Using a Family Perspective: A Qualitative Analysis of Case Participants' Experiences of Family Centered Practice

Title: Using a Family Perspective: A Qualitative Analysis of Case Participants’ Experiences of Family Centered Practice

Background and Purpose: 

The Family Centered Practice (FCP) model focuses on engaging and empowering families by supporting the use of their strengths to promote and ensure children’s safety, permanency, and well-being (Kemp, et. al., 2013). The FCP framework looks to build on the family’s strengths, ideas, and involvement in the treatment of both the family and the child (Michalopoulos, et. al., 2012).  This FCP model was implemented in all of the child welfare service agencies across one Mid-Atlantic State (Michalopoulos, et. al., 2012). This shift in practice resulted in an evaluation process to see the impact of the FCP framework on the families, children, and stakeholders. The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of case participants with their interactions with the child welfare agency’s FCP approach and practices.

Methods:

Quality assurance reviews were conducted across 19 different jurisdictions.  From August 2011 through July 2014, 852 participants were interviewed from both In-Home Services and Out of Home Services cases using a series of questions designed to elicit feedback regarding their experiences.  The sample of key participants included:  caseworkers (291, 34%), other stakeholders (213, 25%), supervisors (154, 18%), family members (113, 13%), youth (53, 6%), and foster parents (27, 3%).  The interviews were entered into an Nvivo 10 database and coded based on the following five principles of the FCP model: Engagement, Family Involvement Meetings, Permanency Outcomes, Services Planning, and Family Contact.   The participant’s responses were coded by multiple researchers to promote inter-rater reliability.   

Results:

Qualitative analysis showed positive themes relating to experiences involving all five key FCP principles.   More than 50% of participants made positive comments regarding engagement of youth or families in communication, service planning, and collaboration with the caseworker.   For Family Involvement Meetings (FIMs), about 40% of references referred to FIMs as helpful, engaging, and supportive.  Most participants felt that positive changes were made to help achieve the child’s permanency outcome.   About 70% of participants referenced that they were included in the planning, with family members being the most common participant involved in service planning.   A large variety of services were provided with the most common being mental health services. 

Conclusions and Implications:

The findings show that the implementation of the FCP model has resulted in a shift towards positive experiences with child welfare services and outcomes. This shows that involvement of the families in service planning is both positive and beneficial.  Through this agency’s FCP approach strong efforts to engage, empower, and strengthen the families are being made to support healthy relationships and positive outcomes. 

References:

Kemp, S., Marcenko, M., Lyons, S., & Kruzich, J. (2013). Strength-based practice and parental engagement in child welfare services: An empirical examination. Children and Youth Services Review, Volume 47, Part 1(December 2014), 27-35.

Michalopoulos, L., Ahn, H., Shaw, T. V. & O'Connor, J.  (2012) Child Welfare Worker Perception of the Implementation of Family-Centered Practice.  Research on Social Work Practice 22: 656- 664.