Tagged With "Benchmarks"
Blog Post
TiCCA Train the Trainer Training
Two major components of implementation work are ensuring fidelity and sustainability. Benchmarks’ Standardized Assessment Protocol (SAP) focuses on fidelity when implementing the use of Trauma-Intensive Comprehensive Clinical Assessments (TiCCAs) through a rigorous training and certification process as well as ongoing continuous quality improvement processes. The project also focuses on the sustainability of TiCCA completion in local communities after Benchmarks is no longer providing...
Blog Post
Restoring the Nervous System by Healing the Mind-Body Connection
One of the aims of Benchmarks’ Partnering for Excellence (PFE) is to educate communities about the effects of trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs); specifically, how these effects impact the youth and families that encounter the child welfare system. Through our work we know that when systems are trauma-informed, it can help shift the perspectives of professionals from “What is wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”, which ultimately informs the way we treat and address...
Blog Post
Training the Adult Learner: Lessons from Benchmarks CQi Team
When many of us think about education, we may picture children sitting in a classroom and a teacher at a chalk board. But many adults take part in educational opportunities and trainings throughout their personal and professional lives. Some participate in mandatory trainings to enhance skills while others seek learning opportunities for their own personal enjoyment. No matter the reason, adults learn differently than children, and their trainings and educational opportunities should reflect...
Blog Post
Suicide Prevention 2022: Creating Hope Through Action
September is Suicide Prevention month, and the theme for this year’s World Suicide Prevention campaign is “Creating Hope Through Action.” Perfectly situated only a couple of months after the United States launched the new National Suicide Prevention and Crisis Line. The new line, 988, was designed to be an easy to remember way for people to access help in times of need. While a new crisis line increases the availability of needed mental health assistance, the stigma surrounding mental health...
Blog Post
Children’s Center of Northwest North Carolina: SAP Provider Spotlight
The Benchmarks’ Standardized Assessment Project (SAP) and Surry County’s SAP Leadership Team welcome The Children’s Center of Northwest North Carolina as our newest Trauma-Intensive Comprehensive Clinical Assessment (TiCCA) provider! The Children’s Center of Northwest North Carolina (Children’s Center) provides a wide array of programs and services for children and families in the Northwestern region of North Carolina. Community Relations Coordinator, Valerie Smith, states “The Children’s...
Blog Post
Setting Up for Success: Sharing Lessons Learned for Creating Sustainable Training Teams
Benchmarks’ Partnering for Excellence (PFE) is a test of change project that aims to provide Department of Social Services (DSS) agencies with a trauma-informed pathway to screen for and address trauma for child welfare-involved youth. To do this, the project focuses on cultivating a more trauma-informed community through education and trainings. In 2019, Benchmarks’ PFE began implementation in Pitt and Craven counties. Just a few years, the project shifted from the implementation phase into...
Blog Post
Standardized Assessment Protocol Pilot Is Expanding to In Home Family Services
Benchmarks recently completed implementation of the Standardized Assessment Protocol (SAP) in Burke, Rutherford, and Surry Counties, with a target population of children and youth involved in foster care. The process implemented was specifically for children and youth ages four and older, with the goal of assisting the child and family’s access to a quality, evidence-informed trauma assessment. We refer to this assessment as the Benchmarks Trauma Intensive Comprehensive Clinical Assessment...
Blog Post
WellCare of North Carolina is Increasing Access to Trauma-Informed Services
This month, for our partner spotlight, Benchmarks’ Center for Quality Integration (CQi) is highlighting our partners at WellCare of North Carolina, one of the five Managed Care Organizations selected to provide statewide healthcare coverage to NC Medicaid recipients through Standard Plans. Standard Plans offer physical and mental/behavioral health coverage to individuals experiencing mild to moderate behavioral health concerns. WellCare works to provide its beneficiaries with access to...
Blog Post
Benchmarks Offers Community Resiliency Model Trainings for Agencies and Communities
Benchmarks’ Center for Quality Integration will add Community Resiliency Model (CRM) Trainings to its’ regular training offerings in 2023. Our team is thrilled to have completed the training by the Trauma Resource Institute© in this trauma-informed, resiliency-focused wellness model. CRM is an affordable, adaptable, and portable model that can be taught to anyone as young as the age of three. The only requirement needed to learn these biologically based skills is that a person has a nervous...
Blog Post
Helpful Takeaways From Trauma 101 Training
Benchmarks’ Partnering for Excellence (PFE) aims to cultivate trauma-informed communities among child welfare systems across the state of North Carolina. In addition to helping community partners implement a trauma-informed pathway for child welfare involved youth, Benchmarks’ PFE hosts a bi-annual NCTSN Trauma 101 Training for social workers and community members. Pitt and Craven Counties recently wrapped up their fall Trauma 101 Training. The four-day training dives deep into what trauma...
Blog Post
Benchmarks Offers "Trauma & Resilience" Training
Beginning January 2023, Benchmarks’ Center for Quality Integration will add “Trauma & Resilience” to our catalog of offered trainings. “Trauma & Resilience” uses the National Childhood Traumatic Stress Networks’ (NCTSN’s) Child Welfare Trauma Training Toolkit as its base curricula with influences from our teams’ own “on the ground” knowledge, research, and experiences. Across North Carolina, Benchmarks has been assisting communities in efforts to become more trauma-informed over the...
Blog Post
Vaya's Pathways to Permanency Project: Utilizing (b)(3) Respite to Support School Suspension
Since 2021 Benchmarks has been consulting with Vaya Health on a project called Pathways to Permanency . This project aims to coordinate efforts between Vaya, County DSS offices, and mental health providers to ensure youth in foster care have access to high quality behavioral health services. To better understand the needs of children, families, and professionals within Vaya’s catchment, landscape analyses and several focus groups were conducted. Main themes from initial discoveries were then...
Blog Post
Solid Foundations Spotlight
Benchmarks’ Standardized Assessment Protocol project (SAP) would like to welcome Solid Foundations as the newest Trauma-intensive Comprehensive Clinical Assessment (TiCCA) provider! Bobby Fisher, owner of Solid Foundations stated, “Solid Foundations Counseling Center is always striving to improve our services and the care provided to our clients. Participating in the Benchmarks’ SAP allows us to expand on our Evidence Based Practices and to provide the best care to our clients and our...
Blog Post
Successful Program Planning: How to Create Focus-Driven Solutions
One of the hardest things to do in project management is to define goals and objectives for your project. While it seems like a relatively simple task, clarifying goals and objectives that directly tie to the identified problems can be particularly difficult in the beginning stages of a project. This can especially be the case in health and human service-related fields where the aims of projects are often to solve complex issues that are compounded by systemic and political barriers. Due to...
Blog Post
National Stress Awareness Month: Handling Stress as Helping Professionals
Stress and poor mental health are two of the biggest public health challenges that we are faced with today. Unfortunately, many people are unaware of how deeply these problems affect us. April is National Stress Awareness Month! To bring attention to this issue, we will discuss the negative impacts of stress, as well as ways to manage it. This is very important for human services professionals who work with Benchmarks’ implementation projects. The effects of stress on human services...
Blog Post
The Standardized Assessment Protocol (SAP) Project Welcomes Children’s Homes of Cleveland County
Children’s Homes of Cleveland County (CHCC) has advocated for youth to receive superb care through their participation in Benchmarks’ Partnering for Excellence (PFE). However, now that the Standardized Assessment Protocol (SAP) is also growing, and more clinicians are needed, they are expanding their commitment to trauma-informed care. Benchmarks’ Standardized Assessment Protocol aims to link children over the age of 4 in foster care and In-Home Family Services to Trauma-intensive...
Blog Post
New! Benchmarks Supportive Supervision Training Workshop
Effective supervision and leadership are crucial for the success and engagement of organizations and their employees. However, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges for many organizations, including staff retention and providing adequate training for new hires, especially those in management positions. Recognizing these concerns, Benchmarks has developed a groundbreaking training curriculum called “Supportive Supervision”. This comprehensive program,...
Blog Post
Spotlight on Access Family Services
This month, Benchmarks is spotlighting Access Family Services and welcomes them to the Standardized Assessment Protocol (SAP) team. Access Family Services (AFS) is a behavioral health agency that has been serving children and families throughout North Carolina since 1999. Their mission is to deliver culturally sensitive behavioral health services to individuals and families in the community using evidence-based practices to improve overall functioning and well-being. Access Family Services...
Blog Post
Using Workgroups to Drive Outcomes
Since 2021, the Benchmarks’ Center for Quality Integration has been consulting on Vaya Health's Pathways to Permanency project. This collaboration has brought together six dedicated workgroups, a lived experience council, and an internal Vaya workgroup to address the needs of professionals and foster parents supporting child welfare-involved youth. Through monthly meetings since April 2022, these workgroups have played a pivotal role in analyzing shared strengths and challenges, designing...
Blog Post
Adult Learning Principles Training Focuses on Developing and Empowering Adult Learners
Benchmarks’ Center for Quality Integration (CQi) builds and implements prototype projects in North Carolina and through that implementation the impact of effective training programs has been critical to sustaining long-term project successes. To that end, how well the facilitators or trainers understand and develop instructional strategies for adult learners is an important measure of training programs. Benchmarks’ CQi is thrilled to now include an “Adult Learning Principles” (ADLP) training...
Blog Post
Overcoming Workplace Stress Through Transparency
In the summer of 2018, I took on a second job. I was hired by Benchmarks to do 10 hours of data entry each week. The flexibility and time requirements complimented my primary job. This arrangement worked well until the fall of 2019. At that time, I learned the contract with my primary job, which would expire in a few months, would not be renewed. This meant that I would need full-time employment. I decided to be transparent and let my supervisor at Benchmarks know my situation. I explained...
Blog Post
Benchmarks' Destination 2023: Inspirational Takeaways from Keynote Speaker Danny Trejo
From October 11th to 13th, in the heart of the majestic Cherokee mountains, Benchmarks hosted its first annual conference, bringing together child welfare and behavioral health professionals and stakeholders from all corners of the industry. It was a gathering where ideas were shared, innovations explored, and, most importantly, inspiration ignited. The event featured an impressive lineup of keynote speakers, including the renowned Patch Adams, the talented Lauren Potter, and on the final...
Blog Post
Elevating Foster Parent Training: Unveiling the Pathways to Permanency FosteringNC Developmental Effects of Trauma Facilitator’s Guide
In the collaborative pursuit of addressing the comprehensive needs of youth in foster care and their families, the Pathways to Permanency project has given rise to a powerful tool – the “FosteringNC Developmental Effects of Trauma Facilitator’s Guide". Developed in tandem with Vaya, County DSS offices, and mental health providers, this guide stands as a testament to Vaya’s commitment to addressing critical needs related to the foster care experience. The Pathways to Permanency Project The...
Blog Post
Enhancing Family Foster Care: "All Staff Treat Them Like Gold Training"
The importance of safe and supportive homes for youth in foster care cannot be overstated. The "Safe & Supportive Homes: Family Foster Care Recruitment and Retention" workgroup, part of Vaya's Pathways to Permanency project, has been making significant strides in enhancing the foster care experience for both children and resource families. As an extension of the highly successful virtual Treat Them Like Gold (TTLG) Learning Collaborative , the workgroup is now introducing the All-Staff...
Blog Post
My Newcomer Experience with Benchmarks
“B enchmarks’ Center for Quality Integration redesigns the local child welfare/behavioral health system, changing the way child welfare, Medicaid Managed Care Organizations, local providers, and the wider community understand the need for accessible, appropriate mental health services for children, youth and families who have experienced potentially traumatic events .” Starting a new job has its challenges, one of which is learning a new culture. As a newcomer, being with the organization...
Blog Post
Journeying with Benchmarks: Consulting on the Pathways to Permanency Project
Since 2021, Benchmarks has provided consultation and implementation support on the Pathways to Permanency project for Vaya Health, a journey that has seen us navigate through crucial project phases. From the initiation phase, where objectives and stakeholders were identified, to the meticulous planning, execution, and now the sustainability phase, each step has been pivotal in shaping the project's success. As we prepare to transition from implementation support to the sustainability phase,...
Blog Post
Healthy Blue Spotlight
For our Partner Spotlight this month, Benchmarks’ Center for Quality Integration (CQi) is highlighting our work with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina’s Healthy Blue Medicaid plan. Healthy Blue is one of the five health plans selected to provide Standard Plan services to NC Medicaid recipients. Standard Plans offer physical and mental/behavioral health coverage to individuals experiencing mild to moderate behavioral health concerns. Healthy Blue understands that even children with...
Blog Post
Baptist Children's Homes of North Carolina: A Legacy of Care and Commitment
For nearly 140 years, Baptist Children's Homes of North Carolina (BCH) has been a steadfast presence in the lives of countless individuals. Originating in Thomasville, NC, and now extending its reach to over three dozen locations across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Guatemala, BCH has dedicated itself to providing diverse and comprehensive programs that cater to the needs of various populations, embodying a legacy of care and commitment. Over the years, BCH has grown to include a wide...
Blog Post
Servant Leadership in Action
As we settle in to 2024, Benchmarks’ CQi team remains steadfast in our focus on servant leadership, which continues to inform and guide our work. Our ongoing exploration of Serve to Lead: True Lessons About Lean Organizational Leadership by Samson Floyd & Dwayne Robson leads us to evaluate the importance of foresight, awareness, persuasion, and listening in our own roles as servant-leaders. Effective leadership within organizations entails leaders who act as supportive coaches, capable...
Blog Post
New Beginnings
It is that time of year again. Spring has sprung! After the long months of gazing out the window at dull surroundings, dealing with cold temperatures, and sunsetting before our workday ends, we are finally into a bright and glorious season. Spring is upon us, and now we get to look forward to longer days, warmer weather, and everything around us coming back to life. This fresh new beginning can be the perfect opportunity for professional growth as well. As human services professionals, we’re...
Blog Post
The Benefits of Root Cause Analysis in Project Management
In project management work, implementation processes are pivotal to impacting how an organization onboards new work as well as its ability to effectively implement an overall project. Challenges and setbacks are an inevitable part of any project implementation work. Underlying issues that cause the challenges and setbacks may not be immediately apparent to project managers, however, there are tools available for them to use to address underlying causes to problems. Root Cause Analysis (RCA)...
Blog Post
Empowering Communities: A Journey to Trauma-Informed Care in Alexander County
In late 2023, recognizing the prevalence of trauma among the youth in their care, Alexander County leadership took proactive steps to address this pressing issue. Collaborating with Benchmarks, they embarked on a journey to equip their Department of Social Services (DSS) staff and foster parents with the tools and knowledge necessary to support these vulnerable individuals effectively. Understanding the profound impact of unaddressed trauma on young lives, Alexander County DSS sought to...