Demonstrating Safety Within the Drug Epidemic Missouri Department - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Demonstrating Safety Within the Drug Epidemic Missouri Department of Social Servi vices, Ch Children’s Divi vision Garry y Do Dorris (Training Tech)

Are You Forgetting Someone? Gaining Perspective

Genogram X Father 2 Father 1 Mother Father Child TPR TPR 8 months

Case Overview • Mother went to the hospital and delivers a healthy baby girl. • Child is placed in a foster care due to mother’s extensive history and having parental rights terminated on 5 previous children with the most recent being 25 days before the birth of this child. • Father was traveling construction contractor and was not around when the child was born. • Father and mother had some history of being physically violent with each other but were no longer together.

Case Overview • The case had 3 workers before myself due to staff turnover. I was assigned the case 8 months after it opened. • Team was concerned with mother due to her history with the agency and drug use and concerned with father due to his not returning immediately to take care of the child. • Previous worker had difficulty getting the team to work with the parents as did I in the beginning.

Danger Statement- Mother • The agency, the family support team and placement are concerned that mother's continued drug use and homelessness will cause the child's needs, such as food, shelter and emotional needs to not be met causing a confusing relationship for the child along with possible physical illness, injury and that she will be left with unsafe individuals or in unsafe places.

Danger Statement-Father • The agency, the family support team and placement are concerned that father will be given custody of his child and then give the child to mother once the case closes so that he can go back to his job and Bellah will be exposed to the concerns listed about mother.

Safety Goal- Mother • The agency will be able to close this case when mother is able to understand and talk about how using drugs effects her relationship with her child. Mother will demonstrate how to keep her child safe even when she is struggling with using drugs and keep her child from being exposed to unsafe people, places and situations.

Safety Goal-Father • The agency will be able to close this case when father can demonstrate that he can keep his child’s needs and safety first, especially when he is being pressure by the mother to return the child or struggling with wanting to return to over the road construction. This will make sure that his child is cared for by a trusted adult at all times.

My First Team Meeting • Father had not been involved in the case long. • Father took a significant pay reduction to move to Springfield to work toward reunification with his daughter. • Mother missed a visit prior to the meeting and was asked to drug screening and had not been heard from since then • After discussing the Risk Assessment Map with father, we decided to scale the Guardian Ad Litem because he believed she would be the toughest in the room to convince.

Perspective 1-Guardian Ad Litem • Scaling Question asked of the Guardian Ad Litem • On a scale of 0-10 where 0 is the child would be so unsafe placed with father that you would prefer the child stay in foster care and 10 is you have no doubt that the child can be placed with father and he can keep her safe enough to close our case, what would your number be? 0 10 2

Perspective 1-Guardian Ad Litem • What would bring you number up to a 3? • Guardian Ad Litem wanted to see that the father was committed to taking care of the child as a single father by him participating in parenting classes and anger management therapy. • Father was upset with the number that the Guardian Ad Litem gave.

Perspective 1- Guardian Ad Litem • Father enrolled in and was active in the services requested, successfully completing both. • At the next meeting 2 months later when the Guardian Ad Litem was asked the same scaling question, the number she gave was an 8. • She reported that this was due to the fact that father took ownership over the issues in the case and showed his commitment to caring for the child as a single father.

Takeaways • No one ever asked the Guardian Ad Litem what concerned her and assumed it was treatment related. • Guardian Ad Litem was able to voice her concerns and her concerns be addressed with open dialogue which reduced her resistance to working with father and resolved her concerns. • Honoring her concerns helped develop a working relationship between father and the team to where forward progress could be made.

Perspective 2- Safety Network • Father identified his mother (child’s grandmother) as part of his safety network. • The family support team was not willing for her to be a part of the network due to her history of violence towards the child’s mother and her use of alcohol. • Grandmother lived in an apartment across the court yard from her son.

Perspective 2- Safety Network • Grandmother’s close proximity to her son and being naturally aligned with the child made her a good fit for the safety network. • Her violent history with the mother and regular use of alcohol were concerns about her being able to be used as a safety network person. • Team agreed to her being safety network member with clearly defined roles.

Perspective 2- Safety Network • Allowed • Not allowed – Visit supervised by father – Be alone with the child – If noticed mother coming – Not allowed to drive with around, notify safety the child network – Not allowed to confront mother if she is at father apartment

Takeaways • Never dismiss someone who is naturally connected to the family because it is better to facilitate appropriate roles because in this case father was going to use her anyway. • Clearly defined roles helps the network establish boundaries and honors the families relationship by being honest, making the safety network stronger.

Perspective 3-Father • Last team meeting was held as a way to honor the father. • An Appreciative Inquiry was completed with father with family support team members in the room. I met with father prior to explain the process and get his permission. • Father got to discuss what was important to him about what happened in the case and explain the progress that he made to them.

Takeaways • Team members and families often see services as a to do list and do not understand what was actually accomplished. This meeting gave the team a chance to understand what father accomplished and what he actually learned and how it applied to his situation. • This also gave father a moment to brag and be proud about what he accomplished and communicate it directly with the team.

Contact Information Garry Dorris 1410 S. Kansas Expressway Springfield, MO 65807 417-895-5983 Garry.Dorris@dss.mo.gov

Demonstrating Safety Within the Drug Epidemic Missouri Department of Social Servi vices, Ch Children’s Divi vision Garry y Do Dorris (Training Tech)