Casey Family Programs, Evident Change, and New Hampshire are partnering to develop a Community Response Guide for mandated reporters. This online tool helps someone decide whether their concern about a child should be reported to child protection or if an alternate action to connect caregivers to a support would be better suited for their needs.

Professionals in the NH community are invited to join in testing this tool , which will generate invaluable feedback to ensure we not only “get it right” for reporters but also right for NH children and families. There are two ways the guide needs to be tested:

• Inter-Rater Reliability (IRR) testing gives community stakeholders a chance to test the CRG on a series of short, written, hypothetical scenarios. Evident Change will analyze the responses to ensure that the CRG increases consistency in decision-making. The results of testing will identify areas of the tool that could be strengthened to improve consistency and will highlight priorities for training.

• Field testing lets community stakeholders try the CRG live alongside their current reporting practice, and they can offer feedback before the tool is implemented. During the 30-day test, participants can use the CRG as concerns arise about whether to make a report to DCYF. The test allows the community to identify areas of the tool that could be strengthened to meet New Hampshire’s needs.

Four hundred testers are needed. The commitment is a 1-hour Zoom session in June to explain the project and how to go through the tool, and then 1 hour to independently complete the tool.

“Granite Pathways has been part of developing, building and now testing a Community Response Guide for New Hampshire,” said Lori Hebert, Program Director, Granite Pathways’ Strength to Succeed. “This tool will not only support reporters in their decision making, it will also support meeting the needs of families through community action, moving from a state of reporters to a community of supporters.”

Please see the field test invitation and handout to sign up for testing and more information about the project!