Rise Training Fee Schedule
Parent Group Set-Up + Evaluation Support: $2400/group
Rise staff will work with agency staff on every aspect of setting up and evaluating a parent group using Rise workbooks, from choosing the stories to recruiting participants to using the evaluation tools. Rise staff/Columbia University School of Social Work students will administer pre- and post-tests and participant interviews to document the impact of the group.
Parent Advocate Groupwork Intensive Training: $1800
Agency parent advocates with limited or no group work experience may struggle to play a significant role in group leadership if paired with an experienced social worker. In four sessions designed to strengthen the parent advocate’s contribution, Rise will provide training in basic groupwork principles and set up a mini-group with parents at the Rise office, giving the parent advocate opportunities to practice group leadership skills.
Frontline Staff Project Introduction Training: $300/session
When agency casework staff are familiar with the content of the parent groups, they can meaningfully engage their clients in joining the groups. Rise will present to groups of 15-20 staff members. Each 1½-hour session will introduce frontline staff to two stories from the workbook, familiarizing staff both with the workshop content and with parents’ perspectives on visiting and communicating with foster parents. Participants will understand how to use the stories to start one-on-one conversations with their clients and to successfully refer clients to the groups.
Frontline Staff Story Discussion Groups: $2400
Child welfare frontline staff can benefit from reading Rise’s parent stories and reflecting on the parents’ perspectives and needs. In this six-week workshop, Rise staff lead groups of 10-15 staff participants in weekly one-hour discussions of parent stories. Stories can be focused as needed by the agency on topics including addiction, domestic violence, mental illness, visiting, parent-foster parent relationships, fatherhood, etc. Discussions strengthen staff’s empathy for their parent clients and provide staff with a nuanced understanding of the complex circumstances that can lead families to child welfare involvement. Staff can use the stories directly with their clients to open up more honest conversations.
Parent Education/Foster Parent Training Story Integration: TBD
Agencies may want to integrate Rise stories into existing programs such as: parent education classes, parent support groups, parent orientations, foster parent MAPP training, or foster parent support groups. Rise stories bring authenticity to trainings and can be used to start problem-solving discussions or role plays. Rise’s director will work closely with agency staff to match stories/discussion guides to existing curricula. Cost will depend on the complexity of the project.
All-Agency Parent Engagement Project: $8,000
Agencies seeking to reduce lengths of stay for children in foster care by strengthening parent engagement can work with Rise to integrate parent stories into their work at multiple levels:
- At intake, parents receive copies of Rise’s booklet on navigating the child welfare system, One Step at a Time;
- Parent advocates and caseworkers use a Rise story to open a connection during their first meetings with parents;
- Agency offers parent groups on visiting, communicating with foster parents and preparing for reunification;
- Stories are integrated into foster parent training.
This project is being piloted at the Children's Aid Society, where Rise has trained all frontline staff to use the stories one-on-one with parents and guided parent advocates and a social worker in setting up multiple parent groups focused on visiting, parent-foster parent communication and reunification. The project was designed in partnership with Children's Services and it is being evaluated by a professor at the Columbia University School of Social Work. Interested agencies can become pilot sites and be included in the evaluation.
Agency-Based Writing Workshop: $10,000
Narrative writing provides parents with a powerful tool for reflecting on their experiences and the steps they can take to strengthen themselves and their families. The writing process can be therapeutic for parents who are more comfortable exploring their lives through writing and in a group that normalizes parents’ experiences and provides peer support. Agencies seeking to engage, support, motivate and learn from parent clients can work with Rise to develop a parent writing workshop. Each 12-week workshop can include 8-10 parents. Beyond Rise, stories also can be published in agency newsletters, website, or a booklet for agency staff and clients.
To learn more about Rise training, contact Director Nora McCarthy at (718) 260-8818 or nora@risemagazine.org.
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