Mandatory
Must be completed within 60 days of hire.
Length
3 weeks (15 days)
Prerequisites
Description
This training is mandatory for all Social Service Specialist 1 employees prior to carrying a caseload independently. It provides participants with a foundational understanding of the caseworker’s roles and responsibilities throughout the life of a case, emphasizing the importance of relationship and engagement with children, parents, and families in a trauma-informed and culturally responsive manner. Another critical aspect of casework that will be emphasized is the importance of partnering with Tribes, community and systems surrounding the child and family. This training will include multiple opportunities for practicing skills, including engaging and interviewing a parent and child in a simulated home environment. Practice using the OR-Kids data system is also planned. A knowledge assessment of key concepts covered in the training will also be conducted.
Resources
Mandatory
Must be completed within 6 months of hire.
Length
4 days
Prerequisites
Description
This training focuses on the well-being needs of the children and young adults who come into contact with the child welfare system. Participants will learn how maltreatment can impact development, including identity development, and the caseworker’s roles and responsibilities in ensuring healthy development for children and young adults. This training emphasizes the importance of significant relationships, connections to community, and encouraging child interests in building resilience, as well as the importance of the caseworker-child relationship. Participants will learn how to ensure they have a complete and holistic picture of a child’s experience, how to build a team around a child, and strategies for effective transition planning. Participants will have the opportunity to hear from a diverse youth panel and engage with multiple expert presenters on real world strategies for meeting the needs of children and young adults.
Resources
Mandatory
Must be completed within 1 year of hire.
Length
3 days
Prerequisites
- Essential Elements of Child Welfare Practice
Description
This training provides a deeper look into the situations that impact many of the families who encounter the child welfare agency. Participants will learn about the dynamics of poverty, adult mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, and sexual offending. The impact of these on children and families will be discussed along with how to effectively collaborate with Tribes, community partners and agencies to support them.
Resources
Mandatory
Must be completed within 6 months of hire.
Length
5 days
Prerequisites
- Essential Elements of Child Welfare Practice
Description
This training provides an in depth exploration of caseworker’s roles and responsibilities in relation to court and the Citizen Review Board (CRB). Various sources of child welfare law and practice as well as the different types of court and court hearings will be presented. The importance of using trauma-informed engagement practices to prepare and involve children, parents, families and Tribes in court processes will be emphasized, as well as the unique aspects of working with refugee families. Participants will learn how to write petitions and court reports, how to prepare for and effectively present in court/CRB, and testify in court. Participants will demonstrate their ability to present a case and testify in court in a simulated court experience. Participants will also take a pre/post knowledge assessment.
Resources
Mandatory
Must be completed within one year of hire.
Length
2 days
Description
A large percentage of children and families in the child welfare system have been affected by trauma, which may have a lasting impact on their well-being and functioning.
TIPS For Child Welfare Workers is a two-day training that will help child welfare professionals:
- Understand the impact of trauma on development and behaviors of children and families
- Identify and address specific trauma-related needs of children and families and
- Integrate a trauma-informed approach to effectively engage, plan for and serve children and families.
Resources
Description
This is a two-week training that covers the most up to date information on policy, procedure and best practice in working with foster, adoptive and relative caregivers.
Topics include: assessment using the SAFE home study model as the foundation, interviewing skills, expedited placements, relative placements, safety standards, criminal background checks, committee presentations, supporting caregivers, allegations in out of home care, caring for sexually reactive children, developmental challenges of adoption, disruption, supervision, finalization, financial assistance through permanency, transitions, mediation and openness.
The training focuses both on the technical aspects of assessment and management of substitute care placements as well as the clinical skills required for in-depth assessment. The training is open to all Child Welfare and Tribal Child Welfare adoption workers, foster home certifiers, and staff who complete relative, foster care, and adoption home studies.
Resources
Mandatory
Prior to Conducting SAFE Home Studies
Length
2 days
Description
The two day SAFE Home Study training is presented by The California Consortium for Children. It is designed for staff responsible for assessing applications for Foster Care, Relative Care and Adoption. The training instructs participants on the use of the SAFE Home Study tool. The learning objectives are to understand the eight SAFE practice values; to understand the SAFE information gathering tools including timing and process; to understand the process of ratings with the Psychosocial Inventory; to learn the SAFE philosophy of proper home study writing methodology and to practice ratings and mitigation.
Resources