ALIGN Bruce Armson President ALIGN Rhonda Barraclough Executive

ALIGN Bruce Armson, President ALIGN Rhonda Barraclough, Executive Director of ALIGN Anton Smith, ALIGN member and group care representative

WHO ARE WE? ALIGN has represented child welfare and family service providers in Alberta for 50 years. During that time, we championed the development of standards dedicated to residential and community childcare services, influenced social policy and legislation, and advocated on behalf of service providers. It should be noted that all of the agencies that started the movement 50 years ago, still remain in business in one form or another and still provide services to child welfare.

MANDATE • To serve as a community of agencies respecting the diverse needs of Alberta’s children, youth, individuals and families. • To act as a collective voice advocating for the rights, causes and issues that directly affect our members and Alberta’s children, youth, individuals and families. • To support excellence in service delivery through shared diverse knowledge, wisdom and evolving practice • To Influence and collaborate with government in the development of legislation, policy, and procedures.

WHAT WE DO? • Advocacy – speak on behalf of members • Professional Development – training events, conference, symposiums, leadership bursary • Policy Development, Research and Practice – research/practice journal, symposiums, research projects and partnerships with government (practice framework, foundations of caregiver support) and others • Occupational wellness – OHS initiative • Workforce strategies/ issues – procurement, contracting, labor market issues • Sit on the CWLC Board of Directors

WHO ARE OUR MEMBERS? • We have 120+ member • Other associations: AHVNA; CYCAA • Learning institutions: Lethbridge College; Macewan University; Mount Royal University • The majority are agencies that contract to Children Services (and other ministries) to provide services to children and families in one way or another. This can include the gamut of services from prevention – permanency; intensive treatment; secure services and family support to children with disabilities

CHILD INTERVENTION • In Alberta, most of the direct services provided to children and families in terms of wellbeing, care and support are provided by agency staff. • In some areas of the province this includes intensive services through an OBSD/CSD lens or in others through a specialized arrangement or a menu of services that are offered. • Contracted agencies (CI only) must be accredited. This is a requirement of the Ministry for child intervention services. There are specific accrediting bodies that are approved for the agencies to use. In all cases there is a basic set of standards that the agencies are required to maintain as it relates to human services. These agencies are reviewed regularly.

ACCREDITATION Organizations are regularly and consistently examined and monitored for quality of their services Standards vary by accrediting body but in all cases generally include these areas: • Clinical leadership and governance • People process/human resources • Information- documentation • performance –client based

WEB OF SERVICES

WORKFORCE • Contracts – members represent about 80% of the contracts CS holds for CI services. For CI services that is about $132 million • In 2016 the agencies estimated that they served about 202, 013 children or families per year • 4000 FTE - We estimate there about 10, 000 employees in the early intervention, disability and child intervention service delivery. That breaks out to approx. 7000 full time and 3000 part time employees. • 37% of members employees have a Bachelor Degree and 31% a diploma= 68%

TURNOVER • 72. 6% of the ALIGN workforce have been employed less than 5 years • 2016 - 35% turnover rate: 2015 turnover rate was 34. 5% 2014 - 25. 7% • Pay and benefits is the main reason for staff turnover (many staff move on to government) • 2014 was the last year of 3 we were able to secure wage increases in the budget. This was extremely helpful in stabilizing the workforce.

PROCUREMENT • Align with government of Alberta processes • Procurement Advisory table • Design a tender process that is offering flexible, multi- year contracts with built in cost of living. Clearly outlining the services required • Overall operating costs and full cost are not suitable and have not been reviewed in decades in most regions • Regional consistency is a challenge

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT • Leadership Bursary • Aboriginal Advisory - Omantew and Allying Cultural Solutions • Trauma series • Conference • Wellness and workplace support • Mental Health First Aid • Mental Health training and support for caregivers • Testing the Foundations of caregiver support 101 • Group care symposium

POLICY, PROCEDURE AND PROCESS • OBSD/CSD • CIPF • FCS • SOS • Family Find • Group care committee

OVERALL SYSTEMS CHANGES To change/improve the system we believe there needs to be changes in approach in the following areas: • Reforming funding models to include more flexible funding and amounts that are equal to the actual cost of care, and including wage allocations so staff receive a fair livable wage; • Fuller and further implementation of community and collaborative service delivery; • Subsidized and supported kinship and guardianship; • Advancement of post care services beyond just financial; • Trauma informed and evidence based supported practice for both the contracted providers and the ministry staff; • A broader more inclusive look at poverty, homelessness, mental health services for youth; • Systemic leadership challenges. • Ongoing indigenization of the system • Indigenous and provincial economic factors

RECOMMENDATIONS TO CHANGE CURRENT SYSTEM • A clear, flexible, well funded procurement process. Recommendations have been made. The outcome (x 2) needs to be good outcomes for families, cover operating costs, regular costs of living and stable livable wages for the staff that provide the services. This will equal a viable healthy workforce that can sustain the challenges of this work and meet the wellbeing and safety needs of children and families alongside the Ministry staff • Family centered decision making – support workers in both agencies and ministry to offer and use tools like family group conferencing, circle process, family finding; shared services models etc. Both parts of the sector can and should be trained in these processes which can help families develop their own plans. These skill sets are not the usual for child protection workers • Foundations of caregiver support are a foundational paper setting out the baseline information/knowledge that carers should have. There is a process under way to ensure all staff, and carers receive basic information. For ALIGN this has been a long process. We have been supported to provide training to caregivers in the agencies and have actually added to the training and provided many other types of training in the 4 main areas of the foundations document.

Collaborative service delivery - Service providers and caregivers must be part of the plan. They can often wrap services around a family or child. OBSD is a good example, but other service models will work, but they must be collaborative, share authority, and allow the agencies to use their expertise. They are not and should not just be a menu service. They need to be part of the planning. This requires respect and trust on all sides to provide the best services possible from all perspectives. Service providers can and will ensure the well being of those involved is cared for. Treatment resources like treatment group care well researched, evidence based programs that provide superior service to young people. More recently there are request to place children because of their complex needs. Sometimes this is not appropriate. Careful screening of placement and early planning for discharge are key and essential for these young people. Yong people do not grow up over night. Most young people are not ready to launch into the world at 18. In typical families the parents most often provide both emotional and financial support well into their 20’s. Families in CS can do this as well. Foster families are able to work with young people into their adult years, but they still require some financial support.

Young people do not grow up over night. Most young people are not ready to launch into the world at 18. In typical families the parents most often provide both emotional and financial support well into their 20’s. Families in CS can do this as well. Foster families are able to work with young people into their adult years, but they still require some financial support. If children are not able to remain with their parents then kinship should be considered. Kinship placements need to be financially and emotionally supported. Often time’s caregivers are not treated well, In these cases they are also family members so it is extra sensitive. Often times the carer is not considered a priority at the table, and feel like they are getting told what to do. There is a system of disrespect for foster and kinship caregiers that is pervasive in the system. This has been recently discussed with ministry staff and the foster parent association. (future presentation)

MULTI MINISTRY/GOVERNMENT • Mental Health services – preventative and in care • Collaboration with other ministries that focus on children and youth. CS, CSS, Health, SG, and education. • Larger social issues- poverty homelessness • Indigenizing the system; Jordan’s principle; mentoring from agencies; training to agencies/ staff; • Children’s commissioner

QUESTIONS?