The role of child welfare workers is twofold, to promote the safety children and youth address their wellbeing. This provincially legislated mandate requires make decisions across service continuum. After a report maltreatment investigated, are required assess veracity allegation through substantiation decision determine whether has been victimized, which may impact on families' future involvement with services. Little known or how individual worker characteristics decision. study estimated...

To enhance strengths-based service, a large urban child welfare agency in Ontario, Canada implemented part of the Signs Safety (SOS) model 2010. SOS was created to engage families involved with system, and is rooted beliefs collaboration, practice, safety. The hybrid full focused on mapping conference, where cases that have been previously opened four or more times are brought forward discussed methodological fashion. Repeat referrals agencies dramatically increased over recent years extant...

Human service organizations seeking to infuse research and other forms of evidence into their programs often need expand knowledge sharing systems in order build absorptive capacities for new information. To promote engagement evidence-informed practice, human can benefit from connections with intermediary that assist the dissemination utilization use internal brokers, called link officers. These boundary-spanning individuals work embed external address current organizational priorities...

The decision to substantiate a report of child maltreatment represents key point in the welfare service decision-making continuum. This has various potential implications for children and their families, which may include more intensive involvement or cessation services. substantiation is determined by whether there enough evidence suggest that risk occurred. To date, been minimal exploration worker characteristics might influence this critical point. Decision-Making Ecology would indeed,...

Unpacking evidence-based practice in social work education: a scoping review Child welfare workers are the link between families and system tasked with assessing mitigating child maltreatment. While US-based research suggests that organizations prime for to experience poor overall wellbeing, there is dearth of Canada. This mixed method case study explored workers' levels burnout, secondary trauma, compassion satisfaction, organizational context. Qualitative recommendations promote wellbeing...

The child protection workers' attitude toward responsibility for safety is complex and requires further examination. Using the Quality Improvement Project on Differential Response data from Illinois we examined characteristics that influence worker towards safety. variable measures belief in family compared to state Regression analyses suggest self-perception of skills, confidence community resources, system, age significantly predict attitude. Findings support organizations direct resources...

Child welfare workers are tasked with addressing families' complex needs while navigating community systems, organizational policies and legislation. While Evidence-based Evidence-informed Practice (EBP; EIP) woven throughout child systems discussed in social work education, they rarely applied to everyday service. This paper is a reconceptualization of EBP/EIP into Decision Making (EIDM); framework proposed for practice. EIDM promotes the examination multiple factors their integration...

There is a growing body of research that underscores young child welfare-involved children are unique vulnerable subgroup children. The decision to provide postinvestigation welfare services consequential children's safety and well-being has fiscal implications for organizations. Despite the potential ramifications decision, there little known about factors associated with ongoing provision This study uses secondary data analysis Canadian Incidence Study Reported Child Abuse Neglect 2008...

The objective of this article is to describe the successes and challenges a unique knowledge mobilization initiative that was funded through Social Sciences Humanities Research Council Canada. This focused on promoting by increasing capacity child welfare organizations in Ontario conduct use research. Building existing models Ontario, brought university-based researchers together with practitioners data sets from Incidence Studies Reported Child Abuse Neglect. Overall, resulted several...

Purpose Child welfare organizations serve vulnerable families and are required to effectively address the system's dual mandate. Therefore, workers must understand how families' unique challenges may impact caregiver's parenting ability mitigate these concerns. In turn, require a framework for service that will clinical factors reduce decision-making noise. Evidence-informed (EIDM) offers comprehensive guides child through process.Method This study provides evaluation of an EIDM training (n=...

Child welfare workers aim to promote the well-being and safety of children are link between child system families. Families served by should expect similar service based on clinical factors, not their caseworker's characteristics. Using secondary data analyses most recent Canadian Incidence Study Reported Abuse Neglect (CIS-2008) multilevel modeling, this study examines whether worker characteristics, such as education level field, age, experience predict perception risk future maltreatment....

In response to the global upheaval caused by COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions, including University of Windsor, transitioned swiftly virtual learning, necessitating innovative approaches ensure academic progress amidst cancellation in-person classes and exams. This transition was particularly significant for situated in Southwestern Ontario, where pandemic's impact felt deeply, with implications both university community broader region. Despite initial challenges, subsequent...

Child welfare workers and organizations are the direct link between legislation families, thus, key to service effectiveness. However, little is known about role of organizational learning, risk tolerance, psychological safety, especially in Canadian child welfare. The aim this study identify senior leaders' perceptions these constructs context delivery family outcomes. This qualitative included interviews with leaders (n= 8) from separate Ontario. Findings suggest that participants...

Child welfare practice often requires direct intervention with vulnerable children and families, whereby workers are responsible for various services decisions that may have a lasting impact on families involved in the child system. Research illustrates clinical needs not necessarily only factor at foundation of decision making; Evidence-informed Decision Making (EIDM) can act as critical thinking deliberate context service delivery. This study evaluates an EIDM training aimed to enhance...