SSPE, SPE, and Supervisor

Context for the Training

Training Related to Implementation of Safety Decision Making
Methodology

Fidelity of the Ongoing Family Functioning Assessment
◦ Philosophy of practice
◦ Intervention purpose and framework
◦ Conceptual and criteria basis for practice and decision making
◦ Process, practice and outcomes
2
3
As a result of this training, participants will be able to:
 Identify an approach for supervisor consultation that
effectively supports safety decision making during the
Family Functioning Assessment;
 Identify the process for supervisor consultation that
targets key safety decision making points during the
Family Functioning Assessment;
 Identify areas of competencies that influence supervisor
consultation;
 Identify the focus and steps for supervisor consultation
during the Family Functioning Assessment;
 Practice consultation process for the Family Functioning
Assessment.
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5

Inform training and
development

Provide feedback to trainer

Measure change
6
Supervisor Consultation Philosophy
“Keeper of the Culture…focus on
productivity and people…”.
David Barrett
Leadership and Fundamental Perspective
Relationship
Individualization
Personal/Professional
Motivation
Equalitarianism
9

Individual Activity

Consider Previous
Supervisor(s):
◦ Where would you rate
them?
◦ What were they like?
◦ How did it make you feel?
“Maybe even the discovery of identity of self is helped along
more by being given feedback from a group of other
people of how I affect them, what influence I have on
them, how they see me and so on.”
-Abraham Maslow

Expertise

Knowledge and Skill

Performance Expectations

Accountability

Process Orientated

Mentor

Analytical

Collaborator

Accessible

Approachable

Empathetic

Respectful
14
Supervisor Consultation: Focus and
Influence

“Tenured employees do not always perform better than
novices in unstructured problem areas such as psychology,
psychiatry and (social work).”- E.J. Johnson, 1988

“Depends on the nature of the judgmental task…People,
whether familiar with a domain or not, have difficulty
integrating diverse sources of information in clinical
judgments and tend to make certain kinds of errors…”
(Gambrill, 1990)

Initial Impressions

Drawing premature conclusions

Overconfidence in judgment

Selective information gathering

Not adhering to systematic
processes

The phenomenon of “The Need
to Not Know”
“It is the responsibility of the
supervisor as a case
consultant to the worker to
prevent the premature
commitment to a position,
point of view, judgment and
prevent staff from
becoming unwilling to
consider alternative
interpretations based on
further information.”
Gambrill, 1990
Critical Thinking in Clinical
Practice
19
Consultation Framework

Expert, guided discussion at
specific points/critical
junctures in the FFA process
that apply safety
intervention criteria
focused on promoting
effective practice and
decision making related to
safety assessment, safety
management, and
determining the need to
serve a family.

Five Supervisor Consultation
Reference Points:
◦ Preparation in Completing
the FFA
◦ Initial Family Contact
◦ FFA Information Collection
◦ FFA Safety and Risk
Determination
◦ Safety Planning Analysis and
Safety Plan Development
23
Consultation Process: Preparation for
Completing the Family Functioning
Assessment
Assist CPI in preparing to
complete the FFA and
anticipate any safety
intervention issues at the
point of initial contact with
family members.

Know the Case
◦ Review of information
from Hotline;
◦ Reconcile information
from Hotline in preparing
for initial contact and
preparing the worker.

Know your CPI:
◦ Strengths
◦ Challenges
◦ Bias
◦ Over or Under Confidence
◦ Communication Style and
Ability
◦ Engagement Strategies

Analysis of Hotline Report
and Plan
◦ Gaps in information
◦ Relevant information for
engagement
◦ Engagement of
collateral/partner agencies
(CPT, LE, DV Advocate)
◦ Consideration of present
danger

Two Person Groups

Each person will be have
an opportunity to
practice:
◦ Know the Case
◦ Know the CPI
◦ Consultation
Consultation Process: Initial Contact
Present Danger Assessment and Present
Danger Safety Planning

Assist CPI in assessing
Present Danger and
determining the need to
develop Present Danger
Safety Plans.

Confirming Present Danger
◦ Clear description of the
child, caregivers, and
home conditions observed
during the contact with
the family;
◦ Danger is described to be
immediate, significant, and
clearly observable;
◦ CPI’s plan to take action if
present danger is
confirmed.
•
•
•
Consultation
Associated with Initial
Contact
Verification of present
danger.
Working in pairs-will
provide consultation
regarding the
verification of present
danger.

Developing and
Implementing Present
Danger Safety Plans
◦ Confirm the danger threat
identified;
◦ What resources are
available immediately to
control for present
danger?

Approving the Present
Danger Safety Plan:
◦ Required within 24 hours
after the development of
the plan;
◦ Best practice: before plan
is put in place and
confirmed with family;
◦ Confirmation of actions to
control for danger.

Working in groups;

Review present danger
plans for sufficiency;

Develop questions that
may arise based upon the
review of the present
danger safety plan.

Take Away from today:
◦ What did you find helpful?
◦ Questions that still need to
be answered?
◦ More time spent on…?
40
Day 2: Case Consultation and
Skill Building

Overnight Thoughts?
◦ Questions from
yesterday?
◦ Feedback from
yesterday?
◦ Reflections from
yesterday?
42

Consultation Process:
◦ Information Collection
◦ Safety and Risk
Determination
◦ Safety Planning Analysis
and Impending Danger
Safety Plans

Small Group Exercise:
◦ Case Application
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Consultation Process: Family Functioning
Assessment
Information Collection
The supervisor consults with
the CPI throughout the FFA
to remain informed
regarding the status of the
FFA and to provide
guidance related to
effective information
collection.

Observation of
Consultation between
Cindy and her
Supervisor.

Consider:
◦
Diligence;
◦
Questions you may
have for Cindy?
◦
Next Steps for Cindy.

Conducting FFA Interviews and
Assessing the Significance of
Information
◦ Oversee FFA Interview Protocol;
◦ Assist in conducting interviews;
◦ Discuss sufficiency of
information collection;
◦ Assure FFA is proceeding in a
timely manner;
◦ Oversee safety management;
◦ Assure due diligence.

Small group exercise;

Review of consultation
scenarios that may arise
when reviewing FFA for
information collection;

Consider consultation
concerns and consider
solutions to consultation
scenarios.
Consultation Process: Family Functioning
Assessment
Safety and Risk Determination
The supervisor reviews a
CPI’s documentation of the
FFA and consults with him
or her to confirm the FFA
safety and risk
determination.

6 Domains of Information
Collection;
◦ Each domain contains
information to inform the
domain and the overall
implications for safety.

Confirmation of Sufficient
Information Collection:
◦ Information Domains;
◦ CPC’s are accurate;
◦ Information is reconciled;
◦ Danger threats are accurately
identified based upon the
information;
◦ Absence of danger is
supported by the information;
◦ Risk assessment is accurate
based upon the information.
Working in pairs;
Discussion regarding:

What is their specific
basis for determining
sufficient information?

How do they determine
sufficiency?
Impending Danger:

State of danger in which
family behaviors, attitudes,
motives, emotions, and/or
situation pose a threat
which many not be
currently active but can be
anticipated to have severe
effects on a child at any
time
Danger Threshold
Criteria
◦ Imminence
◦ Vulnerable Child
◦ Out of Control
◦ Severity
◦ Observable
Duration
Consistency
Pervasiveness
Influence
Continuance
Intensity
Consultation Process: Safety Planning
Analysis and Impending Danger Safety Plan
The supervisor reviews a
caseworker’s
documentation of the
Safety Planning Analysis
and consults with him or
her to confirm the
sufficiency of the safety
plan.

Impending Danger is clearly
described in FFA documentation;

Level of effort demonstrates
Reasonable Efforts;

Caregiver Involvement ;

Safety Plan is least intrusive and
most appropriate for controlling
danger;

Safety Plan is action oriented;

Safety Plan is logical and
justifiably effective;

Conditions for return are
supported by information

Review safety plan;

Consider if you are in
agreement with the
developed safety plan;

Justify decision regarding
agreement of safety plan;

Consider consultations
questions or concerns that
may arise based upon the
review of the safety plan.

Step 1:
Discuss in detail and make sure it is
understood how the Impending
Danger is occurring in the family

Step 2:
Identify essentially what must be
controlled

Step 3:
Determine what the safety plan must
achieve

Step 4:
Identify Necessary Safety Actions

Step 5:
Amount and Frequency

Step 6:
Consider Resources - formal/informal

Well Thought Out;

Considers relationship between danger and control;

Formal and Informal;

Verification of safety service providers-capable, dependable,
trustworthy;

Action orientated;

Level of Effort: Amount and frequency.
66

Review safety plan;

Consider if you are in
agreement with the
developed safety plan;

Justify decision regarding
agreement of safety plan;

Consider consultations
questions or concerns that
may arise based upon the
review of the safety plan.
69

Take Away from Training:
◦ What did you find helpful?
◦ Questions that still need to
be answered?
70

Used to:
o Inform training and
development;
o Provide feedback to
trainer;
o Measure change.
71

Used for:
o Professional growth and
development;
o Updating/refining training
material content and
exercises;
o Measuring change
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