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Third International Signs of Safety Gathering March 2010

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Third International Signs of Safety Gathering March 2010

In March 29 to 31 2010 the Third International Signs of Safety Gathering was held at the Oak Ridge Conference Center, Carver County Minnesota. Over 300 people attended with practitioners and agencies from Europe, Australasia and North America. The event was a huge success.

About Three Quarters of all who Attended the Carver Gathering, Photographed on the Final Morning

Abinouji

Ted Waukey an Ojibway man who works in the Leech Lake community in eastern Minnesota began the Gathering with prayer and welcome in the Ojibway language. During the Gathering Ted asked that the following description of the Ojibway attitude to children be read out:

Embedded in the ancient and archaic language of the ancient Ojibways is what the Elders, who still know the true meaning of the word ‘Abinouji’ that the Ojibway use to describe ‘baby’. The roots of the word when strung together form the meaning: ‘sacred spirit, coming in, who has a voice’. Abinouji describes the new life who is coming in directly from the side of the creator, from the spirit world, a pure spirit, on loan to us from the creator of all things. Not ours to abuse and do with what we will. A very sacred being, one who must be celebrated, honoured, valued and taught to celebrate themselves. When there is no one there to celebrate their birth, their accomplishments, or their life, they do not feel that we love them. A ‘sacred spirit, coming in who has a voice’ was never harshly disciplined, never beaten or slapped around. To do this would have incurred the wrath of the spirit world, or, if this was to happen the ‘sacred spirit, coming in who has a voice’ may possibly return to the spirit world.

A Participant's Experience of the Gathering

I just wanted to tell you how exciting and motivating I found the Signs of Safety International Gathering! My head is still spinning from all that I heard. The new ideas for tools, application of Signs of Safety, questions and techniques, etc. were excellent and I have talked to staff about many already. However, I think one of the biggest “ah-huh” moments was realizing that though cultures may differ, the challenges faced in child protection are similar around the world, just as the results from using the solution-focused practice are similar and applicable. From the Ktunaxa First Nations agency in British Columbia to the metropolitan areas of Europe to Japan and even here in central MN, the changes I heard bring me hope that as a system we can change and do honor to the families and children we work with. Seeing so many line staff and supervisors from all over willing to share and learn from one another, all with the goal of finding ways to help families provide safety for their children, was more powerful than I could have imagined. Thank you to you, Jim, Andrew, and the staff of your agencies for making this gathering so successful. I may start saving my pennies (literally, not figuratively!) so I can attend the next gathering (in Zeeland Netherlands in September 2011).
Brenda Mahoney, Division Director, Family & Children Services, Stearns County Human Services, Minnesota

Video Now Available, PowerPoints Coming Soon

Click on the heading next to each session time or the link at the end of each abstract to go to the video page for each presentation.

We will start to upload PowerPoint slide shows from all the presentations in the next few days and hopefully have everything uploaded here by 19 May (our apologies for this being slower than originally planned).

You can download the programme for all the presentations here.

A number of people have asked who was the band who's song Andrew used in the final music and pictures 'show'. The song is 'The Gathering' the band:The Borderers, the song is from one of their albums called The Gathering go to: http://www.theborderers.com.au/

DAY ONE: Monday 29 March

9.00 - 9.30 Welcome and Introductions

10.00 – 11.00 Carver County Maps its Way Toward Children’s Safety

Carver County Community Social Services, Minnesota
Presenters:

  • Dan Koziolek, Manager
  • Sherry Amelse, Assessment Social Worker
  • Cindy Finch, Child Protection Caseworker
  • Kelly Froehle, Child Protection Caseworker
  • Jenny Neubauer, Developmental Disabilities Caseworker
  • Kate Fitterer, Behavior Intervention Worker

Presentation:
Carver County’s presentation will center around a montage of appreciative inquiry interviews of every member of our system that is willing to accept the invitation to describe the impact the Signs of Safety Map is having on their work. There will be a few interviews of families we have learned from thrown in along the way. Agency staff and family members representing intake, child protection assessment and casework, children’s mental health, autism, behavioral health, and developmental disabilities will personally describe the impact of the Signs of Safety Map on their specific work assignments from their perspective.

10.30 – 11.00 Morning Tea

11.00 – 12.00 Gateshead: The Journey Continues

by Gateshead Referral and Access Team, England
Presenters:

  • Viv Hogg,
  • Marjorie James,
  • Lisa Stonehouse,
  • Laura Brennan
  • Sue Robson

Presentation:
The Gateshead Referral and Assessment (investigation) teams have been using the Signs of Safety approach to organize all of their child protection practice since 2002. In that time their agency and the broader child protection context within which they operate has gone through major changes. This in turn has meant that for the teams to retain the Signs of Safety at the core of their work they have had to deal with many challenges. During the same time the Gateshead teams have continued their own journey with the approach deepening and refining their understanding and use of the Signs of Safety. Viv will begin the Gateshead presentation offering her reflections about how the Signs of Safety has evolved in Gateshead through assessment, screening, consultations, meetings, safety planning and direct work with children. Viv’s overview and reflections on the Gateshead journey will be deepened and demonstrated first with Marjorie interviewing Lisa about her safety planning work and secondly through a presentation by Sue and Laura talking about the way in which they have used the tools to communicate with and involve children.

12.00 – 12.30 Reflecting on a child protection experience: two parents and a caseworker tell their story

Mattias Norenberg with Scott and Diana Abernathey
St Louis County, Minnesota
Presentation:
This presentation will offer a story of how Child Protective Services helped parents stop using meth and marijuana for the safety of their children, along with exploring what “success” means to them. A brief timeline of key points and their involvement with Child Protection Services will be discussed. Matthias and the parents will discuss their Words and Pictures book, which was written at the children’s level of understanding. They will discuss what the children learned from the story and how they were integral parts in the safety planning. Bring your Kleenex for this intimate story of a family’s struggles and triumphs.

12.30 – 1.30 Lunch

1.30 – 2.00 The “Questionable” Approach: What ‘Not knowing’ has Taught Two Therapists

Presenters:

  • Bill Schulenberg, MA, LAMFT , Director of Training and Partnerships,
  • Connected Families, Minnesota
  • Chad Hayenga, MA, LMFT, Director of Counseling, Connected Families Minnesota

Presentation:
We will use humor and fresh thinking about some profound and sometimes hard to capture concepts undergirding the Signs of Safety framework. We will use the stories of those who have allowed us to come alongside them, and our "not knowing" in the midst of their stories to reflect on fertile and, at times, not so fertile ground for implementing Signs of Safety. We will address the "Questionable" part of the title by discussing how difficult it was and is for us to believe we could/can enter situations with questions, rather than answers, and arrive at solutions that have meaningful outcomes for those with whom we work.

2.00 – 2.30 The Parallel Process of Organisational Change

Presenters:

  • Suzanne Arntson-Scott County Children’s Services Supervisor, Minnesota
  • Karen Kandik-Scott County Children’s Services Supervisor, Minnesota

Presentation
Scott County child protection supervisors will highlight the experience of several staff via video clips regarding our agency’s experience in implementing Signs of Safety. The video clips will provide the audience with the worker prospective on the implementation process, the strengths regarding the change process and how their learning could be used to help other agencies in their own change process. A video clip of Scott County’s lead judge will also provide participants with a judicial prospective on how the work looks different and how child safety has improved. Presenters will focus on creating a transparent change process and the critical role supervisors play in creating a parallel process.

2.30 – 3.00 Words and Pictures in Open Home Foundation, New Zealand

Presenter:

  • Lee Roberts, General Manager Service Delivery, Open Home Foundation, New Zealand

Abstract
"The Open Home Foundation of New Zealand (OHF) is a Christian Child and Family Support Service working with families in need of support and providing social work and foster care where needed.
I am presenting an example of the use of Words and Pictures in a situation where the statutory agency removed seven children from a mother over a number of years. The Words and Pictures was created in regard to the fifth child who was removed at age nine months and is now seven years old. I will present the story that was created as well as video interviews with Jill Devlin the OHF practitioner, the mother, older siblings, the foster parents and the statutory social worker.

3.00 – 3.30Afternoon Tea

3.30 – 4.00 Listening to the voices of children and their families in the process of family reunification using the signs of safety and the three houses model

Presenters:

  • Naomi Inoue (University of Denver, USA)
  • Kaoru Inoue (Doho University, JAPAN)

Abstract
Listening to the children about the reunification with their families is very important, but it’s not easy to do that in a concrete and constructive way after several years’ separation. Asking them about their three houses or their concerns and strengths is very powerful to help them think about their lives at home and to build safety network for family reunification by having discussions about those visualized materials in family group meeting. We will present two cases and the visualized materials that we use.

4.00 – 4.30 Spreading and Practicing Signs of Safety in Sweden

Presenters:

  • Tomas Embreus, Independent Social Work Consultant and Trainer, Sjuntorp, Sweden
  • Camilla Nasiri, Child Protection Supervisor, Jönköpings Kommun, Sweden

Abstract
Tomas and Camilla will present together where Tomas first will talk about his experience of training and supervising Signs of Safety in an effective way and how this has been useful and made a difference for social workers in Sweden. Camilla will then talk about how she has implemented Signs of Safety in her workgroup and continuously keeping the group on the road at their journey and how Signs of Safety has been useful for them, taking time also to reflect on lessons learnt working with a particularly high-risk case.

DAY TWO: Tuesday 30 March

9.00 – 10.00 Child Protection: Before and After Signs of Safety

Ktunaxa Kinbasket Child & Family Services, British Colombia, Canada
Presenters:

  • Heidi Hebditch
  • Bart Knudsgaard
  • Donna Bone
  • June Forsythe
  • Julie Birdstone
  • Pat Cardinal

Abstract
We would like to present via power point some of our agency’s safety plans, maps, outcomes, and forms used to simplify our work. We can discuss the impacts on client, staff and supervisor alike as well as the growing interest in the community and future plans for continued education within our region.

10.00 – 10.30 Carver County Assessment Team Presents Examples from Signs of Safety Practices in Frontline Work

Presenters:

  • Sherry Amelse, CP Social Worker
  • Carole Cole, CP Social Worker
  • Amy Conzemius, CP Social Worker
  • Tanya Sabol, CP Social Worker

Abstract:
The Carver County Child Protection Assessment Team presents case examples using Signs of Safety techniques in frontline situations. Each of the four workers will focus on a piece of their best case work showing the work and discussing how it was beneficial to the case, family and worker in building safety.

10.30 – 11.00 Morning Tea

11.00 – 12.00 Signs of Safety: Bringing the Approach Back Home

Presenters:

  • Andrew Turnell, Independent Social Worker and Child Protection Consultant, Perth, Western Australia
  • Katrina Etherington, Senior Practice Development Officer, Department for Child Protection, Armadale, Western Australia
  • Sonja Parker, Independent Social Worker and Child Protection Consultant, Perth, Western Australia

Abstract
The Signs of Safety was created in Western Australia in the 1990’s with the Department for Child Protection but it was only in 2008 that the Department formally adopted the approach and began to implement it across the organization. This presentation will describe the system-wide implementation journey as it has unfolded over the past 22 months.

  • Due to technical issues there is no video available for this session. We apologise for any inconvenience.

12.00 – 12.30 Grace and Rigor "On" and "Off" the Ground

Presenters:

  • Ben Bevis, Associate Therapist and Signs of Safety In-Home Worker, Connected Families, Minnesota
  • Andrea Robideau, Associate Therapist and Signs of Safety In-Home Worker, Connected Families, Minnesota

Abstract
Ben and Andrea will present on the principles of grace and rigor – giving examples from “on the ground” collaborating with families, and “off the ground”, collaborating with other workers. Sharing from our unique role as in-home workers, we’ll explore what has been done to create environments that empower people to think together and implement workable solutions. We’ll share real-life stories where grace and rigor played the key role in creating moments of difference for families and statutory authorities, which lead to immediate and long-term safety for kids.

  • Due to technical issues there is no video available of the actual presentation. We apologise for any inconvenience.
  • As part of their preparation for the Gathering presentation Andrea and Ben interviewed on video the parents they had been working with and around who's situations Andrea and Ben made their presentation. The video's are available here.

12.30 – 1.30 Lunch

1.30 – 2.30 Building Relationships, Creating Safety – Our Journey using Signs of Safety at the Children’s Aid Society of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Presenters:

  • Shannon May - Child Protection Worker
  • Michelle Taylor - Child Protection Worker
  • Fred Magie - Supervisor
  • Karen Chardola - Supervisor
  • Shawn Chisholm - Manager
  • Shawn Chisholm - Manger, Family Services

Abstract
It has been two short years since the introduction of Signs of Safety to our agency. Becoming acquainted with Signs of Safety sparked enthusiasm to learn more and quickly set the stage to explore changes in our practice.

We are excited about the possibility of presenting our work using the Signs of Safety approach. Our hope is that by sharing and reflecting on how our experience has impacted the families in our community, others will be inspired

2.30 – 3.00 Taking Time to Talk about Practice

Presenters:

  • Jill Richard, Training & Organizational Consultant, University of Vermont
  • Sarah Gallagher, Child Welfare Training Partnership Coordinator, University of Vermont

Abstract
Family Safety Planning in Vermont utilizes the Signs of Safety practice from the first call made to the agency through case closure. The Child Welfare Training Partnership will discuss the impact of this practice on social workers, community partners and families, the excitement that true engagement generates when everyone is focused on safety, and the ripple effect that this has on the entire system.

3.00 – 3.30 Afternoon Tea

3.30 – 4.00 The use of e-intervision for the practice of Signs of Safety

Presenters:

  • Eric Sulkers, MD PhD, Paediatrician, Zeeland, Netherlands

Abstract
Supervision and Appreciative Inquiry (AI) interviewing are important for the implementation of the Signs of Safety. The idea of e–intervision is presented, making use of readily available platforms for sharing video like Youtube. With little adjustments, it is possible to share privately, video clips with AI interviews of workers with 20 other colleagues. Members can watch the clips several times, before commenting on each others’ work in a solution-focused way, being guided by a webmaster in this. Long distance supervision for the interviewer can be added as a second learning point.
The first experiences with this, sharing clips between Zeeland, Drenthe and Carver will be presented and a handout with practical information will be provided to the audience.

4.00 – 4.30 A Safety-organized Focus in Family Dependency Treatment Court

Presenters:

  • Roxanne Esler, Mark Wilhelmson and Mark Snyder,
    St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services, Minnesota


Presenters share a safety-organized focus in their social work practice effort with participants in a Northeastern Minnesota Family Dependency Treatment Court - “drug court”- setting. Drug court participants attend weekly hearings until they complete one year of sobriety. Over a three-month period, progress for participants is chronicled with a “signs of safety” consultation framework. Danger, safety, complicating factors and next steps are identified and amplified. Acceptance of the model by drug court team members, as well as any change in team culture, is discussed. The presenters utilize an appreciative inquiry to demonstrate their attempt to move a forensic practice more toward their client’s perspective.

DAY THREE: Wednesday 31 March

9.00 – 10.30 Accountability for Change: Solution-Focused Treatment of Domestic Violence Offenders

Presenter:

  • Adriana Uken

Abstract
In child protection work so many of our plans and interventions depend on engaging and changing the behaviour of men deemed to be violent or problematic in some way. Adriana’s work draws on the same solution-focused rootstock as the signs of safety approach and her solution-focused group work programme with domestic violent offenders provides many insights and challenges about how to motivate and assist the change process in responding to violence. Adriana will describe the ‘Plumas Project’, a radically innovative, solution-focused domestic violence offenders group treatment program that Adriana and John Seebold began developing in Northern California in 1990. Through 14 years of independent research, the program has demonstrated recidivism rates of 10.2%, a remarkable figure compared to the more usual 40-60% recidivism for traditional group programs. Alongside this, the Plumas programme sustains a very high completion rate of 92.8% (most DV group programs achieve about 50% completion). Given that domestic violence and engaging perpetrators are such challenging issues in child protection work this will be a stimulating presentation. Adriana’s book on this work, co-authored with John Seebold and Mo Yee Lee is called Solution-Focused Treatment of Domestic Violence Offenders: Accountability for Change published by Oxford University Press. Further information about Adriana’s work and the most recent published data on the program is also available at: http://www.signsofsafety/sfdv

10.30 – 11.00 Morning Tea and Gathering Photo

11.00 – 12.00 Reflections, Intersections and Possible Directions

Presenters:

  • Dr. Bill Madsen, Director, Family-Centered Services Project, Cambridge Massachusetts
  • Professor Gale Miller, Department of Social Work, University of Vermont

To connect our local work to some of the bigger issues that always swirl around, intersect and drive child protection practice, our programme will conclude with a presentation from Bill Madsen and Gale Miller who both have extensive practice, academic and research experience in the child protection field. Gale and Bill will provide their reflections on the presentations, sharing with us what they have learned, and what has most impressed them in what they have heard over the last two and half days. Gale and Bill will also help us think about the challenges that face us as we move forward and offer their thoughts about the connections between our work and current policy and social issues that face child protection practitioners and organisations.

12.00 – 12.30 Farewells and Gathering Close