How Tennessee is Engaging Parents as Experts and Partners In Prevention Initiatives
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How Tennessee is Engaging Parents as Experts and Partners In Prevention Initiatives
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How Tennessee is Engaging Parents as Experts and Partners In Prevention Initiatives
- 1. Parents and Practitioners: How Tennessee is Engaging Parents as Experts and Partners in Prevention Initiatives Presented by Jennifer Vaida and Melissa Perry Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee
- 2. Overview Recruit and Identify Engagement Overcoming Barriers Nurturing Parent Leadership Feedback Where We Are
- 3. Recruitment/Identify Inquires about services or programming offered by the organization Shows interest in leadership activities Shares information with others You see potential in them Self-nominate ASK!
- 4. I See Something In You http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bbz2boNSeL0
- 5. How Should We Think About Parents? What we used to think: THEY ARE IN NEED OF FIXING AND WE NEED TO FIX THEM. How we should think: THEY ARE THE NURTURED CENTER OF SOCIETY. THEY ARE ASSETS TO BE VALUED AND SUPPORTED. FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community Based Child Abuse Prevention A Service of the Children’s Bureau
- 6. Engagement Parent agrees to receive service or take part in a program that the organization offers
- 7. Overcoming Barriers Barriers/Assumptions Creating a culture of mutual respect Parent stereotypes Practitioner stereotypes Steps to change those feelings
- 8. How to Nurture Parent Leadership Involve parents in all planning, scheduling, participation, and follow-up of activities Provide a mentor Help overcome barriers to participation Hold meeting at a convenient time Form a relationship based on mutual trust Be available to listen when they talk
- 9. Feedback Feedback -- Ask parents for feedback about the agency’s performance Parent participation becomes reciprocal in that the parent gets something and also gives back to the organization
- 10. WHERE WE ARE
- 12. My Parent Leadership Journey Parent Leader Mentor Practitioner
- 13. I. Beginning the Adventure: Parent Involvement Involved with the Children’s Advocacy Center and Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee Parent Engagement PCAT Director saw leadership potential in me and invited me to be on Parent Leadership Team Parent Leadership- Melissa Joined Parent Leadership Team in 2009
- 14. II. Creating Avenues for Parent Involvement and Participation: Focus Groups Valued Activities and Program Enhancement o Family Outings - Zoo Day, Family Day at the Science Center o Workshops - TAEYC, Community Cafes’, Parent Leadership, PLAT, PLAT T3, CCJC, o Trainings- PLAT, PLAT T3, Stewards of Children, CCJC, SOC, Community Cafés o Community Services- March of Dimes and Susan G. Komen volunteers, Pinwheels for Prevention activities each year, sexual assault center online campaign, Say No to Bullying Service Project
- 15. III. Parent Leadership Activities Leading to the Road of Success: Support Groups Examples of activities parents/kin can be involved in- Pinwheels for Prevention, Snowflake 5k, Christmas with Santa, Easter Egg hunts, Zoo Day Create opportunities for success- I went from a volunteer to part time to full time with PCAT Mentor- Parent Leadership Mentor for the PLT Program opportunities to participate in Advisory council- CBCAP Advisory Board, PLT Advisory Board, BPNN, Program volunteer positions Hands on Nashville, PCAT booth volunteer, Pinwheels for Prevention Newsletter articles- I have written several newsletter articles highlighting different agencies Mentor other families in the program-Yes Website Maintenance- Developed the Parentleadershiptn.org website and the PLT maintains the whole website, Facebook and Twitter groups Policy committees-Birth Parent National Network Policy Advisory Committee and BPNN Committee Member, ANPPC, TNCBCAP, SOC planning committee 2011 Agency materials development teams- I developed a new section of the Parent Leadership Training Guide. Specifically, a section on engaging special populations, plan development, policy development, training development Fundraising events- Delta Kappa in Memphis, Prevent Child Abuse Fundraising Event
- 16. III. Parent Leadership Activities Leading to the Road of Success cont’d.: Community, State and National Advisory Councils and Task Forces- BPNN, TNCBCAP, ECCS, MCCY, ANPPC, TNYCWC State and National Conferences- Participated in multiple state and national conferences as a co-presenter and a presenter. TAEYC, National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, TN State of the Child, PCAA, Strengthening Families National Conference, ANPPC Leadership Legislative and Advocacy Opportunities- Birth Parent National Network Advisory Committee, Children’s Advocacy Days, Alliance National Parent Partnership Council
- 17. IV. Laying the Foundation for the Road to Success: Effective Communication Problem Solving Decision Making Self-Management
- 18. V. Maintaining Organizational Parent Leadership Policies – The Map to Success Agency’s and/or program’s responsibility to define roles and opportunities for parent leaders in your organization. – These are listed in our guidelines for parent leaders Agency and/or program should provide and reflect the responsibilities and benefits to the parent leaders –We have a set of guidelines for our parent leaders Agency and/or program should have a high priority to provide for special needs of parent leaders such as stipends, assistance with transportation, child care and how are parent leaders apprised of this is a respectful way –We provide a stipend Agency and/or program should provide Internal and external resources to help parent leaders develop and maintain their skills; should be offered at the local, state and national level . –They have provided multiple opportunities to attend trainings and I (along with two other parent leaders) are currently pursuing a Nonprofit Leadership certification through the Center for Nonprofit Management. Agency and/or program should implement mentoring and shadowing opportunities for parent leaders along with a strong well trained staff to support and supervise the parent leaders. –PCAT has provided a mentor and multiple shadowing opportunities for me for as long as I have been involved.
- 19. VI. Practicing and Encouraging Shared Leadership – the Bolts of Staying on the Road to Success Agency’s and/or program’s mission and commitment to the mission on shared leadership and parent leadership should be known throughout the organization and the state Opportunities for everyone in the organization, including parent leaders, to facilitate, guide, and coach others to adopt practices that reflect the goals of your mission The agency and/or program staff should all be committed and working together to outline and implement opportunities for parent leadership to occur The agency empowers parent leaders to help shape the direction of your activities The agency and/or program should encourage consensus building on new ideas and/or solutions on a regular basis which include both staff, community partners and parent leaders
Editor's Notes
- When looking to identify parents as leaders in your agency you want to first think about parents who ask about the services you offer and show an interest in the programming of your organization. Also, parents who ask questions about the mission and policy of the agency or how they can help on behalf of your program. Parents who notice their own growth within themselves and others are other characteristics of parents who may be ready to take on the role of parent leader. Potential parent leaders are in all agencies. We get nominations from different agencies all across the state. We also accept self nominations. All of our parents, even those who have self nominated, have had some involvement in a program at one point.
- You tube video http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bbz2boNSeL0
- A typical initial encounter and opportunity for partnership is when staff provides a compelling invitation for parents to attend a family strengthening or child maltreatment program. The staff role in this beginning stage is to maintain a safe container for growth and learning together. At this program level, parent leadership activities shift to partnering with parents when parents are acknowledged as the experts in what is needed for their family and that both staff and parents are learning from the relationship. Rather than asking, “What can I provide to create positive outcomes for your family?” the shift in thinking is “What can we do together that creates positive outcomes for your family and this community?” This framework acknowledges that we all contribute to the community’s capacity to support families and children. Successful agencies foster parent partnerships when they: Spotlight successful practices, including innovative program practices for staff self care and training Explore the language of “strengthening families” as it relates to “preventing child abuse and neglect” and other reframing efforts Explore the use of a protective factor framework as well as reducing risk factors Engagement activities that we have participated in: Sponsor Parent Leadership Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month Promote the importance of parent partnerships and the cost effectiveness of funding prevention strategies Encourage program hiring practices that reflect the demographics and culture of the families in attendance Promote family support premises and principles, the Strengthening Families Protective Factor Framework (www.cssp.org,) and other family strengthening approaches
- But before parents and practitioners can build authentic relationships, they have to get past some barriers or assumptions that they sometimes hold about each other. A lot of times practitioners and parents limit their roles based on the idea that a parent can only be a client of services or a consumer. Parents and Practitioners often stereotype one another and this prevents the development of parent partnerships. Some of the stereotypes from practitioners include: All Parents think the system is out to get them. Providers are not willing to accept parents as equals. They can’t trust them. Some of the stereotypes that parents have about practitioners include: They feel that practitioners do not understand what it is like on “the other side of the desk.” Parents do not trust the providers. Parents think they have nothing to contribute. They think they will not fit in and their input will not be valued. In order for these assumptions to change, the parents and practitioners have to recognize these feelings that are sometimes held between each other and then decide what steps they can take to change those negative feelings. Negative assumptions and stereotypes begin to change when organizations create a supportive and authentic environment for parents that encourage and nurture parent leadership. Creating a culture of mutual respect means not judging one another, respecting where each person comes from and where they are at. It also means not stereotyping. A culture of mutual respect is one in which the parent and practitioner do not see each other as “you vs. me” but as “us.” We found that part of removing this barrier was having conversations where we got to know each other. One of the most important things you can do as a practitioner is listen. Listen as they tell their story, why they are there and what they want to achieve. Providing a parent mentor has been extremely beneficial for us because it has helped remove that barrier. (Next slide)
- Ways that an organization and practitioners can nurture parent leadership include: Being clear and honest in your commitments to parents means you have to be up front with the parents about your role, their role, and expectations (both of the parent and yourself). Examples include letting the parent know what kind of a time commitment is involved, what their role would be, how much of a stipend they get for conference calls and onsite trainings. Parents also need to know that you are not using them as a token parent. They need to know that they are valued for their expertise and experience as a parent. We created a Parent Leadership Agreement and a Policy Manual for the parents. It lays out our expectations and the terms of service for parents who serve as leaders for our team. It explains stipend and mileage reimbursement procedures, attendance expectations, their role as a parent leader, and our role as facilitators and what they can expect from us. Providing a mentor Making sure more than one parent is involved Help them overcome barriers to participation- transportation, stipend Hold meetings at a convenient time for the parents (take their schedule into consideration when planning) Make sure you take into account what is going on in their personal life, what is their ability to participate? Build a relationship based on mutual trust. Listen when they talk. Sometimes they just need you to listen. Offer survey so you can get their feedback on issues most important to them Other ways to nurture Parent Leadership is by Involving Parents in the planning, scheduling, and participation of monthly conference calls. Our parents are always involved in the planning, scheduling, participation and follow through of activities and calls. Give all parents a chance in leadership roles-spread the load. Make sure there is more than one parent on committees, teams, boards, and other groups so the parents have support from other parents. Another way to nurture parent leadership is engaging members of the PLT in statewide committees. We have parents of the PLT in statewide committees including the Juvenile Justice task force, strengthening families, and the child abuse prevention advisory committee. One of the ways we have engaged parent leaders and grown meaningful partnership with practitioners and agencies was through the use of the Community Café model. The community café’s are guided conversations based on the protective factors . They are hosted by parent leaders and build community knowledge and the parent voice, and lead to improved lives for children, their families, and the community. create opportunities for parent voice and contributions by: Using different media to give and receive feedback and information- Facebook, twitter and email are ways to involve and spread information in quick and effective ways (Next slide)
- And finally, make sure to ask parents for feedback about the agency’s performance. Parent feedback enhances the relationships between families and providers, it gives the agency a perspective on how they are doing and what they can do to deliver their services most effectively, and most importantly, it improves the quality of programs and services. Parent participation becomes reciprocal in that the parent gets something and also gives back to the organization
- This is a map showing where we have Parent Leaders as of today. The pictures you see are some of our wonderful parents. All of the Suns that you see on the map represent a location that at least one Parent Leader occupies. Right now we have 18 parents! Thank you to all who have nominated from across the state! We really need some Sunshine in all of those regions though c
- I have added notes and highlighted them so you can see my own journey through the parent leadership ladder. Everyone’s steps will look different though and that is okay. This is simply to demonstrate how I and the agencies I collaborated with have been enhanced.
- Parents of Children with Special Needs Kinship Fathers Incarcerated Parents Single Parents Resource Families Parents of Teens- Yes Hispanic Parents Teen Parents – Yes (past member of) (Also a member of a focus group of parents with children who have severe allergies) Valued Activities and Program Enhancement: Family outings -Zoo Day, Family Day at the Science Center “Date Night” Informal respite care Community group activities -Health Fair, Pinwheel Garden “Kids Day” Collaborations with Universities Workshops - TAEYC, Community Cafes’, Parent Leadership, PLAT, PLAT T3, CCJC, Trainings- PLAT, PLAT T3, Stewards of Children, CCJC, SOC, Community Cafés Community Services- March of Dimes and Susan G. Komen volunteers, Pinwheels for Prevention activities each year, sexual assault center online campaign, Say No to Bullying Service Project
- Support Groups Examples of activities parents/kin can be involved in- Pinwheels for Prevention, Snowflake 5k, Christmas with Santa, Easter Egg hunts, Zoo Day Provide the opportunities and offering encouragement- Parents plan and participate in all aspects of what we do Create opportunities for success- I went from a volunteer to part time to full time with PCAT Mentor- Parent Leadership Mentor for the PLT Celebrate the successes in their leadership role!!!!! Program opportunities to participate in Advisory council- CBCAP Advisory Board, PLT Advisory Board, BPNN, Program volunteer positions- All my positions have been volunteer until recently! Newsletter articles- I have written several newsletter articles highlighting different agencies Mentor other families in the program-Yes Volunteer opportunities- Yes Website Maintenance- Developed the Parentleadershiptn.org website and the PLT maintains the whole website Program committees- Policy committees-Birth Parent National Network Policy Advisory Committee and BPNN Committee Member Agency materials development teams- I developed a new section of the Parent Leadership Training Guide. Specifically, a section on engaging special populations. Peer Reviews Fundraising events- Delta Kappa in Memphis, Prevent Child Abuse Fundraising Event November 2012. They had a benefit concert and I gave a speech on behalf of Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee and the Parent Leadership Team.
- Volunteer opportunities Fund raisers Community events – Grandparents Day at the Zoo, Foster Affair Events, etc. Holiday events for families Volunteer work in the community Community, State and National Advisory Councils and Task Forces Member Chairperson Co-Chairperson Officer State and National Conferences Attendee Host/Hostess agency booth Presenter Member of conference planning committee Legislative and Advocacy Opportunities Attend advocacy events Member of advocacy event committee Host/Hostess for advocacy event Present at advocacy events Attend political rallies Provide legislative testimony
- Effective Communication Barriers to effective communication Keys to active listening Effective feedback Non-verbal communication skills Problem Solving Define the problem Verify your understanding of the problems Understand your role in the problem Look at potential causes for the problem Identify alternatives for approaches to resolve the problem Select an approach to resolve the problem Plan the implementation of the best alternative Monitor implementation of the plan Decision Making Do not make decisions that are not yours to make. Avoid snap decisions. Move fast on the reversible ones and slowly on the non-reversible. Do your decision making on paper. Make notes and keep your ideas visible so you can consider all the relevant information in making this decision. Be sure to choose based on what is right, not who is right. Consider those affected by your decision. Trust yourself to make a decision the then be able to field the consequences. Self-Management Monitor work/volunteer responsibilities and learn to set limits Recognize signs of stress Get a coach/mentor Learn to be assertive Recognize accomplishments!!!!!!!