let’s make a real difference…

Let’s make a real difference…Realigning training systems to support effective services to children and families.

Tricia Mosher, MSW, LCSW

Independent Consultant

Building on What We Have Learned:

Today’s discussion: We already know how to teach people information. We know that making changes in how we deliver services

is a constant and important role for training and professional development systems.

Some things can’t be ‘trained’. Effectively growing our agencies means growing with our

agencies. Building a strong and effective Child Welfare Workforce is

going to take creative and varied approaches, all occurring simultaneously, and all aligned for results.

Here’s what I know

Most of you already have the elements in place to effectively grow your workforce into the work ahead.

Most of you are trying to do more, and use more effective and innovative approaches, even with diminished resources.

This group can generate a better model together than what any of us can generate alone.

Implementation: What works? Aligning systems to get what you want…

Take the time to explore and build an effective approach. (Implementation Science) Find out what you have. Find out what you want. Identify the strengths Identify the gaps

Break down the gaps into adaptive and technical challenges and solutions (Adaptive Leadership)

Align your solutions so that they support each other

Try, Assess, and Try Again (Self-Directed Learning, Kolb, Reflective Practice)

(Fixsen & Blase, 2008)

Performance Assessment

Coaching

Training

Selection

Systems Intervention

FacilitativeAdministration

Decision Support Data System

Adaptive Technical

Integrated & Compensatory

Com

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ency

Drive

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Com

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ency

Drive

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Org

anization

Drivers

Org

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Drivers

LeadershipLeadership

NIRN Implementation Drivers

Graphics by Steve Goodman, 2009Leadership Academy for Middle Managers • www.ncwwi.org A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

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Adaptive Leadership: Challenges

Leadership Academy for Middle Managers •

www.ncwwi.org A Service of the Children’s

Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

6

(Heifetz, Grashown, & Linsky, 2009)

Technical/ Task Adaptive/Organizational Culture

• Alignment• Clear definition• Solution and implementation clear• Can be resolved by changing a process. • Leader can take primary responsibility

• Different perspectives• Unclear definition• Unclear solution and

implementation• Root Causes lie in cultural

and workforce beliefs, values, attitudes

• Leader cannot be primarily responsible

Training is good…..

Training is a part of the Competency Driver in the NIRN model ,and is linked to selection and ongoing development and growth.

Training is a good solution for a knowledge gap.

Training can provide a forum for shifting paradigms about what works: using research, fostering dialog, pulling people out of the field and into reflection.

Training can ready the ground for attitudinal change.

Training is not enough….

Technical Challenges: Solutions need to be hands-on and practical. Training doesn’t find the ‘teachable moment’ Training staff when the ‘Organizational Drivers’ are not in

place can satisfy requirements for action but in the long run, may not make the change ‘take’.

Adaptive Challenges: Meeting the adaptive challenge can begin in training by

fostering dialog about challenges. Making meaningful change in values, beliefs, attitudes,

and paradigms requires dialog in real time, in ‘real place’.

Additional Solutions: Competency Drivers Coaching

Supervision at all levels

Alignment with the Organizational Drivers

Creating a ‘Self Directed Learning’ process.

All change is self-change

Goleman, Boyatzis, & MckKee, Primal Leadership, 2002

Additional Approaches we use:

Coaching: In person By Phone Individual and Cohort Peer and Expert


Supervision at All Levels: Performance

management and development

Case, Clinical, and Workload supervision

What do you use?


Technology: Information and support at the touch of a button. Online Instruction and Help Webinars What else?

Deciding on the appropriate intervention

Knowledge gaps: training

Attitude gaps: reflection and alignment

Skill gaps: model, coach, observe

Practice gaps: development of the whole person.

Polling time

Poll the audience: When you think of your career in the field (social work, child welfare, etc.), who taught you the most important lessons about practice?

1. My academic program faculty

2. My preservice trainer

3. My supervisor

4. My field instructor

5. My cubicle mates

6. The families I worked with

Polling time

True or False: Trainee reactions to training reflect more about the

trainee’s motivation before training than about how much the trainee learned in the course. True

Trainee reactions are highly correlated with affective learning and change when the trainer is interactive and engaging. True

Trainee learning when a course is designed to increase knowledge is most effectively measured by whether the trainee liked the course. False

-Sitzmann, Brown, Casper, Ely, and Zimmermean

Nomological Network of Trainee Responses,

Journal of Applied Psychology 2008, Vol. 93, No. 2, 280 –295

Designing the right intervention to support effective implementation

Knowledge Gaps: Classroom Training Books and Articles Websites Online Training


Skill Gaps1. Video tape and self-

assessment/feedback

2. Coaching

3. Performance Appraisal

4. Teaming and Partnering

5. Get input from families and other stakeholders about skills* added by participant S. Fitch, Ohio


Overall and Widespread gaps in practice Examine Organizational Drivers Look at line staff selection Insure that training and resources support the practice

you want to see. Look at supervision and management for information and

solutions. Start with aligning the organization to the outcomes you

want to see and work your way back.

Group Vote: Choose Our Example

Engagement

Assessment

Diversion from High End Intervention

Trauma Informed Child Welfare Systems

Team approaches Fatherhood and Extended Family Network Involvement Systems of Care/Wraparound

Alignment begins at home

Identifying the appropriate developmental approach involves assessment of the agency in context, and understanding what we want people to do.

The training department needs to have a strong link with the other key players in the system to make the optimal strategic difference including: Leadership/Management/Field Policy/Procedure IT HR

Let’s start with what we want people to do… what would success look like?

Based on our example, what would families and communities say the effective worker did to implement this practice change?

Be respectful/the family will say they were listened to . Cultural Awareness: They would feel like the worker

respected their norms and values, i.e. taking shoes off at the door.

Family is driver of change.

Now that we know what we want, what is it going to take to get there?

What will the toughest change be?

Don’t know versus Won’t go…. Both are likely to be issues we have to plan for. Isolating the two issues and making appropriate plans for

each gives you the best outcomes.

Do people need to learn something new to do the work this way, or do they need to change their attitude about roles and effectiveness to implement this change? Identify strategies for each and have ways to differentiate

and individualize learning and change plans.

Break it down: based on our example. (some examples…)

Technical Skills and Abilities Needed

Adaptive: Attitudes, theories, and beliefs about the work.

•Time and permission to spend time with families.•Specific engagement techniques.•Integration of the strengths, safety and other assessment factors as part of full functional assessment of the family. •Integration of the family identification of issues and family’s plan into the agency (court?) planning process.

•Families can craft their own solutions. •Families can be the primary guardians of safety before case closure.•Working with the underlying or root causes of the behavior will get us further than basing services on one event. •Families are worth listening to.•Parents have their own story that guides their behavior.

Addressing the Technical Needs

Technical Needs: Knowledge Technology Policy/Procedure Adding/changing

resources HR processes (job

descriptions, etc.)

Addressing the Adaptive Needs

Adaptive Needs: Attitudes Beliefs Effectiveness Paradigm Values and vision Role paradigm (how we

are in the role, what is and isn’t our job).

Designing effective Coaching

Coaches Need: Competence in the area

to be coached to foster confidence.

Relationship building skills to foster trust.

Communication skills for feedback to the person and to the agency.

Agency supports to facilitate time , access, and feedback loop.

Turning the training team into a multi-functioning team:

Be Picky: Identify Coaching competencies for the specific initiative.

Identify People who ‘get it’ Understanding of organizational context

Be Relevant: Understanding of the Job as it was and as you want it to be.

Be Thoughtful: Development of the person: Reflective Practice

Be Present: Modeling the practice in practice, in real time.

Trainer Competencies

Typical Child Welfare Training Competencies: Presentation Skills Research and integration of EB

Practices. Facilitation Skills: Training

Group Instructional Skills: Contextual Skills: Understanding

of CW and organizational values, mission, goals.

Engagement skills (Training Group)

Supervisory Competencies Work Management Skills

Analytical Knowledge and skills

Interpersonal Knowledge and Skills: One:one and Team Building

Self-Management

Contextual Skills: System and Field specific.

Technical/HR Skills

What are the competencies our coaches need?

Examples for Engagement: (just a few) Interpersonal Skills: To engage families and to engage

coach-ees. Strategic thinking: the ability to link the family narrative

to the current and future issues, then the ability to link family experience and strengths to a planning process.

Feedback Skills: the ability to identify, narrate, and give meaningful feedback that mirrors a strengths/needs perspective.

Valuing Family Voice: the attitude that families are worth listening to.

Implementing Coaching

(Fixsen & Blase, 2008)

Performance Assessment

Coaching

Training

Selection

Systems Intervention

FacilitativeAdministration

Decision Support Data System

Adaptive Technical

Integrated & Compensatory

Com

pet

ency

Drive

rs

Com

pet

ency

Drive

rs

Org

anization

Drivers

Org

anization

Drivers

LeadershipLeadership

Aligning the System for Mutual Support

Graphics by Steve Goodman, 2009Leadership Academy for Middle Managers • www.ncwwi.org A Service of the Children’s Bureau, a Member of the T/TA Network

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Advocacy for Alignment

The effective organization uses a feedback loop based on self-directed learning to track and adjust, and to self-correct.

Goleman, Boyatzis, & MckKee, Primal Leadership, 2002

Further Information/Conversation

Trish Mosher, MSW, LCSW

Tricia Mosher Consulting, Inc.

www.tmosher.com

[email protected]

Phone: 321-278-6359

let’s make a real difference…

Documents

training doesnt

adaptive challenges

technical challenges

implementation clear

middle managers

effective services

childrens bureau

good solution