696 Leadership Learning Agreement

696 LEADERSHIP LEARNING AGREEMENT: PLAN & EVALUATION Student's Name: Miriah McIsaac Practicum Agency and Program: Department of Family & Human Services, Policy Division Please provide a brief description of your practicum: In November 2016, an independent review of the Prince Edward Island Child Protection Act was conducted. The purpose of the review was to determine if the operation, administration, principles, and purpose of the Act were being achieved. The Advisory Committee engaged in a comprehensive consultation process, inviting feedback from public consultation, community partners (including legal/police/health services), child protection staff and management, Indigenous communities, and youth. To address issues of concern raised during the review process, sixty-six recommendations were developed. These recommendations were divided into two broad categories - public policy and service delivery recommendations. The Child Protection Act states that an alternate approach may be used to develop a plan of care for a child, including mediation, joint planning conference, family group planning conference or such other method as the Director considers appropriate. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is not sufficiently utilized as a process for dispute resolution in PEI and currently, there are no policies, procedures, or people trained in ADR practices within Child Protection Services. The Advisory Committee recommends that a jurisdictional scan regarding utilization of ADR, in consultation with appropriate government and community partners, be conducted and policies and procedures regarding utilization be established. My practicum will focus on the above recommendation. I will take the lead in conducting a jurisdictional scan of ADR dispute processes within the context of child welfare across Canada. Using the information gathered from the scan and independent research, I will prepare a document/short paper outlining my findings and recommendations. This will then be presented to management. The deliverable for the agency will be information/evidence gathering, which may then be used to influence policy and procedures in the future. It will also serve to address the outstanding recommendation proposed by the Advisory Committee.

PRACTICE OBJECTIVE 1: Values, Ethics & Professional Identity Learners demonstrate the ability to apply social work values, adhere to CASW Code of Ethics & Guidelines for Ethical Practice, and analyze the role of ethics and values in leadership practice, social/organizational policy and organizational effectiveness. Learners will be able to: • • • • • • •

Integrate social work values and professional Ethics and Guidelines within a leadership context. Identify how personal and professional values impact their leadership practice. Identify ethical dilemmas in practice and apply ethical decision-making processes. Examine organizational values and their impact on staff, programs and service to clients. Analyze social work leadership within a social services context and compare it to other forms of leadership/management. Critically reflect on their social work practice within a leadership context. Demonstrate professionalism in the practicum setting. Values, Ethics & Professional Identity: Student Learning Plan

Component of Practice Objective What do you want to learn?

Accountability How will you evaluate your learning?

Time Line By when will you accomplish this?

To identify how my personal and Practice self-reflection and journal my professional values observations and thoughts impact my leadership practice

Journal records and discussion with field instructor

March 6/18

To determine which leadership theory or model most reflects my own values, principles, and philosophies

Share my reflections with March 6/18 field instructor

Review and understand organizational values and philosophy in the context of child protection service delivery

Learning Activities How will you accomplish the learning?

Keep a journal of my reflections and observations related to the leadership practices engaged in within the agency and use this to develop a personal theory of practice related to social work leadership

Read 2 articles related to organizational values/culture in the human services

Ongoing discussions with Midterm field instructor

Review agency policies and procedures

PRACTICE OBJECTIVE 2: Leading Others Learners demonstrate the ability to achieve organizational or community goals through processes such as visioning, designing, planning, coordinating, organizing and evaluating. Learners will be able to:

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Develop a shared vision and act in a leadership role (lead, direct, coordinate and/or organize others) within groups, teams, departments, divisions, etc. to achieve organizational or community goals. Develop, implement, analyze or evaluate a program, policy or project and make recommendations for change, when appropriate. Build effective working relationships, networks and partnerships with individuals at all levels of the organization and/or community through cooperation, collaboration and fostering the development of others (coaching/mentoring). Analyze power relationships within the organization and/or community and use this knowledge to influence program/agency decision-making. Make informed decisions and involve suitable stakeholders in the process. Communicate effectively orally and in writing. Apply leadership theories and research skills to guide practice.

Leading Others: Student Learning Plan Component of Practice Objective What do you want to learn? To develop a project from beginning to end regarding Alternative Dispute Resolution to create a shared vision for ADR within Child Protection Services in Prince Edward Island , making recommendations for change, when appropriate

To communicate effectively orally and in writing

Networking and building working relationships

Learning Activities How will you accomplish the learning?

Accountability How will you evaluate your learning?

Time Line By when will you accomplish this?

Drafting a policy memo including project overview and project findings and recommendations and present findings to senior management to influence agency policy and procedure in future implementation of ADR Conducting a jurisdictional scan of ADR dispute processes within the context of Child Welfare across Canada

Feedback from my direct supervisor and senior March 6/18 management

Complete a literature review focusing on best practices in ADR Present project findings to senior management in a final presentation Conducting a jurisdictional scan of ADR dispute processes within the context of Child Welfare across Canada Complete a literature review focusing on best practices in ADR

Meet with community stakeholders to discuss the project and solicit feedback; get input from agency employees whom have experience in ADR measures

Feedback from my field instructor and senior management Meet regularly with the Legal & Policy Advisor for the Department of Family and Human Services

Midterm

Document feedback from stakeholders; share with Midterm field instructor

PRACTICE OBJECTIVE 3: Facilitating Change Learners demonstrate the ability to think critically and strategically, applying systems thinking to the analysis of an organization and its environment, and assessing the need for and implementing change, when appropriate. Learners will be able to: • • • • • • •

Identify how the various elements of the organization and its environment interconnect to achieve staff and client goals (systems thinking). Analyze and assess the need for change within the organization or community. Implement and manage change within the organization or community to be responsive to perceived needs. Analyze the impact of change on individuals and groups within the organization or community. Make recommendations for the sustainability of change. Think creatively (e.g., beyond status quo) when addressing organizational or community issues. Deal effectively with conflict situations. Facilitating Change: Student Learning Plan

Component of Practice Objective What do you want to learn?

Learning Activities How will you accomplish the learning?

Accountability How will you evaluate your learning?

Time Line By when will you accomplish this?

To assess the need for service delivery change to incorporate ADR practices/program

Taking into account, the recent recommendations of the Child Protection Act Review, identify limitations within current child protection service delivery and make recommendations for implementation

Feedback from supervisor; document describing program

March 6/18

To identify barriers/limitations to change and provide action items to aid in addressing them

Identify challenges in current service delivery (without ADR); talk to senior management Consult with other jurisdictions to obtain information related to limitations to implementing ADR in their respective jurisdictions

How change is implemented at Read 3 peer-reviewed articles related to Child & Family different models of change and discuss Services and how it how these apply to your project impacts staff How to deal with conflict situations due to service delivery changes

Read about conflict resolution during organization change and make suggestions for implementation

PRACTICE OBJECTIVE 4: Managing Resources

Ongoing discussions with Midterm field instructor

Summarize article findings and discuss with Midterm field instructor Review potential conflict situations with field instructor; document January 4/18 conflict resolution strategies

Learners demonstrate the ability to manage a project from beginning to end, including managing the resources necessary to achieve project, organizational or community goals. Learners will be able to: • •

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Identify and implement the major components of managing a project from beginning to end (goals, timelines, scope, resources, etc.). Identify and/or manage the range of resources needed for a project/agency program, such as: o a. financial resources (e.g., grants, budget). o b. human resources (e.g., supervision, team development, community involvement or consultation, recruitment, performance management). o c. technological resources. Identify the project’s constraints or limitations (e.g., scope, timelines, budget, optimization of resources). Managing Resources: Student Learning Plan

Component of Practice Objective What do you want to learn? Elements of developing a program (scope, timelines, resources, limitations, etc).

To estimate a budget for the program

Learning Activities How will you accomplish the learning? Identify and implement the major components of managing a project from beginning to end Develop a chart outlining timelines and tasks to be completed Estimate the resources needed and costs associated to sustain the program and incorporate findings into final report Seek information related to the organization’s financial structure and financial approval processes

Accountability How will you evaluate your learning?

Time Line By when will you accomplish this?

Independent research; discussion with field instructor

January 31/18

Compiling financial information related to ADR Programs from jurisdictions in the Maritime provinces; discussion with field instructor

February 8/18

Seek information from other jurisdictions Identify the to determine potential limitations project’s constraints Independent research; and/or limitations discussions with field Read organizational policy and legislation (scope, timelines, instructor; to identify potential constraints to budget, etc.) implementation

Midterm

PRACTICE OBJECTIVE 5: Diversity, Oppression & Social Justice Learners demonstrate an appreciation and critical analysis of human diversity, the dynamics and intersections of oppression, and the implications of social and economic injustice. They will demonstrate the ability to work effectively with diverse individuals and groups within a leadership context using an anti-oppressive framework, promote diversity-competent organizations and practice, and advocate for change at individual, organizational and systemic levels. Learners will be able to:

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Identify how personal identities, values, experiences, socialization, attitudes, biases and patterned responses to human diversity intersect with professional values and impact their leadership practice. Describe how they, as social workers and leaders, show respect for and work effectively with diverse individuals and populations (e.g., diversity of race, class, gender, religion, culture, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, national origin, or ability). Use an anti-oppressive lens to analyze agency/social policy with regard to diversity, inclusion, oppression and social justice, and make recommendations for change. Identify systemic barriers in the organization and/or community that perpetuate oppression and social injustice. Discuss potential social action strategies. Articulate how they incorporate anti-oppressive frameworks, strategies and skills in their leadership practice to value diversity, promote inclusion, reduce oppression and advocate for organizational and/or social change. Diversity, Oppression & Social Justice: Student Learning Plan

Component of Practice Objective What do you want to learn?

Learning Activities How will you accomplish the learning?

How to apply an anti-oppressive and strengths-based lens Research similar programs and identify to the project and how they have incorporated the value of make diversity and empowerment recommendations for change

To develop a program that adheres to culturally competence practices



Accountability How will you evaluate your learning?

Time Line By when will you accomplish this?

Record findings in a word document and share February with field instructor; 15/18 incorporate findings into final presentation

Attend meeting with Mairlyn Birch, Supervisor of Child & Meet with leaders in the Indigenous Child Family Services with the & Family Program to consider indigenous Mik'maq Confederacy of lens in the context of implementing the PEI, and discuss ADR January 9/18 program; research cultural competency in practices with Indigenous ADR Programs and identify ways to peoples; discussion with integrate findings into the program field instructor; document findings in final presentation