Systems Thinking for Youth Safety and Well-Being in Congregate Care

Residential care is complex, interdependent, safety-critical work

Youth often receive out-of-home residential treatment during traumatic and vulnerable times in their lives – where emotions may be heightened, with resources and supports at an all-time low. Staff who work in these settings are often compassionate advocates and helpers for youth and their families, yet it is easy to feel disorganized and lost in how best to help.

Providing high-quality, safe, trauma-informed treatment

Leaders in residential agencies also manage a lot of competing priorities, as they seek to offer high-quality, safe, trauma-informed treatment and care amid a decreasing number of available state and nationwide residential services for youth. While efforts to significantly limit the use of residential care are appropriate and needed in our shared investment to serve youth increasingly in their communities and with their families, it presents challenges to residential providers as they now serve youth with a higher constellation of needs than seen in previous years.

Residential Provider Collaborative Training

Through Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF), youth residential providers were able to participate in trainings and collaborations about the applied use of safety science in residential care settings.

In likeness to public child welfare agencies, residential providers benefit from psychologically safe environments ready for honest conversations about mistakes, concerns and different points of view. They also benefit from team-based proactive, prosocial habits like mindful organizing. Such habits help anticipate and contain risk in person-centered ways, without unnecessary restrictions to the youth’s activities, family and community connections, and opportunities for normalcy.