Happy Friday! Thank you all for bearing with me last night. It was a struggle dealing with laryngitis plus technology issues. You guys were troopers! Can you guys believe we are at the halfway point already! Orientation, Session 1, and Session 2 are done and dusted!!! You all are rocking this! We only have Sessions 3, 4, and 5 left. Thank you all for your dedication and for honoring the time deadlines for submissions.
I see that several of you got your Optima Logs done, thank you so much! During your training period, I will be providing feedback for each log that you do. If the log is “Approved”, you will see that in Optima. If you need to make a minor correction, I will either email or text you to let you know. If you have a “Denied” log, just go back in and scroll all the way to the bottom of the notes section. Your feedback will be in all caps at the bottom. Make the correction and let me know when you are done and I will go back and approve the log. The log has to get to a point of being approved to meet this specific training requirement.
Please remember the instructions for Activity 3.5 Working with families. The activity is designed to help us look at cases through different lenses and evaluate permanency in an objective manner. There are generally at least two possible outcomes for each case. Depending on the letter of your last name, you will need to present an argument for either giving the mother more time to work her case or asking that the mother’s parental rights be terminated. Please know that we understand that you may be asked to argue for something that is not what you would have decided. This activity helps us to see both sides. You will also need to comment to at least one person. Please remember that we are simply making an argument (or reasons) for whatever goal you are assigned, we are not arguing with each other.
The instructions have us divided by “A-M” and “N to Z”. If we did that, Cat and Ms. Virt would be the only ones arguing for more time. We’ll divide by “A-L” and “M-Z” to make our discussion more even. Below are your assignments:
Terminate Mom’s Parental Rights:
Berghausen, Melissa
Blakeman, Chelsea
Clement, Alyssa
Delestre, Taniece
Jenks, Dennis
Kling, Lara
LaHaye, Lacey
Give Mom More Time:
McAfoose, Charity
Mungia, Sarah
Munkres, Bethany
Poindexter, Virt
Ruiz, Catherine
We will begin mock interviews on November 6th. The second set of mock interviews will be on November 13th. Please see below to see when and who you will be conducting an interview with during our upcoming seminars. Please start thinking about what you want to ask. Making a list of questions is often helpful. Review the Optima Training Site Case and your notes from our seminar last night (10/30/25). For those of you that will conduct your interviews on the 13th, review your notes from the interviews we will do on the 6th.
Interviews: (November 6th)
Carrie Smart (John and Tammy Black’s Counselor): Chelsea
Francis Smith (Mother): Charity
John Black (Child): Dennis
Tammy Black (Child): Lacey
Anne Black (Maternal Aunt): Sarah
Interviews: (November 13th)
Alan Smith (Father of Grace/Step Father for John and Tammy): Lara
Evelyn Hall (John’s Group Home Case Manager): Taniece
Mr. Pines (John’s Teacher): Staff
Ms. Gallego (Tammy’s Teacher): Virt
Becky Jones (DCFS Follow Up Interview): Bethany
As always, please contact me if you need anything. I’ll be reaching out to each of you Tuesday or Wednesday for a check in. Have a great weekend!
Thank you!
Jerri