Florida Institute for Child Welfare: Strategic Plan 2023-2028

Message from Leadership

The Florida Institute for Child Welfare remains committed to continuing to generate robust research that informs child welfare practice, workforce strategies, and public policy . Since 2020, the Institute embarked on a new path to expand our work and impact through new legislative priorities. The Institute accepts the social responsibility of investing in the child welfare workforce with upstream strategies, as well as emphasizing the importance of data-informed professional development and career opportunities. As the Institute continues to embark on this new way forward, our child welfare professional workforce, statewide affiliates, and community members with lived experience and expertise will be key partners. Within every partnership and research endeavor, the Institute aims to be strategic and adaptive. We will make every effort to execute and monitor our strategic plan and we are looking forward to the work ahead.

Table of Contents

Mission

The Florida Institute for Child Welfare is committed to the creation and curation of robust research that informs policy and scales up effective interventions statewide. The Institute sponsors and supports interdisciplinary research projects and program evaluation initiatives that contribute to a dynamic knowledge base relevant for enhancing Florida’s child welfare outcomes. The Institute collaborates with community agencies across all sectors to translate relevant knowledge generated through research, policy analysis, and program evaluation. The Institute also prioritizes the enhancement of the workforce, the well-being of child welfare professionals, and the development of competent leaders through training, coaching, and advancement opportunities.

Vision

The Institute’s vision is to be at the forefront of child welfare research, evaluation, and workforce development. In partnership with the child welfare community, the Institute will advance and advocate for sustainable changes to the professional workforce and will provide evidence-informed strategies that impact long-term retention, and professional and leadership development. Ultimately, the Institute intends to lead nationally acclaimed child welfare research, evaluation, and workforce development strategies and interventions with the overarching goal of cultivating a thriving child welfare workforce .

Strategic Plan Process

In 2015 the Institute developed our first strategic plan and objectives covering the years 2015-2020. Due to the unfunded legislative changes mandated in Senate Bill 1326, and uncertainty of future funding, the decision was made to not make updates to the strategic plan. The strategic planning process was again delayed in 2021, after the Institute received a legislative appropriation of recurring 10 million dollars to meet the requirements set in Senate Bill 1326, as previously mandated. The impact of this new legislation compelled Institute Leadership to reevaluate the Institute’s goals and priorities and to map out a strategic planning process made of careful and deliberate steps. Leadership worked to identify specific goals and objectives that would define the vision for our priorities and way of work, as well as measurable strategies to guide our activities and decision-making.

To support us in this endeavor, in 2022 the Institute hired an external consultant to develop a comprehensive approach to strategic plan development. A Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis was conducted, and interviews were held with external and internal stakeholders. In addition, at an Institute retreat in the fall of 2022, staff engaged in a review of the draft 2023-2028 Strategic Plan to ensure the Institute had insight and input from all perspectives . The contributions from these activities allowed Institute leadership to finalize a strategic plan framework that includes guiding principles, goals and objectives, and specific strategies. The resulting plan is designed to incorporate our expanded emphasis on the workforce, while maintaining our position as a research-based institute.

The Institute’s Environment

In 2014, the Florida Legislature passed comprehensive child welfare legislation (s. 1004.615, Florida Statutes) and established the Florida Institute for Child Welfare (Institute) at the Florida State University College of Social Work. Being a part of the College affords many advantages related to connecting with scientists across disciplines, as the Dean and faculty are committed to establishing an environment that encourages team science and facilitates productivity.

The purpose of the Institute is to prioritize research, evaluation, and policy analysis . In addition, the Institute renders technical assistance and training with the goal of improving child welfare services and enhancing the professional workforce. The Institute is required to cultivate and sustain a consortium of public and private universities throughout Florida that offer accredited degree programs in social work. The statute also requires the Institute to work with the Department of Children and Families, sheriffs’ offices, community-based care lead agencies, and community provider organizations. The Institute continues to cultivate an environment of collaboration and partnership across the state.

Through statute, the Institute is required to:

™ Maintain a program of research that contributes to the scientific knowledge related to child safety, permanency, and child and family well-being.

™ Advise the Department of Children and Families and other organizations about the scientific evidence regarding child welfare practice.

™ Provide advice regarding management practices and administrative processes.

™ Assess the performance of child welfare services based on specified outcome measures.

™ Evaluate the educational/training requirements for the child welfare workforce and the effectiveness of training.

™ Develop a program of training/consulting to assist organizations with employee retention and career development.

™ Provide research informed recommendations for improvements to Florida’s child welfare system.

™ Submit quarterly updates and an annual report to the Governor and Legislature outlining activities, significant research findings, and recommendations for improving the child welfare workforce.

How the Institute Conducts Business

The child welfare workforce is experiencing longstanding challenges with sustainability , which is exacerbated by issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This reaffirmed the urgency and importance of research-informed enhancements to the overall workforce (preparation/recruitment, professional support and career development, and organizational culture shifts). The Institute designed an approach to positively impact the child welfare workforce, and through the new guiding principles, goals, objectives, and strategies, will work to make significant change. The Institute strives to remain mission driven and open to learning from the child welfare community. We continue our ongoing commitment to conducting the business of the Institute with stakeholder involvement and integrity

Definitions

This Strategic Plan contains specialized language utilized by the Institute. Please review this formal definition list to clearly understand these concepts as defined by the Institute.

THRIVING WORKFORCE

A thriving child welfare workforce is one that positively impacts outcomes for children and families and shows evidence of overall job/career satisfaction and effective inter-organizational partnerships led by experienced, collaborative, and competent leaders.

LEARNING ORGANIZATION

A learning organization facilitates the learning of its members and continuously transforms itself. Elements include the ability to see the big picture, a commitment to lifelong learning, openness, shared visions, and team learning.

IMPLEMENTATION SCIENCE

Implementation science strives to understand the critical factors and conditions that ensure effective practices are successfully carried out and sustained in typical service settings, whether that practice is just being developed or has already built substantial evidence. At the Institute, it focuses on the balance, importance, and ongoing relationship between research and practice.

TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH

Translational research promotes the application of findings into meaningful policies and practices. In these efforts, we encourage interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers and practitioners and the inclusion of lived voice to derive the greatest benefits for whom the policies and practices affect.

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Environmental justice is the right to a safe, healthy, productive, and sustainable environment for all, where “environment” is considered in its totality to include the ecological (biological), physical (natural and built), social, political, aesthetic, and economic environments.

DISABILITY

A disability is the result of interactions between persons with impairments, conditions, or illnesses and the environmental and attitudinal barriers they face. Such impairments, conditions, or illnesses may be permanent, temporary, intermittent, or imputed, and include those that are physical, sensory, psychosocial, neurological, medical, or intellectual. The Institute views an individual’s disability and divergence as an asset, in that persons with disabilities frequently need to use innovative problem-solving techniques, discover efficient communication methods, and exhibit resilience to do what people without disabilities can do with ease.

Guiding Principles

As the Institute has grown in scope and staffing, we have expanded our guiding principles. While maintaining connection with the principles we have held since our inception, we now identify multiple ways in which the Institute can and will hold itself accountable to embody this way of work. These actions are meant to undergird the specific goals, objectives, and strategies expounded on within this strategic plan. Above all, we will exhibit commitment and dedication to the Institute’s mission and always prioritize the needs of children and families in Florida’s child welfare system.

The four overarching principles of the Institute are as follows:

We will BUILD TRUST with individuals and communities.

In our statewide advisory role, the Institute must engage with our multiple partners—community, organizational, and individual—to establish trust in the integrity of our work and resultant recommendations and initiatives. While the Institute exists in a challenging political, economic, and cultural environment, its staff and researchers will work to protect the intellectual independence and integrity of its initiatives. We operate with respect , valuing everyone’s contribution to the mission and treating everyone with dignity . We value effective communication and will continuously share knowledge and information within the Institute to achieve organizational success.

The Institute will:

™ Acknowledge our privilege as a legislatively funded Institute within higher education

™ Cultivate long-term relationships with our partners through recognition of the importance of rapport and identifying shared goals

™ Embed our team members within the communities we serve through collaboration with community and academic partners and use of participatory research methods

™ Develop clear, consistent messaging that can be tailored to the unique roles of our partners, including the workforce and families

™ Maintain regular communication of Institute priorities with Institute staff, the Affiliate Network, and GROW Center Advisory Committee members to ensure all are prepared to well-represent the Institute with aligned messaging

The Institute values our staff and partners and honors their unique positionality. We encourage the use of participatory research methods that incorporate the lived experience of those whom we serve. Within our work, we celebrate intellectual diversity and uphold academic freedom. We encourage and support robust and pluralistic approaches to the mission, knowing that intellectual diversity contributes to innovation, creativity, and fresh approaches to difficult problems.

The Institute will:

™ Recognize there are multiple ways of knowing , and integrate data to best support a holistic understanding of issues

™ Elevate the lived experiences of our partners throughout the life of our projects, and provide compensation when allowable

™ Establish a direct line of communication between the Institute and the youth, families, and professionals that are impacted by our work

™ Create programming that honors various learning and engagement styles and preferences

™ Encourage courageous conversations within and between our staff and partners

™ Acknowledge the unique talents and needs of our Institute team , including establishing an understanding of disability and divergence as an asset

We will honor INDIVIDUALITY , LIVED EXPERIENCE , and INTELLECTUAL DIVERSITY .

The Institute will examine systems, internally and externally, and provide evidence-based solutions to address areas in need of improvement. In these efforts, we prioritize collaboration within and across disciplines and professions to identify research priorities, apply evidence-based and evidence-informed solutions, and translate research findings into effective practice and policy. We will support the growth of our staff to ensure the sustainability of the Institute’s creative problem solving.

The Institute will:

™ Acknowledge our role within child welfare and hold ourselves accountable to examining and rectifying internal dysfunction

™ Seek to understand both processes and outcomes, and the relationships between them

™ Prioritize multi-partner initiatives , inclusive of those with lived experience, to promote a collectivist approach to solving systemic problems

™ Implement research and interventions that recognize the complexity of individuals and communities and emphasize their strengths

™ Maintain an Institute culture of individual and collective professional growth to prevent stagnation in critical thinking and creativity

We will ensure ACCOUNTABILITY , TRANSPARENCY , and ACTION .

The Institute will strive for research and programming excellence , developing projects that are based in sound translational scientific research methods and principles. We will support our partners in initiating action on recommended courses of action.

The Institute will:

™ Apply an implementation science framework for all major initiatives, documenting decision making at multiple timepoints

™ Provide regular updates to our partners as to the status and findings of our work

™ Root our recommendations in the quality and strength of evidence available, and debrief findings with relevant partners

™ Seek feedback on our performance from our various partners to ensure we are being responsive to known and emergent needs within child welfare

™ Cultivate an Institute environment of strong professional integrity and responsibility

™ Acknowledge the importance of environmental justice in the pursuit of sustainable practices which cultivate strong communities

Strategic Plan 2023-2028

The 2023-2028 plan identifies specifical goals and objectives that define the vision for our priorities and way of work, as well as measurable strategies to guide our specific activities and decision-making. Further, it incorporates our expanded emphasis on the workforce, while maintaining our position as a research-based Institute.

Goals and Objectives

GOAL 1

Remain a data-driven and objective advisor on child welfare related policies and practices

OBJECTIVE 1.1 | Provide consistent processes for the rendering of data-informed recommendations and decision making

™ STRATEGY 1.1.1 | Include recommendations for policy, practice, and future research or evaluation, as appropriate, in each major report that are reflective of the strength of evidence.

™ STRATEGY 1.1.2 | Convene or attend follow-up meetings with partners included in Institute-based recommendations within three months of project completion to promote shared understanding of findings and next steps.

™ STRATEGY 1.1.3 | Provide quarterly updates to Legislative staff on major initiatives, including recommendations made within the most recent reporting period.

OBJECTIVE 1.2 | Curate comprehensive evidence to inform program, policy, and research decisions

™ STRATEGY 1.2.1 | Conduct robust exploration of extant evidence, supplementing with primary data collection as needed, to inform sound decision-making regarding the initiation of new Institute projects and continuous quality improvement.

™ STRATEGY 1.2.2 | Consider data from a variety of sources, to include peer-reviewed academic literature, grey literature, lived experience, and other types of feedback.

™ STRATEGY 1.2.3 | Fund competitively solicited, novel research and evaluation with high translational potential.

™ STRATEGY 1.2.4 | Establish an annual workforce survey to remain empirically attuned to the experiences of the workforce, and to promote voices from the field, at all levels of practice.

OBJECTIVE 1.3 | Maintain methodological fidelity of all research and program implementation

™ STRATEGY 1.3.1 | Develop logic models for all major initiatives and use models to communicate programs to the public and inform evaluation efforts.

™ STRATEGY 1.3.2 | Include process components in program evaluation efforts to understand implementation.

™ STRATEGY 1.3.3 | Embed data collection points in all major initiatives to be used for continuous quality improvement between formal evaluation periods.

GOAL 2

OBJECTIVE 2.1 | Establish implementation science as the guiding process for Institute program development

™ STRATEGY 2.1.1 | Ensure all Institute staff have a clear understanding of the components of implementation science and how its utilization leads to programmatic practices that are high-quality, supported by evidence, and sustainable.

™ STRATEGY 2.1.2 | Provide clear guidance on Institute expectations in relation to the utilization of implementation science phases.

™ STRATEGY 2.1.3 | Develop a proposal template for potential partners that clearly captures a documented need for the innovation and all elements of the implementation phases.

OBJECTIVE 2.2 | Use strategic communication and outreach to increase Institute engagement with child welfare partners and build support for high quality evidence-informed programs

™ STRATEGY 2.2.1 | Create aligned messaging for Institute initiatives by engaging internal and external partners.

™ STRATEGY 2.2.2 | Increase community participation and interdisciplinary partnerships through Institute staff participation in external activities relevant to our mission.

™ STRATEGY 2.2.3 | Develop and leverage the role of the Institute’s affiliate network and GROW Center Advisory Committee as Institute representatives.

™ STRATEGY 2.2.4 | Collaborate internally between departments to develop targeted messaging using each department’s expertise.

™ STRATEGY 2.2.5 | Use data-driven communications strategies to define and ensure we are meeting our multiple diverse audiences’ needs and engage in strategic communication planning at the program and project levels to reinforce the Institute mission.

OBJECTIVE 2.3 | Cultivate legislative partnerships toward collaborative, iterative policy development

™ STRATEGY 2.3.1 | Provide quarterly updates on our work to legislative staff.

™ STRATEGY 2.3.2 | Create direct lines of communication between legislative staff and Institute leadership to promote bidirectional information sharing between formal updates.

™ STRATEGY 2.3.3 | Develop summaries or white papers of recent or significant Institute work and recommendations, to share with relevant legislative committees for consideration prior to Session each year.

Increase the statewide and national visibility of the Institute toward becoming a model for collaborative research and programming for the child welfare community

OBJECTIVE 3.1 | Model capacity-building and sustainability through the professional development and well-being of Institute team members

™ STRATEGY 3.1.1 | Establish and utilize a budget for the professional development of Institute staff toward increasing their capacity to fulfill their current role and grow in their careers.

™ STRATEGY 3.1.2 | Create and maintain a calendar of regularly scheduled activities to promote staff development and well-being, taking unique needs of specific positions into account.

™ STRATEGY 3.1.3 | Cultivate ongoing leadership and supervision skill-building opportunities.

™ STRATEGY 3.1.4 | Cultivate management and supervisory training for Institute upper and middle management positions with oversight responsibilities.

™ STRATEGY 3.1.5 | Honor the unique identities, strengths, and needs of Institute staff and support them within a trauma-responsive culture.

OBJECTIVE 3.2 | Commit to adaptability and community-responsiveness in all activities based on best available evidence

™ STRATEGY 3.2.1 | Seek opportunities to collaborate with FSU entities to exchange mutually beneficial expertise within our shared purview.

™ STRATEGY 3.2.2 | Prioritize collaborative responsiveness to partners’ emergent needs.

™ STRATEGY 3.2.3 | Tailor interventions to be informed by and inclusive of community context.

OBJECTIVE 3.3 | Elevate the use of technology throughout the Institute’s operations, engagement, and child welfare workforce initiatives

™ STRATEGY 3.3.1 | Maintain up-to-date hybrid onboarding materials and programming to support Institute team members as they learn about the Institute’s vision, mission, and initiatives.

™ STRATEGY 3.3.2 | Leverage technology to meet the unique needs and demands in the state of Florida and the child welfare workforce by creating networking and programmatic offerings that prioritize the use of virtual and digital tools to ensure equitable access and utilization opportunities.

™ STRATEGY 3.3.3 | Strategically capture and engage diverse, niche, and marginalized audiences with pointed messages that are accessible and cater to user experience.

™ STRATEGY 3.3.4 | Develop, analyze, and optimize communication materials across a climate of diverse platforms.

GOAL 3

Establish the Institute as a learning organization that prioritizes thoughtful discourse, collaboration, and reflection

GOAL 4

OBJECTIVE 4.1 | Evaluate GROW Center workforce initiatives and training opportunities

™ STRATEGY 4.1.1 | Plan and conduct robust initial evaluations of each major GROW Center initiative, to include formative, process, and summative evaluations as appropriate.

™ STRATEGY 4.1.2 | Leverage multiple data sources to examine intermediate and long-term outcomes of the GROW Center as time progresses.

™ STRATEGY 4.1.3 | Conduct Level 1 evaluations of all singular training opportunities and produce reports to inform future decision-making regarding Institute offerings.

OBJECTIVE 4.2 | Center community voice and lived experience within all phases of research and program development

™ STRATEGY 4.2.1 | Establish a standard practice of inclusion of those with lived experience on each major initiative, to include compensation when allowable.

™ STRATEGY 4.2.2 | Cultivate partnerships with organizations that work directly with youth and families to increase connection to potential team members with lived experience.

™ STRATEGY 4.2.3 | Develop and monitor contact lists specifically for individuals with lived experience who want to remain connected to the Institute and utilize lists to present opportunities for collaboration (e.g., to advertise for staff positions and consultant-based work, to recruit for studies).

OBJECTIVE 4.3 | Cultivate ongoing relationships with partners at the local, statewide, and national level

™ STRATEGY 4.3.1 | Establish annual meetings between Institute leadership and representatives from Florida’s community-based care lead agencies, regional Department of Children and Families offices, and sheriffs’ offices (if providing child protective investigations) to provide a direct line of communication between agencies and the Institute.

™ STRATEGY 4.3.2 | Ensure Institute representation at significant events and conferences relevant to our mission to enhance networking and connections with potential partners.

™ STRATEGY 4.3.3 | Promote multisite and interdisciplinary partnerships on programming and research and evaluation initiatives.

™ STRATEGY 4.3.4 | Continue the Child Welfare Professional of the Year Awards to publicly acknowledge workers’ contributions to the field and communicate the Institute’s valuation of workers as an important stakeholder in our work.

Optimize translational research to inform the systemwide adoption and engagement of new policies, practices, and programs/initiatives

GOAL 5

OBJECTIVE 5.1 | Enhance child welfare workforce stabilization

™ STRATEGY 5.1.1 | Generate and disseminate relevant evidence-based recommendations for innovative preservice, recruitment, and onboarding practices.

™ STRATEGY 5.1.2 | Provide ongoing coaching opportunities for the workforce.

™ STRATEGY 5.1.3 | Leverage FICW resources including funding, training, and technical assistance to promote the prioritization of wellbeing and trauma-informed practices in Institute programming and at the child welfare organizational level.

OBJECTIVE 5.2 | Increase professionalization of the child welfare workforce

™ STRATEGY 5.2.1 | Increase preparedness of students intending to enter the child welfare workforce through intra- and interdisciplinary curriculum enhancements.

™ STRATEGY 5.2.2 | Develop Advanced Certifications on high priority topics in child welfare, and align certification with partners’ professionalization initiatives, such as the Department of Children and Families career ladder and Florida Certification Board standards.

™ STRATEGY 5.2.3 | Develop the MyALIGN platform to enhance networking and support options for frontline child welfare workers.

OBJECTIVE 5.3 | Enable and promote child welfare leadership development and capacity building

™ STRATEGY 5.3.1 | Adapt and Implement the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute’s Leadership Academy for Florida Alliance for Workforce Enhancement (AWE) sites.

™ STRATEGY 5.3.2 | Create leadership training opportunities for workers at all levels.

™ STRATEGY 5.3.3 | Partner with child welfare agencies on assessing their organizational health and building a vision for enhancement.

Invest in the child welfare workforce towards sustaining a thriving professional environment with enhancements in job satisfaction, career development, and effective skill utilization.