Innovation Zone

Circuit 8 has been selected as an Innovation Zone for Family Centered Practice. This is an honor and a privilege for our community in that we will be leaders in the implementation of family-centered practice for Florida. Here is more information about the Innovation Zone initiative:

view the Innovation Site Plan and the Innovation Zone Kick-off Presentation

Goals
The goal of using an Innovation Site approach is to demonstrate success with interventions that can then be replicated statewide. Key areas that Innovation Sites will be enhancing include:

Leadership. Guiding development of Florida?s practice framework and practice model, and serving as mentors and models to other areas of Florida.
Consultation. On-going supervision and case-based consultation support using coaching, mentoring, and modeling techniques to develop frontline caseworkers? practice abilities. Skilled coaches and mentors spend hands-on time showing staff how to engage and work with children and families.
Training. Provision of on site training and train-the-trainer events.
Community Engagement. Coordination and work with supervisors, line staff, law enforcement, the courts, and community agencies to help programs in their locale implement a Family Centered Practice Model.
Policy and System Development. Working with a state team to strengthen policies and systems to sustain family centered evidence-based practices at the local level.
Program Evaluation. Collection of data on the effectiveness of implementation.

What does it Mean to be an Innovation Site?

Innovation sites will be partners in a collaboration process to define what Florida?s Family Centered Practice Model will look like at the operational level.
Each site will receive intensive technical assistance on the family centered practice model and techniques of social change and communication from a System of Care Coach. The demonstration site can identify a potential coach that currently provides technical assistance to their program or the state level implementation planning team will help them identify a qualified system of care coach.
Innovation site staff will be trained together on the Family Centered Practice Model. During visits, the System of Care Coach will observe, provide feedback, and demonstrate practices and strategies.
After intensive coaching, the innovation site will agree to allow child welfare providers from other areas of the state visit to observe practices in action.

How Will The Process Be Evaluated?
After receiving training, the innovation site will implement the Family Centered Practice Model with the guidance and support of their coach and will participate in bi-annual program evaluation activities. Evaluations will be shared with each local leadership and community members so that changes can be made as needed.

How Were Demonstration Sites Selected?
The following criteria were used to select the innovation sites:

Regional and circuit leadership committed to implementation of family centered practice.
CBC lead agency leadership committed to implementation of family centered practice.
A judiciary committed to implementation of family centered practice.
A willingness to commit to being an innovation site for two years and to participate in the collaborative design and implementation process.

What are the Benefits for a Demonstration Site?
Each demonstration site will receive training and individualized technical assistance that represents over $80,000 in in-kind support. The Department, with support from the University of South Florida, will provide:

Training to coaches who will support the innovation site staff
Training to a team, including staff and leadership from each innovation site
Consultation to program administrators and supervisors as needed
Follow-up materials and print/web-based resources
Processing of evaluation data and reports back to the innovation site

As possible, the Department will shift resources to promote success at each site. Each Innovation Site will have increased flexibility to develop their system of care.

What About the Rest of the State?
While focus will be on the Innovation Sites, all areas and partners will be encouraged to continue family centered approaches they may have already begun. They will also be expected to learn about the programs in the Innovation Sites and prepare for statewide implementation after the innovation period ends.