Part 2 of 3
Some families that are supported by IDD Services and their Community Developmental Disabilities Programs (CDDP) may choose foster care as an alternative to their child or loved one living in the family home. This difficult decision is very personal and can be a confusing and challenging time for families and youth.
The first article in this series was dedicated to helping the youth navigate life in foster care. The purpose of this article is to illustrate how important it is for families and youth to receive consistent and person-centered support when exploring the option of foster care.
Many families do not receive much information, training, or resources about foster care or how it can benefit the youth and/or the family. The family often relies on the Services Coordinator to provide information and choice counseling on this subject. Many youth receiving supports from IDD Services need additional help, most often with medical, behavioral, or other complex needs. At times, these needs can be overwhelming for a family, and they are not aware of the support they can receive. This can be extremely stressful and traumatic for families when they are not sure where to go for additional help. Foster care is an important resource that families can access.
Building Trust:
Trustworthiness and transparency is one of the key principles of Trauma Informed Care.
Ensure the family has a voice in the planning process and feels safe to speak up. Families that have accessed multiple systems for assistance may experience trauma around the planning process. The topic of foster care can activate specific traumatic feelings for some, such as fear, distrust, anxiety, and stress, or conflict with their cultural values and practices of caring for a loved one with a disability. It is important to build trust with the family while navigating through these difficult and uncertain times.
- Use Active Listening: Truly listen to the family and youth when they express their dreams, hopes, fears, and concerns for foster care and the future. Active listening keeps you engaged with your conversation partner in a positive way. It also involves paraphrasing and reflecting what is said and avoiding judgement and advice.
- Be Dependable: Be open, honest, and dependable. Families may look to you for advice or to help advocate for their rights or their child’s rights. Navigating multiple systems can be difficult for families. Be aware that systems of support (such as IDD Services, Medical Systems, and Mental Health Services) can inadvertently cause trauma. This ‘systems trauma’ can be elevated for families in these situations; ensure that you are following through with plans or commitments you make.
- Have Empathy: Understand that the family you’re working with may experience life differently than you. Their experiences can often be complex and involve many factors you are not aware of. Offer a caring, understanding, and empowering environment for them. While offering a safe space for the family, remember to take care of yourself. Compassion fatigue and secondary trauma can affect emotional, mental, and physical health. Learn more about workforce wellness at Trauma Informed Oregon.
Working as a Team
Occasionally, outside support may be used in complex situations. For example, a youth who has many goals and a team with different perspectives may choose to access Wraparound Services. Wraparound is a unique program that guides youth and families in a goal-oriented approach. Different counties may have programs that look similar and support the team to be family-driven and person-centered.
Everyone on the team benefits from clear and consistent communication. Depending on the youth’s needs, meetings may need to happen as often as once a week, or as little as once a month. During the planning process, the family may like additional check-ins from the SC to provide reassurance and promote trust.
Ongoing Support
Family planning and support will be ongoing after the youth moves into a foster home. In fact, this may be the most important time of the whole process. The youth and family may feel a variety of emotions during this time. This is the time to be creative about offering support to the family.
- Encourage the provider to send fun photos of the youth engaging of activities that they enjoy. For example, if they are on the High School basketball team, snap photos of them playing and send to the family.
- Send fun resources via email to the family and provider to encourage community engagement with the youth. There are lots of fun opportunities to be creative with this and tailor the experience to the family’s heritage and culture. For example, if the family celebrates Día de los Muertos, find a local celebration that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Occasionally, a foster provider and the youth may not share the same values, culture, or heritage. It is important to support the youth with their culture, even if it is different than the providers.
- Promote communication between the family and youth by encouraging scheduled phone or video visits. This can be a great way for the SC to catch up with the youth also! The donut sort can be a creative way to plan and make sure everyone’s voice is heard. Working and not working can also be a helpful way to record different perspectives and creatively problem solve.
Conclusion:
The families and youth you are supporting will need a variety of different supports during this difficult time. Building trust, team collaboration, and ongoing support are just a few of the building blocks that make up the whole pyramid of support. Each family dynamic is unique, and we have the opportunity help families learn, grow, and develop skills together.