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Participants will get a broad overview of the child safety framework, the safety assessment approach used by Washington State. Critical concepts including safe and unsafe, risk, present danger, safety threats, and global assessment will be reviewed. A particular area of focus is identifying present danger and taking a protective action (or creating a protective action plan) to ensure the danger is effectively managed. We’ll consider how to assessing others’ ability to participate in a protective action plan. Finally we’ll review the importance of documenting the concerns/threats and of communicating the plan.

Assessing Safety Throughout the Life of the Case is one and a half days of in service training, designed for Child Protective Services (CPS) Social Workers, Investigations and Family Assessment Response. The training focuses on the CPS Social Worker’s role in the initial and ongoing assessment of child safety. CPS Social Workers will develop and enhanced their skills regarding the Child Safety Framework and its applications.

This training focuses on learning how to identify present danger and how to take protective actions; how to gather, assess, and analyze relevant information related to safety and risk from child interviews, adult interviews, and collaterals; how to identify safety threats and develop realistic safety plans; and how to articulate and document safety and risk factors to others such as court officials, community partners and others involved in the case.

CPS Social Workers will learn how to re-assess child safety when considering reducing or increasing levels of supervision during parent-child visits; during reunification; and when there has been a change in composition in the household. CPS Social Workers will learn how to apply the Safety Framework when determining whether to close a case and how to complete a safety assessment to determine if safety threats have been mitigated, risks have been reduced, or identify new safety threats and developing higher levels of protection.

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”.

Supervisors and caseworkers will know and understand how to apply the case consultation process for staffing cases. This activity invites group learning and participation, with a structured approach to difficult cases, and keeping family development central instead of parental deficits.

This in-service 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. Participants will have the opportunity to participate in intensive interview skill building exercises with trained actors. Training will provide individualized feedback concerning dealing with complex situations, and working with children who are reluctant to talk or have special needs.

Schedule for all locations listed below:

• Mon.: 8:15 am to 5:00 pm
• Tues.: 8:15 am to 5:00 pm
• Weds.: 8:15 am to 5:00 pm
• Thurs.: 8:15 am to 5:00 pm
• Fri.: 8:15 am to 9:15 am  (early start for test available at 8:00 am)

This three day in-service will describe the two different CPS pathways, Family Assessment Response (FAR) and Investigations. 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 in service 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 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. 

Assessments (Functionality and Content) field based coaching topics include:

Content and FamLink functionality in completing the Investigative Assessment (IA), Family Assessment Response Family Assessment (FARFA) and Comprehensive Family Evaluation (CFE); understanding the use of the gathering questions to assess for child safety; identifying and utilizing protective factors and protective capacities for safety and case planning; understanding timeframes for each assessment in the different program areas; service referrals and the use of EBP’s.

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.

Assessing for Child Safety throughout the Life of the Case field based coaching topics include:

Assessing for present danger/impending danger; applying the Child Safety Framework; understanding the 17 safety threats and how to plan for present danger with protective action plans and safety plans in cases with identified impending danger; how to make appropriate collateral contacts; interviewing of children, parents/caregivers and all adults in the home; using medical consultation (Med-Cons); scheduling and preparing for appropriate case staffings; using Structured Decision Making (SDM) to help assess risk in cases and reassessing child safety throughout the life of the case.  

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. 

Permanency (Timeline/Case Planning /Case Management) field based coaching topics include:

Permanency timelines; permanency from day one; engaging with families to co-create case plans; setting safety objectives; measuring progress versus compliance in cases; transition planning for children; knowing when to file for Termination of Parental Rights (TPR); understanding the court process and when to change permanency plans; understanding the adoption process; understanding parent/child visitation plans (supervised, monitored, etc.); understanding reasonable efforts versus active efforts for ICWA cases.

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 focuses on domestic violence in child welfare cases, and the policies and best practices outlined in the “Social Worker's Practice Guide to Domestic Violence.”  Participants will gain knowledge and skills specific to four core areas: universal and periodic screening for domestic violence, conducting a specialized DV assessment, engagement and accountability with DV perpetrators, and safety planning with families experiencing DV. Participants will learn knowledge as well as skills for applying the knowledge.

Participants in this two-day training will increase their knowledge and understanding of early childhood development, neuroscience associated with brain development in early childhood, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), attachment & relationships, and the effects of trauma and maltreatment on development. In addition, participants will gain skills to directly impact the development of this vulnerable population through case management activities and identifying resources and interventions available in communities across Washington State. The following six modules serve as the foundation of instruction, with a final focus on how to best support the development of young children in public child welfare, and locally accessible resources to support early childhood development in your community.

Module 1: Why Early Childhood Matters
Module 2: Understanding the Science of Brain Development
Module 3: Understanding the Science of Attachment
Module 4: Understanding the impact of maltreatment, stress, and separation on development.
Module 5: Helping Children Thrive
Module 6: Informing Child Welfare

If you have young children on your caseload, or you are caring for young children in your home, you will find the information in this training invaluable in supporting your work with children aged birth-five.

This is Section 1 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)

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 3-hour Faculty Led workshop focuses on the increased use of opioids and the impact to child welfare in Washington State.  When you are wondering how to tell if someone is using drugs, physical signs can be your first indicator. This course will review some of the most common symptoms, physically, that someone could be on drugs or abusing drugs.

While there certainly tend to be some physical symptoms present when someone is on drugs, it is also important to look for signs of substance abuse that are behavioral and psychological.

As someone’s drug addiction continues, it often becomes more severe, and their behavior will be almost entirely focused on obtaining their next dose of drugs, and maintaining their high. We will explore how to engage with parents using drugs.

While it can be troublesome to see the signs of drug abuse, it is also important to realize you should not jump to conclusions. Instead, you should try to learn more about signs of abuse, and then explore professional care options.

“Growing a Leader” In Service training for DCYF employees is designed for child welfare social service employees who are interested in advancing to leadership roles within the Department. Participants will learn about their potential new role, what it means to be a supervisor and a leader in the child welfare system, their leadership styles and the responsibilities of the supervisory or leadership positions.

The training focuses on gaining an understanding styles of leadership and management; hiring and on-boarding new employees; supervisory case management expectations; providing feedback and effective communication with employees; tracking and documenting employee performance; engaging with community partners; and managing and resolving conflict.

Growing A Leader is a comprehensive training program containing three (3) in person training sessions over a three month period, laying the foundation for continuous on-the-job learning and professional development critical to developing competent, confident, and effective child welfare professionals.”

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.

Participants learn about infant communication, safe sleep environments, and the shaken baby syndrome to better assess infants during home visits.  Equipped with the information, participants are able to assess parent or caregiver responsiveness to the infant and ability to support specific changes for improved safety of the infant.  Participants become familiar with the Period of Purple Crying as a strategy to provide to parents of infants.  For substance affected infants and infants born to a dependent youth, participants learn how to develop and document a Plan of Safe Care and offer referrals to parents as required per policy.

Note: This course is comprised of two modules:

• A six-hour classroom training
• A four-hour eLearning (optional)

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.

This e-learning will introduce Intake workers to the new FamLink tools during the 5.0 release.

Participants in this e-learning will learn about the role of mandatory reporters in identifying possible child abuse and neglect, and in reporting these concerns. The training reviews possible indicators of child abuse and neglect, and common situations that cause mandatory reporters to call in a report. Participants will consider the impact of biases on reporting possible child abuse and neglect, and learn about the problem of racial disproportionality in our state’s child welfare system. The federal requirement that Indian heritage and affiliation with Federally recognized tribes must be identified is also explained. Lastly, the training reviews how to contact Children’s Administration to make a report, what information to have available, and what happens once a report has been made are also addressed.

Training provides an overview of successful case planning for children in foster care.  Course topics include referring to the mental health services,  use of screening tools, characteristics and behavior indicators of developmental and mental health concerns, use psychotropic medications with children in foster care, case management techniques with mental health service providers, understanding  the elements and criteria of Evidence-Based and Promising Practices, and matching available EBP’s with specific client needs.  This course will also describe key signs, symptoms and impacts of trauma, disrupted attachment, and childhood adversity and ways to incorporate trauma informed care into their day-to-day work.

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 CA policies.

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. 

Case Workers are frequently faced with parents who use or abuse marijuana and the challenge to assess how this addiction impacts child safety. During this training participants will learn:

• How to assess for child safety when parents use marijuana (legally or illegally);
• The impact of second hand marijuana smoke and the science about impairment;
• The science about pre-natal exposure to marijuana use and its long term effects;
• Tips to assist workers to work with parents who use or abuse marijuana to promote child safety.

This one and a half day classroom in-service will focus on the role of the CFWS case worker in achieving permanency for children. Topics include how to work a case from the beginning to achieve permanency through concurrent planning, having difficult conversations with parents about concurrent planning and the permanency process, how to assess for reunification, determining best interest and choosing alternate plans.

This session provides information and ideas on opportunities to reduce the traumatic impact to the child during removal from the home, and placement into a new care setting.  Participants review policy, forms and practice in assessing the suitability of unlicensed caregivers, and then use two scenarios to practice making this determination.   Policy and practice in assessing the safety of the physical home is also discussed, including reviewing multiple scenarios. The importance of providing caregivers with all information available about the child is presented, and the process and forms that support this process are reviewed.   Lastly, specific requirements related to interacting with the caregivers of infants are reviewed, including policy related to safe sleep, period of purple crying, and the plan of safe care.

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.

Following successful completion of this elearning course, participants will understand the purpose of the Structured Decision Making-Risk Assessment (SDM-RA), and how it provides a framework for consistent decision making as well as a way to target in-demand resources toward those who can benefit most. Participants will understand the definition of each SDM-RA question, its application, and the procedures for completing this tool. This course incorporates numerous types of media through video, audio, images, and scenario application in order to enhance the transfer of learning. A score of 80% is required to complete this course.

This one-day training applies lessons from trauma studies to child welfare practice for both children and adults. The training distinguishes trauma from other adversities and suffering, describes the characteristics, dynamics and effects of trauma, and emphasizes the ways in which chronic trauma and complex trauma compromise normal functioning. The training discusses the loss of control of body, mind, emotions associated with trauma and the negative effects on interpersonal relationships. Empowerment themes and practices are emphasized. The training outlines practice guidelines that are crucial to trauma informed practice in any setting.

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.

Dee Wilson will deliver this training three times as a contracted trainer in FY19. Alliance Coaches will take over delivery of this training beginning FY20.

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.

In this course, participants learn the policies, procedures and best practices for using interpreter and translation services when working with CA clients with limited English proficiency.  Participants learn how interpreter services assist in helping families achieve permanency by enhancing communication between families and the social worker.  Participants also learn how to appropriately and accurately document the use of interpreter and translation services for LEP clients in FamLink, as well as how to navigate the CA Intranet to identify LEP tools and resources in order to best meet the language and communication needs of clients.