This empirically based curriculum addresses a number of issues related to disparity and disproportionality experienced by African American families involved with child welfare. It is well documented that for decades African American children have been overrepresented in child welfare throughout this country. Yet little is known about what strategies might be implemented in order to reverse this phenomenon. This curriculum is based on findings from a Community-Based Participatory Research Project that brought together African American community leaders and university faculty to examine both the historical evolution and prominent features of a cultural broker approach to promote engagement and partnership with the African American community and the county child welfare agency. This curriculum provides research highlights, historical perspectives, conceptual frameworks, approaches for community engagement, tools and experiential opportunities to strengthen social worker understanding, and knowledge and skills regarding issues related to disproportionality and disparity experienced by African American families in child welfare. It addresses five areas: the history of cultural racism and oppression in child welfare, the prevalence of racial disparities and disproportionality in child welfare, the role of community partnership and collaboration with African American families in child welfare service delivery, the cultural broker approach to community engagement in child welfare practice, and key considerations for improved child welfare partnerships with African American communities. (108 pages) Siegel, D., Jackson, M., Montana, S., & Rondero Hernandez, V. (2011).

The goal of this exercise is to have a learner watch an investigative interview, record their own case notes and then practice using those notes to complete the allegation conclusion and assessment sections of an investigation narrative.  To achieve this, a video of an investigative interview is taken from a vignette and a partially completed investigation narrative template is provided. 

The interactive video quiz follows a contact visit vignette. Crystal Smith has been living in a group home following physical abuse at home. In the video, a social worker conducts an ongoing interview with Crystal, located at the group home. Pauses throughout the video provide the learner with opportunities to practice editing case note examples to be more concise. The learner is also asked to watch a brief segment of the video and record a case note detailing the segment in a concise manner. The total video run time is approximately 2 minutes and automated feedback is provided for all self-assessment questions.

Case notes are records of interactions children, families, and persons relevant to a given case or incident attended to by a social worker. Good case notes employ strategic, insightful inquiry and an understanding of larger case processes. When well written, case notes provide accurate, objective descriptions grounded in fact and evidence. They leverage a social worker's assessments and opinions thoughtfully, but never include an undue amount of either.

This interactive video is interspersed with questions probing the viewer's understanding of fact and evidence and how to detect unnecessary use of assessment or opinion in case notes. It contextualizes the skills being taught in a realistic scenario, an investigative interview where a social worker is trying to assess whether a claim of physical abuse can be substantiated, and aims to enable learners to differentiate and identify correct / incorrect uses of fact & evidence , assessment & opinion.

*This resource is a remix of "Investigative Interview - Craig Price" , provided by The Academy for Professional Excellence.