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Family Group Conferencing
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Resources
This article by Joan Pennell of North Carolina State University suggests that the practice of family group conferencing in child welfare has moved away from the initial goal of joint problem solving and toward “systemic goals of maintaining control, meeting regulations, containing costs, and avoiding litigation.” She recommends nine steps for building partnerships for initiating and sustaining family group conferencing.
Family Group Decision-Making
Texas began Family Group Decision-Making in multiple sites across the state in December 2003. A preliminary evaluation and briefing about this practice are available.
Family Team Conferencing
This brief from the Child Welfare Policy and Practice Group explains the purpose and activities of a Family Team Conference in child welfare services, discusses the benefits, key principles, how Family Team Conferences have evolved, and characteristics. Elements of Family Team Conferences are described, along with decision making strategies under the Family Team Conferences model. An attachment describes specific steps of a Family Team Conference
Family Group Conferences: Principles and Practice Guidance
Intended for parents and child welfare agency personnel in the United Kingdom, this publication provides information about family group counseling (FGC) in child welfare practice. It begins by describing FGC as a way of giving families the chance to get together to try and make the best plan possible for children, and explaining that the decision makers at a FGC are the family members, and not the professionals. The steps of FGC are outlined and include referral, preparation for the meeting, the conference itself and the development of the family plan, and reviewing the plan. Principles of FGC are discussed to inform families on what to expect from FGC, followed by practice guidance that addresses how each of the principles will be met.
Safeguarding Everyone in the Family: Family Group Conferences and Family Violence
This article from Social Work Now discusses the use of family group conferences in cases of domestic violence.
Guides from the States
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California: County Protocols for Team Decision Making
Examples of Team Decisionmaking (TDM) protocols from the California Family to Family sites were each created to meet the unique circumstances and nuances of their County.
- Iowa
- Mississippi
- Worker's Guide to Family Team Meetings
This guide from the Division of Children and Family Services provides workers with information to help them plan, arrange, and facilitate family team meetings
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Mississippi: Guide For Families And Community Partners to Family Centered County Conferences
Mississippi implemented a family team conferencing model in 2001, which is referred to as the County Conference. The County Conference is a family conferencing approach to bring the family, caseworker, area social work supervisor, and involved community providers together to assess progress and make decisions necessary to achieve timely permanency. The County Conference does not replace nor substitute for the family team meetings held by the caseworker, but should serve to strengthen and support this practice with the family. This document includes five Practice Principles that serve as a framework for this work, as well as tips for planning and conducting the conferences.
- North Carolina
- Practice Guidelines for Family-Centered Meetings
These practice guidelines are intended to supplement the North Carolina Division of Social Services overall policy for Child and Family Team Meetings (CFTs) and Shared Parenting Meetings (SPMs). Information is provided on the principles and purposes of family-centered meetings (FCMs), and the benefits of FCMs. Principles are then paired with specific applications, and the following five phases of FCMs are described: the social worker talks with the key family members about having a meeting, the social worker makes a referral, the worker prepares the family and other professionals for the meeting, a neutral individual facilitates the meeting or depending on the circumstances, sometimes the worker serves as facilitator, and the social worker follows up and monitors the service agreement as it is carried out. A list of issues that must be addressed during the preparation phase of a FCM is given and guidelines are explained for ensuring the safety of FCM participants. Finally, the roles of different participants, strategies for making sure children are heard at meetings, and the structure of FCM are addressed. A form for evaluating a FCM is attached.
- Enhancing Child and Family Team Meetings
This issue of Children's Services Practice Notes is a resource for agencies seeking to enhance and expand their use of child and family team meetings.
- Washington: Family Team Decision-Making Meetings: Frequently Asked Questions by Social Workers
A list of frequently asked questions about family team decision-making.
Curriculum
- Family Group Decision Making Models for Social Workers in the Child Welfare Setting
This curriculum from the California Social Work Education Center introduces the Family Group Decision-Making (FGDM) model of working with families in child welfare and is based on a core belief that within families lies the wisdom to find solutions to protect their own children and resolve other issues of concern. In addition to lecture content, modules include instructional guides and suggestions, interactive exercises, topics for discussions, video and other resource suggestions, and a pre- and posttest instrument with answer sheet. An appendix of handouts, workshop evaluation form, references, and list of information sources and resources are included.
- Family Team Meeting Training - Participant's Guide and Trainer's Guide Outline
Curriculum materials from the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services.
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Introduction to Family Group Decision Making, Parts I and II
Part I of this training from the Pennsylvania Child Welfare Training Program introduces the foundations of the FGDM practice and prepares participants to begin planning for implementation and participate successfully in FGDM. Part II is a three-day workshop to prepare participants to serve as coordinators, facilitators and other critical partners for the FGDM Process and give participants the opportunity to practice the skills needed to perform effectively in these roles.
Webcast
Bibliography
Websites
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National Center on Family Group Decision Making
In 1999, American Humane established the National Center on Family Group Decision Making with a mission to build community capacity to implement high-quality, effective FGDM processes that are philosophically congruent with the central values and beliefs of this approach. The Center offers a wide range of services, including training and technical assistance, annual conferences, and publications and videos.
- Family Group Decision Making Project
This website contains information about a FGDM project in Newfoundland and Labrador, a manual for corrdinators and communities, a bibliography and links to other FGDM sites and projects.
- Team Decision-Making - Family to Family
Team decision-making is one of the tools of Family to Family, the Annie E. Casey Foundation's initiative for rebuilding foster care. This site contains the initiative's tool for team decision-making (in English and Spanish) as well as numerous other resources on the subject.
Last updated 05/02/08
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