The Family Assessment Form

Agency/Program NameDate

Agenda

Welcome and Introductions

FAF Overview

Assessment Exercises

Service Planning Exercises

Training Evaluation

Introduction

Name

What is most rewarding to you about your job?

Objectives

To understand purpose of the FAF

To become familiar with FAF structure

To practice using the FAF

A Brief History

Developed between 1986-1990 at Children’s Bureau of Southern California, a non-profit agency providing child abuse treatment and prevention services.

Created by a team of staff: home visitors, supervisor, developmental psychologist, and research consultants.

Developed as a home based instrument for use in family support/family preservation services and used by programs across the country

Used in several program evaluation studies and a major controlled research study in Los Angeles County.

Distributed by Child Welfare League of America beginning in 1997.

Software developed between 2000-2004.

Mini-Exercise

Divide into two groups.

Group One: Make a list of your greatest challenges in working with families and in home visiting.

Group Two: What kinds of information do you get from families to decide how you can help them?

FAF Purpose

Thorough Family Assessments

Focused Goals and Service Plans

Consistent and Efficient Documentation

Staff Orientation and Training

Program Evaluation

Thorough Family Assessment

Focus on family strengths need structured way to emphasize strengths

Challenge of home visitation multiple distractions and crises can interfere

with understanding core issues worker not in control of environment family problems can be overwhelming

Importance of the Big Picture need to understand family dynamics, short and

long-term needs, stresses, etc. good assessments take time; time well spent

Focused Goals and Service Plans

Goals and service plans need to be family driven and linked to assessment

Cannot address everything; need to be thoughtfully selective in engaging family in goal setting

Service plan needs to be realistic and unique to the family situation

Assessment informs HOW you work with a family as well as what you work on unique family strengths and characteristics

Documentation

Consistency of documentation across workers, program sites, etc.

Short-hand method for home visitor Easy to review by others (i.e. supervisor,

back-up home visitor)FAF takes a “snapshot” of the familyFAF takes the place of a written, narrative

assessment

Staff Orientation and Training

FAF helps clarify expectations and scope of work for new staff

Points to areas of individual or team training needs

Helps structure individual supervision and case presentations

FAF is a tool to teach assessment and service planning

FAF provides objective language for report writing

Program Evaluation

Provides immediate feedback to worker and family on individual family change

Aggregate data can be used to report on program outcomes

Philosophical Approach

Practice First first and foremost a practice tool that

has to work for the home visitor not designed to structure family

sessions, rather to document differently what is learned about the family

need a disciplined way to “see” strengths in families with complex problems

Philosophical Approach

Ecological/Systems Theory Problems are not within individuals rather in the “fit”

between parts of the systemFAF addresses physical environment, social support,

caregiver child interactions, caregiver functioning and child behavior

Intervention might be targeted at a “misfit” in the system

i.e., child’s school problem may be related to parent/teacher communication

Change in one part of the system will change another part

i.e., improved parenting skills will improve child development

FAF Components

Case Log/Intake

Family Functioning Factors

Child Behavior Observation Checklist

Service Plan

Contacts

Closing Summary

Case Log/Intake

Case Name/Contact InformationCase NumberWorker AssignedFamily Composition and

DemographicsHistory of Child Welfare System

InvolvementAssessment Dates

Family Functioning Factors

Six Outcome Measures of Family Functioning - 39 items total

A. Living Conditions - 6 items B. Financial Conditions - 5 items C. Supports to Caregivers - 6 items D. Caregiver/Child Interactions - 12 items E. Developmental Stimulation - 4 items F. Caregiver Interactions - 6 items

Personal Characteristics/History

Two Adult Assessment Factors – optional items, not used as outcome measures because not expected to change or could get worse (i.e., learn more about someone’s history)

G. Caregiver History - 8 items H. Personal Characteristics - 12

items

Child Behavior Observation Checklist

Child Specific Categories - optional items not used for outcome measurement

I. Acting Out Behaviors - 7 items J. Inner Directed Behaviors - 9 items K. School Behaviors - 4 items L. Health and Development - 7 items M. Temperament - 4 items

Service Plan

Components

FAF items indicating strengths

FAF items of concern

Goals related to areas of concern

Tasks for addressing each goal

Frequency and duration of contact

Contacts

Date of ContactWho InvolvedGoal AddressedWhat InterventionsReferralsProgress/Homework Notes

Closing Summary

Result (i.e., completed, dropped, lost, child placed, etc.)

Outcome on Individual Family Goals

Outcome of Referrals

Summary Progress Notes

Case Statistics

BREAK

FAF Overview

Walk through FAF Factors, items Definitions Scoring Caregivers Notes

How Do I Use the FAF?

Meaning of Scores

FAF Scoring

FAF as Initial Assessment

FAF at Termination of Services

Meaning of Scores

1. Above average. Positive influences/traits that have a strengthening effect on the family and/or child.

2. Generally Adequate. Minor problems within normal limits; not necessarily nonexistent, but do not create problems for caregivers or children. Treatment or intervention not necessary, but may be desired by caregivers to improve parenting.

3. Problems of a moderate nature. Negative impact on the welfare of children or put the family at risk. Counseling, intervention, or parent education are indicated.

4. Problems of a major nature. Significant negative influence on children or caregiver’s well-being. Intervention required.

5. Situation is endangering to children’s health, safety, and well-being. May call for removal of child; intervention and monitoring required.

FAF Scoring

Each item is scored on a 1-5 scale option to score 1.5, 2.5, etc.

Each item has an operational definition, based on the overall meaning of scores, to guide scoring selection it is VERY important to follow the definitions definitions are examples of the kinds of things

you might see, hear, etc.; use them as a guide refer to overall meaning of scores to help with

scoring decisions as needed

FAF as Initial Assessment

FAF serves as only form of assessment documentation rule of thumb is to complete within 3-4 visits

(6-8hrs) including service plan score items following each visit with a family

based on observations and discussions in preparation for subsequent visits, review

FAF areas not yet assessed do not change scores following this established

“baseline” period

FAF at Termination

Re-score FAF at termination of services prior to completing the closing summary this should not require a special visit

with the family as the worker already knows the family well

termination scoring should take about 1/2 hour

Key Points for Using FAF

FAF is a framework for approaching assessment NOT a structured interview or questionnaire

FAF documents, in a different way, information you already know about families

Obtain FAF information by observing and asking

Key Points for Using FAF

Use the operational definitions and overall meaning of scores to determine scores this is key to maintaining inter-rater reliability

Brief narrative comments are essential helps explain scores and uniqueness of each

familyTie family driven goals directly to assessed

areas of strength and concern

Exercise #1 – Section A

Divide into groups of twoLook at drawingMake list of strengths and concerns

observedComplete FAF section ADebrief

Exercise #2 – Sections B, C, D&E

Mock Interview Divide group into small groups of 5-8 Each participant gets a Script and blank

FAF Participants take turns reading the two

parts in the Script - worker and mother Stop, discuss and rate the FAF as

indicated on the Script Debrief

LUNCH

Exercise #3 – Sections B&C

Role Play Sections B&C – Supports to Caregivers Volunteer parent and home visitor Review Sections B&C items as group Begin role play Rotate home visitor role as needed Discuss FAF item scores as a group

Goal Setting

What is a goal? “the end toward which an effort is directed” -

Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary

a future state of being what the family situation will look like when

you have finished your work together what will be different?

What are some examples from own life?

Goal Setting

What is an Objective? Step taken by case manager or family

to achieve a goal A specific measurable action

What are some examples?

Objective Setting Guidelines

Specific and ClearMeasurable and ObservableAccomplishments - state positively

To practice active listening skills vs. to reduce level of arguing

To increase positive reinforcement vs. to reduce corporal punishment

Realistic based on resources - yours and the family’s

Timeframe for achievement

Objective Statements

Objective statement format

WHO will do WHAT, HOW by WHEN

Father will enroll in vocational education program at Austin Community College by Sept 15th.

Sample Goals/Objectives

Concern: Cleanliness/orderliness inside home (dirty dishes, trash overflowing, soiled diapers on floor)

Goal: Parents will increase children’s health and safety

Objectives: Case Manager will teach parents about connection between

health and hygiene by showing XYZ videos at next visitParents will make sure the dishes are washed on a daily

basis and that the trash to taken out each weekParents will child proof the home for their small children by

Sept 15th, using the home safety checklist provided by the Home Educator

Sample Goals

Concern: Appropriateness of discipline (only use corporal punishment with shoes and belt)

Goal: Parents will teach their children how to behave using positive forms of discipline

Objectives: Parents will attend 4 parenting workshops on child

behavior management beginning Nov 1 and ending Dec 1, 2006

Home Educator will coach and support parents in establishing child behavior rules and consequences by Dec 15, 2006

Sample Goals

Concern: Bonding style to children (parent pushes baby away and believes he is crying intentionally to anger parent)

Goal: Mother will increase her positive attachment to her new baby

Objectives: Home Educator will play the Happiest Baby on the Block video,

demonstrate and practice calming techniques with Mother during next visit

Mother will identify all the things she likes that are special about her new baby by next home visit

Mini-Exercise

Is it a goal or objective quiz

Goal Setting

Who contributes to goal setting? The family Referral source Case Manager using FAF assessment

Art is in blending these together into meaningful goals and tasks that the client is willing to work towards

Exercise #4: Service Planning

Divide into groups of three One parent One home visitor One observer

Based on Section A drawing exercise, role play working with this family to develop a goal or goals and objectives around home safety and cleanliness

Debrief as group

Exercise #5: Service Planning

Divide into groups of fiveEach group gets a sample completed FAF with

ratings and commentsAssign each group a FAF section (i.e. group 1

gets sections A&B, group 2 gets C, group 3 gets D, etc.)

Each group identifies strengths in their sectionEach group identifies concerns in their sectionEach group develops at least one goal and

objective for their section

Final Comments

Questions and Answers

Next Steps

Participant satisfaction/feedback

surveys