A Good Start Makes A Difference for Families and Service Coordinators! Voluntary Family Assessments and IFSP Outcomes

1. A Good Start Makes ADifference for Families and Service Coordinators!Voluntary Family Assessments and IFSP Outcomes EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

2. Welcome • We are Teri Pinto, Mary Beth Vick and Amy Wanous… • Who are you? EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

3. Service Coordinators were asked • What is the most fundamental thing you should know to do your job? • What is the one thing you wished you had known when you first started that no one told you? • What is the hardest aspect of your job? • What is the easiest aspect of your job? EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

4. Who responded? • 25 service coordinators responded to the questionnaire • Work experience ranged from 3 weeks to 18 years EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

5. What they said What is the most fundamental thing you should know to do your job? • Time management skills • Prioritizing • Organizing • Good documentation skills • Computer skills • Knowledge of medical concerns and reports • Working with other professionals EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

6. All great things to know But what about…. • Interpersonal skills • Being a good listener EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

7. What they said What is the one thing you wished you had known when you first started that no one told you? • How much paperwork there would be • How intense PAR can be • You can’t MAKE families follow-through • How hard it is to get services in some areas EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

8. All great things to know But what about… • Understanding child development and family dynamics • What “routines-based intervention” means • The plan is driven by the family’s needs EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

9. What they said What is the hardest aspect of your job? • Paperwork • GIFTS • Scheduling therapists • Timelines EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

10. What they said What is the easiest aspect of your job? • Direct intervention with the families • Advocating for families • Home visits • Working with parents who “get it” • When families buy into the philosophy that they are their child’s teacher and they implement our suggestions EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

11. What do these things tell us? You LOVE working with families - that’s what got you here in the first place Paperwork, timelines, and GIFTS are all necessary evils, so you do them….so you can spend more time with families EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

12. So…what if we offered you A way to spend more time on the things you LOVE about your job and find the EASIEST • Working directly with families • Home visits • Helping parents “get it” • Getting families to “buy into” our philosophy EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

13. AND Less time on the things you DISLIKE and find the HARDEST to do • Paperwork • GIFTS • TImelines EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

14. What if…. … we went in a new direction? … we really addressed the issues of life for each family and their child? … we looked at the quality of the voluntary family assessments and maximized what we got out of them? EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

15. Here is what we see now “Georgie was born 3 months premature. He lives with his foster parents, twin sister and 6 other siblings. He remained in the hospital 3 months after birth. He shows significant delays in fine motor, cognitive, and language areas. He also shows slight delays in gross motor and social emotional areas. He is unable to stoop down to pick up toys…” EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

16. More of the same “Ms. Burris stated that Aaron wasn’t born premature. He has a younger brother which they both attend the same day care. Ms. Burris stated that Aaron isn’t talking as he should…” EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

17. One more for good measure “Paul is a 32 month old little boy who is currently in the custody of DHR. He was picked up and taken into care due to lack of parent supervision. He has little communication skills, unable to say his name. He was referred by the pediatrician. The DHR social worker would like EI to assist her in making sure that Paul gets all the services he needs.” EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

18. What do you think? • Yes, you have been writing these for years! • Just don’t know another way? • It is easy and the information is already there? • Yes, we have been accepting them as Voluntary Family Assessments and giving you credit during the PAR review. • No, that will NOT continue! • We are revising the PAR so that it better assesses the QUALITY of your work, not just the quantity. EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

19. So, what do you do? Learn some interviewing skills Ask some open ended questions Learn to stop, look and listen Adopt a new way of conducting a voluntary family assessment and writing outcomes You can teach an old dog new tricks Let the FRAMES work for you Rate your outcomes for functionality EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

20. Reasons for the VFA • Getting to know the family • Develop a bond with the family • Provides a short cut to much information • Assessing family needs • If you could change anything, what would it be? • When you lie awake at night, what worries you? • Setting priorities EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

21. What is FRAMES? The Frames Tool Process is invaluable tool for getting to know the child /family and is an excellent tool for conducting the Voluntary Family Assessment. The Frames Tool provides a rich profile and history that helps provider become familiar with the child / family and is the foundation from which the IFSP may be developed. EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

22. The FRAMES Process The 12 basic topic areas for open ended questions… • History • Eco Map • Functional Communication • Child’s World • Child and Family Routines EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

23. The FRAMES Process • Health • Choices • Appropriate Behaviors and Behaviors of Concern • Fears and Concerns • Child/Teacher/Family Stressors • Stress Related Strategies • Future Plans/Changes in Next 12 months EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

24. History EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

25. Eco Map EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

26. Functional CommunicationV= Consistent * =Sometimes Mode Communicative Function EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

27. School Home Community Work EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

28. Child and Family Routines Weekday Weekend Saturday Sunday EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

29. Health - + Medication name: Prescribed by: Reason: Possible side effects: None EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

30. Choices Family/Teacher Child EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

31. Appropriate Behaviors & Behaviors of Concern EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

32. Fears and Concerns-List name in first column, concerns in middle column, then rank level of concern in third column. EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

33. Child/ Teacher/ Family Stressors List name in first column, stressors in middle column, then rank level of stress in third column. EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

34. Stress Related Strategies What Works What Does Not Work EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

35. Future Plans/Changes in Next 12 months? Work Home School Community EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

36. Now what? Now that we have the FRAME work, how do we develop better functional outcomes and ultimately provide better services? EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

37. Developing Functional Outcomes What outcomes can YOU come up with for the IFSP? (your turn to work) EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

38. Family Defined Outcomes Family Defined Goals To Enhance Child’s Development, Page F of the IFSP format (handout) EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

39. But are they functional? Scale of Early Intervention Goal Functionality • Developed by Robin McWilliams • Goals focusing on • Engagement and participation needs • Independence needs • Social relationship needs EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

40. EXCELLENT! Now how hard was that? EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

41. Willing to give it a try? We pledge to… • Provide more training on VFA at Journey I • Give you the tools to use • FRAMES • Goal functionality scale If you will… • Work on improving your listening skills • Incorporate FRAMES and McWilliams Scale • Call us with any questions, we are here to help! EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous

42. How to contact us • Teri Pinto • DMH – Office of Children’s Services • 205-941-9904 • Theresa.pinto@mh.alabama.gov • Mary Beth Vick • Community Service Programs of West Alabama • 205-752-0476 x 115 • mvick@cspwal.com • Amy Wanous • ADRS – Division of Early Intervention • 334-293-7211 • Amy.wanous@rehab.alabama.gov EI and Preschool Conference 2009 Pinto, Vick, Wanous