Quality Practice is Transformational

We are facing critical changes in the field and grappling with the reality of the damage that foster care can do to families. While too many families are being brought into child-serving systems, particularly families of color, it is important for those youth and families who do need support receive it in the most skilled, nuanced, and meaningful way.

We have a responsibility to provide the highest quality practice for those still in the system [get them out quickly, with the least harm, and the most healing] and to those who may need it in the future [even if it is a small population].

At Plummer Youth Promise, we believe strongly in prevention and support and know that quality relational-based practice can play a critical role in the full continuum. Our practice model and our consulting are always centered on Quality Practice. We believe Quality Practice can be transformational.

When we talk about Quality Practice we mean:

Building trust-based relationships: Quality Practice is youth and family centered and focuses on how all members of the family network are invited to the table and supported. This requires trust-based relationships which are built through listening, transparency, and inclusion in decision making. Additionally, authentic engagement must include a willingness for professionals to share power with youth and families, where they actually influence the decisions being made. Without this they become outsiders in their own lives. This work also requires cultural humility and acknowledging the current and historic ways the systems we work in do harm. When approaching practice with this level of open-mindedness, we define family broadly, bring a strength-based lens, and stay committed to creating the conditions for healthy, loving, and lifelong relationships.

Knowledge and skill in attachment, belonging, trauma, and healing: Child serving systems are often working with families who are struggling to manage complex mental health challenges. Quality Practice requires a social worker with skills to develop working partnerships with youth and families. This includes the knowledge of how humans’ bond and develop safe and secure relationships and how to heal when those attachments are broken. It requires a worker to understand not only trauma-informed care, but appreciate how attachments to parents, family and community are assets to be valued, and are essential, bringing support, healing, growth, and belonging. These are foundational skills that promote mental health and enduring relationships. Too often, the baseline of “life skills” [education, employment, etc…] are prioritized over safe, secure, loving, adult and family relationships.

Understanding human behavioral and neurological development: Social work practice is an art and a science. We must be able to trust the messy process of relationship building while also being experts in the science of human development. This includes understanding human development throughout the lifespan, and the basic neuroscience of development, especially in early childhood and adolescence. This knowledge allows us to recognize typical developmental needs and the impact of trauma, so we do not pathologize youth and families. Quality Practice helps to ensure the provision of effective and responsive interventions.

Advocating and navigating in and across systems: Most child serving systems have points of connection including, courts, foster care, juvenile justice, mental and behavioral health, education, etc… The best practice is for systems to work together. However, collaboration isn’t the norm. Therefore, Quality Practice requires us to navigate those systems, so families don’t have to. Given the complexity of each of those systems, and the layered policies and bureaucracies, Quality Practice includes creative thinking and advocacy to ensure families don’t bear the brunt of system failure and do gain access to the web of services available.

Quality Practice is transformational. It is our charge, our mission, our responsibility; and youth and families deserve nothing less.