
include:
– A major goal, measurable steps and timeframes to
reach it (goals may change from plan to plan)
– Strengths and concerns recorded by worker and the
family
– Additional services and resources (if available)
– An individual/family’s goal for healthier self-reliance.

Advisor’s Role in reviewing the
Reflection on One Family’s Progress
Using the Family Development Plan
It should:
• Briefly summarize the family development goal
and process.
• Provide evidence that the worker used family
development principles and practices.
• Describe what worked and what the worker
might do differently in the future.
• Reflect worker’s knowledge, learning and
insights about family development from the
process.

Also refer to these forms:
• FDC Portfolio Checklist
• Family Development Plan (English and/or
Spanish)
• Family Development Plan Follow-Up
• Reflection on One Family’s Progress on the
Family Development Plans
• Application to Receive the FDC Credential

General Portfolio Development
Guidelines
• Agency supervisors may not be FDC portfolio advisors
for workers they supervise directly.
• Portfolio advisors must participate in biannual RCMA-led
update conference calls.
• Portfolio advisors agree to be on RCMA email mailing list
to receive updates and to network with others
• FDC instructors, advisors and students may download
forms from the RCMA website (no password required for
forms).
• Please contact Regina Wright (reginaw@rcma.org) to
obtain password for overhead slides (instructors only).
– Please note: the slides are not the complete text book.

FDC Portfolio Submission
• Have worker make a copy of their portfolio (may
submit original or copy).
• Before submission, review all portfolios for
completeness and signatures.
• Portfolios should be sent (with tracking delivery)
to reviewer in a 10 x 13” manila envelope with
worker’s name and mailing address. (Instructor
has portfolio reviewer’s name and mailing
address).
• Missing submissions or signatures will be
returned for completion before final approval.

Tips for Portfolio Advisors
• Be open-minded.
• Ensure the student brings the text to your meetings.
• Support workers to do their best work.
• Ask students to provide additional information if
necessary.
• Establish a partnership with the worker.
• Establish a partnership with the instructor.
• Look for strengths and give positive feedback.
• Reflect on your own strengths as an advisor.
• Please call with questions.
• Enjoy yourself!

Benefits to Advisors
• An opportunity to practice strength-based
support.
• Development of components of
supervisory skills.
• Resume may reflect skills related to
educational and professional development
support.

Thank You!
Please contact me with questions, ideas,
feedback, or your interest in taking the
FDC Course or becoming an instructor.
Regina Wright, MHC, MS
FDC Training & Credentialing Coordinator
(941) 809-3504
reginaw@rcma.org
http://www.rcma.org/FL_Family_Dev.asp