Subject Area
Sociology
Description
State budget cuts reduce the resources available to the Department of Child Welfare. The Child Welfare Unit has had an increase in caseloads and a decrease in workers, resulting in an increase in caseloads for the remaining workers. In January 2009, the Department of Child Welfare made a transition with a community wide initiative to a more family directed all inclusive, team approach to service provision. The State was divided into four Initiative Regions, with a lead agency in each. This research examines areas of success, changes in staff responsibilities, changes in clients’ participation in services and barriers to the success of this initiative through interviews with Region Directors. Findings reveal that staff is likely to experience a more client directed approach, and clients are likely to experience more collaborative, family driven, services. To ensure the success of this initiative there needs to be dedication and an effort to involve a growing portion of community agencies. The potential barriers to the success are lack of clarification of roles and responsibilities within the partnerships and unanswered questions. The Directors are feeling support from the Department of Child Welfare and view this partnership as integral to a real systems change. The continued success of this initiative relies on working together and learning through democratic debate.
Publisher
Providence College
Date
Spring 4-22-2009
Type
Thesis
Format
Text
Language
English
Comments
A project based on independent investigation, submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Social Work. Originally written for the Theory Practice Seminar, Providence College, 2009.