The effects of case characteristics on teamwork in family team meetings

ABSTRACT

Despite the prevalence of family team meetings in child welfare, little empirical research has examined the effects of case characteristics on its teamwork. The authors attempted to fill this gap using 497 child welfare cases in the United States. They found that overall teamwork in family team meetings was negatively associated with domestic violence, frequent placement moves, and a permanency plan of adoption, whereas teamwork was positively associated with the length of involvement in the child welfare system. The authors also examined the relationships between the case characteristics and two components of teamwork.

The results showed that domestic violence and the length of the involvement were equally significant factors for both team formation and functioning. The permanency plan of adoption was a significant factor for team formation, but not team functioning. Finally, family voices and frequent team meetings appeared to be stronger factors for improving both team formation and functioning. The results of this study suggest that families in the child welfare system have different experiences in forming and functioning as high-quality family team meetings. Therefore, it is necessary to customize specific processes and strategies to promote teamwork depending on the child and family’s characteristics and situations.

CITATION

Kim, J., Imburgia, T. M., Richardson, E. A., Jaggers, J. W., & Hall, J. A. (2018). The effects of case characteristics on teamwork in family team meetings. Child and Family Social Work. 

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