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

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.

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. 

Ad Hoc field based coaching topics include:

Tasks such as AFCARS, redaction, case closure, and entering ICWA/NAIR information into FamLink, filing of documentation into case files.

Coaching sessions are utilized to enhance a learner’s specific skill attainment in an identified area of practice.  Coaching sessions are provided to Department of Children, Youth, and Families 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 Department of Children, Youth, and Families, 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

In this coaching session you will get individual support from a coach as you apply what you learned during the NCAST/PCI Teaching Scales Certification training. This application includes observing a teaching interaction and gathering pertinent information about the parent-child dyad; assessment of parent-child interactions; scoring the Teaching Scale; and recommending service interventions for parents and young children. You will get direct feedback as you learn to apply the skills and knowledge to your everyday interactions with children and families inside and outside the scope of the Teaching Scales assessment.

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

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.

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.

Children and youth in care who identify as LGBTQ+ face challenges that can affect their quality of life far beyond their experiences in the child welfare system. Because of this, it is especially important that Licensing Division Foster Care employees can assess providers’ and caregivers’ ability to provide a welcoming and affirming environment for LGBTQ+ children and youth.

The training first takes you through an exercise that allows you to reflect on possible personal biases that may affect your evaluation of prospective caregivers, children and youth during the licensing process. You will then go through a learning around SOGIE/LGBTQ+ terminology and discuss how to talk to children, youth and providers about LGBTQ+ culture, a critical component of interviewing.

A key component of the course is the focus on being able to review and apply the laws and minimum licensing requirements around assessing a provider’s ability (not just willingness) to care and support children and youth who identify as LGBTQ+, as well as the provider’s level of knowledge pertaining to LGBTQ+ children and youth, and their interest in expanding that knowledge as needed. This learning includes defining welcoming and affirming environments. You will learn characteristics of those spaces, such as open conversations with children and youth, and talk about how to support caregivers in providing positive and affirming surroundings.

Finally, you will dive in for a deep look at nondiscrimination-focused RCWs, WACs, and Policies, Practices and Procedures, and discuss how to apply them in licensing and investigations. You will have an opportunity to build skills formulating and applying questions based on current licensing standards and mandates.

At the close of the training, you will have a personal and professional action plan that outlines what you have studied and the steps you will take to best engage with, learn from and advocate for your clients.

Drug testing practices and their use in child welfare assessment of safety and risk is covered in this course.  Participants learn the guidelines for the frequency and duration of testing, practices at drug collection sites, detection of adulterated samples and interpreting drug test results. Participants will know what to test and how to include this in the assessments of parents involved in the child welfare system, focusing on the behavior of parents, and knowing what a drug test can tell us is emphasized.

Facilitated Cohort Learning Sessions To Support ICWA Practice provides former cohorts from RCT and SCT classes that are working on Indian Child Welfare cases to expand their knowledge beyond core training curriculum and gain application within live cases. Topics of the sessions are identified by the cohort members and learning activities are organized and facilitated by Alliance staff. These sessions will review current WA State ICWA practices while providing opportunities to apply critical thinking to the overall complexities of child welfare work. 

Tailored topics may include:

• Initial Intake (ICW Procedures at initial contact) 
• Tribal/State Agreements 
• Inquiry and Verification of Child’s Indian Status 
• Disclosure of Confidential Records/Information to Tribes
• Child Protective Services for Indian Children 
• Active Efforts
• Casework Activities for Court Proceedings – forms Legal Notice, FamLink Response from NAIR eLearning, Monthly Progress report 
• Indian Child Placement Preferences and Relative Search
• Adoption
• Interstate Compact on the Placement of Indian Children
• Local Indian Child Welfare Advisory Committees 
• Casework Services for Children and Families of Non-Federally Recognized Tribes and Canadian First Nations

Family time is an essential part of supporting a child’s ongoing relationships while they are in out-of-home care. When a parent is incarcerated, there are specific policies and processes that need to be followed to ensure continuation of family time. This training will help you understand from start to finish the process of completing a visitation at a Washington Department of Corrections (DOC) prison, and how to supplement contact in other appropriate ways.

This eLearning will walk you through the myriad requirements and details involved in these types of visitations, in an easy-to-understand way. You will learn how to navigate DOC websites, schedule visitation, and which forms you will need to secure and why. You also will review the requirements and steps to arranging electronic/telephonic contact, which are additional tools you can use to support the connection between parent and child. You will have multiple opportunities throughout to test your knowledge with real-life scenarios.

The course also covers information you will need to prepare a child, the caregiver and the family time supervisor in advance of a visit to an incarcerated parent. This learning includes why it’s important to “debrief” with the child after family time.

At the close, you will get the complete resources you will need going forward, and you will take a final quiz to ensure you have fully grasped all of the information.

Assessment of every environment in which an infant lives and sleeps, as well as all individuals providing care, is critical to ensuring the safety of this vulnerable population. Emphasis will be placed on developmental needs, attachment, and the infant’s relationships. The focus of this course is to provide instruction around assessment of the infant’s interactions with both caregivers and the environment, identifying parent/caregiver training or support needs, and opportunities for demonstration, practice, and feedback pertaining to meeting the practice and policy requirements for this component of the Infant Safety Education and Intervention.

The Plan of Safe Care is an element of case planning for families with infants born with and affected by substance abuse or withdrawal symptoms resulting from prenatal drug exposure, or a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, or born to a dependent youth. The Plan of Safe Care focuses on access to a network of community-based providers and support services and addresses the needs of both the infant and the family/caregiver. The focus of this course is to provide opportunities for demonstration, practice, and feedback pertaining to meeting the practice and policy requirements for this component of the Infant Safety Education and Intervention Policy.

In this course you will learn about the requirements of the Interstate Compact and Placement of Children (ICPC), including both sending children in foster care to other States, and receiving children in foster care from other States. In addition, you will learn how ICPC applies to ICWA cases.  Your role and responsibilities from beginning to end are covered including the home study process, completing quarterly reports, and closing cases. Details about common violations, parent visits, and how to contact the headquarters ICPC team for support and guidance are provided.

Collaboration and mentorship are central tenets of leadership, and coaching provides an opportunity to help supervisors identify practice barriers that have direct impact to the children and families you serve. In this course, you will learn how to build coaching capacity into your work supervising staff. At the center of this is the Learner Centered Coaching model, which enhances practice skills and self-efficacy of DCYF supervisors. It aims to reduce trauma response in the child welfare practice environment by highlighting positive regard, cultural humility and a trauma-informed lens.

This training will provide a foundational picture of how to utilize coaching in supervision. The introduction covers identification of behaviors that create a sense of psychological safety for individuals on your team, a must-have for success. The core of the training will highlight the principles of complex skill development in adults, as well as, the Learner Centered Coaching model itself, including the principles, values and behaviors that make up a “coaching stance” and the five steps of learner centered coaching. Throughout the course you will be asked to consider what you might do differently in your ongoing staff development work, and the individual skills you might be using at each step in the coaching process.

The education in this training goes beyond the webinar. Before your training is complete, you will have a chance to apply this information by using handouts and reflection worksheets to consider how you will integrate coaching into your work. You will also submit a coaching plan and begin the coaching process with two of your staff members. And to encourage your long-term professional development, you will be supported after you complete the course, through individualized coaching and resources to help you develop and enhance your coaching skills as you move forward.

This eLearning covers the correct way to administer, log, store, and dispose of medications. In addition, this eLearning will provide information/protocol to revise agency policies and procedures with current information and best practice.

This in-service level training will teach participants the steps for identifying Indian Children, address practical steps to input information into FamLink, and give CA staff tips on completing Ancestry Charts and submitting referrals to the Native American Inquiry Request (NAIR) unit to fulfill the requirements of the Federal ICWA, State Law and Department of Children, Youth, and Families policies.

The NCAST Parent-Child Interaction (PCI) scales are designed for parents/caregivers and children age birth-3 years (36 months). The PCI scales consist of two measures – a Feeding Scale and a Teaching Scale. Both scales are assessment tools which provide valid and reliable measurements of parent-child interactions. When used in child-welfare, either assessment can provide recommendations for services to strengthen parent-child interactions, both scales can also serve as reliable pre-/post- measures of progress made through service engagement.

In this training, you will learn how to use NCAST PCI scales as a tool to gather pertinent information about the parent-child dyad, assessment of parent-child interactions, and intervening with parents and young children. You will also gain a host of skills and knowledge to apply to your everyday interactions with children and families both inside, and outside the scope of these assessment scales.

As a result of the successful completion of this training, you can become certified assessors in one or both the Feeding Scales or the Teaching Scales. The Feeding Scales can be used with parents/caregivers and infants age 0-12 months (1 year old), the Teaching Scales can be used with parents/caregivers and infants age 0-36 months (3 years old). The scales can be used with all parenting and family scenarios (biological, adopted, blended, foster care, relative care, fictive kin, etc.) Certification, or reliability, is obtained through first practicing, and then scoring videos developed by the Parent-Child Relationship Program at the University of Washington. The videos depict parent-child interactions in both feeding and teaching scenarios.

The NCAST/PCI scales are a prominent tool that child welfare workers use to gather information when assessing parent-child interactions and intervening with parents and young children. Being certified in the use of this tool supports workers’ ongoing assessment, case planning and permanency planning efforts with families. There are two scales, Feeding and Teaching, which often are used together.

The NCAST/Parent-Child Interaction Feeding Scales Recertification course supports your knowledge-building with the opportunity to achieve reliability and to maintain your certification in the use of this tool.

The NCAST Parent-Child Interaction (PCI) Teaching Scales are designed for parents/caregivers and children age birth-3 years (36 months). The PCI Teaching Scales are an assessment tool which provides valid and reliable measurements of parent-child interactions. When used in child-welfare, these scales can provide recommendations for services to strengthen parent-child interactions, and serve as reliable pre-/post- measures of progress made through service engagement.

Once individuals become certified to use the PCI Teaching Scales, they must prove reliable through annual re-certification. This one-day course provides participants with the opportunity to achieve annual reliability in the use of this tool. Re-certification will allow individuals to maintain certification in the use of the PCI Teaching Scales.

Current Certification as an NCAST Assessor

Las personas que toman este curso digital aprenderán sobre su rol como denunciadores de abuso por mandato cuando se sospecha abuso o negligencia infantil y los pasos para reportar estas preocupaciones. Este entrenamiento provee información sobre los indicadores que pueden indicar que abuso o negligencia infantil está ocurriendo y las situaciones comunes que en que es necesario llamar a la agencia correspondiente para hacer una denuncia. Las personas tomando este curso también aprenderán a considerar el impacto de los prejuicios culturales cuando se hacen estas denuncias y el problema de disparidad racial representada en el sistema. También este curso explica los requisitos federales para reconocer el linaje de un niño/a con una tribu indígena o su afiliación a una tribu reconocida federalmente. Finalmente, este curso también repasa los pasos para comunicarse con la Administración de Protección Infantil y hacer una denuncia, la información que se necesita, y lo que ocurre una vez que la denuncia ha sido hecha e investigada. 

This course focuses on the successful transition of pregnant and parenting youth involved with child welfare and covers specific case management activities. You will learn about your role and responsibilities to provide information to pregnant and parenting youth, including the Pregnant and Parenting Teen Guidebook and tip sheets (DSHS #22-1536), and utilizing a Shared Planning Meeting to identify services and community resources.

During this two-hour workshop, you will learn what characteristics make up a quality contact with children and youth during initial and on-going assessment and/or out-of-home placement, and why quality contacts matter. You will have an opportunity to watch a social worker conduct a health and safety visit with a youth, and then you will apply skills observed to a case scenario. Throughout the workshop, Alliance coaches will support the integration of quality contacts into social work practice.

Participants will leave this training with a common language and understanding of what is meant by cultural competence and the work they need to do to grow their ability to effectively engage across cultures, an understanding of Racial Microaggressions and why they are problematic, and an increased ability to have courageous conversation about difference and to effectively engage racial tension.

This training is presented by Dr. Caprice Hollins, co-founder of Cultures Connecting, LLC.  Dr. Hollins received her doctorate in clinical psychology with an emphasis in multicultural and community psychology in 1998.   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.

This eLearning will teach the participant the steps to initiate and monitor efforts completed by the Relative Search unit.  When a child is in need of out of home care, the Department should be actively seeking placement of children with relatives. The centralized Relative Search unit assists staff to locate and identify relatives and this training will help staff learn about the process, required forms and how to gather detailed information from FamLink.

The Child Safety Framework and the Structured Decision Making Risk Assessment are the tools that should guide caseworkers in making their most important decisions. Both tools aim to improve critical thinking and objective decision making, and ultimately to help DCYF correctly identify what level of intervention – from placement out of the home to providing referrals and case closure – is the most appropriate for each child and family. As a supervisor, you must understand these tools, but you also have a responsibility to integrate the tools into your supervision. This eLearning aims to strengthen your understanding by providing an overview of each of these tools. It also asks initial questions about how you might continue to integrate these tools into your work within your unit.

The “Supervising for Safety” series comprises three webinars and an eLearning that aim to support supervisors in the understanding and application of assessment tools and integration of these tools into their supervision. 

In this training, you will first identify the legal, policy and practice guidance that requires children remain home, or return home, whenever safely possible. Then, you will practice guiding a case worker in applying the safety framework tools to their case, and making a decision about whether it’s safe to return a child home.  You will focus in particular on the safety threshold and safety plan analysis questions, which guide safety decisions once we have sufficient information about the family and situation.  You will review guidance on safety planning, and consider how your supervision can support case workers in developing strong safety plans, and monitoring these until the safety threat is no longer active. Lastly, you will make plans to integrate strategies into your supervision practice that help ensure that the safety framework is integrated into all discussions you are having on this topic.

The “Supervising for Safety” series is mandatory for Area Administrators. This individual webinar is mandatory for CPS/FAR and CFWS staff.

Supervisor Core Training provides the foundation for effective supervisory practice in the child welfare system. This program will prepare you to become comfortable in assuming your new role through learnings and field based activities about what it means to be a supervisor in the child welfare system and understanding the new responsibilities of this position.

You will be assigned a coach upon notification of hire to support you through the learning.

Part 1.1 of this course is designed to provide you critical information needed on Day 1 in your new role. When you complete this training, you will be able to effectively use FamLink, including managing cases and approvals and using the Tickler; recognize the structure and goals of Learner Centered Coaching; use the Administrative Incident Reporting Systems; understand the scope of Aiden’s Act Review; and be able to identify the components of clear documentation and your responsibilities around it. You will have reviewed your unit employees’ personnel information and identified gaps; be able to describe how power influences subordinate employees and develop a plan for self-awareness and self-management

This course consists of these eLearnings:

• Welcome to FamLink for Supervisors
• Introduction to Learner Centered Coaching
• AIRS/Critical Incidents
• Aiden’s Act
• Professional Documentation/Human Resources Division

These activities are part of this course:

• Personnel File Review (field-based learning activity completed prior to webinar)
• Everyday Leadership (video and field-based learning activity completed prior to webinar)
• Welcome and introduction to SCT overview with assigned coach (approximately 90 minutes)

This three-hour course covers Situational Leadership and Supervisor Readiness (4Rs). The course will review the three necessary components and strategies to impact performance. The Situational Leadership Theory developed by Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard presents a model that suggests that to be effective leaders, supervisors must match their leadership style to an individual worker’s level of job readiness (job maturity). The manager’s effectiveness depends on their ability to correctly identify the supervisor’s readiness level and to employ the appropriate leader style in that particular situation. Supervisor readiness for any task is determined by the supervisor’s ability and willingness.

This course focuses on providing information and engaging in conversation about LGBTQ+ children, youth and families. You will learn about identifying and addressing systemic institutional and personal biases when serving LGBTQ+ children, youth and families. Activities and self-reflection exercises will prepare you to return to your work and create a welcoming, safe and affirming space. Included in this training is updated terminology, resources, and current data/statistics.

Trauma Informed Engagement is a 6-hour course applying lessons from trauma studies to child welfare practice for children, youth, and adults. Participants will discuss practice guidelines crucial to trauma informed practice in any setting. Participants will learn to distinguish trauma from other adversities and suffering; describe the characteristics, dynamics and effects of trauma; and emphasize the ways in which chronic trauma and complex trauma compromise normal functioning. Participants will learn to recognize and respond to situations involving the loss of control of body, mind, and emotions associated with trauma. Participants will practice, and commit to trauma informed engagement strategies, utilizing themes of empowerment, advocacy, and building resilience in children, youth, and adults.

When considering removal of an Indian child from their home, various perspectives are reviewed, including those of Qualified Expert Witnesses (QEWs). This training will help you understand how to find, develop, and prepare QEWs to testify in Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) cases and implement ICWA effectively in your work. This content is best suited for DCYF staff who are familiar with ICWA, and Tribal workers.

A QEW is a professional qualified to testify regarding whether the child’s continued custody by the parent or Indian custodian is likely to result in serious emotional or physical damage to the child. QEWs provide testimony in ICWA cases and have substantial knowledge of the prevailing social and cultural standards and child rearing practices within a Tribal or Indian community. QEW court testimony is required upon removal of an Indian child from their home to prevent placement, and a QEW also provides testimony about efforts made toward reunification of child(ren) to their parent(s) or custodian.

This course begins with guiding you through developing an understanding of the historic relationship between Indian children and the United States child welfare policy, which led to ICWA. You will learn how to implement ICWA effectively, and how it is intended to keep an Indian child with their family.