Families First: Strengthening Child and Family Team Facilitation Skills

Sometimes, the smallest actions can make a meaningful difference in how children and families experience the child welfare system.

For Kelly Patrick, a Social Worker III with Siskiyou County Child Protective Services, one of the most valuable lessons from a recent training was surprisingly simple: When holding a Child and Family Team meeting, make sure the family is the first to enter the room.

"It seems small, but it really isn't," Patrick said. "I don't want the family to think service providers or staff had a pre-meet and talked about them beforehand."

This gesture reflects an essential principle of Child and Family Team meetings (CFTMs): Families should be active participants in decisions about their own lives, not simply recipients of decisions made by others.

Patrick was among the child welfare professionals who gathered in Chico in September 2026 for the Northern Academy's first formal delivery of its updated four-day CFT Meeting Facilitation Training. Offered through Human Services at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education, the training equips professionals with the skills to lead collaborative, trauma-informed and family-centered meetings.

In response to participant feedback calling for a shorter, more interactive learning experience, the Northern Academy reduced the curriculum from five days to four while introducing new content, case scenarios and expanded opportunities for hands-on practice.

Giving Families a Voice

Child and Family Team meetings bring together children, youth, families, social workers, service providers and other important supports to identify strengths, address concerns and develop plans that promote safety, stability and well-being.

But effective meetings require more than bringing people together.

"Effective facilitation allows [families] to have a say at the table," said Michelle Adams, a program manager with Northern Valley Catholic Social Services (NVCSS) who attended the Chico training. She oversees a team that coordinates and facilitates CFT meetings in partnership with Butte County Children Services.

When families participate in decisions rather than having those decisions made for them, Adams explained, they can develop a stronger sense of ownership and investment in the plans they help create.

"The meeting belongs to the family," Adams said. "This is their meeting and their information."

For Jamie Johnson, another attendee and CFT meeting facilitator with NVCSS, that connection is central to the work.

"I feel that giving families a voice and choice is very valuable," Johnson said. "If I can make a connection with the family or youth and make them feel heard, it is success."

Building Skills Through Hands-On Learning

Instructors Janice Boafo and Betsy Watson led the updated training, bringing together experienced facilitators and professionals newer to the role.

Through guided exercises, coaching and realistic practice scenarios, participants developed strategies for engaging families, navigating challenging conversations and building consensus. On the final day, they put those skills to work through a practice CFT meeting, applying facilitation techniques and receiving feedback.

For Adams, who attended with members of her team, the instructors' experience was especially valuable.

Adams appreciated the instructors' willingness to share real-world facilitation experiences, both positive and negative, describing the final day's practice meeting as "a great rehearsal in real time for all to 'try it on.'"

Patrick similarly appreciated the instructors' practical experience and engaging approach. "Their experience in child welfare, along with their energy and training approach, really influenced my learning," she said.

The Value of Learning Together

For Adams, bringing the training to Chico made it more accessible to Butte County facilitators while creating opportunities to exchange experiences and learn from one another.

Johnson also appreciated the classroom setting.

"It was very helpful to be in person," Johnson said. "I feel like I focused better and was able to participate with all members of the training."

Supporting Stronger Practice Across California

The training comes as California continues its work to strengthen Child and Family Team practices statewide.

All County Letter 25-54, issued by the California Department of Social Services in August 2025, established updated requirements for CFT meetings and Integrated Practice Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (IP-CANS) assessments, emphasizing family engagement, collaborative decision-making and consistent practice standards.

The guidance requires CFT facilitation training for placing agency facilitators and certain contracted community-based organization and Behavioral Health Plan staff, while recommending it for other child welfare professionals.

By combining updated practice standards with experienced instructors and hands-on learning, the Northern Academy is helping professionals translate these expectations into the everyday interactions that shape families' experiences.

After You

Ultimately, effective facilitation is about more than leading a productive meeting. It's about ensuring that children, youth and families have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their lives.

And as Patrick's experience demonstrates, strengthening that practice can begin with something as simple as opening the door for the family—and ensuring they are the first to walk through.

Explore Additional CFT and CANS Resources

• Visit the Northern Academy’s CFT and CANS Resource Hub for additional training, tools and implementation resources.
• To look for the next available offering of this training, please visit our Child and Family Team (CFT) Meetings: Facilitation Training Course page
• To receive updates about future learning opportunities, join the Northern Academy mailing list.