Team Decision Making For At-Risk Families Essay Example for Free

Team Decision Making For At-Risk Families Essay Team decision making in regards to at risk-families involves supportive individuals who collaborate together to making decisions that will affect a child in the protection of the social welfare system placement. Batterson, et al, (Batterson, et.al, 2007, p.5) states, â€Å"Team decision making utilizes the strength based resources of the family, extended family, and community in making decisions of placement for at-risk children who are in the care of child welfare.† This approach is important because it allows for individuals to come together to discuss and collaborate on placement solution in placing a child. In collaboration with the social worker those involved with team decision making are able to provide valuable information, resources and placement solutions that child welfare alone could not provide. Values and Beliefs of Team Decision Making The underlying values and beliefs of team decision making below are as stated by Edward Sagatun-Edward (Edward, J.L Sagatun-Edward I, 2007, p. 4) according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation are: ââ€" ª Families have strengths and can change families have the tools and resources that are needed in making decisions that can effect change. ââ€" ª We must set up opportunities for families to show their strengths –families must be provided with opportunities to demonstrate their strengths in making decisions ââ€" ª A group can usually be more effective in making good decisions than an individual – when a group collaborate there is an influx of ideas and solutions rather than one person trying to figure out a solution. ââ€" ª Families are experts about themselves – families know the inner working of the family dynamics and can relate to others about what is going on than someone else. They know the beliefs and values that are with their unique family structure. ââ€" ª When families are included in the decision making, they are capable of identifying their own needs and strengths – Instead of outsiders trying to determine and identify the family’s needs the family is able voice their needs as they identify the needs of the family and what they can contribute through their strengths. ââ€" ª Members of the family’s own community add value to the process by serving as natural allies to the family and as experts regarding the community’s resources – Relatives, friends, community leaders are valuable in TDM because they bring a different perspective in supporting the family with their resources. Team Decision Making Models Family Group Conferencing FGC is a model that is used to bring together a child, an immediate or extended family member and a child protection professional to resolve family issues in regards to child protection. These individuals will air out issues, come to a resolution of issues and develop a plan for future action ((Huntsman, 2006, p.1) Child Protection Mediation – CPM is a collaborative problem solving process involving an unbiased person who facilitates constructive mediation and communication between parents, lawyers, and child protection professionals in coming to an agreement on how to resolve concerns when a child is alleged to have been victim of maltreatment (Guidelines for Child Mediation, 2011, p.5). Wraparound Services Wraparound is an intensive, comprehensive model of engaging with children, youth, and their families who have complex needs so that the child or youth will not be uprooted from their homes or communities and in the process helping them to realiz e their hopes and dreams (Wraparound Basics, 2012). Family Finding Developed by Kevin A. Campbell is a model that offers techniques to track down and involve relatives of children currently displaced out of there natural home environment. The goal of Family Finding is to connect each child with a family member or relative, so that every child may benefit from the lifelong connections that only a family provides (National Institute For Permanent Family Connectedness, 2012). Emancipation Conferences An emancipation conference brings the youth together with family, professionals, and significant individuals in the youths life to establish a plan for the time when the youth will reach adulthood and age out of the child welfare system protection (Edward, J.L Sagatun-Edward, D. I, 2007, p. 9). Advantages of Team Decision Making Team decision making in regards to at-risk families has many advantages. Some advantages according to American Humane Association are: FGDM keeps children safe, result in more permanent placements, decrease the need for foster care, maintain family bonds, and increase family well-being (American Humane Association, 2010, p.1). Also according to De La Cruz, TDM relieves the caseworker from making difficult decision on own and when family members are allowed to get involved with the decision making process they are more apt in participating in decisions that are made in order to keep family intact (De La Cruz, L, 2007, p. 30). Barriers of Team Decision Making According to Edward Sagatun-Edward some barriers to team decision making is the capital it would take to implement the different team decision making models, the need for further staff training and development, and would add more stress to already overworked social workers (Edward, J.L Sagatun-Edward, D. I, 2007, p. 10). Although, these are barriers Edward Sagatun-Edward mention in the long run the cost would be nominal when considering the cost of keeping children in foster care and in the criminal justice system when they reach adulthood. Team Decision Making Impact schools Team decision making may impact schools in regards to working with an at-risk student by bringing together the student guardian or trusted friend, teacher and school social worker or psychologist to collaborate and make a decision on what steps need to be taken to ensure basic needs and educational needs are being met. For example, a student who suffers from oppositional defiant disorder risk being put into the juvenile court system due to truancy issues, risk being tossed out of his home and is on the verge of failing all of his courses. Team decision making can be utilized to make decisions on getting the youth on the right path. This would involve collaborating with the youth, family members or relative, school psychologist or social worker to discuss the underlying issues of what is really going on with the student and then coming to a consensus on a decision and plan of action to improve the student situation. This is just one way team decision making can impact schools. The important thing to remember is that in order to ensure a successful team decision method is effective is to have a strength-based mindset that involves the belief that everyone has strength and resources they can contribute to solve a solution. If this is taking into consideration within the school system there would be more freedom to collaborate in helping to solve difficult decisions. References Batterson, M., Crampton, D., Crea, T., Harris, F., Abramson Madden, A., Usher, L., Williams, J. (2007, February). Implementing Family to Family. Retrieved December 17, 2012, from http://www.unc.edu/~lynnu/ImpleF2F.pdf Child Welfare Policy Briefing: Family Group Decision Making. (2010, August 2). American Humane Association, 1(3), 1. Retrieved from http://www.americanhumane.org/assets/pdfs/children/advocacy/111th-fgdm.pdf De La Cruz, L. (2009). Implementation and Effectiveness of Team Decision Making In Sacramento County Child Welfare (Masters thesis). Retrieved December 17, 2012, from http://csus-dspace.calstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10211.9/1049/LDCOMPLETETHESIS.pdf?sequence=4 Edwards, J.L. Sagatun-Edwards, D.I. (2007). The transition to group decision making in child protection cases: Obtaining better results for children and families. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 58(1). Retrieved from http://nc.casaforchildren.org/files/public/community/judges/July_2011/EDWARDS_Group_Decision_Making.pdf Guidelines for Child Protection Mediation (2011, November). Retrieved December 17, 2012, from http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/CPM_Guidelines.pdf Huntsman, L. (2006, July). Family group conferencing in a child welfare context. Retrieved December 17, 2012, from http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/docswr/_assets/main/documents/research_family_conferencing.pdf What is Family Finding and Permanency (2012). In National Institute For Permanent Family Connectedness. Retrieved December 17, 2012, from http://www.familyfinding.org/ Wraparound basics (2012). In National

Nostradamous :: History

Nostradamous Once, while passing through Italy, Nostradamus bowed before a young Franciscan monk, addressing him as "His Holiness." Others around him did not understand his strange behavior and the reasons as to why someone would call a mere monk by such a title. However, years later, and after Nostradamus' death, that monk became Pope Sixtus V. This was just one of the hundreds of prophecies, or visions of the future, that the fifteenth-century prophet made during his lifetime. Nostradamus, born in the year of 1503 in France, spent his childhood under the guidance of his two grandfathers. After going to the University of Montpelier for three years, he received a bachelor's degree in the study of medicine. Around this time, there was an outbreak of the plague in various parts of France, and he quickly earned a good reputation with the use of his medicine. However, Nostradamus' "medicines" were not ordinary, as they consisted of psychological guidance and homemade formulas. Using these methods, he cured many victims of the plague who were previously labeled incurable. He later went back to Montpelier to earn his doctoral degree in medicine. Although Nostradamus was very interested in medicine, he began reading books about the occult and took a fancy to predicting the future. In 1550, he published his first book which contained prophecies for the coming year. The almanac proved so successful and accurate that he began publishing them annually. After several years, Nostradamus developed the idea of writing a complete almanac, entitled Centuries. This book came to consist of prophecies ranging in time from his present to the end of the world. In Centuries there were one thousand quatrains, or verses of four lines each. One which was particularly amazing was this: A Captain of great Germany, Shall come to yield himself by stimulating help, To the Kings of Kings with the help of Hungary, So that his revolt shall cause great bloodshed. This quatrain has been interpreted, in modern day, to mean that Hitler shall involve Hungary in a great battle with much killing. Many believe that it is simply luck that Nostradamus had in predicting the future because his prophecies are generalized and not exact. However, one of his writings contained the man "Hister" who was to be very powerful in a revolt. This obviously bears much resemble to Hitler, and if this is true, Nostradamus clearly predicted someone that was not to be born until more than three

Play “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller Essay

â€Å"The Crucible† by Arthur Miller is a play set during thte hysteria of the Salem witch trials of 1692. The word â€Å"crucible† is defined as â€Å"a severe test† or â€Å"a container for melting or purifying metals.† The title of this play is incredibly appropriate because the charactersin the play were faced with a great test while attempting to purify their community. WHen faced with a conflict, the citizens of Salem begin to act on basic animal instincts, and their true colors shine through. The word â€Å"crucible† is appropriate because the intention of the court was to purge the town of Salem of any evil beings, but the court only created a way for wrong-doers to go unpunished and those who stayed true to their values be killed. The additional definition of â€Å"crucible† is appropriate because the characters in the play were faced with a choice of doing what was morally and ethically correct or doing what was wrong. For example, John Proctor is tested several times throughout the play. â€Å"Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life†¦I have given you my sould; leave me my name† (Miller, 1166). The audience is able to see Proctor’s true character through this quote. Although he is sentenced to be hanged, he refuses to soil his name or jeopardize his morals, not even in exchange for his life. Mary Warren represents the bulk of the citizens of Salem because she was driven by fear. â€Å"I cannot, they’ll turn on me† (Miller, 1129). When Mary Warren trys to to undo her wrongs, she becomes frightened to stand on her own and risk being accused of witchcraft. Many of the citizens of Salem that were accused of witchcraft sacrificed their morals and their values in order to keep their lives. When the citizens of Salem become scared, they lose their ability to think logically. Many of them lie to save themselves or lie to gain something. The choas brought out each characters true personality.

The Role Of Labor And Its Effects On A Capitalist System

Two men, two novels separated by nearly a century, both examine the importance of labor and its effects on a capitalist system. Adam Smith published Wealth of Nations in 1776 in which he details his concept of the division of labor; a concept that he believed would further the productivity of the labor market. In Capital, Volume 1, published in 1867, Karl Marx took a much different stance on the division of labor. Writing nearly a century after the publication of Wealth of Nations, Marx was in the position of the critiquing Smith’s revolutionary theory of division of labor. Instead of praising Smith, Marx saw the current state of labor and the capitalist model of society as degrading to the laborer. Through analysis of these two novels, one can see that there exists two very polarizing views on the potential of the division of labor. For Smith, the division of labor presented an entirely novel, almost experimental way to improve the efficacy of the market. As such, Smith praised the potential of the division of labor. Marx, writing one hundred years later, witnessed the reality that was the division of labor. His perspective on how the division of labor was that the practice was in fact damaging to the society. One factor in particular that divided Smith and Marx on the premise of labor was technology. As the technology of their respective times was vastly different, as was their respective views of machinery. For one, technology only ameliorated the division ofShow MoreRelatedThe Role Of Labor And Its Effects On A Capitalist System1785 Words   |  8 Pagesspeaking, two novels separated by nearly a century, both examine the importance of labor and its effects on a capitalist system. Adam Smith published the Wealth of Nations in 1776 in which he detailed his concept of the division of labor; a concept he believed would further the productivity of the labor market. 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