At EMPath, and at so many Exchange network member organizations, we’ve seen the impact of the pandemic on goal setting – whether a shift from in-person to virtual meetings, planning within the context of uncertainty around school and work schedules, or a need to shift focus to short-term goals like securing immediate basic needs. This month, we reached out to long-term Exchange member Children’s Home Society of Washington (CHSW) to learn about their experiences and strategies for goal setting during the past year.

Every six months, CHSW’s team of Home Visitors and Family Navigators work with families to review and assess progress and next steps for their goals. As one Family Navigator shared, goal setting is “an amazing way to get to know parents and caregivers through their goals and plans for their families. It’s a helpful tool to build rapport, gain an understanding of family priorities, and provide support and feedback in an encouraging manner.”

As safety protocols around the pandemic moved coaching sessions to virtual platforms, CHSW staff members worked quickly to adapt to their families’ needs. Coaching continued in a virtual capacity with minimal disruption, and coaches worked to maintain a sense of comfort and warmth in their interactions. However, they found that some families struggled to share openly or freely — whether due to the new virtual platform, the mental shift required for setting short-term goals around basic needs, or the new focus on health and safety. One Family Navigator explained, “I feel as though the pandemic has made it a bit harder to connect with families on the same level as being able to talk with them in person or visit with them in their homes. I still keep connected and check in and have had great communication with most families, but I have not gotten to know them on a very personal level.”

Despite these difficulties, CHSW staff and families met the challenges and persisted. In doing so, they demonstrated resiliency and flexibility and found new ways to meet with and provide support to families – such as offering childcare and support services (food, diapers, school supplies, etc.). As a result, there has been a great deal of progress and many accomplishments to recognize and celebrate. Here are just two such glimmers:

• CHSW’s North King County Home Visiting Program recently heard from a former participant about how excited they were to have finally accomplished all the goals they set and started working on during the program.
• When going through the goal setting practice and Bridge to Self-Sufficiency® conversation with a new family back in September, the parent shared that it was a great reminder of all the wonderful things they do have in their life – even when they felt frustrated or down from pandemic challenges. They looked at it as a “gratitude reminder,” a reflection that the CHSW staff member found really special.

CHSW also shared some some tips and helpful strategies for working with participants to set goals during challenging or uncertain times:

• We’ve found that presenting the idea of goal setting in a “formal” manner caused some pushback from families. Instead, frame it as an ongoing conversation about where families would like to expend energy at this time. In this way, it takes the pressure off of “Will I achieve my goal?” and shifts it towards an action plan conversation to determine what steps would be helpful to address growth.
• Remind parents that everyone has been impacted in some way by the pandemic. Let them know their Bridge may look different right now due to the pandemic, and it’s just a snapshot of the present. Let parents know you are there to support them, offer them resources, and acknowledge their feelings around changes they’ve endured.
• Build rapport with families by showing up physically, even in a virtual setting. Have video calls or a quick distanced “hello” with masks on. To make them more comfortable, remind them of your role – “We’re here today to see where your family is in each of these areas and highlight areas you feel I can best help you with in finding resources or ways to improve upon.”

A big thank you to all the staff and families at CHSW for sharing these experiences and tips with us. You have provided an important reminder that even though goals may shift in challenging or uncertain times, we can still persevere and move forward.