Part Four Many child welfare workers are talking about the shifting roles of professionals and the need to mobilize the existing strengths of neighborhood residents toward self-help, mutual aid, and mutual support. Teams provide individualized help for families who self-refer, or who are referred by Child Protective Services. The teams also recruit foster families in high-risk communities and identify others who wish to provide families and children with a fabric of neighborhood support. The system is a neighborhood approach to drug abuse that works by enhancing motivation, developing new daily routines, and preventing relapse. Neighborhood residents, if given support, will design a human services approach that doesn't fit any of the current categories of service delivery and funding, but does show promise in filling the needs of vulnerable families.
Natural helpers possess a wide range of skills.
When they work with each other and with professionals, they can offer a holistic, individualized approach that reduces fragmentation and increases families' abilities to help themselves after formal services end. Visits to the site in Tacoma are also possible. The tool can be ordered from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Consultants available to answer questions or lead initial discussions include Jill Kinney 253.927.7547, Margaret Trent 253.274.9732, and Kathy Strand 253.627.3533.