FAMILIES RISING

FAMILIES RISING MINNESOTA -FAMILIES RISING MINNESOTA CONTINUES TO PROVIDE VITAL SUPPORT TO ADOPTIVE, FOSTER, AND KINSHIP PARENTS ACROSS MINNESOTA. OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE HAVE EXPANDED OUR PROGRAMMING, STRENGTHENED OUR TEAM, AND DEEPENED OUR CONNECTIONS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. WE SUCCESSFULLY HOSTED A CAREGIVER RETREAT WITH FULL ATTENDANCE, WHERE PARTICIPANTS GAINED VALUABLE RESOURCES, BUILT MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS, AND EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR THE KNOWLEDGE AND INSIGHTS SHARED BY BOTH THEIR PEERS AND FAMILIES RISING STAFF. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO HELD AN IN-PERSON STAFF RETREAT FOCUSED ON TEAM BUILDING AND STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR THE 2024-2025 PROGRAM YEAR, ENSURING WE CONTINUE TO GROW AND MEET THE NEEDS OF THE FAMILIES WE SERVE.IN ADDITION TO THESE EFFORTS, WE ADDED A FULL-TIME EDUCATION AND TRAINING SPECIALIST TO OUR TEAM, ALLOWING US TO DEVELOP AND EXPAND INTERNAL TRAINING AND RESOURCES SPECIFICALLY FOR CAREGIVERS. WE HOSTED A YOUTH SUMMER CAMP, PROVIDING A SPACE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO BUILD POSITIVE IDENTITIES, CONNECT WITH PEERS, AND EXPLORE THEIR PERSONAL GROWTH IN A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT. WE CONTINUE TO OFFER ONGOING PARENT SUPPORT GROUPS AND EVENTS, BOTH IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY, TO PROVIDE CONSISTENT GUIDANCE AND COMMUNITY FOR CAREGIVERS. OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS HAVE GROWN AS WE ATTENDED MULTIPLE EVENTS FOCUSED ON ADOPTIVE, FOSTER, AND KINSHIP CAREGIVERS, ENSURING FAMILIES RECEIVE DIRECT SUPPORT AND ACCESS TO VALUABLE RESOURCES. OUR PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP CONTINUES TO PROVIDE ONGOING VIRTUAL SUPPORT TO CAREGIVERS ACROSS THE STATE AND EXPERIENCED STEADY GROWTH THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.WE ARE PLEASED TO SHARE THAT OUR GRANT WAS EXTENDED FOR A THIRD YEAR, ALLOWING US TO FURTHER EXPAND AWARENESS, BUILD TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, AND STRENGTHEN CAREGIVER SUPPORT SERVICES. FAMILIES RISING MINNESOTA REMAINS COMMITTED TO ENHANCING THE WELL-BEING OF FAMILIES THROUGH CONNECTION, EDUCATION, AND ADVOCACY. AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE ARE FOCUSED ON INCREASING COMMUNITY AWARENESS, DEVELOPING COMPREHENSIVE CAREGIVER TRAINING, AND FOSTERING LASTING RELATIONSHIPS TO ENSURE EVERY FAMILY RECEIVES THE SUPPORT THEY NEED.

CENTER FOR WORKFORCE EXCELLENCE AND LEADERSHIP -OVER THE PAST REPORTING PERIOD, CWEL TEAMS MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN LAUNCHING, SHAPING, AND STRENGTHENING THE INITIATIVE'S IMPACT ON CHILD WELFARE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. TOGETHER, OUR EFFORTS ARE CONTRIBUTING TO A BOLD AND TRANSFORMATIVE SHIFT IN HOW WE SUPPORT, RETAIN, AND UPLIFT PROFESSIONALS ACROSS THE SYSTEMESPECIALLY THOSE MOST OFTEN OVERLOOKED.THE COMMUNICATION TEAM SUCCESSFULLY LED THIS YEAR'S WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT MONTH CAMPAIGN, WHICH INTRODUCED CWEL'S NEW THEME: "WE SEE YOU. CHANGE IS IGNITING." THE CAMPAIGN RECEIVED WIDESPREAD ATTENTION ACROSS THE FIELD, WITH STRONG ENGAGEMENT FROM PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS WHO LEVERAGED THE WDM OUTREACH TOOLKIT. TO SUSTAIN THIS MOMENTUM, THE TEAM FINALIZED A PARTNERSHIP WITH A MISSION-ALIGNED MARKETING AGENCY THAT BRINGS DEEP EXPERTISE IN NARRATIVE CHANGE FOR THE UPCOMING NATIONAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN. LONG-TERM VISIBILITY TOOLS WERE ALSO DEVELOPED, INCLUDING GENERAL AND TRIBAL-SPECIFIC EXHIBIT BOOTH DISPLAYS, ENRICHED BY A PHOTOSHOOT WITH OICWA MEMBERS TO ENSURE AUTHENTIC REPRESENTATION OF INDIGENOUS PROFESSIONALS.THE SITE IMPLEMENTATION TEAM PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE IN THE SUCCESS OF THE WDM CAMPAIGN THROUGH ACTIVE COLLABORATION WITH THE COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE COALITION (CKC), WHICH HELPED SHAPE THE VOICE AND TONE OF MATERIALS. THIS TEAM ALSO LED THE ONBOARDING OF CWEL'S FIRST THREE IMPLEMENTATION SITES USING A MUTUAL INTERVIEW PROCESS DESIGNED TO FOSTER EQUITY, ENGAGEMENT, AND SHARED DECISION-MAKING. TO EASE THE BURDEN ON SITES, THEY DEVELOPED ACCESSIBLE TOOLS AND STREAMLINED IMPLEMENTATION PROCESSES.THE RISEUP TEAM FOCUSED ON STRENGTHENING LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT BY DESIGNING THE KABS FRAMEWORK (KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES/ABILITIES, BEHAVIORS, AND SKILLS) TO ASSESS LEARNING OUTCOMES. ADDITIONALLY, THE TEAM LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR A COACHING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT CENTERS MORAL INJURYAN ESSENTIAL STEP TOWARD TRAUMA-INFORMED LEADERSHIP SUPPORT.THE CULTURE KEEPERS TEAM DEEPENED ENGAGEMENT WITH TRIBAL PARTNERS THROUGH THE CWEL/OICWA INFORMATION EXCHANGE SESSION, WHERE TRIBAL CHILD WELFARE STAFF FROM OVER 20 TRIBES PROVIDED INVALUABLE INPUT. MOVING BEYOND THE ADAPTATION OF EXISTING TOOLS, THE TEAM DEVELOPED THE EAGLE COACHING MODELA CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE AND RELATIONAL FRAMEWORK ROOTED IN INDIGENOUS MENTORING TRADITIONS. THEIR CURRICULUM NOW INCLUDES 18 LEARNING ELEMENTS THAT SUPPORT DECOLONIZATION EFFORTS, WITH FLEXIBLE OPTIONS FOR SITES TO CHOOSE OR CUSTOMIZE THEIR OWN LEARNING BUNDLES BASED ON TRIBAL PRIORITIES. THE TEAM IS ALSO ADVANCING TRIBAL DATA SOVEREIGNTY BY COLLABORATING WITH INDIGENOUS EVALUATION CONSULTANT DR. COREY STILL OF ONE FIRE ASSOCIATES, WHOSE EXPERTISE SUPPORTS CULTURALLY RESPECTFUL APPROACHES TO ASSESSMENT AND DATA GATHERING.THE COACHUP AND CLINICAL BRIDGE TEAMS FINALIZED THE IN-PERSON AND SELF-PACED TRAINING COMPONENTS OF THE COACHUP PROGRAM, DESIGNED FOR IMMEDIATE, PRACTICAL APPLICATION IN SUPERVISORY PRACTICE. THEY ALSO ESTABLISHED A RESPONSIVE COACHING MODEL THAT ADAPTS TO THE NEEDS OF PARTICIPANTS IN REAL TIME. MEANWHILE, THE CLINICAL BRIDGE STRATEGY WAS REFINED TO FOCUS ON THREE FLEXIBLE LICENSURE PATHWAYS AND A PIVOT TO CONTRACTOR-BASED STAFFING, RECOGNIZING THE UNIQUE IMPLEMENTATION NEEDS OF EACH SITE.THE EDUCATIONAL PATHWAYS TEAM BROUGHT TWO KEY UNIVERSITY PARTNERS ON BOARDUNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY AND UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLESIGNING CONTRACTS IN AUGUST 2024. EVEN PRIOR TO FORMAL AGREEMENTS, BOTH INSTITUTIONS PARTICIPATED MEANINGFULLY IN THE SITE SELECTION PROCESS, MODELING THE KIND OF TRUST AND COLLABORATION CWEL AIMS TO FOSTER THROUGHOUT THE FIELD.THE EVALUATION TEAM DEVELOPED THE CWEL CULTURE AND CLIMATE ASSESSMENT (CCA)A 60-ITEM TOOL ROOTED IN A RIGOROUS LITERATURE REVIEW TO IDENTIFY KEY RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION FACTORS. EMBRACING A PARTICIPATORY AND COLLABORATIVE APPROACH, THE TEAM COORDINATED REGULAR STRATEGY-SPECIFIC EVALUATION MEETINGS ACROSS CWEL TEAMS, SUPPORTING LOGIC MODEL DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION READINESS. THE TEAM COLLABORATED WITH RISEUP TO EVOLVE "COMPETENCIES" INTO THE KABS MODEL, PARTNERED WITH COACHUP ON LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENT TOOLS, AND SUPPORTED THE CULTURAL KEEPERS THROUGH DATA COLLECTION EFFORTS LED BY DR. STILL. A SUCCESSFUL IRB EXEMPTION WAS ALSO SECURED FOR THE PERSONA PROJECT, ALLOWING FOR DEEPER EXPLORATION OF WORKFORCE NARRATIVES.ADDITIONALLY, THE EVALUATION TEAM FACILITATED KEY TRAINING SESSIONS, INCLUDING A CWEL-WIDE EVALUATION 101 WORKSHOP AND A "KEY CURIOSITIES" SESSION WHERE THE TEAM GENERATED CRITICAL EVALUATION QUESTIONS SUCH AS:- ARE OUR STRATEGIES SHIFTING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE?- WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT CWEL COMPARED TO PREVIOUS INITIATIVES?- ARE WE REDUCING MORAL INJURY AND INCREASING EQUITY?- HOW DO WE AVOID REGRESSION AND SUSTAIN CHANGE?THESE QUESTIONS, ALONGSIDE THOSE FROM THE CHILDREN'S BUREAU, WILL SHAPE THE COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION PLAN IN YEAR 2, QUARTER 1.