Advances in Child Welfare

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Contents
Best Practice Draws
Expertise From the Field -
Experts like Ruth Anne Scott
coming in from the field and
participating in targeted
discussions continue to be the
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mainstay of Best Practice.
SACWIS Manager Readiness
Activity - Managers get an
initial immersion into SACWIS
so they can better help
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supervisors and staff.
Ten Things SACWIS Will Do
For Me - Benefits of SACWIS
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to the caseworker.
SACWIS Has the Information
- How Do I Get It Out? -
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SUBJECT SEARCH
Common SACWIS Functions
- Icons from SACWIS and what
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they do.
SACWIS Frequently Asked
Questions - More questions
and answers from the SACWIS
team.
N E W S O F B E S T P R A C T I C E / S A C W I S
Best Practice Draws April, 2002
Expertise from the Field
Ruth Anne Scott was working as a Field
Service manager in 1998 when she
received a call from the Department’s
Best Practice Project. Would she like to
take a lead role in the Project on a part-time
basis? Ruth Anne was happy in her
job, which consisted of managing 6
follow-up teams in the East St Louis
region, but was ready to take on a
challenge, as she has done many times
throughout her 35-year career. She
eagerly accepted the opportunity while
also continuing her responsibilities as
Field Manager.
Initially, 4 work groups were organized
as part of the Best Practice Project:
Intake and Investigation, Assessment
and Service Planning, Intact family and
Placement (which included reunifica-tion,
relative care, adoption and inde-pendent
living). Foster care was added
later.
Work groups on the project were co-chaired
by Department staff: Ruth Anne
co-chaired the Intact Family group.
Other staff were selected as Team
Members. Most Project staff were
managers and supervisors who had
extensive field experience.
Work groups functioned independently,
in-as-much as they were free to tackle
the work as they saw fit. However, there
were broad parameters to their work.
For instance, they were expected to
review all materials the Department had
previously produced in the subject area
to avoid unnecessary duplication.
Further, they were expected to review
the current research in the field. To assist
with the research, outside consultants
were hired to provide direction, sugges-tions
and project support to the work
groups.
Work groups were to write a document
in their respective areas based on what
constituted Best Practice in Child
Welfare. This was to be largely drawn on
the current research in the field, as well
as from staff ’s knowledge, skills and field
experience. Ruth Anne comments that,
“It was interesting to realize how much
you already knew; that was encourag-ing.”
What was the biggest challenge? Accord-ing
to Ruth Anne, it was “knowing
where to start, particularly given the
enormity of the project.” In this regard,
she credits Spectrum Maximus, Walter
R. McDonald and Associates, and a host
of other consultants who helped them
“ask the right questions—that really
helped us produce a final work prod-uct.”
Finally, a panel of experts, consisting of
Department and private agency staff,
researchers and nationally recognized
experts reviewed the finished Best
Practice document before the Director
gave final approval.
There are many Department staff, like
Ruth Anne, who have devoted time,
energy and expertise to the Best Practice
project. Others continue to work on the
SACWIS project and implementation of
SACWIS with Best Practice in Phase I
and II. We are proud of the accomplish-ments
of these staff, their knowledge
and skill, and their hard work.