The Family Assessment Form
Agency/Program Name
Date
Agenda
Welcome and Introductions
FAF Overview
Assessment Exercises
Service Planning Exercises
Training Evaluation
Introduction
Name
What is most rewarding to you about your
job?
Objectives
To understand purpose of the FAF
To become familiar with FAF structure
To practice using the FAF
A Brief History
 Developed between 1986-1990 at Children’s Bureau of
Southern California, a non-profit agency providing child
abuse treatment and prevention services.
 Created by a team of staff: home visitors, supervisor,
developmental psychologist, and research consultants.
 Developed as a home based instrument for use in family
support/family preservation services and used by
programs across the country
 Used in several program evaluation studies and a major
controlled research study in Los Angeles County.
 Distributed by Child Welfare League of America
beginning in 1997.
 Software developed between 2000-2004.
Mini-Exercise
Divide into two groups.
Group One: Make a list of your greatest
challenges in working with families and in home
visiting.
Group Two: What kinds of information do you
get from families to decide how you can help
them?
FAF Purpose
Thorough Family Assessments
Focused Goals and Service Plans
Consistent and Efficient Documentation
Staff Orientation and Training
Program Evaluation
Thorough Family Assessment
Focus on family strengths
need structured way to emphasize strengths
Challenge of home visitation
multiple distractions and crises can interfere with
understanding core issues
worker not in control of environment
family problems can be overwhelming
Importance of the Big Picture
need to understand family dynamics, short and longterm needs, stresses, etc.
good assessments take time; time well spent
Focused Goals and Service
Plans
Goals and service plans need to be family driven
and linked to assessment
Cannot address everything; need to be
thoughtfully selective in engaging family in goal
setting
Service plan needs to be realistic and unique to
the family situation
Assessment informs HOW you work with a
family as well as what you work on
unique family strengths and characteristics
Documentation
Consistency of documentation across workers,
program sites, etc.
Short-hand method for home visitor
Easy to review by others (i.e. supervisor, backup home visitor)
FAF takes a “snapshot” of the family
FAF takes the place of a written, narrative
assessment
Staff Orientation and Training
FAF helps clarify expectations and scope of work
for new staff
Points to areas of individual or team training
needs
Helps structure individual supervision and case
presentations
FAF is a tool to teach assessment and service
planning
FAF provides objective language for report
writing
Program Evaluation
Provides immediate feedback to worker
and family on individual family change
Aggregate data can be used to report on
program outcomes
Philosophical Approach
Practice First
first and foremost a practice tool that has to
work for the home visitor
not designed to structure family sessions,
rather to document differently what is learned
about the family
need a disciplined way to “see” strengths in
families with complex problems
Philosophical Approach
Ecological/Systems Theory
Problems are not within individuals rather in the “fit” between
parts of the system
FAF addresses physical environment, social support,
caregiver child interactions, caregiver functioning and child
behavior
Intervention might be targeted at a “misfit” in the system
i.e., child’s school problem may be related to parent/teacher
communication
Change in one part of the system will change another part
i.e., improved parenting skills will improve child
development
FAF Components
 Case Log/Intake
 Family Functioning Factors
 Child Behavior Observation Checklist
 Service Plan
 Contacts
 Closing Summary
Case Log/Intake
Case Name/Contact Information
Case Number
Worker Assigned
Family Composition and Demographics
History of Child Welfare System
Involvement
Assessment Dates
Family Functioning Factors
Six Outcome Measures of Family Functioning 39 items total
A. Living Conditions - 6 items
B. Financial Conditions - 5 items
C. Supports to Caregivers - 6 items
D. Caregiver/Child Interactions - 12 items
E. Developmental Stimulation - 4 items
F. Caregiver Interactions - 6 items
Personal
Characteristics/History
Two Adult Assessment Factors –
optional items, not used as outcome measures
because not expected to change or could get
worse (i.e., learn more about someone’s history)
G. Caregiver History - 8 items
H. Personal Characteristics - 12 items
Child Behavior Observation
Checklist
Child Specific Categories -
optional items not
used for outcome measurement
I.
J.
K.
L.
M.
Acting Out Behaviors - 7 items
Inner Directed Behaviors - 9 items
School Behaviors - 4 items
Health and Development - 7 items
Temperament - 4 items
Service Plan
Components
FAF items indicating strengths
FAF items of concern
Goals related to areas of concern
Tasks for addressing each goal
Frequency and duration of contact
Contacts
Date of Contact
Who Involved
Goal Addressed
What Interventions
Referrals
Progress/Homework Notes
Closing Summary
Result
(i.e., completed, dropped, lost, child placed, etc.)
Outcome on Individual Family Goals
Outcome of Referrals
Summary Progress Notes
Case Statistics
BREAK
FAF Overview
Walk through FAF
Factors, items
Definitions
Scoring
Caregivers
Notes
How Do I Use the FAF?
Meaning of Scores
FAF Scoring
FAF as Initial Assessment
FAF at Termination of Services
Meaning of Scores
 1. Above average. Positive influences/traits that have a
strengthening effect on the family and/or child.
 2. Generally Adequate. Minor problems within normal limits; not
necessarily nonexistent, but do not create problems for caregivers
or children. Treatment or intervention not necessary, but may be
desired by caregivers to improve parenting.
 3. Problems of a moderate nature. Negative impact on the
welfare of children or put the family at risk. Counseling,
intervention, or parent education are indicated.
 4. Problems of a major nature. Significant negative influence on
children or caregiver’s well-being. Intervention required.
 5. Situation is endangering to children’s health, safety, and wellbeing. May call for removal of child; intervention and monitoring
required.
FAF Scoring
Each item is scored on a 1-5 scale
option to score 1.5, 2.5, etc.
Each item has an operational definition, based
on the overall meaning of scores, to guide
scoring selection
it is VERY important to follow the definitions
definitions are examples of the kinds of things you
might see, hear, etc.; use them as a guide
refer to overall meaning of scores to help with
scoring decisions as needed
FAF as Initial Assessment
FAF serves as only form of assessment
documentation
rule of thumb is to complete within 3-4 visits (6-8hrs)
including service plan
score items following each visit with a family based
on observations and discussions
in preparation for subsequent visits, review FAF areas
not yet assessed
do not change scores following this established
“baseline” period
FAF at Termination
Re-score FAF at termination of services
prior to completing the closing summary
this should not require a special visit with the
family as the worker already knows the family
well
termination scoring should take about 1/2
hour
Key Points for Using FAF
FAF is a framework for approaching
assessment NOT a structured interview or
questionnaire
FAF documents, in a different way,
information you already know about
families
Obtain FAF information by observing and
asking
Key Points for Using FAF
Use the operational definitions and overall
meaning of scores to determine scores
this is key to maintaining inter-rater reliability
Brief narrative comments are essential
helps explain scores and uniqueness of each
family
Tie family driven goals directly to
assessed areas of strength and concern
Exercise #1 – Section A
Divide into groups of two
Look at drawing
Make list of strengths and concerns
observed
Complete FAF section A
Debrief
Exercise #2 – Sections B, C,
D&E
Mock Interview
Divide group into small groups of 5-8
Each participant gets a Script and blank FAF
Participants take turns reading the two parts
in the Script - worker and mother
Stop, discuss and rate the FAF as indicated
on the Script
Debrief
LUNCH
Exercise #3 – Sections B&C
Role Play Sections B&C – Supports to
Caregivers
Volunteer parent and home visitor
Review Sections B&C items as group
Begin role play
Rotate home visitor role as needed
Discuss FAF item scores as a group
Goal Setting
What is a goal?
“the end toward which an effort is directed” Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary
a future state of being
what the family situation will look like when
you have finished your work together
what will be different?
What are some examples from own life?
Goal Setting
What is an Objective?
Step taken by case manager or family to
achieve a goal
A specific measurable action
What are some examples?
Objective Setting Guidelines
Specific and Clear
Measurable and Observable
Accomplishments - state positively
To practice active listening skills vs. to reduce level of
arguing
To increase positive reinforcement vs. to reduce
corporal punishment
Realistic based on resources - yours and the
family’s
Timeframe for achievement
Objective Statements
Objective statement format
WHO will do WHAT, HOW by WHEN
Father will enroll in vocational education
program at Austin Community College by
Sept 15th.
Sample Goals/Objectives
Concern: Cleanliness/orderliness inside home (dirty
dishes, trash overflowing, soiled diapers on floor)
Goal: Parents will increase children’s health and safety
Objectives:
Case Manager will teach parents about connection between
health and hygiene by showing XYZ videos at next visit
Parents will make sure the dishes are washed on a daily
basis and that the trash to taken out each week
Parents will child proof the home for their small children by
Sept 15th, using the home safety checklist provided by the
Home Educator
Sample Goals
Concern: Appropriateness of discipline (only use
corporal punishment with shoes and belt)
Goal: Parents will teach their children how to behave
using positive forms of discipline
Objectives:
Parents will attend 4 parenting workshops on child behavior
management beginning Nov 1 and ending Dec 1, 2006
Home Educator will coach and support parents in establishing
child behavior rules and consequences by Dec 15, 2006
Sample Goals
Concern: Bonding style to children (parent pushes
baby away and believes he is crying intentionally to
anger parent)
Goal: Mother will increase her positive attachment to
her new baby
Objectives:
Home Educator will play the Happiest Baby on the Block video,
demonstrate and practice calming techniques with Mother
during next visit
Mother will identify all the things she likes that are special about
her new baby by next home visit
Mini-Exercise
Is it a goal or objective quiz
Goal Setting
Who contributes to goal setting?
The family
Referral source
Case Manager using FAF assessment
Art is in blending these together into
meaningful goals and tasks that the client
is willing to work towards
Exercise #4: Service Planning
Divide into groups of three
One parent
One home visitor
One observer
Based on Section A drawing exercise, role play
working with this family to develop a goal or
goals and objectives around home safety and
cleanliness
Debrief as group
Exercise #5: Service Planning
Divide into groups of five
Each group gets a sample completed FAF with
ratings and comments
Assign each group a FAF section (i.e. group 1
gets sections A&B, group 2 gets C, group 3 gets
D, etc.)
Each group identifies strengths in their section
Each group identifies concerns in their section
Each group develops at least one goal and
objective for their section
Final Comments
Questions and Answers
Next Steps
Participant satisfaction/feedback surveys