Team Decision Making for Facilitators

Built on the foundation of Family to Family principles, the training offers facilitators the opportunity to identify and apply skills critical to TDM facilitation, as well as explore the emotions and feelings of individuals who are involved in meetings.  Recognizing the knowledge and strengths of the participants, the trainers will guide them in exploring the role and responsibilities of the TDM facilitator, determining essential content issues necessary for decision-making, developing strategies to handle difficult situations and practicing the systematic guiding of TDM team members through the problem-solving structure of the meeting.

Topics include:

  • The values, benefits and goals of TDM
  • Advantages and disadvantages of working as a team
  • Acceptance and respect for individual and cultural differences
  • Critical placement values and their use in TDM meetings
  • How to welcome, engage and involve all participants in the team decision-making process
  • The meaning of consensus as a goal for all TDM decisions and the child welfare agency’s responsibility to ensure decisions that provide safety and protection
  • The procedural aspects of why, when and how TDM meetings are scheduled
  • How to prepare for a TDM meeting
  • How to set criteria for group conduct that establish a productive climate
  • Strategies for creating a safe, productive environment supportive of honest communication
  • Strength-based interviewing skills, ability to assist a team to articulate the strengths of the family and the utilization of the identified strengths in the development of the safety and action plan
  • How to pace a TDM meeting, focus participants on strengths/concerns/ideas and systematically move a group through the problem-solving model assuring that each stage is fully developed to reach consensus
  • Critical issues that must be considered during specific types of TDM meetings
  • The role, responsibilities and the qualities of a TDM facilitator

The training provides the opportunity for collaboration and networking with colleagues who are also implementing TDM.

Course Code
382240