ASFA TRAINING PROJECT PHONE POLL OF CHILD WELFARE AGENCIES

South Carolina

1. How would you rate your agency's staff in terms of their understanding of ASFA requirements? We are particularly interested in the level of understanding of managers, supervisors and workers. Please rate their understanding on a scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being 'poor' and 5 being 'comprehensive'.

a. Managers:

Comments: Our 1996 statute had a lot of ASFA components so when ASFA passed it wasn't a big change for us.

b. Supervisors:

Comments: Same

c. Workers:

Comments: Same

2. Based on your agency's experience to date, what skills do you think managers, supervisors and workers need to have to implement ASFA?

a. Managers?

• Understanding organizational systems and relationships
• More knowledge of the programs and how all of the pieces fit together
• Understanding the connection/implication between ASFA implementation and funding
  

b. Supervisors?

• Coaching and mentoring
• Translating information and knowledge from one case to another and then working with the staff to share the learning
  

c. Workers?

• Setting priorities
• Putting all the pieces of concurrent planning together, making the connections.

3. As part of your ASFA implementation has your agency undertaken any activities in the following areas:

• Agency structure? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
  
• Internal communication? No Yes
  If yes, please describe
  The State Director established as one of the priorities looking at court delays and continuances. Thus, there has been a focus on those issues topic throughout the agency.
  
• Performance appraisals? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
  The evaluations/performance appraisals of the Deputies and County Directors have child welfare objectives and that has filtered down to other staff.
  
• Job descriptions? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
  
• Staff recruitment? No Yes
  If yes, please describe.
  

4. How do you handle staff training on ASFA?

a. Please describe the training.

When our new legislation passed in 1996, we did training on it. So when ASFA came along, all we did was update training which highlighted any new requirements.

We hold an annual 'Stable and Safe Families" Conference and ASFA is always on the agenda.

b. Who does the training?

Center for Child and Family Studies at the University of South Carolina

c. Is the training just on ASFA or is it incorporated into other training that you provide?

Incorporated.

d. Have you done any training with or for the courts? No Yes
If yes, please describe.

Not formally, however, there has been a lot of case by case education through our staff attorneys. County attorneys are trained on ASFA through continuing education provided by DSS Office of the General Counsel. Also, the Children's Law Office updates judges in a newsletter and has provided judges with a checklist of requirements for hearings, such as permanency planning hearings.

5. How well does your information system support the work of managers, supervisors and workers in implementing ASFA? Please rate the support provided by your system on a scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being 'poor' and 5 being 'outstanding'

a. Why did you give your system that rating?

The current system could have a lot of information but it is not very user friendly so the data isn't there. We are working on a redesign that will be more user friendly and thus will help assure that the needed data goes into the system and then is available for reporting purposes.

b. If a rating of 1 or 2 is given, probe as to the status of the SACWIS system.

6. What has worked best for you in terms of supporting staff as they implement the ASFA requirements?

The Director developed and managed a process that resulted in priority objectives for the agency regarding permanency and placement. A driving belief that guides our practice is that 'the state makes a poor parent'. The Director monitors progress toward meeting the objectives and continues to discuss them with County Directors and staff. These objectives are not special projects, they are integrated into our day to day work.

7. What do you view as barriers to your agency's support for staff as they implement the requirements of ASFA?

Continuances in the court system

Lack of a user friendly information system

Lack of resources around placement and permanency for teens, particularly teens with more serious conduct disorders.

Need for more human resources for better implementation of ASFA.

8. (For County based systems only.) To what extent does the fact that your state is county-based impact your ASFA implementation?

9. Is there anything else that you want to tell us regarding the best way to support staff as they implement the requirements of ASFA?

We set aside a small pool of funding for counties to use to recruit foster and adoptive parents. The counties are using that funding very creatively and positively, for example, pooling the funds to buy advertisements.

Back to Top