DoHS Listening Sessions Yield Goals For Child Welfare System

People involved in various aspects of the state’s child welfare system turned out to share their experiences and concerns with the West Virginia Department of Human Services in a series of extensive listening sessions last month.

They were foster and adoptive parents, biological parents and youth who’ve been in the system. A total of eight sessions were held in Hurricane, Beckley, Wheeling, Parkersburg, Burlington, Philippi, Martinsburg and Morgantown. Nearly 460 people came, representing 42 counties. 

“When we would talk to the different groups during the different sessions, that’s one thing I emphasized with them was, ‘We’re really looking for the solution, and how the impact of people’s experiences and exposure to the child welfare system can help inform that work,’” said DoHS Secretary Alex Mayer.

“So to me, one of the big takeaways is really having people provide real insight and really work with one another to kind of craft these solutions and craft ideas,” Mayer said.

Mayer pointed to four specific takeaways he said his office is already working on:

• The need for standardized experiences from one county to the next
• Increased mental health and family support services
• Support and standardized training for staff
• Greater priority placed on preventive efforts and support  

“There’s certain signals that you can pinpoint and say, ‘Oh, if I get this person additional mental health support today, if I can connect this person now with different services and resources, it’s less likely that they’re going to come through the door of child welfare,’” Mayer said.

Mayer said he hopes the sessions and continuing efforts toward transparency and accountability will build trust within the community.