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Gathering 2010 - Tuesday 12.00 - Connected Families

Submitted by adrian on 17 May 2010 - 5:01pm

Due to technical issues there is no video available of the actual presentation. We apologise for any inconvenience.

As part of their preparation for the Gathering presentation Andrea and Ben interviewed on video the parents they had been working with and around who's situations Andrea and Ben made their presentation. The video's are available below.

Presenters:
Ben Bevis, Associate Therapist and Signs of Safety In-Home Worker, Connected Families, Minnesota
Andrea Robideau, Associate Therapist and Signs of Safety In-Home Worker, Connected Families, Minnesota

Abstract
Ben and Andrea will present on the principles of grace and rigor – giving examples from “on the ground” collaborating with families, and “off the ground”, collaborating with other workers. Sharing from our unique role as in-home workers, we’ll explore what has been done to create environments that empower people to think together and implement workable solutions. We’ll share real-life stories where grace and rigor played the key role in creating moments of difference for families and statutory authorities, which lead to immediate and long-term safety for kids.  

Presentation

Ben – 15 minutes 
Introductions: 2 minutes
Ben will introduce himself. He will briefly introduce his case and show the Danger Statements that were created with the worker from this case. 

Ben’s grace and rigor “On The Ground”: 5 minutes
Ben will share about the details of how he gracefully builds a relationship with a family and how he transitions into the concerns. He will then discuss how he builds immediate safety for the children in collaboration with the worker and the family. The words of a family member will be shared about how he/she experienced grace and rigor in the work of Ben and the worker leading to the childrens’ safety. 

Front-line worker interview: 5 min
Using the Appreciative Inquiry format, Ben will highlight what the worker is most proud of in building the relationship while sharing bottom lines with the family, leading to immediate safety of the children. The worker will also share what has been helpful in collaborating with Ben. 

Summary: 3 minutes
Ben will summarize his learning from the case, including the challenges and difficulties, which strengthen his work moving forward.  

Andrea – TOTAL 15 minutes 
Introductions: 2 min
Andrea will introduce herself and list the primary on-the-ground workers involved in this case. Andrea will briefly introduce the case with harm and danger statements and a context for the nature of how a case like this would traditionally be handled in Minnesota. Then she’ll introduce the family.  

Video Interview with Family: 8 minutes
Video excerpts from an interview with a couple, who have experienced the Signs of Safety approach as service recipients, will be shown exploring the usefulness of the approach. These excerpts will highlight how the approach has empowered the couple and their extended family to create their own rigorous solutions and how it has given them hope for long-term reunification of their family. 

Summary: 5 minutes
With the context of grace and rigor, Andrea will use a scale to rate the team’s “off the ground work” (collaboration with professionals). She will highlight the two most important moments of collaboration and the two biggest learnings. Andrea will ask Tracee Bosch and Cindy Finch, Carver County Supervisor and Worker, to also share their experiences and learnings about building and sustaining collaboration.