Day 1: March 24
Morning Keynote: The Future of Work
Tom Wujec
The shift to remote work and the impact of emerging technologies have upended the ways we collaborate with our teams and clients, emphasizing the persistent need for continuous quality improvement. In this visually rich and interactive talk, Tom Wujec will share evidence-based lessons on how individuals and teams can ride the waves of extreme change and still manage to foster CQI. This presentation will teach you how to gain this decade’s most critical capabilities—complex problem solving, active learning strategies and innovation—by developing skills such as strategic questioning, developing ideas and engaging with action, which underpin all modern collaboration methods. Be prepared to take notes and perform a few design challenges to immediately to apply your skills. We look forward to seeing you at the Future of Work!
Morning Workshop Sessions
The Future of Work: A Deeper Dive
Tom Wujec
What more can be said about the turbulent changes we’ve experienced in 2020? The shift to remote work and the impact of emerging technologies have upended the ways we collaborate with our teams and clients. These shifts stretch our capabilities, organizationally and personally, and underscore the persistent need for agility, resilience, imagination and connection. In other words, continuous quality improvement.
Parent Partners
Description coming soon
Making the Most of Online Monitoring System (OMS) Reports
Dave McDowell
All CFSR Case Review Quality Assurance staff throughout the state have access to a number of data and management reports through the OMS. This session will walk through how to access and interpret a number of reports, export data from OMS and highlight some of the potential uses of the data in county CQI processes.
Connecting the Dots: Utilizing data in the monitoring and evaluation of Systemic Factors
Stevie Rodgers, Mia Wheeler and Venus Esparza-Whitted
Systemic factors can describe the full story of case practice at a macro level. Utilizing various data sources in the development and monitoring of systemic factors can support successful implementation and performance. Data from case management systems, the development of policies and procedures, identifying baselines/measurement tools, and staff training are a few areas that will be explored in this workshop. The CDSS Outcomes and Accountability Section and county partners will share strategies developed in their own System Improvement Plans, including ways to identify a baseline as well as measure, monitor and evaluate progress on their selected systemic factors.
Nuts and Bolts of CQI, Part 1
Laura Packard Tucker, Daniel Webster and Wendy Wiegmann
This session will focus on the major concepts of CQI, namely that the process of improvement starts with a question. We will use activities to elicit questions from participants and locate the questions on the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) map. A major objective of this session is establishing that the ultimate goal of CQI is to improve child and family outcomes, and that adjustments to process, quality and capacity are done to improve outcomes. This session covers the articulation of questions; Nuts and Bolts Part 2 (see Workshop Sessions Round 4) will teach foundational skills for answering those questions.
Risk Stratified Supervision with a focus on ER quality
Emily Hornstein
Description coming soon
A Frontier County Experience: Qualitative Data Mining and Continuous Quality Improvement
Willie Green
This presentation will discuss how a Qualitative Data Mining (QDM) project can effectively develop their organization’s CQI initiatives. Frontier counties and their isolated communities often lack the resources to analyze qualitative data, but advances in child welfare systems have made reporting data on permanency and maltreatment easily accessible to management, social workers, researchers and support staff. In this presentation, staff services analyst Willie Green shares his experiences with using QDM, administrative data systems, Organizational Behavior and CQI for a Child Welfare Services Unit in a California frontier county. Attendees will learn how to conduct a similar initiative in their organizations.
Afternoon Keynote: Centering Lived Experience in Innovation
Sixto Cancel
Sixto Cancel will discuss how to break from the cultural norms and traditional processes by centering lived experience to innovate system reform.
Afternoon Workshop Sessions
Workshop with Sixto Cancel
Sixto Cancel
Description coming soon
Making the Most of Online Monitoring System (OMS) Reports
Dave McDowell
All CFSR Case Review Quality Assurance staff throughout the state have access to a number of data and management reports through the OMS. This session will walk through how to access and interpret a number of reports, export data from OMS and highlight some of the potential uses of the data in county CQI processes.
High Quality Virtual Meetings that Engage and Include Everyone, Part 1
Tim Jassko-Fisher
How can you engage and meaningfully include everyone—virtually? Collaboration across diverse groups of people has become increasingly important at all levels of our work. Yet, we face a multitude of challenges with the pandemic, tight budgets, and increasing demands on our attention all posing significant constraints on our ability to work together. Generating a virtual space where everyone can play a meaningful part in creating the future is possible. In this workshop, we will focus on designing engaging online experiences to enhance any collaboration. You will gain tips and tools to use whether you are looking to energize your weekly team meeting or launch a national level initiative. Have a meeting or project in mind that could use some help? Bring what you are working on to this highly interactive workshop and apply what you learn immediately in the session.
Nuts and Bolts of CQI, Part 2
Laura Packard Tucker, Daniel Webster and Wendy Wiegmann
Following up on Nuts and Bolts Part 1, during which participants learned how to articulate questions about outcomes for children and families, this session will focus on the best practices for answering those questions. We will teach essential techniques to ensure that the answers generated to these questions are representative, unbiased and easily interpreted. We will demonstrate these techniques during a panel discussion with alumni from a recent Fundamentals course, who will discuss their experience in answering questions about permanency in their counties. Participants will leave with a set of guidelines that can support their ability to generate and process evidence about performance.
Demystifying Data Visualization
Elizabeth Grim
This presentation will provide a high-level overview of the data visualization and data storytelling process. Attendees will first learn how to identify the purpose and audience for their message. Next, they will be introduced to different types of charts and visuals, with a focus on tips and tricks for how to captivate their audience and convey clear messaging. Lastly, attendees will learn about different types of communications materials, including common formats such as reports and PowerPoint presentations, and how these appeal to different audiences. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of how to tell their data story to different audiences.
Diving Deep—Using Child and Family Services Review Case Review (CFSR) Data in a Collaborative Process to Improve Outcomes
Heather Pankiw, Tommy Pazhempallil, Deborah Bresnick, Kwaku Boasiako, Erin Thuston, Denise Absher, Jaclyn Ek
In the winter of 2019-2020, CDSS partnered with a few volunteer counties to complete a deep dive into the qualitative data for CFSR Case Reviews to determine the overarching strengths and challenges impacting the data. Potential strategies were recommend based on the most frequent challenges. This session will provide an overview of the process CDSS underwent, along with counties, to understand the root cause for areas of under-performance related to the California’s Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). This collaborative process allowed CDSS, counties and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to determine tangle next steps to improve practice.
Building CQI Culture through Collaborative Partnerships
Daniel Little and Naveen Sangwan
Organizational Culture is the most important determinant in successful execution of any strategy and initiative. Research studies have shown that 70% of all new initiatives and transformations fail due to lack of alignment of culture to the vision. Thus, foundational to effective implementation of CQI is the development of a CQI mindset and a culture that fosters a sense of personal accountability at every level – from front line staff to the executive leadership team.
Day 2: March 25
Morning Keynote: Coffee Conversation
Jennifer Haight and Jerry Milner
Description coming soon
Morning Workshop Sessions
Diving Deeper into Data Visualization
Elizabeth Grim
Building off the Demystifying Data Visualization presentation, this workshop will provide attendees with the opportunity dive deeper into the data visualization process. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and to walk through specific data visualization examples. Previous examples will be highlighted as a starting point, but attendees are encouraged to bring their own work and examples to share and explore. The goal of this workshop is for attendees to leave with examples and techniques that they can incorporate into their own work.
Data Sources: How and When to use them. Safemeasures, Berkeley, Chapin Hall
Laura Packard Tucker, Shahla Craggs, Daniel Webster and Bill James
California is fortunate to have access to many data sources. This workshop will provide an overview of SafeMeasures, CFSR case review data, the State Center for Child Welfare Data web tool and the UC Berkeley California Child Welfare Indicators (CCWIP) data. We will review how to use these data sources to inform your CQI processes. User tips will be provided!
Building a CQI Process to Improve the Workforce
Anita Barbee
Description coming soon
CQI: An Intentional Journey
Ben Slagter and Bridgette Hernandez
In April of 2019, the Department of Public Social Services Children’s Services Division of Riverside County began the journey to transform into a culture of learning and continuous quality improvement. This presentation will provide the contextual factors that initiated culture change in Riverside County, the foundation on which the framework of a learning culture is built and the methods and processes of the quality improvement program. Discussion will include a description of the CQI system in Riverside that includes the CQI Council, project improvement teams, executive direction and a developing suite of dashboards and metrics aligned with the Departmental strategic goals and System Improvement Plan.
Fences: The Child Welfare Experience for Black Children and Families in California
Wendy Wiegmann
Building on process and outcome data, this presentation will utilize thought-provoking questions to explore the types of barriers—or fences—that Black families experience during their journey through the child welfare system.
High Quality Virtual Meetings that Engage and Include Everyone, Part 2
Tim Jaasko-Fisher
Collaboration across diverse groups of people has become increasingly important at all levels of our work. Yet, we face a multitude of challenges with the pandemic, tight budgets, and increasing demands on our attention all posing significant constraints on our ability to work together. Generating a virtual space where everyone can play a meaningful part in creating the future is possible. In this Part 2 workshop, we will focus on designing engaging on-line experiences to enhance any collaboration. You will gain tips and tools to use whether you are looking to energize your weekly team meeting or launch a national level initiative. Have a meeting or project in mind that could use some help? Bring what you are working on to this highly interactive workshop and apply what you learn immediately in the session.
Creating Trauma Informed Strategies for CQI
Dr. Beth Cohen
Description coming soon
Community Engagement in CQI, Part 1
Tiffany Manuel
Description coming soon
Afternoon Keynote: Community Opportunity Map Indicators
Kirk O'Brien and Whitney Rostad
The Community Opportunity Map developed by Casey Family Programs is an interactive tool that highlights the aspects of communities that are associated with safe children and strong families. This interactive, research-based framework is composed of select community indicators and is available for any community in the nation to use.
Afternoon Workshop Sessions
Community Opportunity Map Indicators—Deeper Dive
Kirk O'Brien and Whitney Rostad
This workshop will provide a deeper dive of Casey Family Programs’ Community Opportunity Map, and illustrate how it can be used by various audiences (direct services staff, data/research staff, administration, etc.). We will use a virtual data walk to dive deep into one communities’ data as a way to engage in brainstorming around how COM might be used in other communities.
Creating Trauma Informed Strategies for CQI
Dr. Beth Cohen
Description coming soon
Bridging the Divide between Numbers and Practice: Why skill-driven practice conversations are an essential step in quality improvement
Fred Dominguez, Dr. Laura Andrade, Dr. Lidia Manetta Escobar, Roxanna Flores-Aguilar, Tayde Perez and Wendy Wiegmann
The Los Angeles County Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Division was created to ensure that practice improvement efforts are embedded in the culture of every regional office across the county at all levels of the organization. This session will walk you through the vision, creation, communication, staff development, work processes and products of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services CQI Division. We will present a successful framework on which County and State Leadership can build their support for CQI efforts.
Creating a Culture of Continuous Learning: The Role of the Leader
Peter Watson and Dave McDowell
This interactive discussion will focus on the role of a leader in creating a culture of continuous learning and improvement by turning CQI into a management philosophy as opposed to a set of functions carried out in a specific section of an agency. Presenters will share strategies, stories and recommendations and will create space for peer sharing and learning.
Diving Deeper into Data Visualization
Elizabeth Grim
Building off the Demystifying Data Visualization presentation, this workshop will provide attendees with the opportunity dive deeper into the data visualization process. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and to walk through specific data visualization examples. Previous examples will be highlighted as a starting point, but attendees are encouraged to bring their own work and examples to share and explore. The goal of this workshop is for attendees to leave with examples and techniques that they can incorporate into their own work.
FL PIP Pilot Program
Daniel Webster and Tim Jaasko-Fisher
Description coming soon
Community Engagement in CQI, Part 2
Tiffany Manuel
Description coming soon