Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

MCWIC Purpose

Our purpose is to facilitate the implementation of systemic change to improve outcomes for children and families

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Our approach• Multidisciplinary staff and consultant expertise

http://ccfl.unl.edu/about/faculty-staff

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Our approach• Multidisciplinary staff and consultant expertise

Major Activities and Accomplishments

• Identification and hiring of core staff

• Locating, securing and equipping office space

• Designing and publishing MCWIC’s website

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Major Activities and Accomplishments

Forming and strengthening relationships with our FPO, Regional Office staff in ACF Regions V & VII, members of the T/TA Network, and

CB Central Office staff and leadership

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Major Activities and Accomplishments

Outreach to States and Tribes teleconferences, e-mail, on-site focused on Tribal outreach

went to ICWA Coalition meetings in Minnesota Wisconsin Nebraska

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

First Tribal Gathering

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Creating Connections to Enhance Tribal Child Welfare Systems

March 19, 2009

Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin

First Tribal Gathering Goals

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

• Begin to establish relationships

• Build and reinforce peer connections

• Develop participants’ knowledge & skill

• Provide RFA process guidance & support

First Tribal Gathering

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Plenary Session: Challenges in Raising Healthy Native American Children from a

Child Welfare PerspectivePriscilla Day, Professor of Social Work,

University of Minnesota-Duluth

First Tribal Gathering

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Work Groups

• Challenges in Tribal Child Welfare• Needs: what would help?• Strengths and resources in our community• Building coalitions• Report out: sharing approaches & ideas

First Tribal Gathering

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Feedback Keynote presentation provided useful information – 81% agree or strongly agree. 96% made at least one new peer contact. 

First Tribal Gathering

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Feedback 

92% interested in attending another Gathering event.

 85% feel comfortable contacting MCWIC

staff.

First Tribal Gathering

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Feedback

Satisfied with opportunities to discuss networking – 95% agree or strongly agree.

 Better informed about opportunities for

Implementation Projects with MCWIC – 73% agree or strongly agree.

   

Regional Forum Goals

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

• Build and reinforce participants’ connections

• Identify participants’ needs for peer connections

• Build participants’ knowledge and skill

• Provide project application guidance and support

First Regional Forum

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Attendance

• Eight of ten states • twelve of twenty-nine tribes• Eighty-six participants:

• 27 from state agencies • 29 from tribal agencies• Representatives from

• T/TA Network• Regional Offices • Children’s Bureau Central Office

First Regional Forum

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

• 93% of participants said they would benefit from additional peer to peer

networking • 82% of participants said they understood

the purpose of MCWIC

First Regional Forum

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

• 52% of participants were using a multidisciplinary problem solving approach

• 73% indicated the approach was one they would try and use more

First Regional Forum

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

• 84% of participants understood the purpose of and eligibility criteria for

implementation projects

• 87% of participants understood MCWIC’s RFA process

First Regional Forum

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

• 92% of participants indicated they had an increased understanding of the theory and

practice involved in implementing change in child welfare systems because of the

information presented by Tony Hemmelgarn and Peter Watson

 

First Regional Forum

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

• 92% of our participants said they had an increased understanding of the importance and

role of leadership in child welfare system change based on Judge James Payne’s

presentation on Leadership of Child Welfare System Change

First Regional Forum

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

• 78% of participants rated the organization and format of the forum very good or

excellent

• several participants thought the one and one half day conference was too short a time

period and several suggested at least two days would be helpful

Request for Application Process

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Application Review Process

review by • MCWIC • MCWIC’s External Consultants • T/TA Network • Children’s Bureau

• Central Office• Regional Office• CFSR Unit

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

MCWIC Selected Site

* five additional project applications currently under review

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Iowa Department of Human Services

Partnering with Parents for System Change

MCWIC Selected SiteState / Agency Project

Iowa Department of Human Services

Parents with prior system involvement will mentor parents with children in care to support the completion of case plan goals, and educate parents regarding available services. This project will also build a cadre of parents actively engaged in all levels of child welfare practice and policy development in Iowa.

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

MCWIC Approved Project

* five additional project applications currently under review

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Indiana Department of Child Services

Statewide Implementation of a Centralized Intake Unit

MCWIC Approved Project

State / Agency Project Indiana Department of Child Services

The Indiana DCS is developing a centralized intake unit with specially trained and centrally located staff. This centralized system will replace the current system of approximately 210 different phone numbers staffed by case managers, supervisors and contract employees located throughout the 92 counties in Indiana.

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Second Tribal Gathering

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Looking Back, Moving Forward: Building the Future on Traditional Values

August 27-28, 2009

Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel Tama, IA

Second Tribal Gathering

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

• Strategic Planning and Tribal Practice Models

• State/Tribal/County Partnerships

• Tribal Child Welfare Data & Technology Considerations

• Keynote: When our children are old, will they know we fought for them?

Second Tribal Gathering

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

50 participants

11 different tribes represented

Regions V & VII Office Representatives

3 state ICWA specialists

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Peer Networkinghttp://connect.mcwic.org

MCWIC’s Connect will provide the advantages of internet community sites in a controlled environment without distracting advertising and will provide features that

meet the unique needs of state, county, and tribal child welfare workers.

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Peer Networking

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Peer Networking

MCWIC Implementation Project Evaluation Plan Process

• Outcomes & methods developed cooperatively

• Project evaluations conducted by MCWIC in cooperation with State/Tribe

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

MCWIC Implementation Project Evaluation Plan Process

• Outcomes focused on– Formative implementation process– Child Welfare System Improvement– Direct Project Outcomes– Child and Family Outcomes

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center

Questions?

Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center