What is Wellbeing Anyway?

Transcription

1 What is Wellbeing Anyway? 16 th Annual Fall Social Work Conference Wellbeing: Seeing the big picture University of Alabama Amelia Franck Meyer, MS, MSW, APSW, LISW October 5, 2017 Birmingham, AL Measuring & Defining Wellbeing Although there is growing consensus that a child s wellbeing is important for youth in care, there is: No universal definition of child wellbeing No universal measure of child wellbeing 1

2 Defining Child Well being What is your definition of Child Wellbeing? Measuring Child Well being How do you measure child wellbeing? Key Questions Defining Child Wellbeing: Are the children okay? Measuring Child Wellbeing How do we know? 2

3 A Systems Perspective Public Child Welfare Systems Historically, Public Child Welfare Systems are: Structured Funded Staffed Designed Around safety with the goal of protecting a child from abuse and neglect after that abuse and neglect has already occurred. Our obligation to Child Well being I don t believe I have a mandate [to ensure child wellbeing] unnamed state child welfare director 3

4 Our obligation to Child Well being What obligation do we have to ensure child wellbeing beyond safety? Statutorily Ethically/morally Fiscally Etc.? What evidence do we have that we do believe we have an obligation to promote/ensure wellbeing? Historical Child Welfare Innovative Child Welfare Transformational Child Welfare Maintenance Treatment Healing Safety Focus on harm reduction in care and preventing further abuse or neglect Permanence Focus on keeping youth safe and finding them permanent families through adoption or reunification and understanding traumaimpact of grief and loss Well being Focus on keeping youth safe, with permanent and already trusted adults, and ensuring they are healthy in all aspects of their development including: emotional, physical, spiritual, cognitive/mental; applying trauma informed care and healing Defining Wellbeing 4

5 Federal Definitions of Wellbeing Framework for Well being Environmental Supports Cognitive Functioning Emotional/ Behavioral Functioning Physical Health and Development Social Functioning Personal Characteristics Bryan Samuels, Commissioner Administration on Children, Youth and Families Defining Wellbeing Wellbeing is a state of being in balance or alignment (body, mind and spirit). In this state, we feel ourselves as content, connected to purpose, peaceful, in harmony, happy, prosperous, and safe Used with permission: U of MN Center for Spirituality and Healing 5

6 Measuring Wellbeing Challenges in Measuring Well being Various measures in play including: BMI, school attendance and performance, social connections, developmental milestones, etc. We measure around it Several measures have parts of wellbeing included (e.g., strengths, connections, etc.) but there is no comprehensive diagnostic tool for wellbeing. 6

7 Wellbeing Indicator Tool for Youth WIT Y 7

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11 Well Being Print Off Safety and Security Cognitive Health Relationships Mental Health Purpose Physical Health Community Environment 11

12 And what about us? The workforce needs (and deserves) wellbeing, too! Performance Metrics in Human Services There are at least three: 1. Outcomes for those we serve 2. Financial Performance 3. The human cost of meeting metrics 1 & 2 All should be attended to, valued, measured and monitored. Measuring Wellbeing in the Workforce Professional Quality of Life Scale Self care and Lifestyle Balance Inventory (Headington Institute) Other related inventories and tools 12

13 Sample Wellbeing Scorecard Lessons Learn Wellbeing is subjective and challenging to measure There are existing tools which measure elements of wellbeing Although safety and permanence are very important, alone they are not enough More work is needed in this area to advance the definition, measurement, and interventions which promote wellbeing for youth living in out of home care Our organizations must adapt to include wellbeing for the workforce, too! Where are your growing edges in wellbeing? 13

14 Wrap Up and Questions Amelia Franck Meyer, MS, MSW, LISW, APSW CEO, TEDx Talk The Human Need for Belonging available on YouTube 14