OKDHS Child Welfare Practice Standards

Oklahoma Human Services Child Welfare Practice Standards

We must be aware of and recognize how we use the power of our position.
Our team decision-making supports the process of examining personal biases and use of self.
We believe in the importance of hearing all voices, whether we agree or not.
We continually assess our personal biases and styles, ensuring that they do not interfere with our ability to partner with families; at the same time, we will regularly enter into discussions/mentoring with our supervisor (at all levels) about personal biases and the way they are impacting our work.
We practice empathy and engage in courageous conversations when a bias and/or misuse of power occurs.
We seek to understand the goals of families and work to identify pathways to help the family achieve those goals.

We separate what parents have done from who they are.
We behave as if we are a visitor in the family's home, a visitor with a purpose.
We are humble, understanding that "any given day" it could be us.
We hold a belief that people can change, with the right tools and resources.
We believe in nurturing and restoring hope – their belief the future can be better and we have the collective determination to make their future possible.

We have frequent and meaningful conversations with children.
We ensure that children have accurate information and understand what is happening in their lives.
We actively find ways for children to contribute, have an influence and a sense of control on the decisions made about their lives; being honest about their options and choices.
We engage youth in conversations about how to improve our system.
We believe children’s well-being is paramount.
We strengthen families by collaborating with them to identify resources and supports for better futures.

We create an environment where families can teach us about who they are and what they need.
We learn about challenges families experience and value their time.
We engage with families to understand their experiences, culture, and family functioning.
We are students of the culture, race, and ethnicity of the families we serve, and we actively use this information as we join with families in planning and decision-making.
Our role is to help families build and sustain motivation to pursue the goals to advance their well-being.
We strengthen families by collaborating with them to identify resources and supports for better futures.

Beginning at our first interaction with families, we engage in a conversation that builds relationships. We ask strength-focused questions and use the information to develop effective service plans.
We develop common goals with families and partners that acknowledge the family’s perspectives and the child's need for safety, permanency, and well-being.
We are transparent with one another to ensure clarity.
We actively assist families in identifying pathways to achieve their goals.
We actively engage resource families (foster and kin) in the process of teaming, information sharing, and decision-making.

We believe we are pathway navigators for family connection.
We believe family time is a right, not a privilege.
We believe families belong together.
We continuously seek to place siblings together and create frequent opportunities for family time until that occurs.
As we make decisions about placement, we consider all the implications for the child, understanding that every time a child is removed there is trauma.
We maintain a sense of urgency knowing every day a child is out-of-home can increase trauma.

Our work is characterized by a consistent standard of excellence and cooperation.
We are compassionate with one another, and we have difficult conversations about the complexity of this work.
We value honesty and transparency in all communication.
We actively educate others about the needs of children and families and about best practices in child welfare.
We hold one another accountable to being respectful and courteous, valuing teamwork to accomplish our collective goals.

We are a hope centered organization; therefore, we work together to find strategies to make our future better.
We encourage and support employee well-being, self-care, and resilience.
We provide hope, support, resources and opportunities for debriefing and stress relief for employees.
We foster a culture of connectiveness to co-workers and supervisors demonstrating acceptance, respect, and teamwork.
Our employees experience physical and psychological safety.
We believe our collective hope is tied to our collective success.