1 / 21

What’s the “ Intense” in “ Intensive”?

What’s the “ Intense” in “ Intensive”?. The experience of Barnardos Australia in establishing Redfern/Waterloo Intensive Family Support Service Presentation by Kathleen Clark and Deirdre Cheers Intensive Family Services - Fifth National Practice Symposium - Bondi Beach - 2004.

samira
Télécharger la présentation

What’s the “ Intense” in “ Intensive”?

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. What’s the “ Intense” in “ Intensive”? The experience of Barnardos Australia in establishing Redfern/Waterloo Intensive Family Support Service Presentation by Kathleen Clark and Deirdre Cheers Intensive Family Services - Fifth National Practice Symposium - Bondi Beach - 2004

  2. FAMILY SUPPORT & BARNARDOS • Auburn 1974 • Penrith 1988 • A C T 1998 • South Coast 1999 • Orana Far West 2002 • Tasmania 2003 • Redfern/Waterloo 2003

  3. FAMILY SUPPORT • 1974 - Homebuilders’ Program (US) • 1980’s - Growth and expansion of Barnardos’ Family Support and Temporary Family Care (TFC) programs • 1990 - Community Services Victoria (CSV, now DHS) establishes Families First Reference Group • 1992 - Intensive Family Based Services Innovations Conference, Sydney NSW

  4. “CLASSIC” IFBS FEATURESBased on original US Homebuilders Model • Workers have social work or equivalent qualifications • Low caseloads (2 families per EFT worker) • Families have access to 24 hour support • High supervisor : worker ratio (typically 1 : 2)

  5. “CLASSIC” IFBS FEATURES Cont’d • Referral criteria “imminent risk of placement in out-of-home care” • Only statutory referrals • Time limited duration of support available to families (4 - 12 weeks) • High level commitment to staff training and program evaluation

  6. ANCILLARY FEATURES • Immediate intervention - families visited within 24 hours of referral - no waiting lists • Home-based intervention - not office based • Family focussed intervention • Case planning goals developed with families - not for them

  7. ANCILLARY FEATURES Cont’d • Direct provision of material and practical assistance • Use of theory-based intervention “techniques” - RET, Systems Theory “tools” - crisis cards, strengths cards, signal exercises “tricks” - the teachable moment

  8. LESSONS LEARNED • NSW Experience: Initial IFBS pilots Macarthur and Far North Coast (Report to Minister for Community Services from the IFBS Reference Group, January 1996) • Victoria: Initial Families First Pilot Implementation Evaluation 1993; Evaluation of Strengthening Families Initiative February 2001 • US Homebuilders: Ainsworth, F. “Family Presentation Services: A Cautionary Note”, CHILDREN AUSTRALIA, Vol 18, No 2, 1993

  9. LESSONS LEARNED Cont’d • imprecise definitions of “imminent out-of-home care placement” • time frames • opportunities for change (crisis theory) • ability to provide individually tailored responses to families • importance of follow up in order to maximise short term gains • key importance of brokerage $$$

  10. REDFERN/WATERLOO IFSS -MODELLING A NEW SERVICE • One part of a whole of government initiative, the Redfern/Waterloo Partnership Project (RWPP) • Broader social agenda - not just IFSS • Nature of Redfern/Waterloo (cultural diversity, number of agencies)

  11. REDFERN/WATERLOO IFSS 2003 A service delivery model targeting vulnerable families via assertive outreach, intensive home visiting support, community outreach and interagency links/partnerships combined with flexible use of brokerage funds.

  12. STAFF RECRUITMENT ISSUES • Program Manager leadership • Importance of diversity in professional and cultural backgrounds of staff

  13. DEFINING ROLES -External Factors • Political agenda • Period of funding • Project brief • Many services in area • Historical/cultural factors

  14. DEFINING ROLES -Internal Factors • Project Brief • Cultural Awareness • Diversity of Professional Backgrounds

  15. TENSIONS AND PRESSURES • Whose agenda? • What does Intensive Family Support mean? • “Competing” with other agencies • Developing partnerships • Rumours and innuendo

  16. TENSIONS AND PRESSURES Cont’d • Conflicting aspects of IFSS brief • Broad project goals • Two year timeframe • Staff retention

  17. WHAT WE DO AND HOW WE DO IT • Intake • Case Management (SCARF) • Assertive Outreach • Brokerage • Interagency Meetings / Developing Partnerships

  18. WHAT DOES CASE MANAGEMENT MEAN FOR FAMILIES? • Intensive home visiting • Practical in home support • Parent education • Relationship support • Substance abuse issue management • Life skills education • Counselling • Support for mental health issues • Respite care

  19. WHAT DOES CASE MANAGEMENT MEAN FOR WORK WITH OTHER AGENCIES? • Calling and convening meetings for case planning/review • Always having families at meetings: sometimes a challenge! • Making sure agency roles and responsibilities are clear • Agreeing on timeframes and desired outcomes for interventions • Interagency meetings and joint planning

  20. STATISTICS • 39 current families • 89 families assisted since July 2003 • 7 unallocated referrals • 205 children and their families attended Kids Speak since July 2003 • 50/50 client cultural split • multiple referral sources

  21. EVALUATION • Premier’s Department • University of NSW • Human Services Review

More Related