Training/Technical Assistance & Best Practices

Locality: Fairfax County, Fairfax City and City of Falls Church
Contact: Gail Ledford
Phone Number: (703) 324-7748
Email address: Gail.ledford@fairfaxcounty.gov

Description of Best Practice:
Parent representatives embody the parent perspective within the Comprehensive Services Act (CSA) for At-Risk Youth and Families. They are non-employee members of the Family Assessment and Planning Team (FAPT). After discussing strengths and challenges with CSA Coordinators, a FAPT Coordinator, and a variety of parent representatives, the overall desire to enable the parent representatives to feel more comfortable with their roles and more connected to CSA system was expressed.

In order to enhance the ability and comfort level of parent representatives to communicate more effectively with the FAPT and CPMT members, Fairfax County was interested in developing training modules around relevant CSA topics. Through gathering feedback from survey results and engaging in a regional parent representative roundtable discussion, the following topics were identified for development into training modules: Virginia Legislative Process, Budget and Funding, Medicaid, Ethical Issues, and a Parent Representative Role and Recruitment. The goal of a training curriculum is to enable parent representatives to become more informed about the various issues that currently play a role within CSA the state of Virginia.

Note: This CSA “Best Practice was developed for the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Policy and Management Team by a George Mason MSW Intern placed with the Fairfax CSA program during the spring of 2004.

What have been the benefits/results of the implementation?
The full benefits are unknown at this time as the training modules were developed earlier in 2004.

Estimated savings: None stated.

Barriers to overcome: None stated.

Best Practice Summary: Locality Specific Training for New CSA
Case Managers

Locality: City of Richmond
Contact: Debbie Hinton
Phone Number: (804) 646-7445
Email Address: dhinton@ci.richmond.va.us

Description of Best Practice: This locality is in the process of developing a training curriculum designed to explain best practices in service plan development, case management and CSA procedures. The target audience for the training is CSA Case Managers. The City of Richmond received grant funding to support the development of the training curriculum.

What have been the benefits and/or results of implementation? Not known. The training is scheduled for delivery in 2004.

Estimated Savings: None stated.

Barriers to Overcome: None stated.

Best Practice Summary: Locality Specific VISSTA Training

Locality: Lancaster County
Contact: Michelle Simmons
Phone Number: (804) 462-5141
Email Address: mis103@central.dss.state.va.us

Description of Best Practice: This locality requested that VISSTA
(Virginia Institute for Social Services Activities) conduct CSA Course
120 (Utilization Management) and CSA Course 121 (Orientation to CSA) on-site at the locality for members of the FAPT Team, CPMT and CSA Case Managers.

What have been the benefits and/or results of implementation? Reduced travel and time costs for the agency due to the limination of out-of-locality travel. In addition, the locality can review, discuss and implement positive changes within the locality based upon the information relayed at the locality specific VISSTA courses.

Estimated Savings: Specific cost savings are not identified.

Barriers to Overcome: None stated.