Differential Response

2008 Conference on Differential Response in Child Welfare

In November, American Humane held its third national conference on Differential Response in Child Welfare. More than 450 participants from 24 states and 5 Canadian provinces attended the event in Columbus, Ohio. Below is a sampling of presentations that were available to participants. Download the full conference program for all the details and events.

Download 2008 Presentations

Primer on Differential Response: Take Two!
Presented by Caren Kaplan, director, Child Protection Reform, American Humane; and Patricia Schene, senior fellow, American Humane

Partnership Based Collaborative Practice in Work with Children, Youth & Families; A Solution and Safety Oriented Approach to Child Protection Case Work 
Presented by Rob Sawyer and Suzanne Lohrbach

Integrating Domestic Violence &Child Protection Through Differential Response 
Presented by Rob Sawyer and Suzanne Lohrbach

Myths and Misconceptions about Differential Response 
Presented by Tony Loman

Engagement, Collaboration and Safety 
Presented by Brenda Lockwood, David Thompson, Charlotte Hand, Russell Rowenhorst & Susie Staudenmaier

The Six Principles of Partnership; A Foundation for Differential Response 
Presented by Dan Comer

Partnerships and Pitfalls; Nevada Differential Response Program 
Presented by Betty Weiser and Daniele Dreitzer

2007 Conference on Differential Response in Child Welfare

American Humane’s 2007 Conference on Differential Response in Child Welfare was held Nov. 14-16 in Long Beach, Calif. The conference program featured 37 presenters from 10 states and four countries, including New Zealand, England and Ireland. The target areas for the conference included Community Partnerships, Practice with Children and Families, Workforce Issues, Policy Issues, Sustainability, and Research and Evaluation Issues.

Following are selected presentations on differential response from the conference and other sessions.

Practicing for Outcomes: Differential Response Model, New Zealand Style

American Humane was privileged to have Dr. Marie Connolly from New Zealand’s Ministry of Social Development present a keynote address at the conference. Addressing more than 400 conference participants, Dr. Connolly shared “Practicing for Outcomes: Differential Response Model, New Zealand Style.” Dr. Connolly holds the position of chief social worker within the New Zealand government and has published extensively in the area of child and family practice. She has been an advisor to governments across international jurisdictions.

Download Dr. Connolly's PowerPoint presentation.

Getting Started with Differential Response: Fundamentals and First Steps

Caren Kaplan, director of child protection reform at American Humane, and Patricia Schene, American Humane senior fellow, presented a preconference session entitled "Getting Started with Differential Response: Fundamentals and First Steps." The session, which included important considerations for jurisdictions moving to implement differential response, addressed the purpose of implementing differential response, statutory changes, relating to stakeholders, preparing staff, addressing issues of assessment, engaging families and coordinating with community services.

Download the presentation.

Alternative Response: What It Is and Why It Works

This session, by Caren Kaplan of American Humane and Theresa Costello of the National Resource Center for Child Protective Services, provided participants with a foundation and shared understanding of alternative response. The experiences of “experienced” jurisdictions, such as Minnesota, Missouri and Hawaii, were examined, and lessons learned were highlighted. On the practice level, issues of child safety, assessment, family engagement and coordination with community services were noted to be of greater importance when undertaking alternative response. Findings of program evaluations conducted to date were detailed.

Download the presentation.