Social Work Commons^™

Does Fathers' Involvement In Services Affect Mothers' Likelihood Of Reunification With Children Placed In Foster Care?, Amy D'Andrade

Faculty Publications

Social science literature shows associations between fathers' involvement with their children and beneficial developmental outcomes of those children. A related but smaller body of research in the child welfare services arena has found measures of father involvement to be positively associated with beneficial child welfare outcomes, including child's reunification with parent after placement in foster care. However, the pathway by which father involvement affects reunification likelihood has not been determined. This study builds on the existing body of literature by testing a theoretical basis for the relationship between father involvement (measured as service use) and mothers' reunification in a model …

Measuring Client Satisfaction And Engagement: The Role Of A Mentor Parent Program In Family Drug Treatment Court, Laurie Drabble, Lisa Huan, Hilary Kushins, Edward Cohen

Faculty Publications

Parent engagement is an important intermediate outcome in Family Drug Treatment Court (FDTC) and child welfare services. This study explored the utility and reliability of a client satisfaction and engagement survey designed to measure interim outcomes of a Mentor Parent Program, operating in conjunction with a FDTC. Findings suggest the survey is a useful, parsimonious and reliable tool for measuring key dimensions of parent mentor services including client engagement; client-centered support and empowerment; and help with systems navigation and accessing resources. The survey may be adapted for use in other FDTC or parent mentor contexts.

Advancing Trauma-Informed Systems Change In A Family Drug Treatment Court Context, Laurie Drabble, Shelby Jones, Vivian Brown

Faculty Publications

A growing body of literature documents the importance of trauma-informed and trauma-specific services and systems change in both addiction treatment and child welfare fields. The overall aim of this qualitative study was to explore barriers, benefits, and facilitating factors associated with a trauma-informed systems assessment and improvement initiative conducted in the context of a family drug treatment court (FDTC). Semistructured in-depth interviews with 12 key informants and historical analyses of project documents over a 4-year time span were conducted. Results underscore the relevance of trauma-informed systems change in collaborative contexts designed to address the complex needs of children and families.

University Scholar Series: Laurie Drabble, Laurie A. Drabble

University Scholar Series

Alcohol and Drug Addiction Among Marginalized Populations of Women

On September 29, 2010 Laurie Drabble spoke in the University Scholar Series hosted by Provost Gerry Selter at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. Laurie Drabble is an associate professor in Social Work with her research focusing on understanding alcohol and drug-related problems among marginalized populations of women and she has conducted a number of studies exploring collaboration between addiction treatment and child welfare fields. She has worked as Executive Director of the California Women's Commission on Alcohol and Drug Dependencies and a consultant in prevention strategies, strategic planning, and …

Risk And Safety Assessment In Child Welfare: Instrument Comparisons, Amy C. D’Andrade, Michael J. Austin, A Benton

Faculty Publications

The assessment of risk is a critical part of child welfare agency practice. This review of the research literature on different instruments for assessing risk and safety in child welfare focuses on instrument reliability, validity, outcomes, and use with children and families of color. The findings suggest that the current actuarial instruments have stronger predictive validity than consensus-based instruments. This review was limited by the variability in definitions and measures across studies, the relatively small number of studies examining risk assessment instruments, and the lack of studies on case decision points other than the initial investigation.

Understanding And Measuring Child Welfare Outcomes, Amy C. D’Andrade, Kathy Lemon Osterling, Michael J. Austin

Faculty Publications

The new "Children's and Family Services Reviews" (CFSR) process focuses on the effectiveness of services to children and families by measuring client outcomes. This article reviews the research literature related to child welfare outcomes in order to provide a context for federal accountability efforts. It also summarizes the 2001 federal mandate to hold states accountable for child welfare outcomes and describes California's response to this mandate. Implications of the outcomes literature review and measurement problems in the CFSR process suggest CSFR measures do not always capture meaningful outcomes. Recommendations for change are made.

Risk And Safety Assessment In Child Welfare: Instrument Comparisons, Amy C. D’Andrade, Michael Austin, Amy Benton

Amy C. D’Andrade

The assessment of risk is a critical part of child welfare agency practice. This review of the research literature on different instruments for assessing risk and safety in child welfare focuses on instrument reliability, validity, outcomes, and use with children and families of color. The findings suggest that the current actuarial instruments have stronger predictive validity than consensus-based instruments. This review was limited by the variability in definitions and measures across studies, the relatively small number of studies examining risk assessment instruments, and the lack of studies on case decision points other than the initial investigation.

Understanding And Measuring Child Welfare Outcomes, Amy C. D’Andrade, K Lemon, M Austin

Amy C. D’Andrade

The new "Children's and Family Services Reviews" (CFSR) process focuses on the effectiveness of services to children and families by measuring client outcomes. This article reviews the research literature related to child welfare outcomes in order to provide a context for federal accountability efforts. It also summarizes the 2001 federal mandate to hold states accountable for child welfare outcomes and describes California's response to this mandate. Implications of the outcomes literature review and measurement problems in the CFSR process suggest CSFR measures do not always capture meaningful outcomes. Recommendations for change are made.

What Addiction Professionals Need To Know About Welfare Reform And Child Welfare, B Grossman, Laurie A. Drabble

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

What Addiction Professionals Need To Know About Welfare Reform And Child Welfare., B Grossman, Laurie A. Drabble

Laurie A. Drabble

No abstract provided.