Leadership Reflections

How to Create and Sustain Reforms in Children and Family Services

Edited by:
Anne Williams Isom, Fordham University

Published 2022

It is more important than ever to share best practices with emerging leaders in the social services and education fields, as leaders and students need to understand the practical application of policies and theories. This book will address the recurring theme of leadership development, collaboration with communities and the importance of diverse teams to bring about systemic change and large scale reforms.

Leadership Reflections can be used as a guide to provide important insights and tools that can be used by a diverse group of leaders and students in the social services and education fields. Recent events in this country are exposing more people to the disparities and inequities that exist for black and brown people. These disparities have to be addressed with a variety of different strategies. This book addresses one such area; the urgent need to reduce these disparities and dismantle the systemic obstacles that continue to stand in the way of families, children and communities thriving.

CONTENTS
Acknowledgements. Foreword, DeShaun Taylor. Introduction, Anne Williams-Isom. Leadership and Crisis, Valerie Russo and Jess Dannhauser. Partnering for Change: Exploring the Opportunities and Risks, Ellen Schall, Debbie Bing, and Mal O’Connor. The Legal Context for Reform, Don Shacknai. An Outsider’s View of the Reform, Eric Brettschneider. New Yorkers for Children, Susan Burden. Procurement Reform, Linda Gibbs. ACS and the Non-Profit Provider Community: Moving From Adversaries to Partners, Sr. Paulette LoMonaco, Gerard McCaffery, and James Purcell. Government Cannot Do It Alone: The Role of Policy Advocacy in Child Welfare Reform, Gail B. Nayowith, Jennifer A. March, and Raysa Segura Rodriguez. The Foundational Role of Data: Using Data to Improve Child Service’s and Transform an Agency, Maryanne Schretzman and Fred Wulczyn. The Power and Purpose of Data, Eric Nicklas. Parental Influence in the Development of ACS Practice and Policy 1996–2013, Ronald Richter and Michele Cortese. Community Based Organizations and Public Child Welfare Authorities: The Challenge of Partnerships, Julia Jean-Francois. An Outlier Within a System, Benita Miller. Caught on the Wrong Side: The Racism Dilemma Faced by Public Child Welfare Agencies, John Mattingly. Centering Humans in Human Services, Willie Tolliver and Stephen Burghardt. Race and Reform: A Seat at the Table, Jennifer Jones Austin and Anne Williams-Isom. The Centrality of Child Safety to Child Welfare Practice, Jan Flory. Commitment to Basics: Practicing in Partnership, Jacqueline McKnight. Strategic Reinvestment-Investing Upfront in Outcomes, Dawn Saffayeh. Shifting a Child Welfare System to Embrace Evidence-Based Program Models, Leslie Abbey and Kerri Smith. What a Time it Was: Formative Experiences in Public Service, Katie Stoehr. Biographies.