A BEST INTERESTS PARTNERSHIP A BEST INTERESTS PARTNERSHIP
WHEN : : May May 4, 4, 2012 2012 WHEN WHY : To Improve To Improve WHY Communication, Communication, Collaboration and Collaboration and Cooperation Cooperation WHO : GAL Staff AL Staff and Volunteers and Volunteers WHO DCM Staff DCM Staff
• Networking Networking • Stakeholders Stakeholders • Attending Court Hearings Attending Court Hearings • Becoming Overwhelmed, Emotional, Becoming Overwhelmed, Emotional, Frustrated and Disappointed Frustrated and Disappointed
• Passion for Children Passion for Children • Child Advocacy Child Advocacy • Best Interests of Children and Parents Best Interests of Children and Parents • Child Visitations Child Visitations
DCMs and GALs Are on Opposite Sides DCMs and GALs Are on Opposite Sides • DCMs: DCMs: Are Unapproachable Are Unapproachable Have Unlimited Funding Have Unlimited Funding Visit Once a Week Visit Once a Week Do Placements Do Placements • GALs GALs Aren’t Required to Do Monthly Visits Aren’t Required to Do Monthly Visits
• Receive 8 Receive 8 weeks of weeks of training – training – class and lass and fieldwork fieldwork • A case load of A case load of 20 20 • Three primary professional priorities Three primary professional priorities 1. 1. Seeing the children every 30 Seeing the children every 30 days days 2. 2. Writing Court Documents (Judicial Reviews, Writing Court Documents (Judicial Reviews, Case Plans, Assessments, and Family Risk Case Plans, Assessments, and Family Risk Assessmen Assessments for case file) s for case file) 3. 3. Transport Children to appointments (not Transport Children to appointments (not normalcy activities) normalcy activities)
• To Become a GAL To Become a GAL Application, Personal References and Interview Process Application, Personal References and Interview Process 30 Hours of Training 30 Hours of Training Finger Printing and Finger Printing and Background Check Background Check Employment Reference Check Employment Reference Check • Assigned to cases to which the GAL Program is Assigned to cases to which the GAL Program is court appointed court appointed • Caseload Average of 1 to 3 Cases Caseload Average of 1 to 3 Cases • Annual Re-Certification: 12 Annual Re-Certification: 12 Hours Hours
• Gathers Information from Bi Gathers Information from Biological Family, Foster ological Family, Foster Parents, Teachers, Therapists, Physicians, etc. Parents, Teachers, Therapists, Physicians, etc. • Visits Monthly and Writes Visitation Reports Visits Monthly and Writes Visitation Reports • Assures/Facilitates Receipt of Needed Support Assures/Facilitates Receipt of Needed Support Services Services • Monitors Case Monitors Case
• Advocates for Best Interests Advocates for Best Interests of the Child in Court of the Child in Court Proceedings Proceedings (Makes Independent Recommenda (Makes Independent Recommendatio tions Based on Informa s Based on Informatio ion n Gathered and/or Communicates Child’s Wishes) Gathered and/or Communicates Child’s Wishes) • Transports Child/Children for Normalc Transports Child/Children for Normalcy Activities Activities (Must be Authorized by (Must be Authorized by the Program) the Program) • Writes Judicial Review Reports for the Court Writes Judicial Review Reports for the Court
DOES NOT DOES NOT • Provide Direct Services Provide Direct Services • Supervise Visits Supervise Visits
• Helps Train New Volunteers Helps Train New Volunteers • Notifies Volunteer of Hearings Notifies Volunteer of Hearings • Attends Permanency/Independent Living Staffings Attends Permanency/Independent Living Staffings • Guides/Coaches Volunteers — Guides/Coaches Volunteers — especially newly specially newly certified voluntee certified volunteers rs
• Reviews Monthly Visitation Reports and Court Reviews Monthly Visitation Reports and Court Reports: Edits and Files Reports: Edits and Files • Accompanies GAL in Court Accompanies GAL in Court • Serves as the Liaison betwee Serves as the Liaison between the GAL and GAL n the GAL and GAL Attorney Attorney • Staffs Cases with GAL Volunteer and GAL Attorney Staffs Cases with GAL Volunteer and GAL Attorney for Judicial Reviews and at other times as needed for Judicial Reviews and at other times as needed
• Last minute calls for information Last minute calls for information • Unrealistic expectations of DCM Unrealistic expectations of DCM abilities, bilities, responsibilities and authority responsibilities and authority • Not being notified of the name of the assigned GAL Not being notified of the name of the assigned GAL and being told it cannot be obtained from the GAL and being told it cannot be obtained from the GAL Office because of confidentiality issues Office because of confidentiality issues
• Not receiving GAL Reports and being surprised in Not receiving GAL Reports and being surprised in court by requests for changes or information court by requests for changes or information • Less access than GALs to school, medical and other Less access than GALs to school, medical and other pertinent information because of the GAL court pertinent information because of the GAL court ordered access to relevant documents ordered access to relevant documents
• Frequent delays receiving Frequent delays receiving return calls or responses return calls or responses to emails to emails • Not being notified of important changes, e.g., Not being notified of important changes, e.g., placement, the assignme placement, the assignment of a new DCM, or nt of a new DCM, or medications medications • Feeling of being Left Out or of being a Pest Feeling of being Left Out or of being a Pest • Feeling that having an opinion which differs from Feeling that having an opinion which differs from that of other professionals involv that of other professionals involved in the case is ed in the case is not acceptable not acceptable
• Better, more frequen Better, more frequent communications from GAL communications from GAL Volunteer Volunteer • Take the lead on commu Take the lead on communicating with DCM nicating with DCM • GAL involvement in Permanency Staffings GAL involvement in Permanency Staffings • Coordinating information gathering; sharing Coordinating information gathering; sharing records and information records and information • Notify DCM of observations made during visita Notify DCM of observations made during visitations tions
• Address problems before court proceedings Address problems before court proceedings • Communic Communicate via email where possible te via email where possible • Maintain a positive approac Maintain a positive approach; do not demand ; do not demand • GAL Program to provide DCMs with GAL Reports GAL Program to provide DCMs with GAL Reports • GAL Program to inform DCMs of GAL GAL Program to inform DCMs of GAL appointment and facilitate the connection appointment and facilitate the connection
• Be available for consultation Be available for consultation • Get to know GAL Get to know GAL • Include GAL in case Include GAL in case • Inform GAL of changes, upcoming meetings, Inform GAL of changes, upcoming meetings, staffings, etc. staffings, etc. • Keep communication open Keep communication open • Accompany GAL on a visit Accompany GAL on a visit
• Meet again in six (6) Meet again in six (6) months to review progress months to review progress • Panel Leaders (Kim Harvey Panel Leaders (Kim Harvey and Leigh Merritt) to and Leigh Merritt) to dissemina disseminate information te information gained to panel gained to panel participants and to top management partic ipants and to top management • Decide how to utilize/teac Decide how to utilize/teach h information in individual information in individual (or combined) inter-agency trainings, new GAL (or combined) inter-agency trainings, new GAL volunteer class trainings, continuing education volunteer class trainings, continuing education workshops, etc. workshops, etc.
Recommend
More recommend
