The Tentative Schedule of
2023 TCOM Conference
We are thrilled to share the tentative schedule for this year’s TCOM conference, an engaging series of courses, panels, and workshops spanning across three action-packed days, starting October 4, 2023.
Please note that this schedule is subject to change, as we’re continuously working to provide the best experience for all participants. We strongly recommend you to register now to secure your place and to stay informed about any updates to the conference schedule. We look forward to welcoming you to an event that promises to inspire, educate, and connect like never before.
8:00 - 9:00 AM
9:00 - 11:30 AM
1:30 - 4:00 PM
4:30 - 6:00 PM
Continental Breakfast
Long Course
Critical Race Theory
Poster Session Reception
8:00 - 9:00 AM
9:00 - 11:30 AM
1:30 - 4:00 PM
4:30 - 6:00 PM
Continental Breakfast
Short Courses
Roundtables
Power Shifting Tool in Community Organizing
Creating a Learning Community for TCOM Certified Trainers
Poster Session Reception
7:30 - 9:00 AM
9:00 - 9:45 AM
9:50-10:35 AM
10:40- 11:25 AM
11:25 - 12:45 PM
Continental Breakfast
Keynote address by:
Dr. Andrew Winters, and Lizzie Minton, LCSW
Keynote address by:
Dr. Serenity Wright
Keynote address by:
Dr. Gina Wesley
Awards Luncheon
Presented by Dr. John Lyons
1:00 - 2:00 PM
2:15 - 3:15 PM
3:15-3:45 PM
3:45 - 4:45 PM
5:00 - 6:00 PM
Breakout Sessions
Breakout Sessions
Break
Breakout Sessions
Breakout Sessions
7:30 - 9:00 AM
9:00 - 9:45 AM
9:50 -10:35 AM
10:40 - 11:25 AM
11:30 - 12:00 PM
Continental Breakfast
Keynote address by:
Dr. Faith Summersett Williams
Keynote address by:
Dr. Olga Vsevolozhskaya
Keynote address by:
Dr. Scott Fairhurst
30 Minutes Break (Lunch Box Provided)
12:00 - 1:00 PM
1:15 - 2:15 PM
2:30 - 3:30 PM
3:30 - 4:00 PM
4:00 - 4:45 PM
Breakout Sessions
Breakout Sessions
Breakout Sessions
30 Minutes Break
Keynote address by
Teri Deal
4:45 - 5:00 PM
Closing Remarks by
Dr. John Lyons
Long Course
Ms. Janet Hoeke, Dr. Jennifer Roland, and Dr. De Lacy Davis will facilitate this two-part workshop to explore Critical Race Theory from black and white perspectives. They will discuss what Critical Race Theory is and how it impacts the families we serve. This session is intended to be an open and historical exploration of and insight into how families of color view themselves and are viewed by others; and, how this impacts the services they receive, and the experiences that they have in a family driven system. The family’s story is supposed to drive the conversation. What happens when the narrative of the story isn’t controlled by the family telling it undermines the family as well as the services they receive.
They will explore our assumptions, examine examples, and get curious about how our own experience impacts the service we provide. They will delve into cognitive dissonance, double marginality, and double consciousness; their meaning and impact. Further, they will wrap all this around the family’s story; who controls it, who gets to tell it, and why it matters. They will come away with: a deeper understanding of our world as seen through black and white lenses, why who tells the story matters, how and why we rationalize our point of view and ways to mitigate the impact of this and how to have a conversation around Critical Race Theory.
Outline:
- Critical Race Theory perspectives from a black and white lens
- The story is the most important part
- Failure to recognize how people are viewed relative to the service delivery is problematic
- Historical understanding of race and the role race plays in the United States.
- Who controls the narrative, controls the stories.
- Review assumptions based on what we have learned either in school, historically, have been told, or believed to be true.
- Serving those we don’t respect
- Everyone’s story deserves to be told
- Cognitive dissonance, double marginality, double consciousness and its impact on families and providers
- If your story isn’t told, then you do not count
- Who tells the American story defines the reality for those in the story.
Learning objectives
This workshop is designed to help us:
- Develop a working understanding of Critical Race Theory,
- Recognize the role of stories in who controls the narrative,
- Identify cognitive dissonance, double marginality, and double consciousness in populations and systems we serve, and
- Formulate ways to have a conversation around race in America.
Target: direct care workers, social workers, agency/organization administrators, county/state directors, or family members
Please Note: This will be a long course that will take a full day.
Short Courses
Join our interactive workshop and learn the basics of working with CANS data using R. Our instructors will guide you through the process, and you’ll get hands-on experience using R to analyze CANS data like a pro. Don’t miss this opportunity to expand your skills and take your data analysis to the next level – bring your computer and join us today! No prior experience needed – just a passion for data analysis and a willingness to learn. In the workshop attendees will
- Open RStudio and identify the function of the four main panes.
- Load a script file, run lines from it, edit and save the script file.
- Set a working directory and read in a simulated CANNS data set.
- Create basic data summaries for a single variable from a simulated CANNS data set.
- Create univariate visualizations using GGplot from a simulated CANNS data set.
- Identify how R could be implemented to create advanced summaries and visualizations from a simulated CANNS data set.
- Identify additional resources for further learning and help.
Attendees are encouraged to install R before the workshop
When installing R and R-studio you will want to install R first. Visit the following websites:
- R: https://mirror.las.iastate.edu/CRAN/
- R-Studio: https://posit.co/download/rstudio-desktop/#download
When installing R you may be asked to select a mirror. The choice of mirror is not important, select one of the USA options. If you have any questions please contact Amanda Ellis at amanda.ellis@uky.edu.
Dr. Amanda Ellis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biostatistics. She is currently serving as the Vice Chair of the department and Director of Graduate Studies for the Master of Science in Biostatistics Program. Her focus is on graduate education, course and curriculum development.
Michaela Voit is a Senior Data Research Analyst with the University of Kentucky’s Center for Innovation in Population Health, pursuing a Master’s in Public Health (University of Kentucky, Expected 2024). As a member of the TCOM Precision Analytics team, she applies advanced statistical methods to create tools that inform TCOM implementations nationwide, with a goal of translating methods that help empower youth and family voices in practice, by telling youth stories with rapid and scalable reports that support key decision-points within complex care systems. Prior to joining the University of Kentucky, Michaela worked with the TCOM team at Chapin Hall, supporting analytics and communications work. She holds Bachelor’s degree in English and Public Policy from the University of Chicago, where she graduated with departmental honors in Public Policy and presented her thesis cataloguing trauma-informed interventions and collaborations among nonprofit service providers on Chicago’s South Side.
Description:
This short course uses a community-engaged interdisciplinary perspective to analyze barriers fathers experience interfacing with key systems and social services to gain skills and capacity to effectively engage with their children as co-parents. Facilitators will dissect the concept of fatherhood with a racial and social justice lens and discuss its impact on child wellbeing; evaluate structural barriers that contribute to father disengagement across key systems and jeopardize effective co-parenting; and discuss the lived experiences of fathers of color. This course is informed by findings from a community-engaged qualitative study examining fathers’ barriers and opportunities to actively participate in their children’s lives.
Learning objectives:
- Evaluate fathers’ barriers and opportunities to actively participate in their children’s lives as co-parents.
- Analyze structural barriers across key systems that contribute to fathers’ disengagement and jeopardize effective co-parenting.
- Understand the lived experiences of fathers of color.
Presenters:
- Rafael E. Pérez Figueroa, MD, MPH. Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Public Health Practice and Associate Professor of Urban-Global Public Health, Rutgers University School of Public Health.
- Antonio Garcia, PhD. Associate Professor, Buckhorn Professor of Social Work, University of Kentucky College of Social Work.
- David Cozart, MTh. Chief Officer, Commonwealth Center for Fathers & Families.
- Shelby Clark, PhD. Assistant Professor, University of Kentucky College of Social Work.
Description:
Human-serving systems have long understood that individual and family strengths are particularly powerful and precious moderators of adversity. As indicators that more and more individuals are struggling with health, mental health, and contextual challenges continue to rise, systems and practitioners are seeking population level, real-time information that points to effective action. The science of subjective well-being has deep potential to answer the call, with well-replicated and pervasive links to positive health and life outcomes and capacity to measure and target wellbeing to promote health and mental health-promoting behaviors. In this two-hour short course, we will learn about the power of subjective well-being across populations and review population and individual level wellbeing measurement strategies. We also will use case examples and our own experiences to explicitly operationalize the ways that systems, leaders, educators, and human-serving practitioners can work to target and enhance subjective well-being and its correlate strengths in the providers and recipients of our care.
Presentation Outline:
- Briefly review current population-level indicators of deteriorating well-being.
- Discuss the definition of and contributors to subjective well-being.
- Dive deeply into the well-established scientific support for subjective well-being and its impact on health and life outcomes.
- Apply this deepened understanding to the outcomes and challenges of our work.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will develop a deep understanding of subjective well-being, its contributors, and the ways that it impacts health and life outcomes.
- Participants will identify policy level, organizational, and programmatic actions that deeply build subjective well-being and its functional correlates.
- Participants will apply their own experiences with systems and programmatic outcomes to their enhanced understanding of what strength-building really means.
Target Audience: Policy makers, leaders, educators, and direct human-serving practitioners
Presenters:
- Suzanne Button, PhD, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Lotic.AI — suzanne@lotic.ai
- Katie Penry, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Lotic.AI — katie@lotic.ai
Description:
Come and clown around with us as we explore the critical role of the circus ringmaster, just like the TCOM trainer, who must bring both content and expertise, while utilizing techniques to excite and engage the audience on a show they won’t forget. This two-hour workshop will examine the lifespan of a learning experience, including elements of instructional design, implementation and evaluation. As part of the discussion, examples of how critical components of TCOM learning (Seven Key Principles, Scoring Vignettes, Person Centered Planning) will be shared. With our various backgrounds and experiences, we will reflect on lessons learned and collaboratively create a training plan that will ensure your learners are engaged and committed to the TCOM framework.
Target Audience*:
This workshop is open to both new and seasoned trainers looking to explore and expand current training practices; shifting from a training mindset to a framework that supports a continuous learning experience for the TCOM practitioner.
Learning Objectives:
- Diagram the TCOM plan and identify innovative and engaging training techniques that will maximize the application of TCOM and the use of the Assessments.
- Integrate adult learning principles into their TCOM training, promoting high levels of investment, motivation, and retention for the trainees.
- Organize a spaced education plan which incorporates technology to improve accessibility to resources and enhance the sustainability of TCOM in practice.
- Produce an experiential training plan that aligns with TCOM and the needs of their organization/jurisdiction.
*We will be offering optional “office hours” for TCOM trainers to come for additional support.
Ringmasters:
- Heather Boyd is an Applied Learning and Development Specialist for Allegheny County Department of Human Services; Integrated Program Services. Heather works to support integration across systems through workforce development. heather.boyd@alleghenycounty.us
- Alacia L. Eicher, MA
Alacia L. Eicher is the co-owner of AERO Learning and Design Consulting, and a Senior Applied Learning and Development Specialist for the Allegheny County Department of Human Services in Pittsburgh, PA. Ms. Eicher serves as the manager of TCOM implementation in Allegheny County. In this role, she leads a team in the planning and implementation on the TCOM Assessments and several adjacent initiatives, including Practical Application Workshops, Train the Trainer programs, CQI processes, the engagement and sustainment of the Assessment Champions, and the development and integration of analytic dashboards. Alacia is an alumnus of the Allegheny County DHS Leadership Fellow Program and assisted with analyzing and developing solutions to complex system problems. Alacia has a history of working with families, adults and transitional age youth and has obtained her Master of Arts in Adult Learning and Training.
MA
Roundtables
Description:
TCOM tools are essential in providing assessment and linkage to appropriate care for the youth and families who we serve. For those of us who are providing services to youth and families who speak Spanish, we are often challenged with “translating” the tools, making sure that they fit the needs of the families, as we as well as encompass the various cultures of the families served. TCOM con cafe is a group of professionals who are dedicated to providing quality assessments in Spanish. This workshop will create a space for Spanish-speaking providers to connect, share experiences, and identify ways to work together utilizing and implementing the philosophy of TCOM in Spanish.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will be able to describe at least three differences in training, coaching, and implementation from English to Spanish.
- Participants will be able to discuss at least 3 challenges and identify at least 3 strengths of promoting the TCOM framework in Spanish nationwide and worldwide.
Target Audience: Spanish speaking participants preferably. Everyone is welcome.
Presenters:
- Ari Acosta: ari.acosta@uky.edu
- Ari Acosta is a Senior Policy Analyst Center for Innovation in Population Health, University of Kentucky. Bilingual Senior Policy Analyst, providing training support and technical assistance conducted in English and Spanish on the use of the TCOM Tools: Childand Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS), the Adult Needs and Strengths Assessment (ANSA) the Family Advocacy and Support Tool (FAST), and the Safe System Improvement Tool (SSIT). Support in the implementation and evaluation of adult and children’s systems of care, behavioral health and child protection with agencies and jurisdictions across the United States.
- Rita Camarillo, LPC: r.camarillo@rutgers.edu
- Rita Camarillo, LPC is a Training & Consultation Specialist with Rutgers Behavioral Research & Training Institute for the Children’s System of Care Training Program in New Jersey. She graduated from the College of St. Elizabeth in 2004 with a Masters in Counseling Psychology degree. She completed her undergraduate degree at Rutgers University. Rita has over 21years of experience working in behavioral health beginning her career as a youth and family counselor at a domestic violence center. Since 2004 Rita has worked in different capacities within the NJ Children’s System of Care including Children’s Mobile Response Crisis Intervention Specialist, Mobile Response Program Coordinator, Behavioral Assistant, and Intensive In-Community Clinician. Rita has been utilizing the Crisis Assessment Tool (CAT) and Strength and Needs Assessment(SNA) since 2004 and is a certified trainer in the TCOM tools. Rita provides individual and family therapy services to many immigrant communities. In addition she currently trains on immigrant trauma and best practices working with immigrants. She speaks several languages including Spanish and Arabic and is proud to be a certified Nurtured Heart Approach Trainer.
Description:
Subjective well-being is a powerful potential target of attention for policy makers, leaders, systems of care and education, and individual educators and practitioners. Research on well-being has identified its components, which are nuanced, contextually grounded, and individually unique. More recent neuroscientific research directs human-serving systems to those trainable strengths and skills that are common components of well-being, and that can be measured, instilled, or strengthened in ways that are individually and contextually responsive. In this two-hour round table, we will review a framework for operationalizing the measurement and development of wellness and strengths that is rooted in brain science, has potential for population, systems, and individual-level measurement, and can bring transformational impact to the improvement of life and health outcomes in the systems we serve.
Outline:
- Provide an overview of the potential power of subjective well-being for improving life and health outcomes.
- Define the components of wellbeing and the skills that potentiate those components.
- Review the ‘four pillars of wellness’ as outlined by the Center for Healthy Minds.
- Break down the measurable and trainable ‘brain skills’ that can be targeted at the population, systems, and individual levels.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will identify the components of wellbeing.
- Participants will differentiate between popular definitions of wellbeing and science-based wellbeing promotion strategies.
- Participants will learn how to apply the science of wellbeing at each level of the human-serving system (population, program, or individual).
- Participants will practice a few exercises developed to instill wellness-promoting brain skills.
Target Audience: Policy makers, leaders, educators and direct human-serving practitioners
Presenter:
- Suzanne Button, PhD(suzanne@lotic.ai): Dr. Button is the Senior Clinical Psychologist for Lotic.AI, which is a well-being insights company committed to helping people live life better. Lotic.AI is an early-stage start-up founded on the premise that human stories hold power that can help each person thrive. Dr. Button has worked with human-serving systems for almost 30 years. She developed and implemented a national suicide risk prevention/mental health program for America’s high schools with The Jed Foundation and was a policy fellow with Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, where she was a proud member of the national TCOM team. She is passionate about finding ways to promote access to resources that promote health, wellness, and recovery for all humans.
- Katie Penry, PhD(katie@lotic.ai): Dr. Penry is a Clinical Psychologist for Lotic.AI. She has worked over 15 years in cross-setting collaboration as a private practitioner, consultant, and author – focusing on the recovery, resilience, and prevention of serious and persistent mental illness in underserved communities. She specializes in the cyber mental health space, harnessing various digital intervention strategies and AI to scale well-being and mental health. Her book, Parenting Toddlers Workbook, is a popular publication in the infant and toddler space for its accessibility and practical skill building opportunities
Breakout Sessions
West Virginia DHHR in collaboration with Marshall University (MU) assessed workers in the Bureau of Social Services, which includes child protective service and youth service workers through the Safety Culture Survey. Once completed trainings that focused on trauma, self-care, team building, and supervisors, as well as peer support groups were implemented. MU during the presentation will give participants practical ways to implement the survey, trainings, peer support groups and critical incident teams.
Learning objectives
• Participants will be able to identify self-care and team building techniques that may be useful to their
agency or state.
• Participants will be able to list the steps to developing a peer support group
• Participants will be able to formulate how a University based critical incident team may work in their state.
Target: Those interested in assessing the safety culture in their program or state and decreasing secondary traumatic stress and vicarious trauma.
Presenters:
- LuAnn Edge, MSW
- Ashley Kimble, MSW
- Susan Richards
West Virginia has been utilizing TCOM tools for well over 15 years to improve the lives of children and families. The focus of the state is to ensure children are placed in appropriate levels of care with the goal always being the least restrictive. The state has implemented several tactics in the last few years to assist in reaching that goal. These include partnerships with Marshall University that provides oversight to all TCOM activities in the state, a Latent Class Analysis, development of a Decision Support Model and implementing a Trauma-Sensitive workplace in DHHR.
WV will share how the TCOM tools can be used as tactics for your state to support decisions, outcomes monitoring and quality improvement. They demonstrate how in the state of WV the tools have been used at an individual and family level, program and system level.
Learning objectives
• This workshop is designed to help states or programs to move from just filling out a form to utilizing the
TCOM tools to meet their state’s needs.
• Participants will be able to identify 2-3 TCOM tactics to help them meet their state’s goals related to
children, adults and families.
Target: Programs and States interested in using the CANS and other TCOM tools in other ways than just completing a form.
- Tammy Pearson, MA
- Linda Gibson, MS
- Laura Hunt, MPH
Share Utah’s implementation of TCOM tools in its primary caseworker realm. How TCOM is used with every family experiencing on-going services from Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare services, as well as how a truncated version of The Utah Family And Children Engagement tool are also used in crisis stabilization. Utah will share federal CFSR data showing the positive impact the TCOM tools have on assessment measures for Utah’s child welfare system. We will present on how the family voice is used in Juvenile Justices TCOM approach to their services. Utah will provide examples of the engagement tools our front line staff have created to help connect TCOM and UFACET to their daily business approach.
Learning objectives
- Learn how the Utah uses TCOM tools in front line caseworker
- Discuss training and tools related to family engagement around UFACET in case management
- Share data gathered through Utah’s PIP plan related to TCOM tools and assessment item outcome scores
Target:
Direct Care Workers will learn how you can use TCOM tools and principles for day to day family engagement, progress measurement and plan creation.
Administrators will learn how you can implement a multifaceted use of TCOM tools and principles to help move the needle on federal review tools for child welfare.
Supervisors/Coaches will learn how allowing some frontline ownership of creating supportive materials for TCOM tools increases understand and bu-in of TCOM tools
Presenters:
- Kyla Clark, SSW is the Service Continuum program administrator for Utah’s child welfare system. Kyla has worked in child welfare for 16 years, is responsible for the systems strengths, and needs assessment. kaclark@utah.gov
Lori Butterfield is the Youth Services Supervisor for Salt Lake and Toole counties in SLC, UT. She began her career in the private sector working as a youth mentor and area coordinator before taking a position as counselor at the Slate Canyon Youth Center. Lori then moved onto become a facilitator with High Fidelity Wraparound before accepting her current position.loributterfield@utah.gov
Population Health, or “Pop Health”, uses non-traditional interdisciplinary teams to customize a solution to improve health outcomes for a specific population of people. While the CDC believes that public health, industry, academia, health care, and local government entities should all be included in this process, TCOM reminds us that there may be a few missing faces at the table. Join us for a hands-on look at designing successful systems using collaboration and intentional feedback loops.
Learning objectives
- Describe 1 definition of population health as it relates to their specific area of practice;
- Expand 2 individual-focused TCOM strategies in the design of system-wide Pop Health solutions; and
- Communicate at least 3 of these ideas to their teams at home.
Target: Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches, Researchers/Analysts
- Laura Wallis received her Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering from the University of Arizona and is a licensed professional civil engineer. After having children, and recognizing one had significant mental health challenges and developmental disabilities, Laura became an advocate for children’s mental health reform, and participated in the implementation of Idaho’s Youth Empowerment Services (YES) system of care info@idahoparentnetwork.org
- Kenneth McGill, EdS LMFT A Solution-Focused Care Senior Scientist at Opeeka in Folsom, California kmcgill@opeeka.com
- Amy Minzghor After attending Portland State University, Amy became the mother of 3 children. She and her husband then became foster parents, eventually adopting 5 children. Along with childhood trauma, collectively her children have a variety of severe emotional disturbances, developmental, and neurological disorders. Parenting these children has strengthened her compassion and empathy and fuels her passion to serve others. secretary@idahoparentnetwork.org
In January 2017, Safe Baby Court became a pilot program in Tennessee. In January 2018, the Safe Baby Court initiative was born. Vanderbilt Center of Excellence (COE) joined as the academic partner into collaboration with the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (DMHSAS), and Tennessee Department of Children Services (TNDCS). There are currently 14 counties in Tennessee that have an operating Safe Baby Court and 7 more counties are being proposed. Vanderbilt COE Mental Health Consultants will introduce the Toddler Infant Needs and Strengths (TINS) assessment for children ages zero to three, and how it was implemented in the Tennessee Safe Baby Courts with the child being at the forefront of service planning. Join us in celebrating our growing pains.
Learning objectives
• Participates will be able to summarize how we got started, where we are, and how we plan to move forward.
• Participants will be able to identify how and why the TNDCS and Vanderbilt COE implemented the TINS assessment as an intervention that is designed to look at infant mental health and risk factors.
• Participants will be able to conceptualize how they can utilize the TINS to keep the Infant/Toddler at the forefront of decision making and planning.
Target:
- Infant Mental Health Providers
- Child Welfare Agencies
- Anyone interested in learning how an Academic Partnership can support infant mental health in a statewide initiative.
- Anyone who works with or supervises the 0-4 population including those interested in Safe Baby Court.
- Ashley Rice, MSW, has been Mental Health Consultant for the Vanderbilt Center of Excellence (COE) since 2011 providing training and mental health consultations to the Tennessee Department of Children Services on assessment integration in case planning and TCOM practices. ashley.rice@tn.gov
- Tracie Kercher, Ph.D., has been a Mental Health Consultant for the Vanderbilt University Medical Center-Center of Excellence (COE) since 2013, providing assessment and mental health consultations and training to the Tennessee Department of Children Services (DCS) on assessment integration in case planning and TCOM practices. tracie.kercher@tn.gov
- Steve Vann, LPC, has been Mental Health Consultant for the Vanderbilt Center of Excellence (COE) since 2015 providing training and mental health consultations to the Tennessee Department of Children Services on assessment integration in case planning and TCOM practices. Steven.Vann@tn.gov
Clinical decision support systems are quickly becoming essential tools for healthcare providers as the volume of available data increases alongside their responsibility to deliver value-based care. They have long been established parts of care in the medical community, as well as Physical and Occupational therapies. Reducing clinical variation and duplicative treatment, ensuring client and staff safety, and avoiding complications that may result in expensive clawbacks are top priorities for providers in the modern regulatory and reimbursement environment – and harnessing the hidden insights of big data is essential for achieving these goals. Because the growth of this field has increased at a far greater pace than that of other healthcare types, it’s crucial that providers adopt technology to help them stay current on the latest data, trends, and best practices.
Learning objectives
- Identify key components, uses, and implications of Clinical Decision Support Systems
- Understand the relationship between Quality of Life, Medical-Necessity, and Outcomes
- Conceptualize some of the drivers in the trends of autism rates of prevalence”
Target:
Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates,Direct Care Workers,Administrators,Supervisors/Coaches,Researchers/Analysts,Other: Anyone impacted by autism/neurodiversity
- Amanda Ralston (she/her) has been certified as a behavior analyst since 2002, first as a BCaBA, and then as a BCBA.
email: mandy@nonbinarysolutions.com
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, in combination with restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. The diagnosis of children with ASD is sometimes delayed or undetected until early adulthood, even though these children receive mental health services. Because early diagnosis is associated with a better prognosis, it is important to minimize the delay between initial indicators and diagnosis. Additionally, with a more accurate estimates of the number of ASD youth in care, mental health programs and behavioral health interventions may better divert proportionate resources to supports and services. This study builds a deep neural network (DNN) machine learning (ML) model to identify early ASD symptoms in clients based on their Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessments. Our model highlights items that could improve the chances of ASDs being picked up by clinicians, thus optimizing their management and improving early intervention services.
Learning objectives
- Introduce a DNN approach for estimating rates of undiagnosed ASD within a program or system
- Explore the DNN method for early identification of ASD and other diagnostic groups using longitudinal CANS data
- Address the important role of longitudinal data in “Outcomes Management” and the early identification DNN method
- Participants will:
- Advance their understanding of the relationship between CANS data, longitudinal assessment practices, and diagnostic codes in TCOM implementations
- Discuss implications of early identification of diagnoses using CANS screeners and assessments
Target:
- Behavioral health system and program administrators
- Youth-serving systems researchers, data analysts, and statisticians
- Youth peer partners and family advocates
- Dr. Olga Vsevolozhskaya is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biostatistics. Prior to joining the faculty, she held a postdoctoral fellow position at Michigan State University, where she worked on statistical issues associated with the epidemiology of drug abuse and genetic susceptibility to human health conditions. Her research focused on the development of statistical methods for characterizing interactions between risk factors associated with transition to drug dependence and on statistical genetics approaches for finding heritable components of health-related human traits. Dr. Vsevolozhskaya’s work focuses on functional data analysis, which uses curves to summarize information over continuously varying variables, such as time or distance. The techniques for functional data analysis that she has been working with are applicable to a wide variety of studies and types of data, including those found in epigenetic and drug abuse research. vsevolozhskaya@uky.edu
Michaela Voit is a Senior Data Research Analyst with the University of Kentucky’s Center for Innovation in Population Health, pursuing a Master’s in Public Health (University of Kentucky, Expected 2024). As a member of the TCOM Precision Analytics team, she applies advanced statistical methods to create tools that inform TCOM implementations nationwide, with a goal of translating methods that help empower youth and family voices in practice, by telling youth stories with rapid and scalable reports that support key decision-points within complex care systems. Prior to joining the University of Kentucky, Michaela worked with the TCOM team at Chapin Hall, supporting analytics and communications work. She holds Bachelor’s degree in English and Public Policy from the University of Chicago, where she graduated with departmental honors in Public Policy and presented her thesis cataloguing trauma-informed interventions and collaborations among nonprofit service providers on Chicago’s South Side.
In 2019, Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services overhauled its child death review process and joined the National Partnership for Child Safety. After a slow start, the state found its stride, making significant improvements to its process by incorporating equity, inclusion, and trauma-informed components not only for those involved with the critical incident but those reviewing them. This training is a roadmap and overview of the lessons learned that led Michigan to system transformation and enhance the way it responds to critical incidents.
The Michigan team will use PowerPoint, case studies, and comparisons between our old system of fatality review and the new Safe System Review process.
Learning objectives
- Participants will learn strategies to enhance traditional review procedures, incorporate equity and inclusion, and combat oversight “trauma”.
Target:
Anyone in an oversight, review capacity that has engaged in traditional review processes. Those interested in system transformation. Those who participate in the oversight of child welfare programs.
- Seth Persky, State Manager Office of Family Advocate perskys@michigan.gov
Jamielah Jenkins, Departmental Specialist Office of Family Advocate JenkinsJ2@michigan.gov
In this study, we explore the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on the Behavioral-Emotional Needs (BEN) of children, particularly those exposed to multiple ACEs (MAC). We also will explore the protective effects of Strengths (STR) on BEN. Previous studies have demonstrated the detrimental effects of ACEs on mental, physical, and behavioral health in adulthood, with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that as many as 1 in 6 adults have experienced four or more traumatic events during childhood. While the CDC recognizes the importance of resilience as a protective factor against the negative outcomes of ACEs, specific strategies for enhancing resilience have yet to be clearly outlined. Our study seeks to address this gap by studying children who have experienced multiple ACEs, focusing on their BEN before they reach adulthood. Furthermore, we aim to identify the factors that contribute to resilience in these children, with a particular emphasis on the spirituality-religious strengths (SRR).
Our cross-sectional study utilizes recent Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) data collected from July to December in Wisconsin Child Welfare, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. By examining the impact of ACEs during this unique period, we hope to shed light on any distinctive perspectives and challenges these children face. Additionally, our findings will contribute to a broader understanding of the BEN of children exposed to MAC, providing valuable insights for interventions beyond the context of the pandemic. Preliminary results suggest that SRR plays a significant role in promoting resilience and protecting against the negative effects of ACEs and specific BEN. By promoting the inclusion of SRF as a factor in interventions, we aim to enhance the well-being of children who may be socially and environmentally isolated, both during and outside of the pandemic.
Learning objectives
- Identify the potential negative physical and mental health outcomes and risky behaviors associated with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
- Explain the importance of strengthening resilience and promoting protective factors to mitigate the negative effects of ACEs
- Evaluate the potential implications of resilience factors and protective factors for national and local policies around the value of interventions that build resilience
Target:
Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates, Direct Care Workers, Administrators
Hyeeun Shin is a doctoral student in Health Services Research at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health. With a Master’s degree in Human Welfare Studies and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Hyeeun has a strong background in identifying and meeting the needs of people. Hyeeun has also volunteered and worked in various health-related settings, including as a social worker in an elderly care management center and as a helper at various children’s programs. hyeeun.shin@uky.edu
- Dr. Xiaoran Tong is an assistant professor for the Center for Innovation in Population Health, University of Kentucky (IPHC/UKY). He manages, analyzes, and develops statistical methods targeting data collected via CANS (Child Adolescent Needs and Strength) and other TCOM-based assessment tools to improve youth welfare services. xt@uky.edu
Gemma Services promotes hope and healing through mental health services, education, and specialized support for children, teens, and families who are experiencing significant emotional and behavioral difficulties. At Gemma, nothing is more important than showing each child they are precious and providing them with opportunities to flourish and shine. Until a few years ago, Gemma was utilizing data reflectively, and we began researching options to be more innovative with our data. In collaboration with BCT Partners, we developed decision support recommendation tools for our Psychiatric Residential Treatment Program and Outpatient Behavioral Health Program to utilize our data to create actionable evidence. This session will include sharing how machine learning evaluations can be leveraged to produce more equitable and actionable evidence, not only for organizational leaders, their funders, and key stakeholders, but even more importantly, for front-line practitioners and their beneficiaries. It is a central field-building need for the future of actionable evidence to be able to use data that are already being transactionally collected and produce equity achieving insights that mitigate rather than perpetuate bias. The field needs outcomes for beneficiaries who are Black, Latino/a/x, or experiencing poverty by promoting “actionable evidence” that is timely, credible, and practical, and is produced equitably with practitioners and beneficiaries at the center. We will be excited to share our process and product through this interactive presentation.
Learning objectives
- Participants will learn how machine learning evaluations can be leveraged to produce more equitable and actionable evidence. Additionally, participants will learn what precision analytics and machine learning is and how it can be applied to the social service sector using an equity lens.
Target:
Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates, Direct Care Workers, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches, Researchers/Analysts
- Kate Ryan, MSW, is the Director of Special Projects at Gemma Services in Philadelphia focusing on supporting the agency in utilizing data, project management, program development, training, and clinical support. Kate is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who received her BS from Drexel University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. Kate has experience in the implementation of evidence-based practices, special education, positive behavior support programs, and clinical support across the continuum of mental health services. Kate is focused on continuous quality improvement through data driven interventions to improve outcomes. kryan@gemmaservices.org
- Mr. Peter York, MSSA, has over 20 years of experience as a consultant and researcher in the evaluation and nonprofit fields, as well as serving as a national spokesperson for social impact and impact measurement issues. He has designed and led numerous research and evaluation studies with private philanthropies, corporations, nonprofit organizations and government agencies. pyork@bctpartners.com
This presentation is about the work that Vanderbilt University Medical Center is doing with the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services to improve services for children who are either in or at risk of entering the state’s child welfare or juvenile justice system. We will discuss building and utilizing a tool called Shiny app to gather and analyze data, specifically using the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) data and prescription- and administrative-level data, to better understand the child welfare population in Tennessee and to identify variability in prescribing practices among prescribers. At the end of the presentation, there will be a discussion on how to embed an Outcomes Management (OM) process that will benefit youth and families.
Learning objectives
● Gain an understanding of how Collaboration between a State Child Welfare System and an Academic University Medical Center might work.
● Utilize the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) data as a tool to ask questions about and aid in decision-making regarding the state-wide or region-specific child welfare population.
● Gain insights into how to monitor the variability in prescribing practices among prescribers for the child welfare population using prescription-and administrative-level data.
● Recognize the presence of variability in prescribing practices among prescribers for the child welfare population.
Target:
Direct Care Workers, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches, Researchers/Analysts
Julia Thome is a 5th year Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Biostatistics at Vanderbilt University. Her research focuses on causal inference methods and health policy evaluation. She has been a member of the analytics team working with the Vanderbilt University Center of Excellence for Children in State Custody since 2019. julia.c.thome@vanderbilt.edu
- Kathy Gracey, M.Ed., received her M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Mississippi. She has been a member of the department of psychiatry since 1992. She serves as the administrator, responsible for oversight and implementation, of multiple programs serving at risk children, youth and families. Ms. Gracey has been the key person within the Vanderbilt Center of Excellence to assist the Department of Children Services (DCS) with the implementation of a statewide assessment intervention for all children/families in DCS custody along with the implementation of a statewide assessment for non-custody families. She has assisted with a roll out of the Juvenile Justice Assessment that has been implemented in approximately 70 juvenile justice courts, training over 300 court staff in Tennessee. This entailed significant collaboration within the Tennessee state system (i.e., Department of Children Services, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services along with the Administrative Office of the Courts, which included multi-regional training, networking and on-going technical assistance. kathy.gracey@vumc.org
NH Juvenile Justice participated in the Annie E. Casey Foundation Probation Transformation Program at Georgetown University in November of 2019. Since participation the multi-disciplinary stakeholder group implemented Probation transformation efforts in NH to include implementing an assessment process utilizing the CANS tool to identify strengths and needs to appropriately serve youth. NH also implemented changes to the rules of probation to individualize service intervention provided for youth also utilizing the CANS assessment conducted. As a state we have also embarked on the development of the System of Care model through Children’s Behavioral Health, also utilizing the CANS to inform treatment needs. Youth are being identified with mental health needs that are no longer needing to be served through the juvenile justice system and are diverted to behavioral health. We have seen significant decrease in our utilization of probation, placement, confinement and court as a result.
Learning objectives
- understand utilization of CANS in NH for juvenile justice intervention and diverting youth from formal court involvement, confinement, and placement. Identify system of care utilization to support youth after identifying strengths and needs. The benefits of CANS being used across multiple systems within NH and identifying system gaps to serve youth and their families.
Target:
Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates, Direct Care Workers, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches, Researchers/Analysts
Amy McCormack, MA, is a graduate from the University of Massachusetts Lowell with a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice. Upon graduation Amy worked for the Youth Educational Employment Services Program from 2003-2007 as a caseworker and supervisor. Amy obtained employment with the State of NH in 2007 as a Juvenile Probation and Parole Officer. Amy.l.McCormack@dhhs.nh.gov
- Jeff Sellars is a University of New Hampshire graduate who has spent the last 17 years serving NH communities through various positions within the NH Division for Children Youth and Families (DCYF) juvenile justice system. Jeff has held the roles of a Youth Counselor at the secure Sununu Youth Services Center, Juvenile Probation and Parole Officer, Juvenile Probation and Parole Supervisor, Supervisor of Residential Operations at the secure Sununu Youth Services Center, and for the past several years as the NH Juvenile Justice Assessment Administrator. Jeffrey.Sellars@dhhs.nh.gov
This presentation will consist of two components. The first will introduce mapping software and the potential uses for mental health agencies that include understanding our participants better, reporting to current/future funders, academic grants, expanding services/development, training new staff, and changing the narrative. Changing the narrative refers to the ability to describe participant’s home environment with accuracy such as “84% of participants in one of our programs live in or within 1,000 feet of neighborhoods with the highest poverty rates in California.
The second component will present a series of maps that look at participant locations (not actual) and socioeconomic stressors such as poverty, unemployment, education attainment, and housing burdens. Maps will show areas with the highest percentages of needs along with participant locations. Participant data will also examine acuity levels (percent of actionable items), ever actionable improvement, and trauma. Potential use of this data includes: Are we addressing participants’ hierarchy of needs to get care? Are there different outcomes for those who live in/near communities with the highest need compared to those who live outside of these communities? Can we improve resource management? Is trauma associated with communities with the highest need?
As we are still in the research phase, we have not yet determined “now what?”. We hope to address some of these questions and share them in our presentation.
Learning objectives
- To better understand how map data is used in public health and how it can be used to better understand participants, report accurate data, describe environmental stressors in internal reports and to current and potential funders, expand services/development, and train staff to understand participants.
Target:
Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches, Researchers/Analysts, Other: Development/grant writers
- LisaMarie Miramontes, PhD, has worked with public health data, behavioral and mental, for over 15 years, and providing community assessments for 20 years. For eight years she has managed CANS and other outcomes data for over 20 youth programs overseen by a non-profit in Oakland, California. Other focus areas include needs assessments, program evaluation, and assisting community coalitions with data and research needs. This work also includes map data, such as mapping socioeconomic factors, alcohol outlets, school locations, and other environmental layers to contribute to environmental strategies for prevention of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. lisamariemiramontes@fredfinch.org
We know the assessments are not just checklists, but how are they used in practice? In this interactive workshop, we will begin by engaging participants in a brief discussion about the purpose of assessment: engagement, communication/collaboration and planning. In the first activity, participants will practice engagement skills where they will gather information on the strengths and needs of an individual. Then, they will practice organizing the information by rating individual items to create a mini assessment.
Before we move into planning, we will reflect on the quality of the assessment information gathered. Next, participants will have the opportunity to develop a goal based on the information that they gathered in the mini assessment. A brief video will be shown to describe the difference between inventory and functional strengths. We will practice turning inventory strengths into functional strengths and choose one to include in an action step for the developed goal. Lastly, we will provide a takeaway resource that discusses strengths discovery and gives concrete examples of functional strengths using the items on the ANSA/CANS/FAST.
Learning objectives
Engage in a conversation to gather comprehensive information for completion of the assessment
Organize the information gathered and complete a quality assessment
Describe the difference between inventory and functional strengths
Develop a high-quality goal based on the information gathered
Target:
Direct Care Workers, Supervisors/Coaches, Other: Staff that are using (completing) the TCOM tools and/or using the information to develop a plan. This can be staff newer to the TCOM framework or for those who would like a refresher
Quality Assurance staff
Presenters:
- Heather Boyd is an Applied Learning and Development Specialist for Allegheny County Department of Human Services; Integrated Program Services. Heather works to support integration across systems through workforce development. heather.boyd@alleghenycounty.us
Justina McMasters graduated from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Social work in 2014 and began working as a full-time child welfare caseworker in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. justina.mcmasters@alleghenycounty.us
Why do some children enrolled in behavioral and mental health services see rapid improvement and so graduate quickly while others require longer durations of treatment or even drop out? The literature has offered a variety of answers to this question, many of which highlight the role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in determining outcomes. In this project, we further unpack the relationship between trauma and children’s progress, as well as explore the “protective” role of strengths. To do so, we rely on recent Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) and services data provided by California’s largest community behavioral health agency. Using a combination of machine learning and statistical modeling, we find that total ACEs has a negative relationship with the likelihood of improving quickly, although this effect can be mediated by building strengths. These results suggest that promoting resilience leads to better outcomes, particularly for the most traumatized children.
Learning objectives
- Identify which factors predict fast improvement, slow improvement, or minimal improvement
- Explore the influence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on outcomes, as well as examine the ability to overcome trauma due to protective factors such as building strengths
- Evaluate the potential implications of resilience for national and local policies aiming to help children achieve optimal outcomes despite hardship
Targeted Audience
Researchers/analysts, Administrators, Other: Anyone interested in the role of trauma and strengths in determining children’s outcomes.
Jordan McAllister, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral scholar with the Center for Innovation in Population Health at the University of Kentucky. She provides research support in the implementation and evaluation of children’s systems of care with agencies and jurisdictions across the globe. jordan.mcallister@uky.edu
This training explores and recognizes the interaction between intuition and prescription. We focus initially on thin slicing. The Guardian calls it “the ability to find patterns in situations and behavior based on very narrow slices of experience.” In other words, using intuition in brief assessment sessions. John Gottman relies on it in his couple’s work, predicting marital longevity at greater than 90% with little observational data. Well-known author, Malcolm Gladwell focused extensively on thin slicing in his 2005, book Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking. Using this process with the CANS does not encourage judging books by their covers and relying on stereotypes but highlights how intuition can function within the CANS. This becomes less opaque when we create opportunities to spend time learning the language of the CANS, digging into it, with special attention to the modules.
Together, we will examine some of the pitfalls experienced by the Illinois PATH (Provider Assistance Training Hub) team and some of the steps we are taking to help trainees understand the language and the role of intuition in using the CANS. We will discuss:
• How rating 0’s and 1’s is expected, if not encouraged, because the tool is designed to be organic and fluid.
• The common and contradictory misconception that the CANS lacks depth. This can happen early in the training process when learning is focused on the core elements such as the domains and the ratings process as primary areas of study for certification. Going deeper with an exploration of the modules supports the valued knowledge needed when working with special populations and specific approaches.
• How too much information can be counterproductive and how it can cloud and confuse assessment. We will emphasize the TCOM Information Science key principles that focus on what is relevant now, and the Shared Visioning principle that focuses on the what and not the why during assessment.
A key consideration of engagement is also understanding that those individuals being assessed are also “thin slicing” the clinician and experience. Thus, drawing attention back to the importance of bringing one’s personality and intuition to the assessment as a core component of creating a positive and meaningful first step in the process of engaging in care.
In summation, this training will bring greater appreciation to a tool that can be erroneously shrugged off as prescribed and impersonal. Empowering generations of clinicians to embrace their personality and intuition, which can be strengthened through a closer examination of the CANS tool including the modules. Thus, improving population health through more person-centered assessments and resulting CANS.
Learning objectives
- Analyze some of the common misconceptions around the CANS and how they can act as barriers to a meaningful assessment session and CANS.
- Recognize the interplay between a clinician’s intuition and effective engagement during the assessment process.
- Outline how the structure of the CANS as well as the modules support the development and utilization of intuition in the assessment process.
Target: Practitioners, Supervisors / Administrators, Training Professionals
Presenters:
Steve Ploum, MA, LCPC, Since2018, Steve Ploum has been a Field Specialist at the University of Illinois School of Social Work’s Provider Assistance and Training Hub(PATH) where he provides training and field support pertaining to IM+CANS, IM-CAT/Crisis Safety Planning, and in using the CANS in treatment planning and supervision. sploum@illinois.edu
- Christa Taubert, LCPC is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with 10 years of experience working in behavioral health care. She began her carrier as a classroom educator and soon realized she wanted to support her students in a way that went beyond the classroom. After obtaining her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Bradley University Christa began working with children and families engaged in community-based support programs. ctaubert@illinois.edu
The covid, mass hiring, layoffs, resignations and innovation! Join us for this fun and interactive workshop to discuss best practice and innovations for training, coaching and creating a learning culture for human service professionals. Participants will identify opportunities in their work to increase retention and mastery of subjects. Using Synchronous and Asynchronous learning tools, we will review the importance of engaging the modern day adult learner and getting the best out of your training and education process.
Learning objectives
- Participants will review adult learning theories.
- Participants will discuss strategies for increasing staff knowledge and skills retention.
- Participants will identify opportunities for enhancing their curriculum and learning materials.
Target:
Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates, Direct Care Workers, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches, Researchers/Analysts
- Tracy Little, MBA / CWCM-S, is Director of Wraparound Training & Fidelity at the National Center for Innovation and Excellence osha.fordom@ncfie.org
- Jarred Vermillion , AKA The WRAP GUY! Director of Wraparound Training and Fidelity! Top Strength: Energy and Transfer of Knowledge Education: BA PSY SDSU, QBE jarred.vermillion@ncfie.org
Just as change is constant, so is resistance to any new change. No matter that the change is a good one, and we are introducing the “next big idea” that can help make things better. Minds will not change from presenting and telling how good the “next big idea” is. We need to show how good that “next big idea” is.
If you are looking for ideas on how to engage reluctant users of the TCOM tools like CANS, this is the presentation for you. Participants will be invited to a “live” discussion of the theory of change and strategies based on the CANS ratings of a child welfare case. There will also be a discussion on how such “live” discussion can be helpful in sustaining interests and motivation in using the CANS.
During the discussion of the case study, participants will have the opportunity to practice using CANS and learn from each other on their clinical applications of the TCOM tools. We will also take this chance to address common resistance to TCOM tools and provide strategies for engaging clients and other stakeholders.
Learning objectives
- Identify key elements of adopting TCOM in case management and intervention.
- Apply the TCOM approach in clinical practice to inform service planning, monitor progress and how that drives our decisions in the case management process
- Discuss strategies on engaging new TCOM tool users and sustaining their interests.
Target:
Direct Care Workers,Supervisors/Coaches
- Saw Han QUAH is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice in Singapore. For the past 20 years, Saw Han has worked with children, young persons and their parents in relation to child protection, juvenile crime and family issues. shquah@tap.com
- Lea Wong is Director of Services Case Management at Mother’s Choice. She is deeply passionate about child welfare and in being a voice for vulnerable children and seeing children in a permanent, safe and loving family. leawong@motherschoice.org
All Parent voice is necessary to promote effective family engagement and build partnerships. However, for marginalized groups (BIPOC), that voice is often silenced or unheard. In this highly personalized narrative, the presenter describes how she uses her professional education and lived experience to improve and enhance BIPOC family engagement and family partnerships with human service, community and educational organizations.
Learning objectives
• Understand and define terms related to BIPOC family engagement/family partnership.
• Understand and identify implicit bias.
• Recognize how implicit bias affects BIPOC families.
• Define Cultural responsiveness and cultural humility.
• Identify the difference between cultural competence and cultural humility and its importance with supporting BIPOC families.
• Demonstrate an understanding of ways to address barriers to engaging BIPOC families using the S.T.R.R. method!
Target:
Direct Care Workers, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches
Danyale Sturdivant, MSSW, is a graduate of Russell Sage College and Columbia University’s School of Social Work. She holds a master’s degree in clinical social work and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and is the proud mother of a teenage son on the Autism spectrum. dsturdivant@livingautismoutloud.org
The Singapore CANS has been rated for all cases in the out-of-home care sector in Singapore since
2011. The Rehabilitation and Protection Group (RPG) Implementation Team, from the Ministry of
Social and Family Development (MSF) was tasked to:
• localize CANS to the Singapore context
• develop a local training program for users and trainers
• ensure the competency of users and adherence of the usage of CANS through Quality
Assurance Reviews
• address any implementation barriers
• develop the Level of Care (LoC) algorithm
• conduct evaluation and research
This presentation aims to share how the team has achieved the implementation objectives and what
the team has learnt in this journey with implementing CANS in Singapore.
Learning objectives
• the implementation strategies used when implementing CANS in Singapore
• the implementation barriers faced
• the solutions considered and used to address these implementation barriers
Target:
Users and implementers of the TCOM tools
Madeline Heng, MS, is currently a Manager & Implementation Specialist at the Ministry of Social and Family Development. She holds a Master’s in Social Sciences, Research (Psychology) from the National University of Singapore and has worked in the public service for more than 10 years. Madeline_HENG@msf.gov.sg
A behavioral health carve-out managed care organization implemented a value-based program (VBP) including case rates and incentive payments for meeting certain targets. The targets included administrative criteria, as well as success on an analytically derived CANS profile. The program was successful even through the stresses of the covid-19 crisis on the behavioral health system. This presentation will discuss the project, as well as the advanced analytic approaches taken with CANS data, in order to properly incentivize towards outcomes. The project also further validates the use of the CANS in VBP, since CANS improvement correlated significantly with reduced out-of-home placements.
Note: This whole project was approached scientifically, with hypotheses at the project’s inception. It is being written up and submitted to a peer-reviewed journal, and may already be at the publication stage during the conference.
Learning objectives
o Outline the steps necessary for successful value-based purchasing arrangements in behavioral health
o Apply communimetric principles to outcomes analyses in VBP
o Assess the success of a VBP initiative with recourse to TCOM and administrative data
o Articulate the importance of evidence-based approaches to VBP
Target:
Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates, Administrators, Researchers/Analysts
Dan Warner, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist and the executive director of Community Data Roundtable, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing a data-driven human services system. Dr. Warner has a long history with TCOM tools and their uses in mental health and child welfare settings. Among other awards, he won a Praed Foundation Founders Award for his work in TCOM in 2018. dwarner@communitydataroundtable.org
When your system is scoring CANS or ANSA, supervisors are given unprecedented tools to make their job easier. Learn how to monitor high risk clients, appropriately balance case loads, and make a supervisor a “communication facilitator.” Participants will get the chance to practice using interactive online reports, and to role-play in small groups.
Learning objectives
o Describe the role of data in person-centered supervision
o Interpret communimetric reports in a collaborative manner
o Monitor caseload progress for individual clinicians
o Balance worker caseloads based on caseload intensity
o Coach frontline staff on accessing their clinical insights through recourse to data
Target:
Direct Care Workers, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches
Dan Warner, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist and the executive director of Community Data Roundtable, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing a data-driven human services system. Dr. Warner has a long history with TCOM tools and their uses in mental health and child welfare settings. Among other awards, he won a Praed Foundation Founders Award for his work in TCOM in 2018. dwarner@communitydataroundtable.org
In CT, child protective service cases with the worse outcomes are reviewed using the Safe System Improvement Tool. These reviews are completed under the Academy for Workforce Development and are bundled identifying themes and trends. Those themes are presented at Learning Forums providing learning opportunities for staff, impacting systemic changes and improvement opportunities to better serve families. As part of the departments Safe and Sound Culture the focus is to engage the workforce through an organizational culture of mutual respect. The case reviews provide a safe space where staff can speak their truth with the understanding, we can all bring some bias to the work.
Learning objectives
- This workshop is designed to assist the participants to recognize trends and themes found in case reviews using the Safe System Improvement Tool and apply them to learning opportunities for their staff.
- Participants will be able to apply the process used in CT and utilize components in their jurisdictions.
Target: Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches
Karen Grayson, LMSW, has been in the Child Welfare field for over 32 years and with the State of Connecticut Department of Children and Families for 29. karen.grayson@ct.gov
Tracy Davis, MSW, has over twenty-five years of experience working in Child Protection. She has served in a myriad of roles ranging from a social worker, supervisor, trainer, and manager. Tracy is currently the Director of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families-Academy for Workforce Development. tracy.davis@ct.gov
This presentation reviews the implementation and utilization of the ANSA-DD (A Tool for Adults with Developmental Challenges) in a novel intervention approach that provides support for adults living with IDD and co-occurring mental health conditions. The supportive holistic intervention is a mobile treatment team approach that engages with the targeted adult and their community-based support system. A behavioral health clinician and physical health professional facilitate the multi-disciplinary treatment team approach which is informed by a multi-point functional assessment and the ANSA-DD. The ANSA-DD guides individual discussion and awareness of aggregate changes in client needs at the systems level. This presentation will discuss how identified strengths are harnessed and paired with need areas to best support individuals. This presentation will also review more than five years of outcomes data that demonstrates the effectiveness of a brief multi-disciplinary approach when supporting adults living with IDD and co-occurring mental health conditions. Program outcomes data will be reported including the use of data to show impact and access sustainable funding.
Learning objectives
- Identify three ways to view aggregate data to identify and address changing global trends in demographics and need areas.
- Identify three unique ways the ANSA-DD can be integrated into a multi-disciplinary approach.
- Discuss the importance of viewing data through a justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion lens.
- Discuss two clinical benefits resulting from the implementation of a multi-disciplinary approach when supporting adults living with IDD and co-occurring mental health conditions.
Target:Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates, Direct Care Workers, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches
Steven Herr, PhD co-founded Advanced Metrics in 2012 with a mission to put science informed software and human centered data analysis in the hands of those providing support to individuals, families, and communities. As President and CEO, Dr. Herr has led Advanced Metrics’ nationwide software implementation initiatives. sherr@ametrics.org
Anna C. Erb, DSW, LCSW was among the first clinicians to implement and utilize the ANSA-DD within a Pennsylvania based mobile treatment team supporting adults with co-occurring intellectual disability and mental health (IDD/MH) challenges. Dr. Erb has extensive experience in the implementation of strength-based and trauma-informed therapeutic supports for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. aerb@ametrics.org
Teenage suicide rates increased 29% in the last decade. However, youth suicide risk is not well understood, and few studies examine family functioning in relation to youth suicide. The objective of this study was to develop a method that identified a handful of common pathways through which youth, facing family functioning challenges among other problematic circumstances, have resolved suicide risk. The study included youth identified to had suicide risk, family functioning, and at least one other challenge on a Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment. Youth were included from two family-service systems: one statewide behavioral health (n=870) and one statewide child welfare system (n=605). We evaluated the specific actionable items that were resolved in temporal order along pathways to resolving suicide risk.
The models found several pathways to resolve suicide risk, and all roads to recovery required family functioning improvements (.99 and 1, p<.001). For example, one pathway illuminated that caregiver physical health improves prior to family stress decreasing, which happens prior to family functioning improving, on the pathway to resolving youth suicide risk. It appears from the present analyses that when youth present with both family functioning and suicide needs, the resolution of suicide risk is best served by focusing on addressing challenges that impact family functioning.
This presentation will illustrate a method to illuminate successful pathways to resolving suicide risk or other targeted CANS actionable items. This method could be used to compare incoming families who present with an actionable item of interest against organization-specific evidential pathways. The model will illuminate the most likely pathways to success that are specific to the incoming family’s unique set of circumstances.
Learning objectives
- Name the order in which CANS actionable items are often resolved in a trajectory of recovery for youth with suicide risk and family functioning challenges.
- Describe how their current databank of longitudinal CANS data can be used to inform care teams on how to prioritize CANS items specific to a family’s circumstances.
- Apply the methodology to build trajectories of success for targeted CANS items in their own programs and service populations.
Target:
Administrators, Researchers/Analysts
Dr. Kate Cordell is a Behavioral Health Services Data Scientist and Researcher. Dr. Cordell integrates data systems to support a whole-person approach to care and builds solutions to put the person at the center. She implements insightful visualizations to track progress for a person and their care team. She builds models to convert data into decisions and decisions into positive outcomes. kcordell@opeeka.com
A youth and family-centric system of care requires intentional culture and practice change at all three levels of the system (individual, program/organization and system). The CANS is often one of the first interactions a youth and family has at the “front door” of the system. Effectively “welcoming” youth and families to the CANS assessment process tangibly puts TCOM principles into practice at an intercept of influence. How young people and their families experience the interaction at the front door of a system and/or their care can impact other phases of their care post engagement. Participants will explore the benefits of intentionally setting the stage when preparing youth, families and system partners to participate in the CANS assessment. Participants will learn effective strategies in the pre-assessment, assessment, re-assessment and post-assessment phases. This workshop will include 2 small group exercises that are action oriented so that each participant leaves with an individual plan for intentional youth and family centric stage setting, one of which will demonstrate a parallel process that youth and families may experience. Grab your wagons and let’s go build a welcoming front door.
Learning objectives
- Participants will be able to identify at least 2 ways that communimetric tools, like the CANS, are aligned with a youth and family-centric system of care.
- Participants will be able to identify at least (1) practice strategy for setting the stage in the “pre-assessment” phase.
- Participants will be able to identify at least (1) practice strategy for setting the stage in the “post- assessment” phase
- Participants will be able to identify at least (1) benefit of effective stage setting for youth, families and system partners
Target:
Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates, Direct Care Workers, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches
Heather Distin, LPCC-S is a Project Director at the Case Western Reserve University, Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Center of Excellence hxd256@case.edu
The goal of this session is to bring to light the need for a variety of services for those incarcerated in jails and prisons, including Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT), behavioral health supports, education and workforce development opportunities, and re-entry planning and coordination. In 2008 there were approximately 2.4 million individuals in the United States and territories in 1.5 million federal and state prisons, about 800,000 local jails, and 90,000 juvenile facilities (Prison Policy, 2023). The U.S. Correctional System must be focused on ‘corrections’ rather than solely on punishment. Corrections must include rehabilitation, not only during the time spent incarcerated but also during parole and probation.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse 85% of the prison population has an active substance use disorder or were incarcerated for a crime involving drugs or drug use (NIDA, 2023). Using technology which supports ‘whole-person collaborative care’ and the TCOM Tool (Adult Needs & Strengths Assessment) can serve as the first corrective step towards rehabilitating.
Learning objectives
- At the end of this session, participants will be able to describe the current cycle of relapse and recidivism and distinguish between detainment and corrective interventions.
- This presentation is designed for attendees to be able to identify the needs of justice-involved individuals experiencing substance use disorders and provide an outline of tangible steps to successfully address the high rates of substance misuse, overdose, relapse, and recidivism across the United States.
- Attendees will develop a working knowledge of the current state of Corrections and identify key barriers and challenges for successful reentry. At the end of this presentation, participants can engage in thoughtful discussions regarding practical, real-world solutions to addressing these growing challenges and their impacts on society.
Target:
Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates,Direct Care Workers,Administrators,Supervisors/Coaches,Researchers/Analysts,Other: Peer Support/Recovery Specialists, Policy Makers
- Kathleen Totemoff has a BA in Psychology. Katheleen is also the Founder/President of iEXIST, LLC. kathleentotemoff@yahoo.com
Kenneth McGill, EdS LMFT A Solution-Focused Care Senior Scientist at Opeeka in Folsom, California kmcgill@opeeka.com
Description:
Join us as we explore strategies for engaging families in the collaborative assessment process. This workshop will allow participants the opportunity to discuss barriers and strategies that human service professionals and families face when partnering together. We have gathered a panel of speakers who bring in a mix of experience working with children and families and lived experience navigating service provision with their own families. This workshop will include both suggested strategies and implications for practice, and opportunities to ask questions.
Learning objectives:
- Identify strategies that can assist in creating meaningful engagement with the families you work with by exploring what Person Centered Care looks like from the family’s perspective.
- Evaluate their current approaches to engaging families using Person Centered Care and compare them to those that parents identify as being the most helpful, including validating the family’s experience, partnering with families, and recognizing them as the expert on their family.
- Discuss their concerns and struggles around engagement and consider how to apply suggested strategies.
Target: Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates, Direct Care Workers, Supervisors/Coaches
Presenters:
- Sarah Kane, LMSW is a training manager, government contracts, CANS-NY Technical Assistance Institute Training Manager, Parsons Child & Family Center (SATRI) at Northern Rivers Family of Services Sarah.kane@northernrivers.org
- Faith Moore has personal experience as a mother of a medically fragile/complex child and professional experience in DE, NY, and TN serving children with special needs. She has degrees in clinical psychology, speech pathology/audiology, and law, concentrating in special education law. Ms. Moore currently serves as a Medicaid Program Manager with NYS Department of Health’s Office of Health Insurance Programs’ Department of Program Development and Management in the Bureau of Specialized Services for Children where she is the Childrens Waiver Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) subject matter expert for Environmental and Vehicle Modifications and Assistive/Adaptive Technology requests. She also provides technical assistance to agency partners, stakeholders, and health home care managers to support families with children experiencing medically fragile and behavioral health challenges. Faith.Moore@health.ny.gov
- Janet Hoeke, recipient of the 2018 TCOM Family Partner Champion Award. In 2022, Janet has joined with the Praed Foundation and workforce development team to provide parent perspective and voice to training and curriculum development. She is the founder and owner of WillowTree Mosaics, a comprehensive medical billing services company for pediatric therapists. Janet@BirchGroveMosaics.com
- Greyson Burns (He/Him, They/Them) is a Trainer and Coach for the CANS-NY Technical Assistance Institute as well as the Project Coordinator for OCFS Trainings in the SATRI Training Department at Northern Rivers Family of Services in Albany, NY. Greyson.burns@northernrivers.org
Ruth Mikulski, M.Ed. As a Senior Trainer at the Sidney Albert Training and Research Institute (SATRI), Ruth’s passion for this work is felt on every level. Ruth has worn many hats in the 15+ years that she has been supporting youth and families. Ruth.Mikulski@northernrivers.org
For children and adolescents in foster care, their fathers are often not engaged to be an emotional and developmental support. This is likely due to the fact that mother’s are the primary focus in the foster care system since they are the central and default figures in permanency planning. Nonetheless, the research literature indicates that father involvement can benefit kids in care yet the system appears to demonstrate a bias against fathers and their engagement on behalf of their children. This presentation will present research illustrating the possible benefits of father involvement and the context of these benefits. This presentation will then review the literature on best practices and programming for involving fathers in the lives of their children.
Learning objectives
- Increase their efforts to support the involvement of fathers among children in foster care
- Increase their efforts to support the involvement of fathers’ natural support networks among children in foster care
- Bring this knowledge back to their agencies to support father involvement across the agency
- Bring this knowledge back to their agencies to support fathers’ natural support involvement across the agency
- Begin the process of implementing programming at agencies to better engage involve fathers and their natural support networks
Target:
Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates, Direct Care Workers, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches, Researchers/Analysts
Dr. Scott Leon is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Loyola University Chicago, where he teaches and mentors in the undergraduate and graduate psychology programs. Dr. Leon earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Northwestern University Medical School in June, 2002. During his graduate studies, he developed research interests in mental health services evaluation. Dr. Leon’s published work has primarily focused on the mental health and placement outcomes of youth in the child welfare system. sleon@luc.edu
This presentation offers a concise and structured exploration of how the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) can enrich program evaluation within a system of care. Participants will learn a disciplined process to identify special populations using data, quality processes, and the CANS. The presentation will highlight innovative approaches taken by Louisiana’s Coordinated System of Care (CSoC) program, including Magellan’s development of the D/E clinical procedure. A case example of a special population, specifically youth with co-morbid behavioral and developmental disabilities, will be presented to demonstrate the application of the evaluation framework. Attendees will gain insights into multi-level interventions, outcomes, and the importance of cross-system collaboration.
Learning objectives
- Describe a disciplined process to identify special populations in programs using data, quality processes, and the CANS.
- Classify at least four multi-level interventions for addressing the needs of special populations.
- Evaluate a case example of a special population with co-morbid behavioral and developmental disabilities in Louisiana’s Coordinated System of Care (CSoC), including the multi-level interventions and outcomes.
Target:
Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates, Direct Care Workers, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches, Researchers/Analysts
- Barbara Ann Dunn, LCSW, ACSW, is Clinical Project Director at Magellan Healthcare where she has worked since 2000, and is responsible for proposing, implementing and evaluating programs across behavioral health public markets in multiple states using clinical and functional assessment tools such as the CANS. Currently she serves as the Clinical Care Services Director at Magellan of Virginia for the Department of Medical Assistance Services contract. badunn@magellanhealth.com
Wendy Bowlin, MBA, MS, LPC, is an accomplished healthcare professional with expertise in administering and implementing Louisiana’s Coordinated System of Care (CSoC). As the Director of Quality and Outcomes for CSoC, Wendy has made significant contributions to improving patient outcomes and promoting person-centered care within the Medicaid and 1915c waiver-based program. wgbowlin@magellanhealth.com
In this presentation, we will discuss the challenges found with assessment tools and processes within the child welfare system, and how Allegheny County has addressed these challenges through the implementation of a Universal Assessment, a single tool which captures Safety Threats, Risk, Needs, Functional Strengths, and Protective Capacities. We will share lessons learned from our first year of implementation based on quantitative data and the experiences of the workforce.
Allegheny County Office of Children, Youth, and Families has used the FAST assessment since 2013 and the Pennsylvania Risk and Safety assessments since their inception as statewide tools in 2008. The workforce quickly noted areas of overlap between these three assessments. In 2018, an analysis to compare the three assessments was completed and work began toward developing a single tool that could gather all necessary information about a family. Ultimately, the vision for the Universal Assessment was born: a single, holistic assessment that facilitates meaningful connections between assessment and planning in child welfare.
The transition to a universal assessment brings several benefits to staff and families including:
- A less redundant assessment process, including a reduction in paperwork.
- Supporting clearer and better-informed decision making
- Assisting with identifying appropriate supports and services when needed
As a part of a broader set of strategies planned to shift decision making and planning to be more preventative and individually tailored, Allegheny County CYF believes that implementing the Universal Assessment is a critical component of promoting meaningful engagement and holistic planning to families.
We believe the aforementioned challenges are common in child welfare jurisdictions across the country. As such, participants will think critically about how the lessons learned from Allegheny County’s implementation of a Universal Assessment, specific to the context of child welfare practice, could be applied in their home jurisdictions as a way to address those shared challenges.
Learning objectives
- Describe the challenges associated with multiple assessment tools in child welfare.
- Identify how a single holistic tool can support effective planning with families.
- Describe the critical considerations for implementation of a universal assessment within a child welfare context.
Target:
Direct Care Workers, Administrators
Joe Martin, MS, is the Manager for Applied Learning and Development at the Allegheny County Department of Human Services. He supports the implementation of Universal Assessment in the Office of Children, Youth, and Families. joseph.martin@alleghenycounty.us
Description:
WV has three Regional Partnership Grants. These grants focus on retaining children in their homes safely, if a caregiver has a substance use problem, or allowing a caregiver to regain custody of their children once completing the program. The program is based on the wraparound philosophy, so services and outcomes are based on the caregiver, child, and family as a whole. The RPG projects in WV utilize three TCOM tools; the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Assessment (CANS), the 0-5 year old sub-module for the CANS and the Family Advocacy and Support Tool (FAST) to develop wraparound plans, measure success in the program, and to assist in predicting success when reviewed with other outcome measures, demographics and services data. Care staff worked with clients to establish a personalized care plan and tracked which of the 56 possible services were provided for each member in service logs.
WV partnered with Opeeka to analyze the abundance of data that was collected in the project through their Person-Centered Intelligence Solution System (P-CIS). This presentation will demonstrate the use of the TCOM tools in combination with other data sets to predict success for families with substance use issues. One finding showed that receipt of Employment Training services were significantly associated with completing the RPG program while controlling for factors related to program completion, including age, gender, substance use, and adjustment to trauma symptoms. Participants who receive Employment Training had an 8.4 times increased odds (95%CI 2.0-36.5, p<0.01) of completing the program, while adjusting for other factors related to program completion.
Learning objectives:
• This workshop is designed to demonstrate how the TCOM tools with other assessments and data can predict success for caregivers with substance use issues.
• This workshop will discuss how through a logistic regression success can be predicted.”
Target: Administrators, Researchers/Analysts
Presenters:
- Tammy Pearson, MA Sr. Assoc. Dir. for the Center of Excellence for Recovery Marshall University tpearson@marshall.edu
- Kenneth McGill, EdS LMFT A Solution-Focused Care Senior Scientist at Opeeka in Folsom, California kmcgill@opeeka.com
- Bretlyn Hickman, MSW Evaluation Coordinator Marshall University Research Corporation smith1857@marshall.edu
- Kate Cordell, Ph D, MPH Dr. Kate Cordell, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder at Opeeka kcordell@opeeka.com
Description:
“Photovoice is a participatory health research method that engages community stakeholders to photograph areas of strength and concern related to a health issue and then critically analyze in focus-group discussion how and why the health concern persists in their community, toward the goal of co-identifying opportunities for change and health improvement. As a method designed to amplify the voices of those who often are not heard in public discourse, Photovoice is ideally suited to increase representation and engagement of a diverse range of collaborators in community health assessment (CHA) and community health improvement planning (CHIP) practice. Additionally, integration of Photovoice into the CHA/CHIP process addresses recent critiques that the Photovoice method’s impact on exhibit audiences and health policy improvements has not been adequately evaluated, despite the centrality of health-related social change as one of three core objectives articulated by Photovoice’s originators. Yet, there is very limited literature on the effects of Photovoice on improving engagement and collaboration in CHA/CHIP processes. The goal of this session is to demonstrate how Photovoice improves community engagement, collaboration, and equity in the CHA/CHIP process, how the CHA/CHIP process can enhance the impact of Photovoice projects, and the relevance of CHA/CHIP processes using Photovoice to TCOM by presenting a case study of the Photovoice method’s integration into the November/December 2022 Clark County (Kentucky) Health Department (CCHD) CHA forums.
In September 2022, CCHD recruited 23 Clark County community members to participate in the Photovoice project and organized them into four groups meeting weekly at mutually convenient times on Zoom in October 2022. Each group completed four sessions: 1) an orientation session covering the ethics of photography, how the Photovoice photography and focus-group conversation will be used for the CHA/CHIP, and the goals of the Photovoice method, 2) two photo discussion sessions, and 3) an analysis and action planning session. Participants took photos on nominated topics and then came back together on Zoom to share and discuss the photos, what they mean, and how they illustrate the selected topic. Between sessions, facilitators conducted interim analysis of photo discussion notes using the Socioecological Framework and identified three key themes arising from each photo discussion. These analyses were presented to each group at subsequent sessions as a reflective exercise to enhance future conversations and dissemination. One Photovoice participant who also is a professional graphic designer was contracted with to create poster, postcard, and PowerPoint templates illustrating topics, themes, and quote/photo pairings (without identifying information) for dissemination with other findings from CCHD primary data collection efforts during the CHA community forums. Representatives from each of the four Photovoice groups presented the top three community health concerns and top three community health strengths on which their team members reached consensus, and the forum included exhibits with display posters and postcards that audience members could take with them after discussing findings with Photovoice participants.
At each step of the presentation outline below, conference participants will be engaged in discussion and active learning in the following ways:
• After being introduced to the Photovoice method, participants will share their level of familiarity and previous experience with Photovoice and discuss using the “pair-share” technique their initial thoughts on the potential of Photovoice as a TCOM tool.
• After receiving an explanation of CHA/CHIP processes conducted by local health departments, participants will share their level of familiarity and previous experience with CHA/CHIP efforts and discuss using the “pair-share” technique the relevance of CHA/CHIP work to TCOM.
• After hearing a description of the Photovoice project design for the CCHD CHA/CHIP, attendees will participate in a facilitated simulation of the nominal group technique used to generate photo-topics during the Photovoice orientation session as it relates to their own communities.
• After interacting with the Photovoice products (posters, postcards, recommendations, website) from the CCHD effort, participants will brainstorm how they think CHA/CHIP Photovoice products could be disseminated and used in TCOM practitioner work.
• After reviewing evaluation data, participants will be asked to revisit their initial thoughts on the potential of Photovoice as a TCOM tool and the relevance of CHA/CHIP work to TCOM and share how their thinking has evolved after seeing the CCHD examples.
Learning objectives:
- Describe the relevance of the Photovoice method to CHA/CHIP and TCOM.
- Explain how the Photovoice method was integrated into the Clark County Health Department CHA/CHIP and could be incorporated into broader CHA and TCOM work.
- Discuss how the Photovoice method can improve community engagement and collaboration initiatives in public health practice and TCOM.
Target: Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates, Direct Care Workers, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches, Researchers/Analysts
Presenters:
- Margaret McGladrey, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor in the Center for Innovation in Population Health at the University of Kentucky (UK) and serve as the faculty co-lead of the Criminal Legal System team and Photovoice site lead for the HEALing Communities Study-Kentucky. margaret.mcgladrey@uky.edu
Description:
The Triple Crown of Communication: Engagement, Interpretation & Collaboration
From an early age, humans are taught to use all five senses when experiencing the world: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling. We can learn so much about our environment and ourselves by incorporating these senses. As we move into school age, we start to be directed to experience using only two senses: seeing and hearing. As we transition to adulthood, we are expected to have mastered these two senses so that we can focus on written or verbal forms of communication as our society’s preferred methods of information sharing.
Many individuals can receive information visually and verbally, as well as transmitting information by speaking information through their mouths, or writing words with their hands. As a general population, we embrace these forms of communication as standard in the delivery of healthcare services. Unfortunately, this a disservice to individuals who are not able, not willing, or not comfortable communicating this way. As clinicians, providers, and humans trained in the arts of speaking and hearing, we are also more likely to miss non-verbal communication that we would experience if we were using other methods of information gathering.
Communication is a cornerstone of the TCOM philosophy. The Six Key Principles all direct us back to gathering information from a person-centered lens, but we are missing direction on how to interpret information that comes to us outside of our preferred written or verbal forms.
To date there is limited information concerning how the CANS (Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths) and CAT (Crisis Assessment Tool) are utilized with the nonverbal, limited language and non -English speaking individuals. While we acknowledge that this presentation will not provide all the answers, we felt it was a good place to start and engage the participants in a conversation and provide education about how we can improve communication and assessment through skill building and collaboration with nonverbal and limited language individuals and communities. We will also explore national data, statistics, and evidence-based practices with an emphasis on cultural humility as it relates to individuals who have limited or no verbal communication skills.
This presentation will create awareness and provide experiential learning opportunities aimed to enhance participant’s skill set around three essential methods of information gathering: the development of shared vision while using a person’s preferred method of communication, awareness of the relationship between the Six Key principles and clinical skills necessary to identify nonverbal communication, and tactics to recognize and eliminate barriers that impact the ability to accurately assess the needs and strengths of others.
Learning objectives:
- Participants will utilize different strategies to engage individuals in creating a shared vision and shared language.
- Using the 6 key principles of TCOM, participants will recognize nonverbal communication.
- Participants will analyze communication and rapport building barriers that may impact assessing needs and strengths.
Target: Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates, Direct Care Workers, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches
Presenters:
- Stephanie McCluskey, MSW, LCSW, is a Field Specialist for the Provider Assistance and Training Hub at the University of Illinois School of Social Work. Stephanie provides training and field support for IM+CANS, IM-CAT & Crisis Safety Planning, Treatment Planning, and other curriculums to support providers in obtaining the necessary skills to help individuals make meaningful lifestyle changes. sm76@illinois.edu
- Nicole Eschenbach, LCSW, is a Field Specialist with the Provider Assistance and Training Hub(PATH)at the University of Illinois School of Social Work. Nicole provides training and field support for a variety of tools and treatment models including IM+CANS, IM-CAT & Crisis Safety Planning, Treatment Planning, Therapeutic Mentoring, and Intensive Home-Based Services. nre@illinois.edu
- Jodi Steckel, LCPC, is a Field Specialist for the Provider Assistance and Training Hub at the University of Illinois School of Social Work. Jodi is responsible for providing training and field support pertaining to IM+CANS, IM-CAT, Crisis Safety Planning, Treatment Planning, and other curriculum to our community partners. jsteckel@illinois.edu
Ken Dalla Costa, LCPC, works as a Field Specialist with the Provider Assistance and Training Hub in the School of Social Work. Ken provides trainings and assistance in the delivery of the IM+CANS assessment, Treatment Planning, Therapeutic Mentoring and Intensive Home Based Services. kld7@illinois.edu
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted school and community environments and increased risk factors for mental health needs in children and youth. Schools are increasingly charged with managing the emotional and behavioral symptoms caused by environmental stressors through individual student interventions and evidence-based care. Although individual therapeutic approaches can be effective, increasing demand for mental health services coupled with a significant staffing crisis among mental health professionals call for an urgent exploration of alternative approaches to supporting the mental health of student-age children and youth. This presentation will share the preliminary findings of a doctoral research project examining the influence of strengths at the family, community and system level that can influence mental health functioning for students. Utilizing CANS data collected for students with identified mental health needs, I will illustrate how factors at different levels of socioecological influence can impact the mental health needs students experience during times of increased stress like the pandemic. The goal of this session is to build awareness about the important role of community and system support for student-aged children and youth. Additionally, the session aims to generate interest in further developing programs and policies that can support students amidst the backdrop of a staffing crisis, where the capacity for one-to-one interventions is more limited, and the identified need for mental health supports for students moves closer to all students than just a subset of few. Lastly, I will discuss how the state of Vermont is using this CANS data within the department of mental health, the agency of education and the governor’s office to monitor the well-being of students in the state. Interactive discussions around existing or potential family, community and system-level interventions will provide opportunities for attendees to share ideas on how to maximize the use of strengths-specific CANS data in our work.
Learning objectives
- Build awareness of the important role strengths can play along the continuum of socioecological influence
- Expand opportunities to meet the needs of student-age children and youth beyond traditional 1:1 therapeutic interventions
- Share identified specific strengths that have shown to have significant impact on student-aged child and youth functioning at the individual, family, community and system level
- Discuss ways to build and protect strengths at all levels of influence
Target:
Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates, Direct Care Workers, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches, Researchers/Analysts
Deputy Commissioner Alison Krompf, was appointed to her role in July 2021 to serve alongside Commissioner Hawes. She began her career in healthcare, working at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC, then transitioned to mental health care where she has 15 years of experience spanning Employee Assistance Programs, community mental health services and quality management. Deputy Commissioner Krompf held the role of DMH Director of Quality and Accountability for the department for the two years prior to her appointment, and previously served as DMH Senior Policy Advisor, acting as legislative liaison, co-chairing both the AHS Suicide Prevention Committee and the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths state implementation team. alison.krompf@vermont.gov
This presentation will provide a brief history of Ohio’s use of the CANS tool to bring together its various child-serving systems. We will review initial learnings from the first year of implementation of a new statewide program, and discuss our efforts to engage stakeholders in continual improvement in how we use the CANS.
In 2019, Governor DeWine created the Office of Children’s Initiatives to implement strategies to improve outcomes for Ohio’s youth and families across child serving state agencies. To coordinate and align efforts across systems, a multidisciplinary team representing state child-serving agencies was charged with selecting a standardized, well-researched tool that would support decision-making related to program and level of care eligibility, provide recommendations for levels of support, and inform care planning. Following solicitation of input from stakeholders, the state team elected to implement the CANS across child-serving systems. Together, Ohio state child serving agencies worked with the Praed Foundation to develop the Ohio Children’s Initiative CANS tool and multiple decisions support models that are now being used in the following programs:
• The Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) has utilized the CANS to determine eligibility for QRTP placements since 2021, and is now developing a model for tiered Foster Care, including treatment foster care, that will leverage the CANS.
• In 2021, the Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) started using the CANS to determine eligibility for an intensive facility-based service for children with co-occurring mental illness and intellectual/developmental disabilities.
• The Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services Department (OHMAS) has used the CANS since 2018 to inform eligibility for Intensive Homebased Treatment (IHBT), and now requires use of the Ohio Children’s Initiative CANS as part of their mobile response and stabilization (MRSS) service delivery.
• In 2022, The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) launched OhioRISE (Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence), a specialized managed care program for children and youth with complex behavioral health and multisystem needs. In most cases, initial eligibility for OhioRISE is determined using the CANS, and the CANS is also used for ongoing care coordination and care monitoring for OhioRISE enrollees.
Cross-system development and implementation of the Ohio Children’s Initiative CANS occurred because Governor DeWine and directors of child-serving cabinet agencies charged their teams with working together to improve cross-system outcomes for children, youth and families. This shared governance approach has proven essential as the cross-functionality and use of the CANS in Ohio continues to expand.
Following initial implementation of the CANS in multiple systems, Ohio’s child-serving systems committed to continuous work together toward a shared vision for simplifying access to and strengthening the quality of services for our most vulnerable youth and families. Ohio has trained thousands of CANS assessors in the state, developed customized CANS tools and decision support models, built a CANS IT System from scratch, and helped prepare OhioRISE Care Management Entities (CMEs) to deliver wrap-around Care Coordination leveraging the CANS.
Inevitably, with statewide implementation of a new program, and with multiple systems having a stake in the program’s success, the state is tackling challenges encountered while transforming the vision into action. Use of the CANS is just part of the transformation occurring in our state as providers who historically performed their services independently are being asked to shift to a team-mindset and participate as one spoke in the wheel of the youth’s Child and Family Team (CFT).
In Ohio, the standard of “One Child, One Team, One CANS” has become the unofficial motto representing the ideal that we will all continue to strive for. The “One Team” component applies not only to the group of loved ones, supporters and providers surrounding a youth and contributing to their CANS assessment, but the state partner agencies who must continue to change systems together.”
Learning objectives
- Participants will be able to explain the importance of developing and continually working on shared vision and implementation.
- Participants will be able to explain the benefits of using a consensus-based, teamed approach to conducting the CANS, and the potential negative impact of doing CANS in a vacuum.
- Participants will be able to identify opportunities to improve teaming within their own system.
Target:
Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates, Direct Care Workers, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches, Researchers/Analysts, Other: Anyone implementing the CANS assessment across multiple systems.
Amy Gordon, MA , PCC-S , LICDC, joined the Ohio Department of Medicaid in 2022 as the CANS Administrator with the OhioRISE program. She previously worked in community mental health for over ten years, with experience in diagnostic assessment, community-based counseling, group therapy, and clinical supervision. amy.gordon@medicaid.ohio.gov
Description:
Despite efforts, the opioid use crisis continues, with about 3% of the US adult population misusing opioids (SAMHSA, 2022). Service systems are using data to identify risks (Brandt, 2020). Research has operationally defined progress as service completion and/or improved functioning. However, few related studies have utilized assessment information. To better understand outpatient treatment completion for young adults who use opioids, we added protective factors that could lead to successful treatment completion.
Using a statewide sample in one midwestern state, we identified 2,286 young adults (aged 18-25) who used opioids as a primary, secondary, or tertiary substance in SFY 2021.
We compared the treatment completion of these young adults to young adults who used problem substances other than opioid use (N=6,714) that, included alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, benzodiazepines, or other drugs.
All analyses were conducted with IBM SPSS Modeler and SPSS Statistics. The chi-square automatic interaction detection (CHAID) approach was used to predict treatment completion. The independent variables were ANSA strengths, National Outcome Measures, TEDS, and demographic data. Preliminary findings found association patterns of treatment completion with resourcefulness, optimism, social connectedness, community involvement, family strengths, source of referral, natural supports, talents/interests, job history, and employment status.
During the session, participants will be engaged by using a digital app (e.g., kahoot.com) to identify ANSA strengths and other factors that could be related to treatment completion. In addition to being introduced to CHAID decision tree analysis and findings, they will discuss the implication of the results for direct practice, program development, and policy. Their views on the alleged relationship between treatment completion and improved functioning will be solicited. We will encourage feedback about the analytical approach.
Disclosure: The study is funded by an Indiana University Challenge SUD Grant and the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction.
Learning objectives:
- Participants will discuss what factors may predict service completion and/or better outcomes.
- Participants will identify ANSA strengths related to the completion of SUD treatment.
- Participants will be able to explain the intersectionality of substance use treatment completion, ANSA’s strengths, and other relevant factors.
- Participants will discuss the implications of the findings for direct practice, program development, and policy.
Target: Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches, Researchers/Analysts
Presenters:
- Saahoon Hong, PhD, is an Assistant Research Professor at the Indiana University School of Social Work. His ongoing projects involve utilizing the integrative data system of the Indiana Family & Social Services Administration-Division of Mental Health and Addiction to enhance quality improvement initiatives. saahong@iu.edu
- Betty Walton, PhD, LCSW, Associate Research Professor, Indiana University School of Social Work, conducts translational research to support behavioral health services for children, youth, and adults. Her research interests include children with complex needs, transition-age youth, adults with co-occurring behavioral health disorders, rural services, and strengths-based practice. beawalto@iupui.edu
- Hea-Won Kim, PhD, is an associate professor in the School of Social Work at Indiana University. Her research interest focusses on implementation of evidence-based practices for people with severe mental illness (SMI), service needs and barriers, program evaluation, and interprofessional practice. She has worked on many different research projects such as statewide evaluation of implementation of psychiatric rehabilitative services and longitudinal study examining the impacts of psychiatric medications on employment outcomes for peoples with schizophrenia. heakim@iupui.edu
This presentation reviews an innovative value-based purchasing reimbursement model that was uniquely developed with, for, and providers in a Western Pennsylvania County. The dedicated investment of collaborative partners assisted the providers to develop a learning collaborative framework to inform model development and implementation. The approach focused on building efficiencies to support the work of the providers and eliminate administrative burden while simultaneously driving quality outcomes and successful licensure reviews. Utilization of the CANS and the development of individualized treatment plans and associated outcomes were an integral piece of the data collection and reporting necessary for the success of the initiative. Multi-year outcomes data will inform and support the presentation. Outcomes of the initiative will be discussed and presented through a justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion lens. The collaborative spirit that drove the initiative brought value to the community through developing an increasingly accountable clinical delivery system that improves quality of services and outcomes for children. We will demonstrate how a universal consensus to ground VBP models in implementation of the CANS, member experience, recovery, and data – results in a universal win for all involved.
Learning objectives
- Identify the three critical roles of the provider in the development of a Value Based Purchasing initiative.
- Identify three unique ways the CANS can be integrated into a Value Based Purchasing initiative.
- Discuss the importance of viewing data through a justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion lens.
- Discuss two clinical benefits resulting from the implementation of a Value Based Purchasing initiative.
Target: Administrators
- Steven Herr, PhD co-founded Advanced Metrics in 2012 with a mission to put science informed software and human centered data analysis in the hands of those providing support to individuals, families, and communities. sherr@ametrics.org
Kate Gallagher, MNM is the Chief Operating Officer at Advanced Metrics. In this role she leads growth initiatives, nurtures customer relationships, and is the cornerstone of Advanced Metrics culture and vision. kgallagher@ametrics.org
CANS is often used to help inform Care Plans within Wraparound teams but is not often leveraged by clinicians when working with youth and families. CANS provides a framework of needs and strengths that can help guide the assessment process, inform treatment planning, and track outcomes. Additionally, the CANS can be a useful tool to screen for potential safety and crisis needs and to inform the crisis/safety plan. Supporting youth and families through a holistic approach by moving beyond diagnosis and symptoms, focusing on strengths and needs, and providing a tangible means of tracking progress will help to enhance clinical practice.
Learning objectives
- Participants will be able to describe the benefits of including the CANS throughout the therapeutic process
- Participants will be able to utilize the CANS to inform their assessments, treatment plans, and crisis and safety plans
- Participants will be able to identify ways CANS can be utilized in supervision, outcomes tracking, and consultation
Target:
Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates, Direct Care Workers, Supervisors/Coaches
- Stephanie Ann East, MS, MSW, CSWA has worked in community mental health settings for seventeen years and has translated that into a six year career of training and consulting. Stephanie has trained thousands of professionals in four states as well as internationally in Wraparound, CANS, Trauma Informed Care, Crisis and Safety Planning, Self-Care and Wellness, Trainer Development, as well as many other topics. seast@enroutecoaching.com
Danelle Cartun, MA, LMHC, C-IAYT has been in the social service field for over twenty years and has held a wide array of different roles including clinician, care coordinator, supervisor, and Wraparound coach. Danelle specializes in trauma, grief and loss, and supporting families with complex needs. dcartun@enroutecoaching.com
For the 2022 conference, I presented “Working with Immigrant Families: Utilizing CAT and SNA”. During and after this workshop, several participants expressed interest in continuing the conversation on meeting the needs of the Spanish-speaking youth and families that we serve nationwide. In addition to the “Café con TCOM” roundtable, this workshop will examine specific mental health challenges and trauma that are faced by many Spanish-speaking families who are trying to access system services. Participants will gain a better understanding on how to use the TCOM tools to provide accurate assessments for youth and families.
Learning objectives
- Identify at least 3 challenges that providers have when completing the TCOM tools with Spanish-speaking families
- Compare challenges faced by Spanish-speaking families including cultural, linguistic, mental health, and trauma’s challenges.
- Assess the needs and strengths of Spanish-speaking individuals and apply them to the TCOM tools.
Target:
Family/Parent Partners and Youth Advocates, Direct Care Workers, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches, Researchers/Analysts
Rita Camarillo, LPC, is a Training & Consultation Specialist with Rutgers Behavioral Research & Training Institute for the Children’s System of Care Training Program in New Jersey. r.camarillo@rutgers.edu
Description:
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social functioning and behaviors. ASD has a prevalence of 1 in 36 children in the United States and has increased as screening and diagnostic tools have improved, however there is concern that ASD may still be underreported. The goal of this project is to use machine learning methods to help identify children at risk of an undiagnosed ASD. This project will leverage the CANS data routinely collected by Washington state’s Wraparound with Intensive Services to train and subsequently make predictions of ASD for the CANS data via a bilayer deep neural network (DNN). This will then be visualized by applying the techniques of principal coordinate analysis applied to the items weighted most heavily by the network.
Learning objectives:
- A brief overview of ASD and the increasing trend.
- A simple explanation of a neural network and its usefulness as a tool.
- An explanation of principal coordinate analysis and its usefulness as a visualization tool.
Target:
- Those interested in machine learning methods and possible use cases.
- Those working in data are interested in building and visualizing models.
Presenters:
Wiley Turner is a Biomedical Data Scientist Assistant at the University of Kentucky wttu222@uky.edu
In April of 2021, Pacific Clinics, now the largest community behavioral health agency in California, began using the Safe Systems Improvement Tool (SSIT) for our Root Cause Analysis and Action (RCA2) process for Critical Incidents, the rare but devasting tragedies experienced by or caused by our clients. This presentation will address the steps that preceded this first use, the way we currently use the tool, how the data are aggregated to facilitate improvement initiatives, two case studies, and next steps for broader implementation. In November of 2020 we began customizing the SSIT to reflect the broader age-range and experiences of our population and by early 2021 we prepared to make a change from our previous- and this word is meant to imply both paperwork and style- “form.” By our second Critical Incident we had developed a process where two meetings, one for the program who had experienced the incident and a second at the broader agency level, were guided question-by-question to establish consensus and where each meeting closed with participants stating their primary Improvement Recommendation. These first meetings set the tone with modeling of a safety and improvement-focused culture by our Chief Clinical Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, Clinical Vice-President, Quality Improvement Manager, and Medical Director. Over the years, we have moved forward as an agency (an agency in our second year of a merger) developing a pattern of 90-minute meetings where the first step is orientation to the tool, followed by a brief summary of the incident, consensus building across each item, and then listing participant’s Improvement Recommendations. Following each meeting a summary is sent to the participants for edits, the intent being both accurate accounting and a prompt for reading of the shared story. To organize this information into outcomes, we built an application so that we could aggregate the data and apply the item narratives and Improvement Recommendations to each of the items. By visualizing which items tend to influence Critical Incidents more often and then considering the full range of recommendations from across the agency, solutions of this sensitive information are guided by a more inclusive process that does not compromise the need for discretion. As an example, a trend that we experienced during this time was an increase in the likelihood of Opioid overdose and this led to two initiatives, Narcan distribution and revision of our Safety Planning process. As we prepare for the next steps across our entire agency we are training facilitators, providing orientation to the SSIT through just-in-time training, and improving our capacity to improve systems so that we can- and this is not meant lightly- maybe save a life.
Learning objectives
• Initiate steps toward implementation of the SSIT at their place of work
• Develop a process to aggregate the data from Critical Incidents
• Contribute to a safety culture through facilitating SSIT meetings with respect, clarity, and empathy
Target:
Administrators, Researchers/Analysts, Other: anyone who has been involved in a Critical Incident and would like to influence the culture of safety of their workplace
Scott Fairhurst, Ph.D., is vice president of outcomes and evaluation, analytics and training for Pacific Clinics. In this capacity, he facilitates improving clinical outcomes by focusing on training in evidence-based practice, measuring clinical progress and promoting a mission-driven culture of improvement. sfairhurst@pacificclinics.org
As a founding jurisdiction in the National Partnership for Child Safety, the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families first planted a seed to utilize Safety Science in child welfare practice through a revamp of our state’s critical incident review process. Since 2018, Safety Science has been incrementally introduced to the state’s child welfare professionals at both the policy and direct practice levels.
Once this new way of viewing child welfare practice had taken root, the SSIT-W (Safe Systems Improvement Tool- Wisconsin) was developed and introduced as a tool to communicate data learned about case practice through the course of critical incident reviews. The tool’s utility was then applied to work done between the department and the state’s licensed child welfare congregate care facilities.
This successful branching out of safe systems work is proving that building a safety culture does not need to and should not remain isolated to critical incident reviews. Since this discovery, there has been an increased desire to apply elements of Safety Science to other programs and projects. The buds of Safety Science are being nurtured department wide, and some have even begun to bloom!
Learning objectives
- Participants will be able to recognize the benefits of utilizing the Safe Systems Improvement Tool (SSIT) in both critical incident reviews and the child welfare licensing setting.
- The workshop will illustrate areas of Wisconsin’s strategic plan that have been strengthened by demonstrating a commitment to a Safe Systems framework.
- Participants will leave the workshop with the necessary skills to distinguish areas of overlap between their own work and principles of safety science.
Target: Direct Care Workers, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches, Researchers/Analysts
- Sarah Hanson, MPA, (she/her/hers) has been a Program and Policy Analyst with the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families since 2020. Sarah obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Legal Studies and Social Welfare from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, minoring in Criminal Justice. Sarah obtained her Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. sarah.hanson1@wisconsin.gov
- Jamie Gennrich, MSSW, is an established professional who has worked across many facets of Wisconsin’s child welfare system for nearly twenty years. Ms. Gennrich is currently the Deputy Director of the Bureau of Permanence and Out of Home Care at the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families and in this role, demonstrates equal commitment to improvements on a micro, individually child-focused level, as well as on a macro, systems-focus level. Jamie.Gennrich1@wisconsin.gov
- Lexi Mueller, MSW, APSW, (she/her/hers) has been a Program and Policy Analyst with the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families since 2020. alexandra.mueller1@wisconsin.gov
Fresh Start Therapeutic Services (FSTS) is a wrap-around agency that offers intensive services in community settings, including: crisis intervention, intensive case management, targeted skills training & development, medication management, transitional services, and individual, family, & group counseling. FSTS experienced multiple bumps & bruises with implementing CANS & ANSA assessments into their practice model. The presenters will discuss those experiences, how they developed a workable process, and how they learned to utilize assessment data to modify treatment interventions and evaluate program outcomes. Other topics discussed will include: the initial intake process, details on the implementation of the assessment tools, staff & client feedback on the intake process, development of clinical standards with these assessments, modifications of the intake process, and crucial lessons learned from modifying program evaluation methods of the agency. The presenters will highlight the two most important lessons learned that impacted clinical outcomes of the program. Specifically, issues related to technology, diversity, equity, and inclusion. The presenters will offer opportunities for attendees to share their experiences with this process throughout the presentation. Lastly, the presenters will discuss how technology is being used to analyze the CANS & ANSA data for clinical program evaluation outcomes.
Learning objectives
- Compare & contrast implementation processes of CANS & ANSA
- Compare & contrast process changes during implementation
- Describe how they use CANS & ANSA data in program evaluation
Target: Direct Care Workers, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches, Researchers/Analysts
- Jamila Woods LCSW-S, CCTP with well over 17 years of practice experience in a variety of settings including academia, behavioral health, substance abuse, medical social work, family services, community-based & wrap around services and private practice. jamila@freshstarttherapeutic.com
- LaShanta Greenwood, PhD, LPC-S is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor, She has been in the field of Counselling for sixteen years now. She received her BS degree in Social Sciences from the University of Houston in 1996, Master’s degree from Prairie View A&M University in 2002. She recently received her doctorate degree in General Psychology with an emphasis on Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Grand Canyon University. mhc.7261@gmail.com
There is a need to combine research and practice to reduce recidivism. This program evaluation will focus on participants who complete a substance abuse treatment program in a rural detention center. Scott County, Indiana is a predominately White, blue-collar, agricultural community with an infiltration of drug trafficking easily accessible by the interstate that runs through it. Historically, individuals involved in the criminal justice system encounter many barriers when establishing care for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). The Indiana Sheriff’s Association created an opioid crisis response through piloted programs for county jails to offer treatment for consumers who meet criteria. In 2021, the Growth, Rehabilitation, and Clean Effort (GRACE) program was launched to meet the needs of residents in Scott County. The goals of the program include: (1) decrease mortality rates due to overdose from drug use, (2) reduce recidivism rates by 50% of individuals who complete the program, and (3) increase participant engagement in substance abuse treatment upon release from incarceration.
Benefits of collaboration with state and local government, non-profit organizations, and the community have led to changes in the program while it is implemented. LifeSpring Health Systems, CMHC, partnered with Scott County Sheriff’s Department to implement a 60-day substance abuse treatment program. The population includes eight to ten consumers who have been diagnosed with OUD or Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Direct approaches with individuals who are incarcerated have been associated with reduced recidivism rates, decreased overdose rates, and improved health outcomes (Hill & Stern, 2022). While in the GRACE program, each consumer engages in a diagnostic assessment, educational groups, and medical treatment. Prior to release, an insurance navigator from LifeSprings helps to ensure access to community-based services for Medicaid eligible consumers.
Implications for social work include providing evidence-based practices (EBT) that are effective with consumers in the criminal justice system. Rojas & Peters (2016) find such practices include Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Illness Management and Recovery (IMR), and Integrated Dual Disorder Treatment (IDDT). The GRACE program uses CBT workbooks created by Hazelden, curriculum from the Matrix model, and 12 Step books. Study of which treatment indicators had the most impact on participant motivation will produce data for stakeholders to fund future substance abuse treatment in rural jails.
Being aware of how social work had perpetuated trauma through concepts of White universalism and color blindness that creates bias during diagnostic evaluations is a key implication for social workers. During the assessment process, understanding cultural differences when defining nuclear family, lack of economic mobility, or survival mechanisms created by generational trauma builds the therapeutic rapport. Through use of racially unbiased risk assessments such as the Texas Christian University (TCU Drug Screen 5), the risk factors then become criminogenic needs that are modified by treatment during the GRACE program. It is critical to use reflexivity when interpreting knowledge and language among the forensic population.
Abstract:
It’s critical to combine research and practice to reduce recidivism in a rural detention center. The benefits of a collaborative community model providing substance abuse treatment for incarcerated consumers will be discussed. Implications for social work includes an ethical responsibility of promoting client well-being and public safety.
Learning objectives
- Discuss the meaning of mass incarceration.
- Review issues of reflexivity and White privilege.
- Identify benefits of working collaboratively.
- Summarize implications for macro social work.
Target:
Direct Care Workers, Supervisors/Coaches, Researchers/Analysts
Shonita Flamion, MSW, LCSW, DSW Candidate, is a clinical manager with fourteen years of clinical practice, educating the community on harm-reduction models and using evidence-based practice when educating stakeholders on offender rehabilitation. shonita.flamion@gmail.com
Description:
Idaho’s original version of the CANS created in 2017 included a minimum of 120 items and a maximum of around 160 when all the modules were completed. Providers often reported struggling to identify which items to use and how to effectively integrate the CANS into treatment. Idaho’s TCOM team identified that focusing on strengths helped to engage providers in TCOM.
A regression analysis identified which strengths most strongly correlated with a reduction in needs. Using these six key strengths (Peer Influences, Coping Skills, Family, Interpersonal Skills, Resilience, and Educational Setting) practitioners in Idaho improved outcomes for youth. A Hall of Fame was created to share success stories and inspire others to build strengths. The number of youth with at least four of these strengths increased and their actionable items significantly decreased.
Idaho’s implementation of the CANS has struggled with providers frequently identifying the CANS as a documentation burden. Many efforts were made to engage providers in TCOM including quarterly collaboratives, newsletters, how to videos, trainings, and conference presentations. Creating a shorter version of the CANS was identified as a top priority for improving CANS implementation in Idaho.
Using what we learned from these strength building efforts and further data analysis a new more focused CANS version was created through a collaborative process with Idaho stakeholders. Parents were prominent and valued members of this stakeholder group and significant changes were made to the caregiver domain. As a team we will continue working together to improve the use of the CANS in Idaho and ultimately improve outcomes for youth and families.
Learning objectives:
- Participants will discuss successful interventions for building strengths and resources will be identified including the Idaho Strengths Building Hall of Fame.
- Participants will critique and hypothesize how data informed approaches can be used to apply TCOM to broad populations.
- This workshop is designed to help you create effective communication and engagement strategies with stakeholders including parents, providers, schools, government, and others.
Target: Direct Care Workers, Administrators, Supervisors/Coaches
Presenters:
- Kyle Hanson, LCPC, is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) who received his Master of Counseling degree in Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling from Idaho State University. Kyle has provided therapy in both inpatient and outpatient settings and enjoys working with youth and families. He spent five years providing intensive in-home family therapy. He is a registered clinical supervisor. For six years, he was the Chief of Children’s Mental Health for Idaho Department of Health and Welfare covering six counties in Southeastern Idaho working with schools, juvenile justice, mental health agencies and others to meet the behavioral health needs of youth. kyle.hanson@dhw.idaho.gov
- Brad Lambson, MACP, has been a licensed marriage and family therapist since 1994. He has experience working in several states in various capacities in the mental health profession and education. He has worked for the Idaho Division of Behavioral Health since 2013 in Children’s Mental Health and recently joined the Center of Excellence Bureau as a TCOM/CANS Human Services Program Specialist. Brad was first certified in the Idaho CANS in 2017 and became a CANS trainer in 2020. brad.lambson@dhw.idaho.gov
Bethany Blank, LMSW, is a TCOM Human Services Program Specialist with The Center of Excellence, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. She also has served as a CANS Trainer since April of 2020 and has been CANS certified since 2017. bethany.blank@dhw.idaho.gov
- April Auker, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 24 years of professional experience. She is skilled in the following: facilitating groups, creating shared meaning though collaboration, negotiating and creating contracts with families; conducting and writing mental health assessments for youth and adults; engaging with community partners, providing training, coaching, supervising and support, and implementing new initiatives. april.auker@dhw.idaho.gov
Lizzie Minton, LCSW
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the 2023 TCOM Conference Program Committee Chairperson
Farhad Rezaei
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Communications and the TCOM Conference Coordinator
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