Traci LaLiberte

Parental Supports for Parents with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

The concept of supports is crucial in the lives of all people, especially for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In fact, the introduction of the idea of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities as needing supports was a crucial step for the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), because this concept is different from the medical model of disability, which is focused on individuals’ deficiencies. In the 11th edition of the AAIDD manual, Schalock et al. (2010) defined supports as ‘‘resources and strategies that aim to promote the development, education, interests, and personal well-being of a person and that enhance individual functioning’’ (p. 105). Supports are seen as important for these individuals participating in a variety of life domains, including social roles, which are defined as ‘‘valid activities considered normative for a specific age group’’ (Shalock et al., 2010, p. 16). Supports for one important social role, however, that is normative for many working-age adults, the social role of parenting, has received little attention in the field. There are currently few formal sources of support to assist parents with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the role of parenting, and many parents with intellectual and developmental disabilities have to rely on informal supports and are at high risk for losing their children. Over the past several decades, there have been several calls for attention to the need for parental supports, notably by Booth and Booth (1996) from Great Britain and Llewellyn and McConnell (2002) from Australia, and a few innovative programs striving to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in parenting (Feldman, 2010; Feldman, Ducharme, & Case, 1999; Garbus & Kennedy, 1999; Llewellyn, McConnell, Russo, Mayes, & Honey, 2002). Parents with disabilities have indicated that supports help them to better parent their children (McGaw, Ball, & Clark, 2002; Tarleton & Ward, 2007). However, programs serving parents with disabilities are scarce, and of these few, many are focused on increasing individual parenting ability, with less emphasis on increasing formal and informal supports. The notion of parental supports for parents with disabilities in the United States has become more prominent only recently, and a number of new state laws are now mandating courts to look at parental supports for parents with disabilities who are involved in the child welfare system. The child welfare system historically has not recognized the concept of supports for parents with disabilities or the notion of interdependent parenting, although in the past decade, there are a few small, but dramatic changes within the child welfare system signaling that the concept of parental supports may be on the rise. In the present article we discuss the rise of the concept of parental supports within child welfare legislation, define parental supports for parents with disabilities, and discuss the need for a normalization of the concept of parental supports in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Status and Trends in the Direct Support Workforce in Self-Directed Supports

Self-directed programs that allow individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to exercise greater control over their finances have become increasingly common in recent years. At the same time, challenges in the recruitment, retention, and training of direct support workers in the field have grown more acute. In this article, the authors investigate the status of the direct support workforce for people using self-directed supports in 1 Midwestern state, based on the results of a statewide survey of service users. Although additional research is needed, the results of this study suggest that people who use self-directed funding options are satisfied with their ability to direct staffing, though challenges remain. Among these challenges, the presence of higher than expected wages but lower than expected benefits provision compared with traditional services may have serious policy and staff retention ramifications that affect the long-term viability of self-directed funding options. In addition, staff training remains a challenge, with service users in this sample reporting low rates of training beyond a general skill set. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Breaking Down the Silos: Examining the Intersection Between Child Welfare and Disability

While many people with disabilities are involved in the public child welfare system, the knowledge base regarding the intersection of disability and public child welfare services is still limited. This special issue examines numerous ways in which current knowledge, practices, and policies need modification and/or improvement as they pertain to public child welfare services involving children and adults with various types of disabilities. The issue is divided into two separate sections, ‘‘Children With Disabilities in Child Welfare’’ and ‘‘Parents With Disabilities in Child Welfare.’’

Involvement of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the Child Protection System

The present study provides information about children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who are involved in the child protection system in a large, Midwestern state. Findings revealed that children with ASD (and children with other disabilities) were more likely to receive services from the child protection system (CPS) than children without disabilities. Children with ASD in CPS were more likely to be elementary school-age (6–10 years) and Caucasian than other children involved in CPS. Children diagnosed with ASD and other disabilities were significantly overrepresented for physical abuse as the primary reason for involvement in CPS. Parental mental health issues were more evident than was expected for families of children with ASD (17%) as compared with children diagnosed with other disabilities (10%) and children not diagnosed with any disability (10%). The implications of these findings as they relate to interventions for children with ASD in CPS are discussed.

Are We Prepared? Child Welfare Work With Parents With Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities

Despite a growing body of literature addressing the problematic interface between the child welfare system and parents with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD), efforts to better train child welfare workers to address this interface have been negligible (Booth & Booth, 1993; McConnell et al., 2011a, 2011b; McConnell & Llewellyn, 1998, 2002; Tymchuk, 1999, 2001; Tymchuk et al., 1999). This study examined child welfare worker competency in working with parents with IDD, more specifically: 1) to identify child welfare competencies workers need when managing cases involving parents with IDD, 2) personal and professional variables influencing worker competency, and 3) training needs of child welfare workers.

Child Welfare and Media: Teaching Students to Be Advocates

The public image of social workers in the news media is not always positive, but the portrayal of child welfare workers can be especially negative. This article discusses media and child welfare relations and offers several ways to engage students in critical thought and skill development to improve the image of child welfare workers and to educate the public about the complexity of child welfare issues. Schools of social work do a good job teaching students about establishing relationships and educating the people with whom we work and provide services: It is time to teach students to use those skills with the media and the public.

County Administrator Perspectives on the Implementation of Self-Directed Supports

Self-directed supports are a program or service option in which individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), their families, and their allies directly manage their supports. This study explores the perspectives of county-level administrators in the implementation of one state’s self-directed support option for people with IDD. Perspectives of local-level administrators are important as they have key leadership roles concerning policy, program implementation, and program accountability. As the prevalence of self-directed supports increases, it is important to understand both the successes and challenges faced by local administrators as they implement this service option. A qualitative research methodology was used for this study, following a grounded theory analytic approach. In-depth semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with county directors of Developmental Disability Services as the primary source of data for this study. Analysis of the semi-structured interviews with the county-level administrators and staff revealed both successes and challenges with the self-directed waiver option. Many county administrators cited changes in professional philosophy, improved quality of life, higher staff quality, and lower costs as major sucof the self-directed waiver option. Challenges of the self-directed waiver option consisted of need for clear policy guidelines, program changes, and monitoring of outcomes. The results of this study illuminate both the successes and chalof self-directed service implementation for individuals with IDD from the perspectives of the local adminwho are responsible for the direct management of programs for individuals with IDD. This research presents important implications for the design, implementation, and modification of future self-directed initiatives.

Risk and Protective Factors of Foster Care Reentry: An Examination of the Literature

ABSTRACT Reunification with family is a primary goal in child welfare. However, some children re-enter foster care after reunification, which disrupts the continuity of their care and can impact their cognitive and social development. Using an ecological framework, this systematic review of the literature highlights the risk and protective factors of reentry. Key risk factors included child emotional and behavioral challenges, parental substance abuse, and short lengths of stay in foster care. Protective factors included placement with kin, social support, effective implementation of risk and safety assessments, and targeted pre- and post-reunification services. Understanding who is at greater risk and identifying points of intervention can help child welfare agencies develop, target, and evaluate their services more effectively. As new interventions develop, there is a great need for more research to evaluate their effectiveness and to scale-up evidence-informed practices that can help to prevent reentry to foster care.

Child Protection Services and Parents with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

BACKGROUND Information about parents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in the child protection system (CPS) continues to evolve. This study examined characteristics, experiences and representation of parents with IDD across three CPS decision points, as compared to parents with other disabilities and parents without disabilities in the United States. METHODS The sample consisted of 303,039 individuals: 2,081 were individuals identified as parents in a CPS investigation; 1,101 had children in out-of-home care (OHC); and 308 experienced termination of parental rights (TPR). Descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, disparity indices and logistic regression were employed. RESULTS Parents with IDD were significantly more likely than parents without disabilities (but not significantly more likely than parents with other types of disabilities) to experience disproportionately representation. CONCLUSIONS Parents with IDD are generally over-represented within CPS; however, this representation is dependent upon the comparison group utilized and other risk factors. CPS system-level changes are necessary.

Preparing Child Welfare Practitioners: Implications for Title IV-E Education and Training Partnerships

ABSTRACT High rates of child welfare practitioner turnover remain a national problem with significant consequences. Title IV-E education and training programs prepare child welfare practitioners for this line of work with the intent that they will create long term careers. This study analyzed qualitative data from a 2016 statewide electronic survey launched to obtain frontline child welfare practitioner feedback about workforce turnover and assist the agency in retention efforts. Practitioner insight resulted in 189 responses specifically related to improving the state’s Title IV-E supported education and training program–the “Academy.” A qualitative thematic analysis identified three main themes: making it more realistic and hands on (n = 104), needing additional training and specific content (n = 45), and feeling overwhelmed with the experience (n = 40). Practitioner feedback illustrated the existing tensions with using a blended model to educate and train the workforce. Implications for Title IV-E education and training partnerships are discussed.