Using an Institutional Analysis to Identify Systemic Barriers to

Racial Equity in the Child Welfare System

Fresno County DSSHoward Himes & Wendy Osikafo

Background and Steps that Led to Institutional AnalysisBackground and Steps that Led to Institutional Analysis

2003 ~ Fresno County began implementing Annie E. Casey’s 2003 ~ Fresno County began implementing Annie E. Casey’s Family to Family InitiativeFamily to Family Initiative

Community Partnership and Self Evaluation Strategies Intersect through Community Partnership and Self Evaluation Strategies Intersect through gathering and presenting baseline data to the communitygathering and presenting baseline data to the community

2006 - Present ~ Child Welfare partners with the community 2006 - Present ~ Child Welfare partners with the community and convenes the Disproportionality Advisory Committee – now and convenes the Disproportionality Advisory Committee – now called the Racial Equity Action Teamcalled the Racial Equity Action Team

Steadfast commitment to transparency and to addressing this issue is Steadfast commitment to transparency and to addressing this issue is made by Child Welfare Director and agency leadershipmade by Child Welfare Director and agency leadership

Our Call to ActionOver-representation of African American children in the child welfare system and the poorer outcomes

they experience is a local and nationwide problem we cannot ignore.

Our CommitmentWe are committed to understanding the causes of inequities for African American families and taking action that will ultimately improve outcomes for all

children and families.

•2006 ~ Focus on education and building 2006 ~ Focus on education and building awareness: awareness:

Staff & Community participate in Fairness & Equity Staff & Community participate in Fairness & Equity Conferences, Conferences, Undoing Racism training, Ongoing staff trainings and Undoing Racism training, Ongoing staff trainings and brown bag brown bag sessions, etc.sessions, etc.

• 2007/2008 ~ Focus on development and 2007/2008 ~ Focus on development and implementation of Cultural Broker Programimplementation of Cultural Broker Program

• 2008/2009 ~ California Disproportionality 2008/2009 ~ California Disproportionality Breakthrough Series CollaborativeBreakthrough Series Collaborative

Early 2009 ~ Go deeper with the data and Early 2009 ~ Go deeper with the data and conduct case reviews to determine next conduct case reviews to determine next steps: Findings are unclear and steps: Findings are unclear and complicated…now what???complicated…now what???

Spring 2009 ~Spring 2009 ~ Timing is everything: Timing is everything: Invited by Annie E. Casey to participate in Invited by Annie E. Casey to participate in an Institutional Analysisan Institutional Analysis

What is an Institutional What is an Institutional Analysis?Analysis?

What is an Institutional What is an Institutional Analysis?Analysis?

An analysis is a qualitative methodology that uncovers how a particular outcome is produced. The analysis looks at the GAP between what a child, youth, or their families need in order to be safe and what the institution is set up to do…

8

PRESUME…PRESUME…PRESUME…PRESUME…

every worker is coordinated and organized to think about and act on cases in institutionally authorized or acceptable ways

9

Foundations of the Foundations of the InstitutionalInstitutional

AnalysisAnalysisIt’s the system, not individual

workers.Institutional view of clients is rarely

neutral.“One size does not fit all” when

working with families.Institutional changes can improve

outcomes for families.10

11

Institutional Analysis Institutional Analysis FrameworkFramework

Institutional Analysis Institutional Analysis FrameworkFramework

CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM

Child and Family OUTCOMES:

SafetyReunification/Alternative

Permanency Nurturance Time in Care

Strengths/Resources Challenges Child Maltreatment

COMMUNITY: Formal and Informal

Supports/Resources Constraints

Strengths/Resources Challenges Child Maltreatment

COMMUNITY: Formal and Informal

Supports/Resources Constraints

Other

Mission, Purpose, Function Concepts

and Theories

Education and

Training

Resources

LinkagesRules and

Regulations

Administrative Practices

Accountability Knowledge of Client(s) Effective Intervention

Capacity to Intervene/Act

AFRICAN AMERICAN

FAMILY:

12

African American African American Family/CommunityFamily/CommunityAfrican American African American

Family/CommunityFamily/Community

AFRICAN AMERICAN

FAMILY:

Strengths/Resources Challenges Child Maltreatment

COMMUNITY: Formal and Informal

Supports/Resources Constraints

Strengths/Resources Challenges Child Maltreatment

COMMUNITY: Formal and Informal

Supports/Resources Constraints

13

Problematic PracticesProblematic PracticesProblematic PracticesProblematic Practices

CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM

Other

Mission, Purpose, Function

Conceptsand

Theories

Education and

Training

Resources

LinkagesRules and Regulations

Administrative Practices

Accountability Knowledge of Client(s) Effective Intervention

Capacity to Intervene/Act

14

OutcomesOutcomesOutcomesOutcomes

Child and FamilyOUTCOMES:

• Safety• Reunification/Alternate Permanency• Nurturance• Time in Care

Institutional Analysis Process

June-November 2009 ~ Review of Data and Big Picture Interviews with 13 individuals including agency leadership, juvenile court judge, community partners, technical assistance providers, etc.

November 2009 ~ In-depth Case-Based Analysis of 6 Cases including interviews with 49 individuals.

IA Process Cont’d

December 2009 ◦Individual interviews with 60 agency social work

staff, private providers and community partners;

◦18 observations including juvenile court, parenting classes, team meetings and shadowing workers;

◦12 focus groups (parents, youth, guardians, attorneys, foster parents, social workers, cultural brokers);

◦guided review of 32 case files.

2010 Racial Equity Action Plan Highlights

Provided Racial Sobriety training to entire workforce to increase awareness of each individual’s opportunity to mitigate bias.

Established a Quality Supervision approach which supports supervisors in modeling, coaching and guiding Fresno social workers to continuously develop and enhance their engagement and teaming skills with families.

Implemented visitation contracts that include expanded visitation hours (9am-8pm, Monday through Saturday and Holidays) in the neighborhoods in which our clients reside.

Rolled out Joint Community Response practice (strategy which involves a coordinated joint response between a social worker and a Cultural Broker and/or Parent Partner) to more successfully engage African American families and conduct a more accurate, up-front assessment of the family’s needs.

Key FindingsGap between the county’s intent and the

actual outcomes that the families experience.

Limited understanding of the unique strengths and problems faced by African American families.

Intervened through universal, rather than individualized assessments and service plans.

Key Findings Cont’dServices tended to be centrally located

in Fresno, rather than in the communities and the operating hours were inconvenient.

Minimal support of parents to achieve economic stability by linking them with other available services.

Workers not directed to proactively and consistently find permanent families for older youth.

Major Steps Taken Post Release of Final IA Report

Specialized StaffAll Staff Trained on Quality Family

Engagement and Teaming Practice Round TablesDomestic Violence Classes Community Resource SpecialistLinkagesRacial Equity Sub-Committee Structure

Key Advisors

Leadership Team

Supervisory Team

Racial Equity Steering

Recruitment Development &

Support of Resource Families

Kinship Services

Linkages

Engagement / Teaming

Community Resource Network

*Collaborations*Resources*Representations*Communications

Visitation

Court Process

Awareness Building

Central Services

DeskAB429 Data

What’s Next?California Partners for Permanency

◦5 Year Federal Grant◦Goal is to reduce long-term foster care for

African American and Native American youth◦Fresno is one of four pilot counties◦The other 3 counties (& 10 replication counties)

will participate in an Institutional Analysis.Knowing Who You AreRacial Sobriety CoachingKinship Support Grant

Practice & Training Implications

Implementation Science Training alone doesn’t have impact ~

Coaching is criticalAdjusting System to meet intervention –

not other way around (e.g. TDM)Adaptive Leadership/Supervision

To learn more about the Institutional Analysis visit www.cssp.org or email kristen.weber@cssp.org

For a copy of Fresno County’s full report: http://www.co.fresno.ca.us/uploadedFiles/Departments/Children_and_Family_Services/PDF/Institutional%20Analysis%20101910.pdf

For questions related to Fresno County’s Institutional Analysis please contact:

Howard Himes (559) 600-2306 hhimes@co.fresno.ca.us

orWendy Osikafo (559) 600-2355

wosikafo@co.fresno.ca.us