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In May the UC Davis Human Services Evaluation team participated in the Sonoma QMAG (short for Quality Management Advisory Group) biannual meeting for the fourth consecutive year. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, in lieu of convening at the North Bay Regional Center in Sonoma County as originally planned, over 30 participants attended the meeting virtually.

UC Davis Human Services’ Resource Center for Family-Focused Practice team was proud to partner with the California Department of Social Services and many contributing partners on the development of this timely and relevant Playbook, Flexible Foster Care Rated During COVID-19: A Playbook for Supporting Child and Youth Permanency through a Wraparound-Informed Approach Operationalizing All County Letter 20-44.

By now, some of us are beginning to adjust to the “new normal” at work. But that doesn’t make our jobs any easier. In an effort to help county human services professionals address issues and challenges related to the COVID-19 health crisis, we’ve developed three new courses that’ we’re offering as free webinars:

In this relevant (and relatable) news story, CBS News' Jericka Duncan shares the accounts of some child welfare workers who recorded video diaries of the lengths they must go to meet with children and families while observing health precautions during the COVID-19 health crisis.

Watch the video and consider sharing it with your colleagues—there maybe a variety of ways to use this video with your staff and community.

Designed for resource parents who are caring for school-aged children and youth, this webinar provides a timely discussion with a panel of experts on topics, including:

Like so many of you, our Human Services team has undergone a huge shift in the way we approach our work in response to the challenges presented by COVID-19. Many on our team are working from home for the first time and are learning quickly how to remain impactful remotely, while others are seasoned veterans at remote work and are sharing their wisdom freely.

Drs. John Lyons and April Fernando recently recorded a webinar on the use of the CANS and ANSA in non-face-to-face modalities (e.g., telephone). Texas was kind enough to let the Praed Foundation share it with us. Download the webinar for free at the link below:

On April 1 and 2 we hosted a series of webinars for Human Services staff and leaders focused on navigating the often-overlooked psychosocial impacts of a crisis in general, and with COVID-19 in particular. The trauma-informed and leadership-focused webinars examine some of the atypical leadership behaviors required during these challenging times, as well as trauma-informed leadership practices that can help reduce workforce burnout and stress.

World-renowned expert in child health and well-being and principal of the Neurosequential Network Dr. Bruce Perry, M.D., Ph.D., has produced a series of short videos to help professionals (and parents) better understand and navigate the impacts of the COVID-19 global health crisis—on themselves, their families and the vulnerable families they serve.

To access these videos, as well as other helpful resources from Dr. Perry, visit this site.

In an effort to provide guidance on how to continue our work during this time of physical distancing, the NCCD Children’s Research Center has published a number of resource materials. Below you’ll find links to these documents, which include comprehensive, step-by-step tools and information that we hope social workers and supervisors will find valuable:

By Susan Brooks, Director of Human Services, UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education

As we celebrate Reaching Out's 15th year of production, we couldn't help but fall into a little reflection. 

Over these many but quickly moving years, each issue of Reaching Out has traditionally highlighted one central topic area. As we searched for one common thread across our many issues, we kept coming back to one that is still a large, important, and very tricky topic to this day: implementation.

By Laurie Ellington

When it comes to implementing a new strategy or practice within an organization, the organizational culture will have a massive say in whether implementation succeeds or fails. The challenge for leaders, then, is as stubborn and persistent as it is natural: Culture will not change without resistance.

By Alison Book, Director, Northern Academy

Small counties face unique challenges when implementing new mandates or practices in child welfare, including limited staff, funding and other resources. Implementation science tells us that successful implementation requires attention to executive (leadership level), cross-system and day-to-day functions—and leaders in small agencies are frequently, and sometimes solely, responsible for attending to all of these. 

By Renée Boothroyd, Scientist and Senior Implementation Specialist, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Getting to outcomes is not as simple as selecting an effective practice model or strategy (“the WHAT”). The process of supporting use of any practice model or strategy (“the HOW”) is just as, if not more important, for creating supportive systems and improving outcomes. 

In 2019, as part of the Northern Academy's CQI Thought Takeaways video series, Jami Ledoux from Casey Family Programs talked about implementing CQI by transforming the culture that informs the focus within that system. This article is adapted from her presentation, which is available here.