Collaboration Ignites Transformation.
Circle-Wise has a clear mission, and that mission is put into action through deep, collaborative work with our partnerships. We facilitate internal discoveries and create a safe, powerful container for organizations to clearly see the potential of transformation. As we build more relationships and continue to foster our mission and those aligned with this work, we will be sharing the stories here. We hope to inspire and empower those in the child welfare system to aim for big magic and a new way of approaching outdated modalities--we can do this together.
Clearing a path for
the trailblazers.
Transforming underlying contradictions into underlying opportunities
A co-orchestration with the Oregon Department of Human Services Child Welfare Division
In August 2023, Blue Spiral Consulting facilitated a Strategic Thinking Retreat for the Oregon Department of Human Services Child Welfare.
The goal to elicit specific feedback about improving safety practices in Oregon was launched at this retreat, and included the Senior Advisor for CW Practice Integration, some of the design lead program managers, and a parent mentor. Instead of taking the typical approach to gathering that feedback, this team went straight to the heart of the matter–should we bring in a practice model?
This type of power sharing is quite uncommon, so there was an assumption that the recommendations would center around implementing a new practice model–specifically Safety Organized Practice. That is not what happened. Instead, the participants dove deep, identifying the challenges and opportunities that come with any systemic change, and what it will take for efforts to flourish.
Aprille Flint-Gerner ~ Child Welfare Director
Lacey Andresen ~ Deputy Child Welfare Director
Kristen Khamnohack~ ORCAH Manager
Deena Loughary~ Safety Program Manager
Jennifer Holman~ Family Preservation Manager
Kim Keller~ Permanency Manager
Tami Kane-Suleiman~ Fatality Prevention and Review Program Manager
Jolynne Batchelor~ Senior Advisor, Child Welfare Practice Integration
Darlene Scissons~ Parent Mentor, Morrison Child and Family Services
Meet the Trailblazers
ODHS Mission: We believe all children and families in Oregon should have the support they need to be safe, strong and healthy. Our goal is to provide help early, reduce stress and trauma, and keep more children at home and in their communities.
KEY QUESTION: Where does transformation begin in the face of overwhelm?
The Challenge: The clarity and purpose around child welfare in Oregon had become murky. Overwhelmed by contradictions and entrenched societal issues, the system felt stuck. Families were losing trust, caseworkers were burning out, and leaders struggled to unify behind a clear vision.
The Realization: Here is a need to redefine the purpose of child welfare, and it requires an alignment of hearts and minds. That alignment facilitates change and speeds up the process of optimization.
The Goal: To gather leadership recommendations regarding the optimization of child welfare safety practices in Oregon, and to answer the big question: Should we bring in a practice model?
The Approach: Circle-Wise (formerly Blue Spiral Consulting) designed and facilitated an intensive workshop, targeting the participants’ goals and creating space for real-time “a-ha” moments. Methods like Technology of Participation for leading focused conversations and consensus workshops, authentic relating exercises , and Hellinger’s Constellation process were used to enable a powerfully transformative experience. The ODHS leadership had a strong and clear commitment to collaborative decision-making.
The Experience: This kind of authentic power sharing is rare and full of potential. It was assumed that the recommendations would center around implementing a new practice model. Instead, the participants dove deep, and within the safe container created by Circle-Wise, were able to identify the challenges and opportunities that come with any systemic change–and how to create lasting transformation.
The Results: The results of the initial work resulted in the identification of five foundational areas of work that would need to be addressed before implementation of a practice model. This spawned a robust set of agency-wide recommendations that would promote readiness for that implementation. The deep work and inquiry created a new awareness of the system, and a perspective that had not before existed within the organization.
The Takeaways: The work in Oregon proves that no system is too broken to heal. By circling up, listening deeply, and moving forward together, we can build a child welfare system that truly puts children first.
Work in Progress: Since the original meeting with CW, the ODHS executive leadership has recognized and acknowledged the work’s role in helping them lead the organization more effectively. During the most recent retreat, the popular topic was redefining the role of child welfare. (That is BIG magic.)
“Now in meetings I cannot sit there and have the conversation without first acknowledging this work we’ve begun. If we hadn't had that retreat, I'd be doing the same thing we always do, not feeling good about it and not really clear about why
I don't feel good about it. But now it's clear. I don't forget and now I can
speak with clarity and I really appreciate that.”
~Jennifer Holman, Family Preservation Manager
“In order to generate collaborative, sustainable, culture-wide
transformation, you need the hearts and minds to come together. They do not have to agree but they need an avenue for deep listening, authentic sharing, and space for new ideas to surface. The current models and means of approaching strategic planning/thinking are hemmed in by an old box. New facilitative, relational approaches are demanded by our time.”
Lindley Myers, President and Founder of Circle-Wise