Child and Family Welfare Services (CFWS) In-Service: Working with Adolescents and Young Adults

K1: Identify adolescence as a developmental period that requires a unique approach to case work. a. Review typical adolescent development and how it may be impacted by trauma. b. Advocate for healthy developmental opportunities with caregivers and support systems to destigmatize youth in care, increase understanding by the adults around them, and provide access to resources.

S1: Demonstrate effective transition planning with youth that includes goal setting, activity planning and permanency planning. a. Describe the policy requirements for working with adolescents on CFWS cases. b. Emphasize the importance of building a support system outside of DCYF and locate resources to add to a youth’s network. c. Explain how to effectively provide IL skills, work with the contracted ILS program and how to administer and follow-up on the CLSA. d. Determine how to talk with youth about their permanent plan, and how development and trauma may impact this conversation. e. Review requirements for working with CSEC and MFC youth and explore how to continue transition planning with these youth.

S2: Practice engagement strategies specific to working with adolescents. a. Practice having productive conversations during HSVs that meet youth where they are, view the youth as a whole person from a strength’s perspective, and build strong rapport. b. Practice how to talk with youth about their permanent plan. c. Examine how adolescent development and trauma impacts engagement and have developmentally appropriate conversations. d. Set professional and appropriate boundaries with youth and model healthy relationships and communication.

S3: Demonstrate balancing concerns for risk and safety without judgement or stigmatization, while honoring a youth’s autonomy and needs. a. Prioritize listening to the youth’s voice, utilizing motivational interviewing skills to help youth identify where their behavior may not be aligned with their goals. b. Examine how mental health, substance use, high ACES scores, self-harm and suicidality may impact adolescents on CFWS cases. c. Practice appropriate ways to respond to high-risk behaviors, without overreacting, pathologizing, or ignoring the concern. d. Locate services and support that can mitigate risk behaviors and practice offering these to youth. e. Recognize how normal adolescent development impacts risk behaviors, and how this is also further impacted by trauma. f. Practice identifying personal values and bias, and how this may impact caseworker response to high-risk behaviors. g. Discuss documentation that is not reactive, overly negative or shares unnecessary information with the court and in the case file.