Strengths-based group supervision: Restoring child and adolescent-centered social work team meetings

Child mental health social workers are inundated on a daily basis with complex family dynamics. Burn-out and cynicism towards change become frequent. Strengths-based group supervision is a client-based alternative to the “team meeting as usual” approach and combats some of the challenges workers often experience. Strengths-based group supervision is based on The Strengths Model, a case management model with four distinct components. The Model has been implemented in adult mental health settings and recently has been adapted for work with youth with mental illness. This paper describes strengths-based group supervision and discusses it’s applicability to different child serving systems

Strengths Model for Youth: Moving toward a Client-Centered, Strengths-based Model of Case Management in Community Mental Health

Approximately 13 to 20% of U.S. children and adolescents experience a mental disorder in a given year (Perou et al., 2013), with only half of these youth receiving mental health care (Kataoka, Zhang, & Wells, 2002; Merikangas, Nakamura, & Kessler, 2009). Even when children do access mental health services, approximate- ly 40% to 60% discontinue before completing their treatment (Baruch, Vrouva, & Fearon, 2009; Hoste, Zaitsoff, Hewell & le Grange, 2007; Miller, Southam-Gerow & Allin, 2008; Oruche, Downs, Holloway, Draucker & Aalsma, 2014). These statistics highlight the critical need for identification and implementation of effective child and family interventions for the mental health service system. Case management is a widely offered service within the children’s mental health system, but there is a scarcity of literature and research on models of case management and their effec- tiveness. This chapter introduces one model of case management, Strengths Model for Youth, and summarizes the current evidence on its effectiveness

Engaging rural residents in patient-centered health care research

Patient engagement is increasingly recognized as a critical component in improving health care. Yet, there remains a gap in our understanding of the intricacies of rural patient engagement in health-related research. This article describes the process of engaging rural patients, caregivers and broader stakeholders to actively participate in an exploratory effort to understand rural perspectives around the patient-centered medical home model. Highlights of the project’s engagement activities demonstrate how giving voice to rural residents can have a significant impact. Lessons learned point to the importance of six factors for successful engagement of rural residents as partners in health care research: building relationships, defining expectations, establishing communication guidelines, developing shared understanding, facilitating dialogue, and valuing contributions

Practitioner’s Guidebook: Best Practices in Assessment for the Kansas Serious Emotional Disturbance Waiver

The Kansas Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) Waiver Best Practices Guide for Assessment was developed to share best practices in assessment for Kansas children and families. Additionally, this guide was developed to support community mental health centers (CMHCs) in conducting accurate and equitable SED Waiver eligibility processes. CMHCs can supplement their initial staff CAFAS training and CAFAS booster training with this guide, as it accounts for specific challenges or concerns that are unique to Kansas and Kansas’ SED Waiver eligibility process. The Guide is organized as follows: • Brief introduction to the CAFAS and PECFAS; • Developer identified CAFAS/PECFAS administration guidelines; • Summary of the common challenges observed regarding the CAFAS administration in Kansas and accompanying best practice recommendations; and • General best practices for conducting child and family assessments in mental health contexts. This guide closes with an example case vignette and decision flow charts for some of the CAFAS domains

Quick Reference: Print-Friendly Best Practices and User Flowcharts for Kansas Serious Emotional Disturbance Waiver

Purpose: This Quick Reference Guide was developed to provide clinicians with easy-to-access recommendations and decision guides for common challenges in CAFAS/PECFAS assessment. The first section of the guide summarizes common challenges in overall CAFAS administration, and the second section reviews common challenges within each domain. Both sections include recommended assessment practices for addressing each challenge. The Guide concludes with quick reference decision flow charts for two CAFAS domains, which clinicians often find most challenging or confusing to complete, the Self-harmful Behavior domain and the Thinking domain

“I Ran to Make a Point”: Predicting and Preventing Youth Runaway from Foster Care

Youth who run away from foster care experience danger to health and safety and increased risk of adverse child welfare outcomes. By applying a concurrent mixed-methods approach, this study aimed to develop a deeper understanding of runaway risk that used a person-centered lens and amplified youth voices. Collectively, this approach can inform service innovations to support youth placed in out-of-home care. Working with a foster care agency in Kansas, data sources comprised administrative data for youth ages 12 + in care, and interview data with 20 youth, 12 + in care. Quantitative analyses involved latent class analysis followed by multinomial logistic regression to investigate whether the population of youth in care was comprised of subpopulations with differential runaway risk and whether subpopulations would predict runaway behaviors. Qualitative analyses applied modified analytic inductive thematic analysis to explore critical life experiences that may act as risk or protective factors of running away from care. Results revealed four sub-populations which were characterized by their previous family and system experiences. Additionally, class membership, gender, number of siblings, and age were statistically significant predictors of runway behaviors. Youth interviews revealed five key themes on life experiences that mitigate or exacerbate youths’ runaway behaviors. Recommendations resulting from this study were provided in three key areas: (1) improving family visitation and maintaining youth connections with self-identified family and non-relative kin; (2) supporting service approaches for youth that honor and amplify their voices, choices, and family connections; and (3) improving placement quality and individualization of services

Strengths-based group supervision: Restoring child and adolescent-centered social work team meetings

Child mental health social workers are inundated on a daily basis with complex family dynamics. Burn-out and cynicism towards change become frequent. Strengths-based group supervision is a client-based alternative to the “team meeting as usual” approach and combats some of the challenges workers often experience. Strengths-based group supervision is based on The Strengths Model, a case management model with four distinct components. The Model has been implemented in adult mental health settings and recently has been adapted for work with youth with mental illness. This paper describes strengths-based group supervision and discusses it’s applicability to different child serving systems