Building evidence for family group decision-making in child welfare: operationalizing the intervention

ABSTRACT

Family group decision-making (FGDM) is a system reform strategy that positions family groups as decision-making leaders in family meetings, based on family-centered, strength-based, culturally relevant principles. Evidence of outcomes of family meetings is equivocal due to the differences in models and insufficient operationalization of core components. An important phase of intervention research mandates the importance of clearly operationalizing the intervention before efficacy or effectiveness can be evaluated. Using the framework for building evidence in child welfare, this paper reports on operationalization of core components of FGDM designed to serve three target child welfare populations.

KEYWORDS:

• Family group decision making
• operationalization
• intervention
• child welfare
• parent advocacy

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded through the Children’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration of Children and Families, HHS-2015-ACF-ACYF-CF-1008U.S. Children’s Bureau [HHS-2015-ACF-ACYF-CF-1008].

Notes on contributors

Marina Lalayants

Marina Lalayants, PhD is an Associate Professor at Silberman School of Social Work, Hunter College, The City University of New York in New York, NY, United States.

Diane DePanfilis

Diane DePanfilis, PhD is a Professor at Silberman School of Social Work, Hunter College, The City University of New York in New York, NY, United States.

Lisa Merkel-Holguin

Lisa Merkel-Holguin, MSW is an Associate Professor at the Department of Pediatrics, Kempe Center, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, CO, United States.

Melinda Baldwin

Melinda Baldwin, PhD is a Former Federal Project Officer at the Children’s Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, Administration for Children and Families in Washington, DC, United States.

Michele Schmidt

Michele Schmidt, MPA is a Senior Evaluation Associate at LeCroy & Milligan Associates, Inc. in Tucson, AZ, United States.

Julie Treinen

Julie Treinen, MA, LPC, LISAC is a Clinical Consultant for Program Integration at Arizona’s Children Association in Tucson, AZ, United States.

Danielle Zuñiga

Danielle Zuñiga, MS is an Associate Executive Director at YMCA Youth & Family Services in San Diego, CA, United States.

Casey Mackereth

Casey Mackereth, MS is a Research Consultant at Harder+Company Community Research in San Diego, CA, United States.

Taylor Anderson

Taylor Anderson, BA is a Research Associate at Harder+Company Community Research in San Diego, CA, United States.