Benchmarks' Center Circular: Issue #20

center circular

Issue #20

Here you will learn all about the great work being done at Benchmarks’ Center for Quality Integration (CQi).

CQi works with our members and local communities to help to improve the lives and well-being for the people in North Carolina. Through collaboration, training, research & development, we provide knowledge, skills, and innovation to identify new and creative ways to enhance the service delivery system AND help meet the needs expressed by local communities by drawing on and developing existing resources.

Our work with members and communities focuses on all areas of health including physical, social, and behavioral health realizing that prevention is cost effective and better for our citizens.

CQi prides itself in identifying solutions that are both sustainable and replicable, realizing that in order to drive systems, new concepts must have the capacity to be implemented and funded.

Trauma-Informed Consultation within Agencies

Co-location of the Project Coordinator for Benchmarks' Partnering for Excellence work is designed to be ongoing throughout the project from the beginning of implementation.

This designated time allows staff to sit down with the Coordinator to discuss cases where they may need assistance using a trauma-informed lens. These situations can include discussing developmentally appropriate ways to discuss topics with children, parents, and other family members and may include role plays between the social worker and Coordinator to troubleshoot the most trauma-informed way to respond to a difficult situation.

Project specific support during consultation at the County DSS offices includes helping children receive Trauma-intensive Comprehensive Clinical Assessments (TiCCAs) in a timely manner. In addition, co-location can provide unique opportunities for social workers to educate resource parents on trauma responses to children in foster care. Creating a safe space for social workers to ask questions and feel supported with their trauma-informed journey is essential.

The Benefits of Peer Sharing Across Projects

As mental health agencies make decisions regarding whether they are interested in participating in pilot projects, it is beneficial for them to gather valuable information including feedback from agencies who already participate in the projects.

Trauma-intensive Comprehensive Clinical Assessment (TiCCA) clinicians discussed the benefits of TiCCA work for their clients and for their agencies. They shared their experiences with the processes associated with TiCCAs and their respective projects.

One of the benefits of an agency becoming a TiCCA provider within the context of a pilot project is that Benchmarks’ Clinical Coaches provide training and coaching support throughout the TiCCA certification process.

This is beneficial for clinicians as they receive real-time feedback on areas of strength and improvement, which allows them to hone their skills with each successive assessment. We appreciate our current TiCCA clinicians’ willingness to chart the course and advise those who may be coming after them!

Creating a Common Language & Shared Understanding

The “Common Language & Shared Understanding” workgroup is one of the 6 workgroups that meet monthly as part of the Pathways to Permanency project.

This cross-system group of professionals is tasked with developing solutions to challenges identified during the beginning of the project. The focus of this workgroup has been on supporting the development of a shared understanding of common practices and creating cross-training opportunities across the child serving systems. During the focus groups, it was noted that various stakeholders do not fully understand each other’s mandates or the current system changes that are occurring.

The workgroup has developed sustainable solutions in collaboration with stakeholders and a Lived Experience Advisory Council to better advocate for and equip one another with the tools necessary to partner and serve common clients more cohesively.