Speaker: Pamela Beach, NW Regional Director, DCF
In a few sentences, please describe the learning collaboration between your team in NW Kansas and the FAP Team at Fort Riley.
Pamela Beach: Over the last year and a half, the Department for Children and Families team, there close to the Fort Riley FAP Team, started working on increasing our collaboration and partnership for the good of our families that we serve. We did a series of learning exchanges where we learned the HOW that each of us did WHAT we do. Through those discussions and the sharing of some of the ways that we engage with families FAP decided that they would be interested in. one of the courses that we facilitate at DCF called Questions that Make a Difference. Through that partnership, we were able to pass on a few seats that we have and do this specific course with them. And through the work, not only working with families has strengthened by both of our teams, but also our engagement with each other.
What difference have you seen the collaborative learning experience make?
Pamela Beach: I've enjoyed the collaborative learning experience with the FAP team. Fort Riley, as they have tried on the ideas, they are amazed at how it helps people move from being on the defense to being open. Remaining curious, they have got more information so quickly... hearing about family strengths. They have been amazed at how asking Perspective questions, triggers connections and opens up the conversations for finding resolutions on their own. They don't feel told and these are solutions that work for the families and individuals that they're working with. That denial conversation that we've also had has brought a lot of freedom as they work with the parents or caregivers that they're engaging with taking away the need to get them...or prove to them that they "did it," but really to be able to talk about the future. The value of the partnership in the SafeGen course that we've had with them, it has enriched our relationship between the local agency and the FAP team, but also, has helped us serve together the families.
What would you want to tell someone who is participating in their first workshop with SafeGenerations?
Pamela Beach: Asking, what would you want to tell someone who is participating for the first time in one of the SafeGen workshops is really a loaded question for me. Having experienced quite a few of them, I have a list a mile long, but I'll just start really high level. The first thing is, we're all the same whether it's in our own family life or working with others as we work to support them in their family life and their goals. We all have challenges. They may be slightly different, but we all need support to get through them. You know, whether we're serving civilians or whether we're working with those that are serving our country, we really are all the same. The things that SafeGen presents are solid principles that apply to the work no matter who you are working with. Families, helping them reach their goals or even with your own kids, your own family. It all works. Approaches and the tools, the principles that you see, they apply to all of life, not just the work you're doing, that you get paid for. When learning I encourage you to consider this concept so you can go deeper in the learning. Decide that this training, these principles, these approaches work for all of life. Let the thoughts as you hear different topics and ideas and and ways to remain curious... let them apply to all of you. And I believe that you're learning will go deeper and you will be able to apply it across all of your life. And in the midst of it, when we don't just segment out a piece of us that gets to apply new things, we really become an expert... or let me rephrase that... we continue to grow day after day as as we use these principles and tools. Enjoy the time with SafeGenerations!
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