Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Workforce Surveys

The Child Welfare and Youth Justice Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Workforce Surveys cover a wide range of topics pertaining to case workers and supervisors in Wisconsin. Responses from each survey are submitted to a centralized database managed by University of Wisconsin-Madison Survey Center (UWSC), where they are combined with the answers from all respondents. All answers are confidential—none of the survey responses are linked to identifying information.

These "Flash" surveys are intended to be very brief. They are designed to gauge:

  • Workforce knowledge of a particular issue or topic
  • Professional needs and challenges
  • Strengths and gaps in practice and policy areas

The purpose of these “FLASH” surveys is to identify

  • Strengths and challenges faced by the child welfare/youth justice workforce in Wisconsin
  • Ensure this information is representative of the workforce as a whole

The input and feedback you have provided through these surveys has been instrumental in helping us

  • Identify and refine priorities
  • Influence policy development and implementation efforts
  • Provide input into developing other initiatives to improve the child welfare system.

The Actions Initiated by Survey Feedback section provides a brief summarization of initiatives based upon your responses. The Actions will be updated when new initiatives are implemented. The survey results report is included in the respective action section.

CQI Workforce Flash Surveys

Child Welfare Worker Satisfaction in the State of Wisconsin

Actions Initiated by Survey Feedback

Children with Disabilities in Child Protective Services (CPS) in Wisconsin Survey

In December of 2016, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) published the “Report on Children with Disabilities Served in the Child Welfare System"

The survey was instrumental in helping the committee develop recommendations related to next steps our state and local child welfare and disability services systems can better support children with disabilities and their families who are served in our local agencies. Specifically, the input local child welfare agency caseworkers provided through the survey informed the following committee recommendations:

  • To help create a network of resources to support child welfare workers, provide child welfare workers access to information about individuals and organizations who can serve as resources to assist in effectively responding to and engaging with children with disabilities and their families by leveraging to the extent possible existing information and referral sources, such as the regional Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs centers.
  • Identify strategies to promote shared responsibilities at any point in the CPS process, linking families to any appropriate, available services to help the family remain stable and help prevent maltreatment and involvement in the child welfare system in the future.
  • Explore options for providing navigation assistance/care coordination through a system other than the child welfare system to screened-out families and families with cases closed after Initial Assessment to help these families navigate and access appropriate supports and services and remain stable and help prevent maltreatment and involvement in the child welfare system in the future.

CPS Worker Intent to Leave (ITL)

CPS Worker Intent to Leave (ITL) report - June 2016

The Division of Safety and Permanence (DSP) and Wisconsin Counties Human Services Association have partnered together to form a worker recruitment and retention work group in 2016. The results from this survey will be reviewed by this work group to discuss potential state-wide efforts to improve worker recruitment/retention efforts including:

  • A realistic job preview video
  • State-wide recruitment site
  • Supervisors/leadership development
  • Training and partnering with Universities on internships

CPS Worker and Supervisor Training Topics

CPS Worker and Supervisor Training Topics report and Executive Summary - August 2015

This survey was utilized bythe Department of Children and Families (DCF) in coordination with Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System and the training system Steering Committee to review the results and discuss incorporation of new training or enhancements of existing training. We continue to use this information to develop or enhance current offerings in the areas of:

  • Trauma informed care
  • Substance abuse
  • Human trafficking
  • Prevention