CA FFPS Learning Series: Implicit Bias and Disproportionality

Prerequisite: Completion of FFPS Overview is required prior to attending this training.

The California Family First Prevention Services learning series prepares child welfare, juvenile probation, county, and community partner agency staff for the statewide implementation of Family First Prevention Services (FFPS), which marks an exciting shift to supporting children and families by promoting safety and well-being through prevention efforts.

This session of the FFPS series examines disproportionality in the child welfare and juvenile justice system and key issues that perpetuate it, including inequities within social determinants of health, implicit bias, and systemic racism. Strategies to promote racial equity and inclusion will be explored, including those identified in California’s Family First Prevention Services program and how this translates to the individual level based on your role.

After attending this training, participants will be able to:

• Summarize how disproportionality and systemic racism are currently present and active in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. 
• Explain how data can contribute to disproportionality.
• Describe how implicit bias impacts engagement, assessments, and decision making. 
• Explain how the strategies set forth in Family First Prevention Services address and reduce disproportionality and disparity.
• Identify strategies to reduce the influence of implicit bias in engagement, assessments, and decision making. 
• Self-reflect and analyze how implicit bias can impact assessment, decision making, and outcomes for children/youth and families given a case scenario or reflecting on an active case/referral.   
• Use collaborative engagement to identify culturally responsive practices to support a family given a case scenario or reflecting on an active case/referral.    
• Endorse the practice of working with those with lived experience to co-produce various stages of prevention planning, service delivery, monitoring, and evaluation as a tool to address disproportionality on both an individual and organizational levels.      
• Commit to using self-reflection and critical thinking to recognize the impact of implicit bias when participating in assessments, and decision making that impact families, children, and youth or when supervising/managing professionals.