Alliance Course Catalog

This short eLearning will answer your questions about how and why adoption support services are offered, what adoption support services exist, and how to access them.

In this workshop supervisors and managers will develop their skills for engaging across culture when tension exists.  Participants will explore Intent vs. Impact, how implicit bias can effect their decision making in determining outcomes and unpack dynamics between employees when conflict exists.  Participants will learn how best to approach tense situations through role playing, video, and small and large group discussion.

Objectives. Participants will…

1. Learn strategies for engaging when they commit, witness or experience a microaggression;
2. Explore strategies for addressing conflict that occurs between their staff;
3. Improve their ability to have courageous conversations.

This course is presented by Dr. Caprice Hollins. Dr. Hollins is the co-founder of Cultures Connecting. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology with an emphasis in multicultural and community psychology in 1998.  She became licensed in Washington State in 2000 and has over 20 years of experience studying and working with ethnically diverse populations.  She has over 14 years of experience teaching graduate courses, working with historically marginalized populations, researching, studying, and facilitating race related conversations. Her experience includes opening and directing the Department of Equity & Race Relations for Seattle Public Schools, developing and implementing district-wide and school-based trainings, while utilizing her background in psychology to assist district leaders and staff, institutionalize change to promote equity and social justice. She also currently works as a part-time core faculty in the department of counseling at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology.

CEU eligible: 6 credits

In this course, you will learn the definitions of child abuse and neglect used in Washington State, as well as your obligation to report suspected child maltreatment.  You will be introduced to 3 foundational concepts used in child welfare work: child safety, risk assessment and global assessment.  You will consider how ethical principles, particularly related to confidentiality and your role as a helping professional impacts how you do your work.  Lastly, you will be introduced to the Safety Framework, the guiding structure used in our state to understand and assess child safety.  You will be asked to consider how culture might affect both your assessment of child safety and the work you do to ensure children are kept safe.

Participants register separately for each part of the module, but MUST complete each session within the module in order. Participants who have not completed 1.1 will not be allowed to participate in 1.2.

Module 1 Child Safety includes:

1.1 eLearning

• Mandatory Reporter
• Ethics and Confidentiality
• Basics of Present Danger and Protective Actions

1.2 Webinar

• Child Safety: Identifying Present Danger

1.3 Webinar

• Child Safety: Taking Protective Actions

In this course, you will learn how protective actions help ensure the safety of children in present danger.  You will learn what components protective actions must include for you to feel confident in their being effective.  Of particular importance, you will consider how you decide whether a specific adult can be relied upon to participate and provide safety to the child.  Finally, you will put everything you have learned about child safety into practice as you consider a scenario and determine whether present danger exists and, if so, what protective actions might be effective.

Participants register separately for each part of the module but MUST complete each session within the module in order. Participants who have not completed 1.1 and 1.2 will not be allowed to participate in 1.3.

Module 1 Child Safety includes:

1.1 eLearning

• Mandatory Reporter
• Ethics and Confidentiality
• Basics of Present Danger and Protective Actions

1.2 Webinar

• Child Safety: Identifying Present Danger

1.3 Webinar

• Child Safety: Taking Protective Actions

Identifying injuries which tend to be seen prior to, or along with, serious physical abuse can help us identify children who are unsafe, and sometimes prevent disastrous consequences.  You will learn about these injuries, called “Sentinel Injuries,” as well as injuries that are more common in childhood and don’t typically raise concern for abuse.  You will practice differentiating between the two using many different scenarios.  Lastly, you will learn more about how to collaborate with key partners, particularly medical professionals, in response to your concerns related to an observed mark or injury.

Participants register separately for each part of the module but MUST complete each session within the module in order.  Participants who have not completed 2.1 will not be allowed to participate in 2.2.

Module 2 Physical Abuse includes:

2.1 eLearning

• Intro to Physical Abuse and MedCon
• Basics of Photographic Documentation
• Limited English Proficiency

2.2 Webinar

• Physical Abuse: Sentinel Injuries

2.3 Webinar

• Physical Abuse: Serious Physical Abuse

In this course, you will learn more about how Washington State defines and responds to neglect and sexual abuse. Afterhours staff rarely interview children to gather information about the specifics of maltreatment, but their discussions with young people can help or hurt DCYF’s ability to protect the child in the future. You will review and apply basic principles of child interviewing to support you in talking with children about their overall safety at home. You will learn about the function of child advocacy centers as partners in responding to sexual abuse concerns. Lastly, you will learn best practice for assessing the suitability of unlicensed relatives/others and the importance of providing caregivers with all information available about the child.

Participants register separately for each part of the module but MUST complete each session within the module in order. Participants who have not completed 3.1 will not be allowed to participate in 3.2.

Module 3 Neglect, Sexual Abuse and Placing Children includes:

3.1 eLearning

• Neglect and Basics of Child Interviews
• Intro to Sexual Abuse and Responding to Spontaneous Disclosure
• Placing with Unlicensed Caregivers for AHCT

3.2 Webinar

• Neglect, Sexual Abuse and Placing Children: Assessing Neglect and Sexual Abuse

3.3 Webinar

• Neglect, Sexual Abuse and Placing Children: Placing Children

Afterhour’s staff respond in crises and emergencies – situations that are likely to be traumatic for everyone involved.  In this course, you will consider ways to reduce the traumatic impact of removal from the home and placement into a new care setting.  You will carefully consider how to determine, along with your supervisor, whether a placement with a relative or suitable other is safe and should occur.  In addition, you will learn how to support the success of a placement by reviewing critical forms with a new caregiver, and providing information about the child.

Participants register separately for each part of the module but MUST complete each session within the module in order.  Participants who have not completed 3.1 and 3.2 will not be allowed to participate in 3.3.

Module 3 Neglect, Sexual Abuse and Placing Children includes:

3.1 eLearning

• Neglect and Basics of Child Interviews
• Intro to Sexual Abuse and Responding to Spontaneous Disclosure
• Placing with Unlicensed Caregivers for AHCT

3.2 Webinar

• Neglect, Sexual Abuse and Placing Children: Assessing Neglect and Sexual Abuse

3.3 Webinar

• Neglect, Sexual Abuse and Placing Children: Placing Children

In this course, you will review several principles of trauma informed care and consider how these apply to your routine interactions with children awaiting placement. You will consider what you will need (and need to do) to care for children awaiting placement, whether that is for an hour or a weekend. Significant time is spent addressing children who have challenging behaviors or exceptional care needs. This includes building a stronger understanding of policy and practice around youth who run away or have returned from being on the run. You will become more familiar with how to monitor, dispense, and document medications to youth who are taking them. Lastly, you will discuss your takeaways from the eLearning related to the Indian Child Welfare act. You will apply what you learned to your role in afterhours, and identify steps you should be taking to ensure everyone’s rights are protected.

Participants register separately for each part of the module but MUST complete each session within the module in order. Participants who have not completed 4.1 will not be allowed to participate in 4.2.

Module 4 Caring for Children, Worker Safety and Documentation includes:

4.1 eLearning

• Caring for Children and Using Car Seats Correctly
• Worker Safety
• Indian Child Welfare: An Introduction

4.2 Webinar

• Caring for Children

4.3 Webinar

• Worker Safety and Documentation

The most frequent allegation of child maltreatment is neglect.  Some families are referred to the department numerous times with little change in family functioning.  In this course, participants will learn how to assess for chronic neglect, its effects on children and appropriate interventions.

This 6 hour focused topic training for caregivers will focus on how children with substance abuse in their life have an increased chance of experiencing many effects, such as poor social, cognitive and emotional development, physical, mental and health issues, depression, anxiety, concentration and learning difficulties, trouble controlling their responses, as well as other traumatic issues. The goal of this workshop is to identify and address the impacts drugs have on children and setting up a successful environment and coping skills. The takeaway from this training is feeling empowered to care for a drug impacted child as they grow through childhood, teenage years and beyond.

This session will provide a basic review of the Safety Framework and an overview of the Specialized Domestic Violence Assessment, focusing on the most salient issues in screening and assessment for child welfare workers.  Participants will then consider a case example of a family experiencing domestic violence (a live case or the case scenario provided in the attachment) and apply the safety framework to determine whether the children in question are safe or unsafe.  Important issues regarding best practices for visitation and other important decisions will be touched on but are not covered in depth in this brief session.

As a result of participating in this workshop participants will:

1. Know the child safety threats most likely to be present when domestic violence endangers child safety.
2. Know CA policy regarding screening for DV and managing cases where DV is identified, including what information workers must attempt to collect to properly assess child safety in families impacted by DV.

Improve skills at assessing child safety in cases where domestic violence is occurring.

This 6-hour focused topic training for caregivers develops an understanding of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as presented in DSM 5 and alternate behavioral descriptions from Daniel Amen MD.  The training also covers the common developmental course of ADHD and a 7 Step Intervention pathway for home and school success.

Randi Hankins has over 30 years of clinical experience in community mental health in Washington State.  She is an Associate Professor in the Clinical Master’s of Social Work Program at Walla Walla University.  She maintains a fulltime clinical practice on a Crisis Response Unit in Southeastern Washington.  Ms. Hankins has trained extensively on Child/Adolescent Mental Health issues in Washington, Idaho and Montana.  She is certified as a Designated Mental Health Professional, a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, a Child Mental Health Specialist, and a Developmental Disabilities Mental Health Specialist in Washington State

The purpose of this e-learning is to provide foundational information about what domestic violence is, and how it can affect child safety. This eLearning also highlights CA’s domestic violence policies and best practices, found in CA’s Social Worker’s Practice Guide to Domestic Violence. It’s recommended that staff complete this e-learning prior to attending “Domestic Violence and Child Welfare”.

Did you know more than half of children’s car seats are installed incorrectly? The car is a dangerous place for a child to be, but there are many resources that can help ensure you’re following all safety and legal guidelines. This brief eLearning for DCYF staff is the perfect spot to start, helping you select, fit and install the correct seat each time you need to transport a child. You will find an overview of basic requirements and Washington state laws as well as real-world installation examples and tips. The course is full of useful, surprising facts – the appropriate time to transition a child out of a booster seat might surprise you! You will also find links to many outside resources for more in-depth information.

Caregiver Core Training (CCT) is the mandatory training for Washington State’s caregivers to become licensed. Caregiver Core Training can be taken two ways – online or in the classroom.

If you prefer to use a self-paced, online eLearning, please click this link to read more about general guidelines for online trainings to make sure it is a good fit for you, and to register for your online training.

If you prefer to take the course in a classroom (conducted at various locations around the state) please continue reading and register below.

Both the online and classroom training cover the same critical content.

Each participant must register separately: if a couple plans to attend together, each member must register individually.

CCT Classroom Version

The 24-hour Caregiver Core Training is made up of eight sessions (each three hours long) and a field experience.

Session 1: Introduction to the Child Welfare System
Session 2: Working as a Member of a Team
Session 3: Working with Birth Families
Session 4: Cultural Connections and Advocacy
Session 5: Growing Up with Trauma, Grief, and Loss
Session 6: Understanding and Managing Behavior
Session 7: Communication and Crisis Management
Session 8: Getting Ready and the Effects on the Caregiving Family

Field Experience: Participants learn outside the classroom by choosing an activity that will give them more awareness of the experience of children within the system or of the role of a caregiver for children in the system. The Field Experience will be approved if it occurs within one year prior to the participant beginning CCT, both in the classroom and on-line versions of Caregiver Core Training.

The sessions are designed to help you understand how the system works, what your role is as a member of the team, how to effectively work with birth families in order to best support the child, how caregiving may impact your own family, child development and the impact of trauma, all about attachment, how to incorporate and honor a child's culture into your own family, and more.  The sessions include the voices of former foster youth, current caregivers and birth parents who have been involved with the system.

The handouts that you need in class will be provided to you. Here are the handouts you will receive in class if you need them for future reference.

Here is the complete Participant Manual with resources and information . Feel free to save it to refer back to or to print it. If you do not have printer access and want a printed copy, let your trainer know that you will need a copy printed for you.

You have one year to complete the course including the online training, and field experience. We will let the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) Licensing Division and the foster care Recruitment and Retention Contractors in your area know about your progress through the course so they can offer you additional support if needed.

Here are some testimonials from potential caregivers who completed Caregiver Core Training:

"I love the passion and the willingness of the trainers to share their stories. It helps to have them give so many examples and answer questions."

"I am a foster home licensor at a CPA in the community. I was also a CFWS social worker for 3 years. I was SO pleasantly surprised by how great this training was. Even though I knew most of the information, the trainers held my attention and gave real-life examples of the concepts. There is SO much to teach about working in child welfare, and for the most part, the trainings hit the highlights."

"This is, by far and away the best training course I have ever taken. The documentation was well thought out and easy to understand. Even though I usually hate them, the activities were fun! I really wish that they could take this on the road to local schools, businesses, non-profits, etc."

"This was by far one of the best training sessions I have had the privilege of attending in a long time. The course trainers did a fantastic job with knowledge and question answering. Most of this class should be taught to teachers in the education field. The trainer did a fantastic job presenting the topics and information and wanted feedback during the class."

"The knowledge level of the presenters was outstanding and their presentation skills were great.  They were interesting to listen to and made the information relevant. I began my classes in Wenatchee and then finished in Ellensburg. While the presenters had their own styles, the above remained true for all of them."

"I really appreciated the personal stories of the former foster youth and birth parents who had been involved in the system.  Their perspectives were important to hear.  Thank you for including them."

"I appreciated having the views and experiences of each of the trainers to help with understanding the needs I will have to meet for the children in my care."

This 90 minute webinar training for caregivers covers what you should know about why Family Time matters for all those involved in a dependency case. The course will teach you a wide range of how you can support Family Time including preparing children for visits, supervising visits, providing transportation, sharing information with the birth family, and much more. You will learn why Family Time matters and the range of possibilities for what Family Time may look like including location options, frequency and length of visits, and level of supervision. As a caregiver you play a role in making Family Time successful and this training will teach you how.

This 6-hour in-service course will prepare caregivers to work with children with sexual behaviors concerns and create an environment to keep the child and other household members safe. Participants will explore values and beliefs before reviewing typical child sexual development and the impacts of trauma, abuse and neglect on development and behaviors. Participants will explore how sexual abuse can impact development, self-image and the household supporting them. After reviewing typical sexual development, participants will learn how different experiences and circumstances may lead to sexual behavior concerns and how to intervene and respond safely. Caregivers will learn their role in promoting health sexual development, positive messaging, prevention education, the importance of establishing house rules and other ideas to maintain safety for the whole household.

Many children in foster or kinship care have a history of exposure to trauma. Caring for Children Who Have Experienced Trauma: A Workshop for Resource Parents (RPC) Session 1 is a 4 module, 6 hour focused topic training which includes nine case studies of representative foster children from the ages of eight months to 15 years, as well as cases of secondary traumatic stress in parents.

Many children in the foster care system have lived through traumatic experiences.  Understanding how trauma affects children can help you make sense of your child’s sometimes baffling behavior, feelings and attitudes.  Once you understand why your child behaves the way he or she does, you’ll be better prepared to help him or her cope with the effects of trauma.  In this workshop, you’ll improve your ability to communicate with your child, learn skills and techniques to influence your child’s behavior and attitudes, and learn ways to reduce the stress of parenting a traumatized child.  The goal of this workshop is to make you a more effective resource parent, and to enable you to have more of the positive experiences that make being a resource parent so worthwhile.

Session 1 is a 4 module, 6 hour training, including:

• Module 1: Intro on Trauma Informed Parenting
• Module 2: Trauma 101
• Module 3: Understanding Trauma’s Effects
• Module 4: Building a Safe Place

This 6 hour focused training for caregivers provides an in-depth exploration of secure attachment and challenges to attachment as well as building caregiver skills to enhance attachment with children in out of home care.  

This in-service webinar training will provide instruction on the principles and application of research-based child interviewing, effective testimony, and interviewing skills with cultural considerations. It will address the special challenges of working with vague allegations, resistant children and adolescents, non-offending parents and alleged offenders. The purpose of this training is to enhance child interviewing skills. You will have the opportunity on the webinar to participate in intensive interview skill building exercises with trained actors. The training will provide individualized feedback concerning dealing with complex situations, and working with children who are reluctant to talk or have special needs.

This two-day in-service training delivered by webinar will prepare new CFWS caseworkers and experienced CFWS caseworkers who wish to improve their practice to engage parents and families from the point of transfer or case assignment. Participants will learn how to make the most of the first meeting and monthly visits with the parent in building a working relationship geared toward safe reunification and timely permanency. Participants will explore engaging children and caregivers during monthly visits, best interest considerations and permanency planning. Participants will be provided tools to improve the quality of court reports in addressing policy requirements and good practice.

A pre-requisite to the webinar training is the Permanency Considerations (eLearning). Participants must register and complete this eLearning prior to the webinar.

This eLearning primarily features a video of a popular Child Protection Medical Consultation (MedCon) presentation for Regional Core Training. The video showcases two respected and well-known child abuse pediatricians, Dr. Rebecca Wiester and Dr. Joyce Gilbert. Dr. Wiester and Dr. Gilbert discuss important aspects of Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, and Neglect within the context of their expertise as child protection medial consultants.

Viewers are walked through recognizing sentinel injuries; understanding Abusive Head Trauma and its connection to the Period of PURPLE Crying; identifying when to seek medical consultation, how to submit a referral, and what information to provide; and how to locate important county protocols and policy resources online. Viewers will also be provided with a helpful Notes Worksheet, which will guide them through capturing important information needed in practice, and to pass the quiz at the end. This eLearning also provides a Facilitator Guide and can be viewed either individually, or facilitated for a small group viewing.

This is a webinar version of the classroom and will cover the same content.  The two different CPS pathways, Family Assessment Response (FAR) and Investigations will be discussed. This training includes learning modules on: Interviewing members of a household to assess safety, including children, parents and Subjects; Collateral information gathering; Protocols when working with Law Enforcement (LE); Working with Child Protection Medical Consultant Network (MEDCON) and local medical providers; Utilizing the Child Safety Framework; completing the Investigative Assessment (IA) & the Family Assessment Response Family Assessment (FARFA); Following Indian Child Welfare Act policies (ICWA); and other policy & legal requirements. Also covered in this webinar training will be requirements for reasonable efforts to prevent placement, addressing Domestic Violence, CSEC, Infant Child Safety; and more. Participants will be asked to review several examples of CPS intakes and the information in the course will be presented through using these case examples. On the last day, there will be a panel made up of Children’s Administration Investigative and FAR staff and a Parent Ally. This course is required for all first year CPS Case Workers as well as caseworkers and supervisors transferring to a CPS position who have not attended the CPS track within the past two years.

Coaching for Area Administrators provides one-on-one skill building sessions using a Learner Centered Coaching Model. Coaching provides essential professional development opportunities to support the daily work you do as an Area Administrator to support the supervisors in your office or program. Topics that can be covered are integration of the Quality Matters Series, use of the Learner Centered Coaching Model, skill building opportunities for integration of Coaching into daily work, or observation and feedback on skills used to engage with staff. Sessions can be scheduled in 30 minute intervals and based on your need.

Coaching sessions are utilized to enhance a learner’s specific skill attainment in an identified area of practice.  Coaching sessions are provided to Children’s Administration workforce to help workers attain specific skills pertinent to their daily work/practice in child welfare.  Identified goals are created and progress towards those goals is measured by both the learner and the coach after each session. 

Case Organization and Prioritization field based coaching topics include:

How to prioritize the daily work, including:  using outlook, desk calendars, and reminders; prioritization of caseload activities, assessments and due dates for different programs; reassessing safety and updating safety assessments at pivotal points in the case.

Coaching sessions are an opportunity for participants to receive training and support on critical topics that is flexible enough to respond to their current needs.  Coaching sessions can involve one or several workers, and may be delivered in person, on the phone or by other real time collaboration (face-time, etc).  Preferably, they allow material to be understood within a context of an actual case, and completion of current work.

This coaching session opportunity for staff will aim at compliance with ICWA, give recommendations for working with Tribes and Tribal families, revisit the Federal Act, State ICW codes and current policies/procedures when ICWA applies or is being considered.  

This session will revisit current practices in CA, specialized units and steps available for staff, including tailored topics such as:

1. Initial Intake (ICW Procedures at initial contact) 
2. Tribal/State Agreements 
3. Inquiry and Verification of Child’s Indian Status 
4. Disclosure of Confidential Records/Information to Tribes
5. Child Protective Services for Indian Children 
6. Casework Activities for Court Proceedings – forms Legal Notice, FamLink Response from NAIR eLearning, Monthly Progress report, 
7. Indian Child Placement Preferences and Relative Search
8. Adoption
9. Interstate Compact on the Placement of Indian Children
10. Local Indian Child Welfare Advisory Committees 
11. Payments for Services for Children in Tribal Care or Custody
12. Casework Services for Children and Families of Non-Federally Recognized Tribes and Canadian First Nations

Coaching for Supervisors provides a one-on-one professional development opportunity and is an essential element in supporting the daily work supervisors do with their units and staff. Sessions can be scheduled in 30 minute intervals and can cover:

• Observation and feedback on monthly supervisory case reviews
• Use of Supervisor Review Tool in FamLink
• Documentation / Assessment review and approvals
• Observation and feedback on skills used to engage with staff
• Organization and Prioritization of work

This training is for licensed and unlicensed caregivers and relative / kinship providers to support LGTBQ+ youth in their care.

Research shows that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and two spirit (LGBTQ+) youth are overrepresented in the foster care system. LGBTQ+ youth in out of home care face additional challenges such as discrimination, stigma and bullying. LGBTQ+ children/youth feel unsafe and face rejection from their families, schools and community. Many times, LGBTQ+ youth do not have access to appropriate health care and mental health resources.

This eLearning course was developed from Connecting, a prevention-focused program specifically for foster parents and relative caregivers, and teens in out of home care. Connecting was created using input and advice from social workers, caregivers, and LGBTQ+ foster youth.

This eLearning will provide caregivers an overview of the:

• Myths and stereotypes about LGBTQ+ children/youth and will provide facts and realities;
• Fundamental facts and terms about LGBTQ+ children/youth;
• Provide opportunities for activities for caregivers and children/youth;
• Address safety issues and develop plans for children/youth safety; and
• Learn how to promote the health, safety and well-being of the children/youth in care. 

This eLearning will allow the caregiver to complete activities on their own as well as together with the LGBTQ+ children/youth in their care.

Participants will learn about the importance of contract monitoring, the Contract Monitoring Team, the purpose of a Compliance Agreement, and what to do if there are concerns about a contractor’s performance.

If you are a first time foster parent you are required to complete a CPR/First Aid and Blood Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) class. This class is a blended online course with three parts – two online eLearnings and a skill based in person class. The BBP online course covers what you need to know as a caregiver when in contact with blood and other potentially infectious materials. The CPR/First Aid online course provides the knowledge needed when dealing with the range of problems that can arise from minor everyday instances such as cuts and headaches to the more serious emergencies such as allergic reactions, heart attacks and strokes. Once both eLearnings are completed, the final part is the skill evaluation with an instructor where you will get to apply and practice the techniques you have learned. A certificate will be issued once all three parts are successfully completed and will be valid for two years. The BBP class only needs to be completed once for the initial license.

PLEASE NOTE: Each participant MUST REGISTER SEPARATELY in order to receive their certification.  If a couple or group plans to complete the training together, each member must still register and go through the online course individually. You must be logged in and on the course page to see the registration button.

This Foster Parent Initial Licensing: CPR/First Aid/Bloodborne Pathogens Certification consists of the following 3 classes:

• ProBloodBorne: Healthcare Bloodborne Pathogens (eLearning) - 1 hour

Bloodborne Pathogens Training is an OSHA mandated training program for any person who may be reasonably anticipated to face contact with blood and other potentially infectious materials as the result of performing their duties as a caregiver. ProBloodborne is for individuals who must comply with OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.1030. This course is aimed specifically at those in the healthcare industry and applies to Caregivers in WA state who are seeking to be a licensed Foster Parent for the first time. The BBP certification only needs to be completed once for the Foster Parent licensing process.

• ProFirstAid: CPR + First Aid for All Ages (eLearning) - 4.5 hours

ProFirstAid is a blended training where students complete an online course for CPR, First Aid, and AED usage and then later schedule a skill evaluation with an instructor. Once the instructor has confirmed a passing score, the student will receive their electronic CPR Certification card via email with an option to request a physical copy mailed to them within 7-10 business days. CPR certification is valid for 2 years.

• ProFirstAid: CPR Skills Evaluation - 1 hour

Note: Due to limitations for classroom trainings related to COVID-19 public health considerations, the CPR skills evaluation is currently on hold per DCYF. Those seeking their first foster care license may complete the BBP and CPR eLearnings and submit their certificates for licensure. Once the CPR skills assessment is opened back up, you will be required to return here to complete the skills assessment to be certified in CPR.

Foster Parent Initial Licensing: CPR/First Aid/Bloodborne Pathogens Certification follows the latest American Heart Association and ECC/ILCOR guidelines and is nationally accredited.

The eLearnings are available in English or Spanish.

This training is designed for social workers who are serving children placed with Kinship Caregivers, and their supervisors.  The class will prepare you to recognize and address the issues that Kinship Caregivers are most likely to confront, and those that often lead to placement disruption or impact child wellbeing.  Participants will leave with a host of written resources that may be helpful as they talk with caregivers about their needs and about the child’s needs, and as they guide caregivers in connecting to resources within and outside the department that will decrease stress and increase support for them and their families.  Participants will also practice discussing issues of concern with relative caregivers, so that they can be best prepared to have these discussions frequently and successfully with Kinship Caregivers.

As an administrative professional you are important, and so is your safety! This eLearning will help you learn a range of prevention behaviors that can keep tense situations from turning into crises. You'll learn about understanding where anger comes from and what it looks like, tools to help others stay calm and communicate what they need, helpful communication strategies for tense situations, acknowledging individual and cultural differences and how they affect communication, and understanding how to manage your own emotional responses to hard situations. There are many opportunities within the course to examine real-life situations and practice applying the information. Upon completing the course, learners will be better prepared to manage their own and other people’s responses to tense situations, helping everyone stay calm and safe.       

The Dependency Petition eLearning is an interactive and independent learning activity integrating brief legal instruction and practical application/skill building regarding Dependency Petitions.

Working with families impacted by Domestic Violence can be challenging, nerve wracking, and sometimes inspiring.  You may often wish that you had more guidance about how you should approach this work.  In this course, you’ll learn more about the policy and legal guidance for child welfare work with families experiencing domestic violence.  More importantly, you’ll learn the best practices for this work and get to practice applying these best practices.  In Washington we are lucky to have an entire manual outlining these best practices, “The Social Worker’s Practice Guide to Domestic Violence.”  This guide will be heavily relied upon in this course and you’ll become familiar with most of its contents.  The course aims to build your knowledge and skills across four core areas: universal and periodic screening for domestic violence, conducting a specialized DV assessment, engagement and accountability with DV perpetrators, and case planning in families experiencing DV.  In addition, you’ll learn about the different types of protection orders that may exist and the implications of each, as well as the process of domestic violence safety planning with adult DV victims.              

This 6-hour focused topic training for caregivers covers how to recognize and support disordered eating and recovery from disordered eating.  Participants will learn when and how to seek professional help, feeding practices to encourage a positive eating environment for all ages, and reasons that hoarding occurs and how to respond to it.

Meaghan Ormsby, MS, RD is a Registered Dietitian with 15 years of experience treating disordered eating and child feeding issues. She sees male and female clients of all ages in her private practice in Edmonds, WA. Her graduate thesis focused on the benefits of a positive relationship with food related to healthy habits and sustained healthy eating practices.  She has experience with food insecurity as a respite foster care provider and an adoptive mother. Meaghan is also a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor.

This is Section 5 of the 3-hour in-service level training for Social Workers that explores the principles of child development across the age ranges of birth to three years, three to five years, five to 11 years, and 11 to 17 years.  In each age range, factors that affect development across physical, social, emotional, cognitive and reproductive domains, as well as the developmental effects of abuse and neglect on those domains are examined through videos, worksheets, and case scenarios.  Information is provided about services and resources to support Social Workers and children in care.

Participants can view and get credit for completion of all or only specific sections of the elearning:

• Section 1: Foundational Concepts of Child Development (30 minutes)
• Section 2: Birth to Three Years (60 minutes)
• Section 3: Three to Five Years (30 minutes)
• Section 4: Five to 11 Years (30 minutes)
• Section 5: 11 to 17 Years (30 minutes)

This is Section 4 of the 3-hour in-service level training for Social Workers that explores the principles of child development across the age ranges of birth to three years, three to five years, five to 11 years, and 11 to 17 years.  In each age range, factors that affect development across physical, social, emotional, cognitive and reproductive domains, as well as the developmental effects of abuse and neglect on those domains are examined through videos, worksheets, and case scenarios.  Information is provided about services and resources to support Social Workers and children in care.

Participants can view and get credit for completion of all or only specific sections of the elearning:

• Section 1: Foundational Concepts of Child Development (30 minutes)
• Section 2: Birth to Three Years (60 minutes)
• Section 3: Three to Five Years (30 minutes)
• Section 4: Five to 11 Years (30 minutes)
• Section 5: 11 to 17 Years (30 minutes)

This is Section 3 of the 3-hour in-service level training for Social Workers that explores the principles of child development across the age ranges of birth to three years, three to five years, five to 11 years, and 11 to 17 years.  In each age range, factors that affect development across physical, social, emotional, cognitive and reproductive domains, as well as the developmental effects of abuse and neglect on those domains are examined through videos, worksheets, and case scenarios.  Information is provided about services and resources to support Social Workers and children in care.

Participants can view and get credit for completion of all or only specific sections of the elearning:

• Section 1: Foundational Concepts of Child Development (30 minutes)
• Section 2: Birth to Three Years (60 minutes)
• Section 3: Three to Five Years (30 minutes)
• Section 4: Five to 11 Years (30 minutes)
• Section 5: 11 to 17 Years (30 minutes)

Washington States Extended Foster Care Program allows dependent youth in placement at age 18 to continue to receive services including placement resources until age 21, in order to complete their education and ease the transition to adulthood. In this eLearning, case carrying Supervisors and Case Workers will become familiar with the evolution of this program as well as its current Policy and Practice and learn how to document various EFC Services in FamLink.

Family Preservation Services, or FPS, is one option social workers have when assessing for the most appropriate in-home service.  This interactive eLearning will cover the service components of FPS, what to expect from the FPS provider and what is required of the referring social worker in the delivery of FPS services.

This online learning course will help you develop skills to support virtual family time. In this training you are provided with structured support, guidance and training to:

• Connect with the caseworker to prepare for remote supervised visits that will, to some extent, include both parent and foster/relative caregiver(s)
• Prepare the parent(s) for positive remote supervised visitation with their children
• Prepare the foster or relative caregiver(s) for how to support the child in their care in having positive remote supervised visitation with their parent(s)
• Hold a virtual Family Time Partnership meeting between the parent(s) and foster/relative caregiver(s) prior to supervised visits taking place to plan and prepare for virtual visits by getting to know one another, setting expectations and agreements and plan for and provide some structure for the remote visits
• Support the parent(s) and caregiver(s) in having positive and productive remote supervised visits and supervise the visits
• Create a plan to debrief one-on-one with the parent(s) and the caregiver(s) to celebrate success

In addition, two videos developed by Fostering Connections for Families will be shared that model a family time partnership meeting as well and an example of what a virtual family time could look like. 

Grief for children is the disruption of a bond, and in any foster situation, significant bonds have been disrupted or broken. This makes foster children more emotionally vulnerable when other losses occur. A friend may move, a pet dies, or a teacher goes on maternity leave. All these events placed the foster child in a very precarious position. This training will help you to understand that a lot more is on their emotional plate then on other children. You will learn how to address and support the child in a time of transition.

This training will cover:

• The stages of grief
• A condensed developmental understanding of how children grieve at different ages and understandings.
• How to communicate with children
• How transition, grief and loss might trigger old feelings for the child and caregiver
• Developing a plan and skills to support children in times of transition.

A difficult conversation is a discussion between or among individuals that has the potential to lead to conflict or highly negative emotional reactions. In child welfare settings, difficult conversations may involve (a) delivering bad news, for example a decision to continue an emergency out-of-home placement or to terminate parental rights (b) confronting parents, foster parents, attorneys or other professionals with information and perspectives with which they are likely to disagree or confronting the unacceptable behavior of peers, supervisors, managers or other professionals (c) engaging in dialogue regarding controversial subjects or decisions. The guidelines below may also prove useful in resolving internal conflicts within or between units or in discussions of differences between and among caseworkers, supervisors and managers.

This 3-hour webinar is part 2 of a 2-part series, and will provide participants with an understanding of substance use and when it affects the safety of children in the family, how to safety plan with families who have children of all ages (0-18), how to support clients in their treatment programs, and how to measure progress sufficient to have mitigated the safety threats to the children.

Participants are required to complete the Part 1 webinar before attending the webinar for Part 2.

This four hour webinar will provide you with tools and resources about Healthy Sexual Development needed to ensure the children in your care have the necessary information and support to become healthy adults. Upon completion, you will be able to identify what healthy sexual development is by age and stage of development, recognize your own possible discomfort in talking about healthy sexual development with children and youth, and you will be able to integrate healthy sexual development conversations with children and youth into everyday life.

All children deserve the best start in life and new scientific discoveries deepen our understanding of how to create the best environments for children. The team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This 1 hour class covers the following:

• How brains are built. An enormous amount of brain development occurs in the first five years.
• Early childhood experiences shape the physical development of the brain.
• The strength of connections formed in a child’s brain depends, to a certain extent, on the frequencies of experiences they have in their lives.

All children deserve the best start in life and new scientific discoveries deepen our understanding of how to create the best environments for children. The team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This hour long class covers the following key points:

• From the first day of life, children watch others and imitate their actions to learn about the physical world and their culture.
• As they grow older, they can remember actions for longer (deferred imitation), and use them to navigate situations (generalizations).
• Children’s brains seem ready to imitate-studies have found similar changes in infants’ brain activity whether they are doing an activity or just watching it.

All children deserve the best start in life and new scientific discoveries deepen our understanding of how to create the best environments for children. The team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This hour long class covers the following points:

• Language learning begins before birth. A young brain is particularly ready to learn language.
• When listening to language, infants engage in statistical learning. This helps them become sensitive to the specific sounds of their native language.
• Face-to-face interactions are critical for language learning. In the first year of life, social interactions expose children to language. They also prepare the infant brain for speaking.

All children deserve the best start in life and new scientific discoveries deepen our understanding of how to create the best environments for children. The team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This hour long class covers the following points:

• Attachment is a dyadic relationship. This means that an attachment relationship depends on both the adult and the child.
• Attachment security is on a continuum. Children’s attachment behavior can be more or less secure. Their behavior depends on the caregiving they receive.
• A child is more likely to form a secure attachment when her caregiver provides consistent and sensitive care.

All children deserve the best start in life and new scientific discoveries deepen our understanding of how to create the best environments for children. The team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This hour long class covers the following points:

• Babies begin making vowel-like sounds soon after birth. They soon add consonant sounds. Then they transition to syllables, words, and finally sentences. This pattern is similar across different cultures and languages.
• Children use different strategies to learn words and word combinations. During the process of learning, they sometimes make errors in word or sentence use. As they hear more language, their use of words and sentences becomes more adult-like.
• Language learning begins at birth! Those children who hear more language and experience more high quality interactions tend to produce more words and longer sentences.

All children deserve the best start in life and new scientific discoveries deepen our understanding of how to create the best environments for children. The team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This hour long class covers the following points:

• Babies are born with different temperaments or ways they approach everyday events and challenges. Biology helps determine temperament, but environment and experiences also influence a child’s temperament and development.
• Temperament consists of three dimensions: positive reactivity; negative reactivity; and attention, soothability, and regulation. Each dimension is a continuum, meaning a child can show more or less of a behavior.
• You cannot change a child’s temperament, but you can adapt your behavior and environment to meet the child’s needs. This is creating goodness of fit between your expectations and a child’s temperament.

All children deserve the best start in life and new scientific discoveries deepen our understanding of how to create the best environments for children. The team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This hour long class covers the following points:

• Race is meaningful in our social world and racism still exists today.
• Our actions matter - what parents do – or don’t do – is a strong indicator of children’s attitudes about race.
• Our words matter too! Research suggests that not talking about race with kids increases racist thinking and racism. But talking about race can be one of the best ways to counteract racism.
• Kids are aware of race, form racial identities and observe and integrate ideas about race from those around them and reflect it in their own attitudes and behaviors.
• Preventative and Reactionary ‘race chats’ are an effective way to discuss race and racism with children. These conversations with evolve and change over time, as a child grows.
• We do not need to have all the answers to have effective ‘race chats’ with children. We just need to be open, and be able to offer a safe space to talk.

All children deserve the best start in life and new scientific discoveries deepen our understanding of how to create the best environments for children. The team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This hour long class covers the following points:

• Spoken language skills serve as the foundation for literacy development. Literacy involves years of systematic instruction and practice.
• Children may enter kindergarten with a range of pre-literacy skills. It is important for teachers to provide a rich literacy environment for all children. Reading to and with children is a great way to boost pre-literacy skills.
• The brain is not born to read. With practice, our brains learn to recognize words, match words with sounds, and associate those words with meaning.
• Some people have more difficulty learning to read than others. But this does not mean that they won’t ever learn how or that they are less intelligent. Many different factors contribute to a child’s pre-literacy skills.

All children deserve the best start in life and new scientific discoveries deepen our understanding of how to create the best environments for children. The team at I-LABS creates new and effective ways to bridge the gap between the science and the practice of learning by disseminating the latest science of child development. Our team shares the latest scientific discoveries in relevant and actionable ways with those who can best put it into practice: early learning professionals, parents, and policymakers. Partners use cutting-edge research to create evidence-based policies, practices, and programs that grow the next generation of lifelong learners.

This hour long class covers the following points:

• In the first year of life, babies already start to make predictions about what things are causes and what are effects.  By the time they are in preschool, children are proficient causal learners, ready to engage in and learn from causal lessons.
• Children of all ages learn how to make things happen on their own from watching what other people do.  They do this even if the people they are watching make mistakes or things don’t work perfectly.
• Cause-and-effect relations also occur between living things. Figuring out how to cause people to change their behavior is important for children’s social development.  
• Lessons about cause-and-effect happen at home and in the classroom all the time, with little or no need for special tools, toys, or preparation.

• Know the legal definition of commercial sexual exploitation of children
• Understand how commercial sexual exploitation might happen to a youth
• Understand how experiencing commercial sexual exploitation may impact a youth
• Be able to spot signs that youth are at risk for becoming (or are) commercially sexually exploited
• Have strategies for caring for youth who are at risk for becoming (or have been) commercially sexually exploited

This 6-hour course will help child welfare staff build skills to more accurately identify youth who are or may be commercially sexually exploited. The training will provide a framework for understanding this issue, as well as for understanding the basic social work practices that support helping these youth reach positive outcomes. Participants will leave understanding CA's policy and legal requirements related to screening and supporting these youth, will practice and consider approaches to supporting these youth, and will be provided with a list of statewide community resources.

Staff from the Department of Children, Youth, and Families and members of the Tribal and legal community will come together to learn how to strengthen their skills and discuss current practice.

Coaching sessions are utilized to address a caregiver's specific needs and build specific skills. Identified goals are created and progress towards those goals is measured by both the learner and the coach after the session.

This Coaching Session for Caregivers builds upon information contained in Caregivers Core Training (CCT) and provides detailed training related to the writing and submitting of the Caregiver’s Report to the Court. Participants will understand the caregiver’s role in the court process and how to effectively communicate with the court and other parties through the Caregiver’s Report to the Court. During the session the caregiver will have the opportunity to compose an actual court report about the child in their care and receive specific feedback from the Child Welfare Trainer.

Coaching sessions are utilized to address a caregiver's specific needs and build specific skills. Identified goals are created and progress towards those goals is measured by both the learner and the coach after the session.

This Coaching Session provides in-depth support around specific topics identified by the caregiver as needed. The topics covered may include a Positive Discipline response to any behavior identified in the Positive Discipline A-Z index. The intention of this coaching session is to help the participant apply the Positive Discipline lens and framework to issues that are currently coming up in their home.

Participants must have attended at least one session of Positive Discipline training in order to utilize the coaching option. See links in Registration Instructions below.

Participants learn about infant communication, safe sleep environments, and the shaken baby syndrome to better care for infants placed in their homes.  Equipped with the information, participants are able to be responsive and provide safe care to the infant.  Participants will become familiar with the Period of Purple Crying as a strategy to help infants in their foster home.

Using objective evidence, recognizing patterns of behavior, considering families’ perspectives, and utilizing collaterals can improve decision-making in child welfare.  Skills to ensure incorporation of new information and to identify biases, including confirmation bias, will be examined in this course to improve decision making.

Qualifications of presenter: Dee Wilson has worked in the child welfare field since 1971. Mr. Wilson worked as a caseworker in public child welfare in Colorado Springs, Colorado from 1971-74 and in Canon City, Colorado from 1974-78. From 1978-2004, Dee Wilson worked in various capacities for Washington State's child welfare system: CPS caseworker (1978-85), CPS supervisor (1985-89), area administrator in the Spokane office (1989-1995), training director (1995-97) and regional administrator in southwest Washington (1997-2004).  Since 2004, Mr. Wilson worked at the University of Washington and then went to work at Casey Family Programs as a consultant in child protection.

This is Session 1.2 of the Intake In-Service course, which will support new staff working at Intake to gain the knowledge and skills they need to be effective in gathering and documenting information and in screening intakes. The course is divided into three modules which occur at different times during the employee’s first six months at Intake.

Participants will learn critical information about how to make screening decisions using the standardized tools in FamLink – the sufficiency screen and the SDM for Intake. Participants will learn about the state definitions of child abuse and neglect, and the SDM Intake tool, which helps ensure accurate and consistent screening decisions for screened in CPS Intakes. During much of the training, participants will be applying what they have learned to a series of intake scenarios, and will receive feedback on their work.

This is Session 1.4 of the Intake In-Service course, which will support new staff working at Intake to gain the knowledge and skills they need to be effective in gathering and documenting information and in screening intakes. The course is divided into three modules which occur at different times during the employee’s first six months at Intake.

This training will identify the problem of racial disproportionality in our state’s child welfare system, focusing on disproportionality at intake. The importance of Cultural competence for intake workers is presented, and practical tips related to Intake’s role in child welfare are provided. Participants will learn how they can work to best serve persons with Limited English Proficiency. Additionally, the training will provide guidance about Intake’s role in complying with the Indian Child Welfare Act and in supporting early identification of children who are Native American.

This is Session 1.6 of the Intake In-Service course, which will support new staff working at Intake to gain the knowledge and skills they need to be effective in gathering and documenting information and in screening intakes. The course is divided into three modules which occur at different times during the employee’s first six months at Intake.

This brief e-leaning will orient you to some basic considerations related to screening intakes which involve licensed or other state regulated facilities.

This is Session 2.2 of the Intake In-Service course, which will support new staff working at Intake to gain the knowledge and skills they need to be effective in gathering and documenting information and in screening intakes. The course is divided into three modules which occur at different times during the employee’s first six months at Intake.

This e-learning will help you ask the screening questions most likely to provide you with information about domestic violence if its occurring, identify domestic violence based upon the information you have gathered, consider the impact of identified domestic violence on the child’s safety, and adequately document the information you obtain.

In this eLearning participants will review the stages of an adult FVS/CFWS interview and the information they need to gather in each stage; read a case summary; and view an interview with the parents related to the case.

This 3-hour in-service training for caregivers provides an introduction to the adoption process including the homestudy, adoption support, the legal process and steps to adoption. This training is open to all participants: those who have not taken Caregiver Core Training, those who have, and those who are using the training as a field placement. This training helps caregivers consider their decisions around public and private agencies and whether to foster to adopt or pursue adoption only.  The focus of the training is understanding the process including the emotional impacts of commitment, changing your family, grieving and attachment. 

The training will also give information about:

• open adoptions
• the placement process
• resources
• and more.