1.5.1

Supervisor Guide to Mentoring

How to approach your staff and encourage mentoring:

· Local offices must designate an experienced caseworker (mentor) for each new hire. This person should have strong policy knowledge, superior coaching skills, solid decision-making skills, demonstrated efficiency in managing a caseload, and an overall positive perception of the MDDHS Mission.

· Mentors must have paperwork and people skills

· If there are no appropriate experienced caseworkers located within your office to mentor a newly hired worker, an option may be exploring neighboring offices regarding borrowing a mentor for the worker. If a mentor is still unavailable, local offices should utilize a supervisor other than the worker’s direct supervisor, within their office to function in the experienced worker role. Hours may vary could be 2 hours and could be 10 hours depending on the situation a minimum of 2 hours but that could depend on the needs of the new hire.

· Best practice would be that a mentor should be able to work with a new employee or a struggling employee a for 6 months minimum.

· Determine how long a person should be mentored and at what point a mentor should be assigned to assist a struggling worker.

· Send out a survey or information gathering e-mail to all new workers within 6 months or less to see what would be helpful and what would have been helpful in the first 3 months.

· Assessment tool is designed to have workers rate themselves on areas of improvement, self-evaluation of training and mentoring experience where there are opportunities for growth once they have been on the job for 3 months.

· Refer to the Transfer of Learning Guide

Benefits of experienced staff being a mentor:

· Added experience in developing skills for possible future management role

· Reduce caseload (if possible and appropriate in county/agency)

· Special recognition within the county office (party/luncheon, gift cards, mass e-mail)

· Course on mentoring

· Sending information to BSC’s for recognition

· Leadership Awards

Create and utilize a Resource Book containing the following information for mentors to use with new workers (county/agency specific):

· Sample of well written reports, service plans, petitions

· List of frequently used service providers, provider identification numbers, along with the referral process

· Most frequently reference CPL’s (Childs Protection Law) and MCL’s (Michigan Compiled Laws)

· A list of How to’s/short cuts including what to do if you have a removal, service agreements, navigating through policy, On-Call Help, after hours removal, type of Family Team Meetings

· Frequently used Phone Numbers

Caseload Progression

No case may be assigned to the new hire prior to the first day of the PSI training. New hires may be assigned a limited number of cases at different intervals during training. Supervisor discretion must be used when determining the number and type of cases assigned.

CPS Progression

The first five cases will not include an investigation involving children under eight years of age or children who are unable to communicate. Final caseload may be assigned after nine weeks.

No cases shall be assigned until the new hire has:

Completed 4 weeks of pre‐service training and passed competency exam 1

Up to 5 cases may be assigned after the new hire has completed 4 weeks of pre- service training and passed competency exam 1.

A new hire may be assigned up to a full caseload upon completion of 9 weeks of pre‐service training, passage of competency exam 2 and satisfactory review by trainer and supervisor (New Hire Evaluation Summary)

Foster Care and Adoption Progression

On the first day of PSI Training up to 3 cases may be assigned to the new hire.

Up to a total of 5 additional cases may be assigned upon Completion of 4 weeks of pre-service training and passage of competency exam 1

A new hire may be assigned up to a full caseload upon completion of 9 weeks of pre-service training, passage of competency exam 2 and satisfactory review by trainer and supervisor (New Hire Evaluation Summary)

Child Welfare Certificate holders may be assigned up to 5 cases on their first day of training, and up to a full caseload upon successful completion of training, satisfactory review by trainer and supervisor, and passing competency exam 2.

The supervisor should closely monitor the new hire’s actions and decision-making when handling cases. Any concerns should be immediately addressed and if a case becomes too complex for the new hire, the supervisor may consider re‐assigning the case to an experienced worker.

	1.5.1 Supervisor Guide to Mentoring How to approach your staff and encourage mentoring: · Local offices must designate an experienced caseworker (mentor) for each new hire. This person should have strong policy knowledge, superior coaching skills, solid decision-making skills, demonstrated efficiency in managing a caseload, and an overall positive perception of the MDDHS Mission. · Mentors must have paperwork and people skills · If there are no appropriate experienced caseworkers located within your office to mentor a newly hired worker, an option may be exploring neighboring offices regarding borrowing a mentor for the worker. If a mentor is still unavailable, local offices should utilize a supervisor other than the worker’s direct supervisor, within their office to function in the experienced worker role. Hours may vary could be 2 hours and could be 10 hours depending on the situation a minimum of 2 hours but that could depend on the needs of the new hire. · Best practice would be that a mentor should be able to work with a new employee or a struggling employee a for 6 months minimum. · Determine how long a person should be mentored and at what point a mentor should be assigned to assist a struggling worker. · Send out a survey or information gathering e-mail to all new workers within 6 months or less to see what would be helpful and what would have been helpful in the first 3 months. · Assessment tool is designed to have workers rate themselves on areas of improvement, self-evaluation of training and mentoring experience where there are opportunities for growth once they have been on the job for 3 months. · Refer to the Transfer of Learning Guide Benefits of experienced staff being a mentor: · Added experience in developing skills for possible future management role · Reduce caseload (if possible and appropriate in county/agency) · Special recognition within the county office (party/luncheon, gift cards, mass e-mail) · Course on mentoring · Sending information to BSC’s for recognition · Leadership Awards Create and utilize a Resource Book containing the following information for mentors to use with new workers (county/agency specific): · Sample of well written reports, service plans, petitions · List of frequently used service providers, provider identification numbers, along with the referral process · Most frequently reference CPL’s (Childs Protection Law) and MCL’s (Michigan Compiled Laws) · A list of How to’s/short cuts including what to do if you have a removal, service agreements, navigating through policy, On-Call Help, after hours removal, type of Family Team Meetings · Frequently used Phone Numbers Caseload Progression No case may be assigned to the new hire prior to the first day of the PSI training. New hires may be assigned a limited number of cases at different intervals during training. Supervisor discretion must be used when determining the number and type of cases assigned. CPS Progression The first five cases will not include an investigation involving children under eight years of age or children who are unable to communicate. Final caseload may be assigned after nine weeks. No cases shall be assigned until the new hire has: Completed 4 weeks of pre‐service training and passed competency exam 1 Up to 5 cases may be assigned after the new hire has completed 4 weeks of pre- service training and passed competency exam 1. A new hire may be assigned up to a full caseload upon completion of 9 weeks of pre‐service training, passage of competency exam 2 and satisfactory review by trainer and supervisor (New Hire Evaluation Summary) Foster Care and Adoption Progression On the first day of PSI Training up to 3 cases may be assigned to the new hire. Up to a total of 5 additional cases may be assigned upon Completion of 4 weeks of pre-service training and passage of competency exam 1 A new hire may be assigned up to a full caseload upon completion of 9 weeks of pre-service training, passage of competency exam 2 and satisfactory review by trainer and supervisor (New Hire Evaluation Summary) Child Welfare Certificate holders may be assigned up to 5 cases on their first day of training, and up to a full caseload upon successful completion of training, satisfactory review by trainer and supervisor, and passing competency exam 2. The supervisor should closely monitor the new hire’s actions and decision-making when handling cases. Any concerns should be immediately addressed and if a case becomes too complex for the new hire, the supervisor may consider re‐assigning the case to an experienced worker.