Interview Guide for CW and other staff

Attachment H

Interview Guide for Child Welfare/

Colorado Works Case Manager,

Caseworker, Technician and Other Client-serving Staff

Form Approved

OMB No. 0920-XXXX

Exp. Date:

Public Reporting burden of this collection of information is estimated at 60 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to CDC/ATSDR Reports Clearance Officer, 1600 Clifton Road NW, MS D-74, Atlanta, GA 30333; Attn: PRA (0920-XXXX).

Interview Guide for

Child Welfare/Colorado Works Case Manager, Caseworker, Technician and Other Client-serving Staff

This guide should be administered to the Manager/Leadership of Child Welfare and Colorado Works.

Note: Begin audio-recording the interview.

Staff Role/Context

1. What is your current position title and role?

1. What are your main responsibilities?

2. How long have you been in your current role?

2. Before your current position, did you work in other positions for the State or County?

1. What positions?

2. How long were you in that role (those roles)?

Vision/Mission

(ASK INTERVIEWEE)

Before we get started, I would like to clarify some terminology. How do you refer to Child Welfare and TANF/Colorado Works in your county?

3. What is the vision (mission or values) of [Child Welfare]?

4. What is the vision (mission or values) of [TANF/Colorado Works]?

5. In your opinion, do the visions/missions of Child Welfare and TANF/Colorado Works complement or support each other?

Planning

(READ TO INTERVIEWEE)

During this interview we will be asking questions about integration. We define integration as the coordination of TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare policies and processes that link services across service boundaries for newly identified clients, dual-system clients, or clients with multiple co-occurring needs. Integration can be used to describe a range of activities, such as several agencies providing a service at one location and the creation of shared planning and budgeting. We use the term integration here to describe the activities taking place between TANF/Colorado Works (“welfare”) and Child Welfare agencies or divisions.

6. Does the TANF/Colorado Works program work together with the Child Welfare agency/division?

If yes.

• Probe for details of working together, when it began, what led to it

7. To what extent do you think it is desirable for these two agencies/divisions to work together?

8. If they work together, are you aware of the planning process for integrating TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare?

If yes:

1. Was the planning process formal or informal?

2. How long did the process take?

3. Who led the process?

4. Who was involved (e.g., agencies, community organizations, clients, other stakeholders)?

5. Was there a planning workgroup or committee?

6. How were decisions made?

Leadership/Managerial

9. Do you think the leadership at your agency/division has supported the Child Welfare and TANF/Colorado Works working together and becoming integrated?

If yes:

9a. How has leadership supported the two agencies/divisions working together?

• Probe on guidelines/policies, information sharing, data sharing, cross-training

If no:

9a. Why do you think there has been a lack of support?

Client-Serving Staffing

10. Are staff from [CW or TANF, depending on respondent’s job] allowed the time or given opportunities to develop relationships and work with the [CW or TANF unit, depending on the counterpart to the respondent’s job]?

11. Are staff from Child Welfare and TANF/Colorado Works aware of the roles and responsibilities of staff from the other agency/division?

Cross-Training

12. Do staff members receive cross-training about how TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare work together?

If yes:

1. Who designed the training?

2. What is the primary content of the training?

3. Who participates in the training?

4. Who conducts the training?

5. Is the training mandatory?

6. How frequently is the training offered?

13. In what areas does staff need additional skills/knowledge/support (for working with other agency/division)?

Data Systems

14. Does your agency/division have a shared information system with [TANF; Child Welfare]? If yes, please describe the system.

Decision-making

15. Are you aware if TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare have any mechanisms in place to guide decision-making about each other’s clients (i.e., dual-system or in-common clients)?

If yes:

1. Since when has this been in place?

2. How are decisions made?

3. Can you give me an example of a recent decision that has affected dual-system clients?

4. Do the two agencies share equally in the decision-making process?

Case Planning

16. Is there a process for sharing information about clients (e.g., referrals to community-based services) between TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare?

• Probe on when this started, types of information shared, how information is shared, how often information is shared.

17. Has coordinated case planning (between Child Welfare and Colorado Works) been implemented?

If yes:

1. How long has coordinated case planning been in place?

2. How does the process work?

3. Do the two agencies/divisions share equally in the case-planning process?

17d. Once a coordinated case plan is developed, does the client continue to see both a TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare case worker, or is the plan monitored by one worker?

17e. Have there been any changes made to this process? When?

18. Are there any protocols to determine if there are shared clients between Child Welfare and TANF/Colorado Works?

18a. How is this checked?

18b. At what point in the case does this occur?

18c. What steps are taken if crossover is detected?

18d. Does this check happen in practice? If not, why?

19. Are there any protocols to determine if a client is eligible for services from Child Welfare and TANF/Colorado Works?

19a. How is this checked?

19b. At what point in the case does this occur?

19c. What steps are taken if the client is eligible?

19d. Does this check happen in practice? If not, why?

20. What is the process for reporting, investigating, and substantiating child abuse/maltreatment cases?

20b. Please describe the process for reporting child abuse.

20c. Please describe the process for investigation/assessment of child abuse reports (who is involved, investigation time frames).

20d. What are the possible outcomes of an investigation/assessment and how are they determined?

20e. Has the investigation/assessment process created any challenges to TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare working together?

Committees or Workgroups Related to Integration

21. Are you aware if there is a particular committee or other group that oversees the integration of service activities between TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare?

If yes:

1. Is this a formal or informal committee?

2. How long has this committee been in place?

3. How often does this committee meet?

4. What are the core functions of this committee?

5. Does the committee have any decision-making authority?

6. Are you a member of the committee? Since when?

22. Are there other programs or divisions that work together with TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare?

• Probe about programs’ roles

23. Is there formal written policy in your agency/program about collaboration between TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare?

23a. Since when?

23b. What aspects of collaboration are addressed by the policy (e.g., communications, case decisions)?

23c. Is there accountability or oversight included in the policy?

Facilitators and Barriers

24. How receptive are staff about the collaboration between TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare?

24a. Why do you think that is?

25. What factors do you think help facilitate TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare working together/integrating?

26. What are the barriers to TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare working together/integrating?

26a. Are there any specific barriers when working with any target populations? (e.g., clients with complex service needs, families receiving both TANF and Child Welfare services, teens that cannot live with parents due to abuse and neglect).

27. What factors do you think would help facilitate TANF/Colorado Works and Child Welfare working together/integrating?

EXAMPLE FACILITATORS TO USE AS PROBES IF NEEDED

• Policy at the state level

• Policy at the federal level

• Extent of agency consensus on appropriate integration model

• A common assessment tool

• A common client information system

• Ability to share client information between programs

• Availability of staff

• Middle manager or supervisor commitment to integration

• Client-serving staff commitment to integration

• Extent of client-serving staff understanding of need for services integration

• Availability of funding/blended funding from TANF/Child Welfare

• Integration is a high priority for executive staff

• Coordination of client timelines between the two programs

• Extent of flexibility in the Colorado TANF Plan

• Extent of flexibility in Colorado Child Welfare laws / regulations

Conclusion

28. From your perspective, what do you think is the future direction of integration between Colorado Works/TANF and Child Welfare services?

28a. Why do you think this?

29. Is there anything else you would like to add, any recommendations or lessons learned?

Those were all of my questions. We have learned a lot. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today.

Case Manager/Client-facing Staff 8