In the fall of 2007, Ramsey County Community Human Services (RCCHSD) was one of five sites chosen as recipients of a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Children’s Bureau (USDHHS) to develop a model of comprehensive family assessment to be used in child welfare.
In the short video to the left, Cathy Overbagh, Federal Project Officer at the Children’s Bureau, discusses the origin and intent of the USDHHS comprehensive family assessment model.
This project was funded through the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau, Grant #90CA1753/01, “Using Comprehensive Family Assessments to Improve Child Welfare Outcomes.”
Ramsey County CFA Final Report Now Available!
Download Final Report The Ramsey County Comprehensive Assessment Model of Practice includes definitions and explanations regarding how staff partner with families, service providers, and other stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes for youth and their families. The foundational values and principles of the Comprehensive Family Assessment model of practice are:
- Engagement and relationship building
- Involvement of families and youth in identifying their own strengths and need
- Cultural grounding
- Family is a system
- Identifying and including extended family and service providers
- Individually tailored approach for families
- All children are individualized
- Empathy, authenticity, and transparency
- Comprehensive Family Assessment: A Brief Synthesis
- Comprehensive Family Assessment Guidelines for Child Welfare
- Information about the CFA at the Child Welfare Information Gateway
More information about Ramsey County’s CFA model:
From the beginning of the project, the School of Social Work at University of Minnesota has been the third party, independent evaluator for the Ramsey County CFA project. The evaluation was begun by the Gamble-Skogmo Chair in Child Welfare and is now conducted under the auspices of the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW). The evaluation is conducted by a team of staff members and graduate assistants with ongoing assistance from consultants to the project. The evaluation team at CASCW is analyzing the process, practice, and outcomes associated with program implementation.
Learn More about the Comprehensive Family Assessment Model Evaluation
- CFA Logic Model (PDF)
- CFA Project Gantt Chart (PDF)
- Timeline of the Model and Evaluation (Updated for 2013)
- Presentation on the Baseline and Formative Evaluations
- Poster for the CFA Project Evaluation
CFA Project—Final Report
Pretest Case Management Evaluation Materials
Pretest Intake Evaluation Materials
Formative Evaluation Materials
Posttest Evaluation Materials
Through the development of the Comprehensive Family Assessment Model (CFA) at Ramsey County, a number of training documents for both supervisors and workers have been developed in order to aid the implementation of the model. A two-part presentation on the CFA module, available below, will provide an overview of the project. The progress reports on the model below may also prove valuable to understanding the process of implementation of the model at Ramsey County.
Training
- Comprehensive Family Assessment in Ramsey County, Minnesota: A New Model for Child Protection Practice (2014) (Online Module)
- Train the Trainers Guide (2009) (PDF)
- Presentation on the Ramsey County Comprehensive Family Assessment Model – Part 1
- Presentation on the Ramsey County Comprehensive Family Assessment Model – Part 2
- Presentation on the Ramsey County Comprehensive Family Assessment Model for Community Providers
Resources
Worker Tools & Guides
Supervisory Tools & Guides
Progress Reports & Presentations
CFA Model Project Progress Reports
CFA Model Project Presentations
The Project Team at Ramsey County Community Human Services Department
Kimberly Cleminson, MSW
Children’s Services Manager
Child Protection Program
kimberly.cleminson@co.ramsey.mn.us
Children’s Services Manager
Child Protection Program
kimberly.cleminson@co.ramsey.mn.us
Charlesetta Rolack, MSW, LICSW
Children’s Services Intake Manager
charlesetta.rolack@co.ramsey.mn.us
Children’s Services Intake Manager
charlesetta.rolack@co.ramsey.mn.us