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The engagement of families in child welfare services is critical for successful outcomes related to safety, permanency, and child and family well-being. Motivational interviewing (MI), an effective approach to working with individuals struggling with alcohol and drug addiction, has great appeal for use with families involved with the child welfare system. Consequently, many social service agencies are beginning to integrate MI into their training curriculum. However, research has shown that training in MI alone is not enough; ongoing coaching is crucial in order to transfer learned MI skills into practice. The current study employs qualitative interview data from case-workers in order to examine the implementation of MI and long-term coaching within the child welfare system. Findings showed that MI can be implemented successfully within the child welfare system, and that caseworkers believed MI, supported by ongoing coaching, to be a valuable tool in engaging families in the assessment process.
In 2004, the findings from the initial federal Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) demonstrated a clear need for more accurate and comprehensive assessments of the strengths and needs of the children and families served by the child welfare system. In response, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) requested that its federally funded National Resource Centers develop "Comprehensive Family Assessment (CFA) Guidelines" to serve as a resource for states in 2005. In a further effort to assist state and local child welfare agencies in improving the quality of their family assessments and the related outcomes of safety, permanency, and well-being, ACF funded five demonstration projects in 2007 to use the CFA Guidelines as a framework for improving child welfare practice.
This study is part of the process evaluation conducted for one of the five demonstration sites: Alamance County, North Carolina. Alamance County used the CFA Guidelines to develop and implement a comprehensive family assessment process, which is completed in partnership with families from the initial intake report through in-home services (their demonstration currently does not extend to foster care services). This continuous assessment process, utilizing multiple sources, is hypothesized to facilitate the appropriate and prioritized identification of needs and corresponding services that would impact a family's ability to care for their children. However, in order to develop and implement a comprehensive family assessment process,...