Comprehensive Family Assessment (CFA)

Comprehensive Family Assessment (CFA)

In the fall of 2007, Ramsey County Community Human Services (RCCHSD) was one of five sites chosen as recipients of a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Children’s Bureau (USDHHS) to develop a model of comprehensive family assessment to be used in child welfare.

In the short video to the right, Cathy Overbagh, Federal Project Officer at the Children’s Bureau, discusses the origin and intent of the USDHHS comprehensive family assessment model.

This project was funded through the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau, Grant #90CA1753/01, “Using Comprehensive Family Assessments to Improve Child Welfare Outcomes.”

Ramsey County CFA Final Report Available

 

About the CFA

Model Overview

The Ramsey County Comprehensive Assessment Model of Practice includes definitions and explanations regarding how staff partner with families, service providers, and other stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes for youth and their families. The foundational values and principles of the Comprehensive Family Assessment model of practice are:

  • Engagement and relationship building
  • Involvement of families and youth in identifying their own strengths and need
  • Cultural grounding
  • Family is a system
  • Identifying and including extended family and service providers
  • Individually tailored approach for families
  • All children are individualized
  • Empathy, authenticity, and transparency
     

National resources on CFA:

More information about Ramsey County’s CFA model:

Evaluation

From the beginning of the project, the School of Social Work at University of Minnesota has been the third party, independent evaluator for the Ramsey County CFA project. The evaluation was begun by the Gamble-Skogmo Chair in Child Welfare and is now conducted under the auspices of the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW). The evaluation is conducted by a team of staff members and graduate assistants with ongoing assistance from consultants to the project. The evaluation team at CASCW is analyzing the process, practice, and outcomes associated with program implementation.

Learn More about the Comprehensive Family Assessment Model Evaluation

CFA Project - Final Report

Pretest Case Management Evaluation Materials

Pretest Intake Evaluation Materials

Formative Evaluation Materials

Posttest Evaluation Materials

Training and Resources

Through the development of the Comprehensive Family Assessment Model (CFA) at Ramsey County, a number of training documents for both supervisors and workers have been developed in order to aid the implementation of the model. A two-part presentation on the CFA module, available below, will provide an overview of the project. The progress reports on the model below may also prove valuable to understanding the process of implementation of the model at Ramsey County.

Training

Resources

Worker Tools and Guides

Supervisory Tools and Guides

Progress Reports and Presentations

CFA Model Project Progress Reports

CFA Model Project Presentations

 

Contacts

The Project Team at Ramsey County Community Human Services Department

Kimberly Cleminson, MSW
Children's Service Manager
Child Protection Program
kimberly.cleminson@co.ramsey.mn.us

Jenny Gordon
CFA Project Manager
jenny.gordon.co.ramsey.mn.us

Allan Malkis
Senior Program Evaluator
allan.malkis@co.ramsey.mn.us

Becky Montgomery
Planner
becky.montgomery@co.ramsey.mn.us

Womazetta Robinson Jones
Director
Children & Family Services
womazetta.jones@co.ramsey.mn.us

Charlesetta Rolack, MSW, LICSW
Children's Services Intake Manager
charlesetta.rolack@co.ramsey.mn.us

Janelle White
Management Analyst
Supervisor, Roseville Unit
janelle.white@co.ramsey.mn.us

Contributing Supervisors: Julie Anderson, Deb Anthony, Linda Benson, Alex Cleaveland, Claudean English, Terry Kjellgren, Mark Mullerleile, Meng Pao Vang, Patti Vitek, Kim White Contributing Managers: Cheryl Barnes, Kimberly Cleminson, Tina Curry, Richard Coleman

The Evaluation Team at the University of Minnesota School of Social Work:

Traci LaLiberte, PhD
Principle Investigator
lali0017@umn.edu

Liz Snyder, MSW
Co-PI, Project Coordinator
snyde276@umn.edu

Kristy Piescher, PhD
Co-PI, Project Coordinator
kpiesche@umn.edu

Scotty Daniels
Administrative Coordinator
sdaniels@umn.edu

Susan J. Wells, PhD
Consultant
susan.wells@ubc.ca

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