Engaging Youth in Permanency New England Youth Permanency Convening Portland, ME November 27 + 28, 2012.

Engaging Youth in Permanency

New England Youth Permanency ConveningPortland, ME

November 27 + 28, 2012

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

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Participants will be able to demonstrate and/or describe:*The importance of team, voice and belief in engaging youth in their own permanency work*The essential roles of the permanency social worker, legal custodian, birth family, foster parent and therapist in engaging youth in permanency planning*Tools and strategies to engage youth in permanency work, especially during times of ambivalence

VIDEO

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Lifelong FamiliesCasey Family Services

TABLE DISCUSSIONS

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Think about:A personal experience or example of engaging a youth in his or her own permanency work.

Share with the group:•One thing that worked well•One thing that didn’t work well•One place where you got “stuck” in the process

Casey Family Services Definition of Permanency

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An enduring family relationship that:• Is safe and meant to last a lifetime;

• Offers the legal rights and social status of full family membership;

• Provides for physical, emotional, social, cognitive and spiritual well-being; and

• Assures lifelong connections to birth and extended family, siblings, other significant adults, family history and traditions, race and ethnic heritage, culture, religion and language.

ENGAGING YOUTH IN PERMANENCY

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TEAM – VOICE – BELIEF

TEAM

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• Youth-focused• Youth assists in selecting team

members and setting team meeting agendas

• Youth is prepared to participate in meetings and in discussion

TEAM

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• Family-centered• Family members are included

in the team• Family permanency prioritized

as the outcome

TEAM

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• Enriches the youth permanency assessment• Where is the youth on the permanency

continuum?• What does youth understand about

reason in foster care• What does the youth understand about

role of birth parent/family in the process?

VOICE

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• Listen to what the youth is saying about permanency• Start where the youth is “in the moment”• Move the youth “beyond the moment”• Use clarification questions and tools

• Help the youth hear what other youth are saying about permanency

CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS

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Who am I?What happened to me?

Where am I going?When will I get there?

How and when will I know I belong?

Henry, Darla. The 3-5-7 Model of Preparing Children for Permanency. Children and Youth Services Review 27 (2005) 197-212.

TOOLS

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Life booksGenogramsEco-mapsTime lines

3-5-7 ModelBelonging and Emotional Security Tool

Permanency Pact

BELIEF

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• You play an essential role• Be convinced of it• Be clear about it

• Expect ambivalence – “ ride the wave”• Be realistic – “know the risks”

CO-FACILITATORS

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Lauren Frey, MSW, LCSWNew Haven Administrative Office

Lizabeth Harrington, LCPC-CPortland Division

Casey Family Services