Casework Practice is the foundation of Public Child Welfare. The CEBC defines casework practice as services, delivered by a caseworker employed or contracted by a Public Child Welfare agency, that are designed to help families strengthen family functioning and address challenges that may threaten family stability. These activities include administering family-centered assessment and case planning; discussing strengths and needs with families; identifying specific interventions such as self-sufficiency needs, counseling, parenting, educational support, and skill building; and connecting families with the supportive services and resources they need to achieve a nurturing and stable family environment.
Target population: Caseworkers employed or contracted by a Public Child Welfare agency and the families that they work with
Services/types that fit: Assessment, case planning, case management, education, and skill building
Delivered by: Caseworkers employed or contracted by a Public Child Welfare agency
In order to be included: Program must be delivered by caseworkers directly
In order to be rated: There must be research evidence (as specified by the Scientific Rating Scale) that examines changes in caseworker behavior and/or changes in child welfare outcomes for families (recidivism, out-of-home placement changes, etc.)
Children and families where there has been suspected or substantiated child abuse or neglect
Why was this topic chosen by the Advisory Committee?
The Casework Practice topic area is relevant to child welfare because the child welfare worker's use of engagement strategies that encourage families to work as partners with Public Child Welfare for the protection of their children are vital to ensure that families receive appropriate services. Findings from the federal Child and Family Service Reviews (CFSRs), which examine state child welfare agency performance, have shown an association between a positive rating on caseworker visits and positive ratings on other areas under review. (Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Compiled results of the fiscal years 2001 - 2010 Child and Family Services Reviews, available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/resource/cfsr-compiled-results-2001-2010.)
Because of the CFSRs, we now know that caseworker visits are important and may be have a positive impact on outcomes for families. How often a caseworker visits, what happens during that visit, and how focused the visits are on the achievement of Federal Outcomes may determine if a family is reunified or if a child has an opportunity for permanency through adoption or guardianship. Understanding what needs to happen in the interaction between the caseworker and the family and establishing standards for those interactions is an important next step in enhancing child welfare practices.
Debby Jeter Former CEBC Advisory Committee Member
Topic Expert
The Casework Practice topic area was added in 2008. Diane Depanfilis, PhD, MSW was the topic expert and was involved in identifying and rating any of the programs with an original load date in 2008 (as found on the bottom of the program's page on the CEBC) or others loaded earlier and added to this topic area when it launched. The topic area has grown over the years and any programs added since 2008 were identified by CEBC staff, the Scientific Panel, and/or the Advisory Committee. For these programs, Dr. Depanfilis was not involved in identifying or rating them.
