The 2024-2025 Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Collaborative is focused on improving professional collaboration between child welfare and behavioral health / human services agencies. The overall mission of this PDSA Collaborative is for participating child welfare and behavioral health / human services agencies to enhance their collaboration, resulting in the needs of children and families being better understood and services for children and families that are family-centered, strengths-based, streamlined, supportive and flexible.
The PDSA Collaborative offers the Change Package, below, to assist participants in creating and implementing change ideas. This Change Package provides resource-based ideas for how to improve professional collaboration between these professions, organized by topic area.
The 2024 – 2025 PDSA Collaborative on Improving Professional Collaboration Change Package is available here:
2024 – 2025 PDSA Collaborative on Improving Professional Collaboration Change Package
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1. Understanding Organizational Culture
2. Developing Shared Values and Mission
Addressing Values and Developing a Statement of Shared Principles
Create a Mission Statement Based on Values and Principles
Stages of Change Process for Organizations
Behavioral Health and Child Welfare
Children with Disabilities and Child Welfare
3. Joint Case Planning/ Teaming
Developing and Monitoring Joint Case Plans
Child Welfare Timeline for Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Other Partners
Referral and Engagement of Families in Services
Blended Perspectives Team Meeting Facilitator Agenda
Tailored Dispositional Conditions for Return Desk Guide
Conditions for Return Examples for Tailored Dispositional Orders Project
Be “SMART” When Drafting Conditions for Return
Substance Use and Child Welfare
Child Welfare Timeline for Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Other Partners
Referral and Engagement of Families in Services
Understanding Engagement of Families Affected by Substance Use Disorders – Child Welfare Practice Tips
Child Welfare & Planning for Safety: A Collaborative Approach for Families with Parental Substance Use Disorders and Child Welfare
Mental Health and Children/Youth
Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health
Behavioral Health and Youth Justice
Diverting Youth at Probation Intake: The Front-End Diversion Initiative
Intersection between Mental Health and the Juvenile Justice System
Strategies to Divert Adolescents with Behavioral Health Needs from the Juvenile Justice System
Strengthening Collaboration Between the Behavioral Health and Juvenile Justice Systems to Improve Reentry Outcomes – webinar
Office of Juvenile Justice Model Programs Guide
How to Use an Integrated Approach to Address the Mental Health Needs of Youth in the Justice System
Supporting LGBTQ Youth in Child Welfare Systems
Advancing Healthy Outcomes: Eight ways to Promote the Health and Well-Being of LGBTQ+ Youth Involved with Child Welfare through FFSPA
LGBTQ Youth in Child Welfare
LGBTQ Youth in Youth Justice
LGBTQ Youth and Behavioral Health / Mental Health
Breaking Barriers to Quality Mental Health Care for LGBTQ Youth: Trevor Project
LGBTQ Youth and Substance Use
LGBT Training Curricula for Behavioral Health and Primary Care Practitioners: SAMHSA
Children with Disabilities and Child Welfare
Child Protective Services and Children’s Long-Term Support Waiver Program Collaboration Memo
Parent Peer Specialist Teaming Tools – CPS, CST, CCS, Birth to 3 (Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Department of Children and Families, and Department of Public Instruction)
4. Systems Exploration Tools
5. Cross Systems Training
Building Collaboration
Cross Systems Training – The Role of Training
Safety and Risk Video Series – Unique Safety Factors Related to Parental Substance Use Disorders
Adolescents at Risk of Suicide and Mental Health Concerns. “Meeting the Moment: How Child Welfare and Substance Disorder Treatment Professionals Can Address the Needs of Adolescents at Risk of Suicide and Mental Health Concerns” Video
Understanding Child Welfare
Wisconsin Department of Children and Families Child Welfare Website
Wisconsin Department of Children and Families CPS Process Overview
“Safety for Non-CPS” Web-based training to understand the safety decisions and the work that is done by CPS professionals
CANS (Child and Adolescent Needs Strengths Tool)
Understanding Youth Justice
Department of Children and Families – Youth Justice
Wisconsin Youth Justice Model – Community Based YJ System
Youth Justice Issue Brief – Accountability
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
YASI Intake Flowchart
Understanding Substance Use Disorders
Substance Use in Child Welfare
Tutorials for Child Welfare Professionals (on alcohol and drug addiction)
Child Welfare Training Toolkit (to educate child welfare professionals about substance use and co-occurring disorders among families in the child welfare system).
Child Welfare Practice Tip Sheets Series (for child welfare workers serving families affected by parental substance use disorders)
Understanding Substance Use Disorder Treatment: A Resource Guide for Professionals Referring to Treatment
Addictionary (Unified language for substance use disorders)
Comprehensive Community Services
Comprehensive Community Services: Consumer Resources
Children with Disabilities and Child Welfare
Services for Children with Delays or Disabilities
Early Intervention in Wisconsin – Birth to 3 Professional Development System
Child Welfare Considerations for Children with Disabilities
Child Protective Services Access & Initial Assessment Standards; Appendix 10: Guidance for Working with Individuals with Disabilities
Referrals from Child Protective Services to Birth to 3 Program
Wisconsin Regions Child Advocacy Centers
American Indian and Alaska Native Children and Families
Wisconsin Indian Child Welfare Desk Aid: Wisconsin Department of Children and Families
State of American Indian and Alaska Native Children and Families Report; Six-part series of data briefs of current data on American Indian and Alaska Native child and family wellbeing
Substance Abuse and Child Welfare in American Indian and Alaska Native Families
Substance Use Disorders Resources
Mental Health Resources
Mental Health Challenges and Resources
Division of Behavioral Health
Youth Regional Treatment Centers (YRTC)
Tribal Youth Resource Center
Collaborative Partners (SAMHSA Tribal Training and Technical Assistance Center; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
6. Communication pathways and Information Sharing
Communication Pathways & Information Sharing Protocols
Understanding Confidentiality Laws
Mental Health, Developmental Disability, Substance Use; Wisconsin Confidentiality Regulations for those receiving services for mental illness, a developmental disability or substance abuse.
Child Welfare Data System (eWiSACWIS) Confidentiality Policy
Child Welfare Confidentiality Regulations
Substance Abuse Confidentiality Regulations
Youth Justice Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) & Data Sharing Examples
Developing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for School-Justice Partnerships: Technical Assistance Tools
Collecting Data and Sharing Information to Improve School-Justice Partnerships
Indian Child Welfare Memorandum of Agreement / Understanding Examples
WI DCF Policy Regarding Consultation with American Indian Tribal Nations
Tribal Sharing Agreements – Nation-wide examples
7. Assessment / Screening Tools
Understanding Screening and Assessment of Substance Use Disorders: Child Welfare Practice Tips
Understanding Bias in Family Assessment – Web-Based training
The Clinical Assessment of Substance Use Disorders – Web-based training
Child Welfare / Youth Justice Screening & Assessment Tools
CANS (Child and Adolescent Needs Strengths Tool)
YASI (Youth Assessment and Screening Instrument)
Screening and Assessment of Substance Use Disorders
SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment)
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)
The Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST)
Screening Tools for Adolescent Substance Use
Screening Tool for Behavioral Health Disorders (including SUDS)
GAIN-SS (Global Appraisal of Individual Needs Short Screener)
Screening for Child Developmental, Behavioral, and Social-Emotional Issues
ASQ-3 (Ages and Stages Questionnaires)
Early Intervention Program For Infants And Toddlers With Disabilities
Screening Tool Finder
Screening for Co-Occurring Trauma, Mental Health Disorders, and Domestic Violence
8. Launching a Collaborative Initiative
Developing the Structure of Collaborative Teams to Serve Families Affected by Substance Use Disorders (SUDS)
Comprehensive Framework to Improve Outcomes for Families Affected by Substance Use Disorders and Child Welfare Involvement
Engaging Parents and Youth with Lived Experience: Strengthening Collaborative Policy and Practice Initiatives for Families with Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
2022 Youth Justice National Report
Building Tribal-State Child Welfare Partnership
Tools and resources to support leaders of tribal child welfare programs in their work with partners to plan, build and sustain their vision for the future
Stages of Change Process for Organizations
Relationship Mapping for Organizations
Tribal Best Practices for Family Engagement Toolkit; Tribal Best Practices: A Toolkit with Best Practices, Research, and Resources Developed by the National Indian Child Welfare Association