The TCOM Spotlight article will highlight the way agencies within Alameda County are utilizing the CANS and ANSA tools in their practice. One organization will be highlighted in each newsletter.
Fred Finch Youth Center (FFYC) started implementing the CANS tool in 2014 and is deeply committed to the CANS implementation. The organization chooses a CANS-related focus each year so that the CANS can be more than just a form for staff. They felt it was important that CANS become a beneficial and collaborative process for both the organization and the youth and families it serves. For this reason, they’re our first TCOM Spotlight agency! The first point of focus was to train staff to effectively work with the tool. FFYC supervisors all became CANS trainers. This not only allowed them to adapt the training to their programs, but also provided a consistent internal CANS certification training for new staff. This structure allows FFYC supervisors to regularly interact with the CANS and its related training materials.
The second focus area was on improving the use of CANS data to inform treatment, as well as using the tool in collaboration with youth and families. FFYC adapted a training from the TCOM Collaborative which focused on integrating CANS items into treatment planning. The training was provided to all clinicians using the tool. FFYC has trained clinicians to run reports that inform their treatment planning efforts. The reports also help clinicians to assess their own effectiveness in achieving positive outcomes for youth. Supervisors were also trained to generate reports and look for trends related to program staffing and within caseloads. This information is then utilized to identify training needs, support clinicians who may feel stuck with a youth or young adult, or determine individual and group practice for a program.
FFYC has also identified program-specific goals related to CANS outcomes. The goals allow them to look at service effectiveness at both the program and agency level. QA staff at FFYC create and distribute quarterly program reports to illustrate progress towards the targeted goals. They also host an ongoing CANS Data Advisory Group meeting, in which clinical and executive staff make decisions about how to use data, determine what data to focus on, and decide how to measure and build on improvements.
The CANS has provided Fred Finch Youth Center with a shared language within and between internal programs, external organizations, and with the youth and family they serve. This has served to align efforts and is a big piece of their work to provide effective trauma informed care.
If you know of an organization that deserves the center stage for their stand out implementation or cool and innovative practices with CANS and/or ANSA tools, please share their story through the Contact page.
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