In order for adult services social workers to implement family-centered practice fully and effectively, they must be supported by a family-centered agency. To that end, the Adult Services Family-Centered Work Group makes the following recommendations.

We recommend that County Departments of Social Services:

1. Endorse and incorporate these principles, reflecting them in their mission statement and agency policies.
2. Develop a plan to support social workers in adopting a more family-centered approach with both new and ongoing consumers and their families.
3. Examine agency policy on work hours to support families’ needs for more flexible meeting times while assuring reasonable expectations of the social workers and providing sufficient coverage for the agency.
4. Create opportunities for increasing training on the principles of family-centered practice and A Model for Excellence, especially in the areas of cultural competency, social work ethics, counseling, and other skills that support family-centered practice.
5. Examine their agency structure, degree of practice specialization, job descriptions, and job classifications in light of these principles.
6. Work, in conjunction with the Division of Social Services, to incorporate the Adult Services Family-Centered Principles into the County DSS Accreditation Criteria.
7. Build cooperation within the agency, in support of families by:
   • sharing the vision of family-centered services among all units
   • planning ways to build or maintain relationships among social workers in all areas of agency functioning
   • improving communication among individuals and units
8. Build cooperation in the community in support of families by:
   • educating the public and other agencies about the value of the family-centered approach
   • expecting agencies that receive contracts from the DSS to deliver their services in keeping with family-centered principles
   • proactively identifying to the public both the excellent contributions that the DSS makes and the limits to what the DSS can and should do
   • promoting interagency communication and cooperation through meetings, case staffings, and other interagency team activities
   • initiating broad-based planning that promotes a family-centered approach.
9. Promote an organizational environment which demonstrates a respect for the value of all families by supporting the well-being of employees and their own families.