Quality worker visits establish and maintain mutually beneficial partnerships with families that sustain their interest and commitment toward change while being culturally responsive to the diverse needs of families in the course of completing professional activities.
- A quality worker visit is a contact between a worker and a child/parent/caregiver. In a quality visit, the worker:
- Is respectful;
- Elicits the family’s participation;
- Is strengths-based;
- Is change-oriented;
- Is empathetic;
- Looks at the person rather than the problem;
- Fosters a good relationship;
- Actively listens;
- Encourages honest dialogue;
- Explores possible solutions;
- Uncovers informal support systems;
- Reflects the reason for the visit and mutual goals moving forward;
- Recognizes efforts and achievements;
- Suspends judgment;
- Assesses family needs;
- Is empowering and encouraging; and
- Assesses safety/risk with children/parents/caregivers.
Engagement is obtained through conversation, not through interviews with the family members. Careful listening during the engagement process will often result in the early identification of primary family needs, the family’s long-term vision, and potential short-term goals, which may become objectives used in the family’s case plan.