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Barton Child Law and Policy Clinic Working Paper

Workplace Supports to Improve Georgia's Child Protective Services

Table of Contents

  1. Current Status of Georgia's Child Welfare System
    1. Purpose of Paper
    2. Recent Improvements and Momentum.
    3. History of Recent Reform Proposals
  2. Recommendations
    1. Strong Promotion of Education and Training
      1. Support training for case managers, and incorporate reliable methods for measuring the effectiveness of initial training and professional development activities.  Delivery of the training should incorporate multimedia and distance learning
      2. Expand and strengthen partnerships with colleges and universities, and state-sponsored child welfare education programs.  Maximize the use of Title IV-E funds for this purpose
      3. Support job recruitment for hiring case managers with BSW and MSW degrees
    2. Technology as a Tool
      1. Enhance the usability of existing reporting applications (IDS, PSDS, and CPRS) as they are integrated into the new state web portal
      2. Contract an independent vendor to perform regular security audits on all DHR data systems containing confidential information
      3. Build a comprehensive Georgia SACWIS website to keep DFCS staff and partners well informed on information technology resources, plans, and implementation
      4. Staff a Project Management Office (PMO) in DHR to provide basic project management supports, not just to technology projects, but throughout the department
      5. Increase the use of mobile devices to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of case managers
    3. Workforce Morale
      1. Support strategies to improve working conditions in ways that will boost employee morale, reduce burnout, and encourage longevity
        1. Mentoring Programs
        2. Loan Forgiveness or Repayment Assistance Programs
        3. Flextime and Sabbaticals
        4. Job Sharing
        5. Employee Recognition
      2. Perform confidential job satisfaction surveys.  Summarize results periodically for policy makers, decision makers, partners, and for public education on frontline needs
      3. Support development of a proactive media strategy to enhance Child Protective Service workers' morale and educate the public
  3. Conclusion
  4. Appendices
    1. Training Programs in Other States
    2. The Importance of Community Partnerships
    3. Additional Research Resources

Other Formats for this Paper: PDF version suitable for printing (393 KB), as a single HTML file (108 KB), MS Word version (239 KB)

CONTRIBUTORS: Andy Barclay, Michelle Barclay, Valerie Condit, Will Crossley, Stephen Fusco, Jessica Crawford Gibson, Lynn Grindall, Jennifer Hall, Professor Peter Lyons, Mary Margaret Oliver, Elizabeth Reimels, Lynne Tucker, Karen Worthington

Barton Child Law and Policy Clinic, 2002 Working Paper, Revised February 20, 2002


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