Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect WebCT Course

Culturally Sensitive Practice

Working Effectively with African American Males in the Child Welfare System

Fathers are frequently left out of the planning for children in the child welfare system. This innovative three day training outlined effective tools and strategies for working with fathers, adolescents and younger boys. This module included panel participation by fathers and a panel of young men who shared their experiences as children within the child welfare system.

Asian Pacific Islanders: Ethnic Sensitive Practice Issues

Asian Pacific Islanders include the fastest growing and one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse ethnic groups. This module included an in-depth exploration of selected Asian Pacific Islander communities and the impact of acculturation on family dynamics and corresponding child rearing practices. Practical guidelines and implications for case management and service delivery were included.

Curando Con Dignidad (Healing with Dignity)
Working Effectively with Bilingual/ Bi-cultural/Chicano/Latino Families

This two-day workshop explored the multi-dimensional elements that are important considerations when working with bilingual/bi-cultural Chicano /Latino families. The workshop differentiated the aspects of families that are culturally based from those that are a reaction to past pain or trauma in their lives.

Deaf Services Unit

The Center on Child Welfare provided technical assistance and consultation to DCFS to establish a Deaf Service Unit. The unit is staffed by both hearing impaired and hearing workers who provided services to hearing impaired children or caregivers. Case management services include emergency response assessment/intervention through Family Reunification/Family Maintenance. Consultation included:

• Mental Health Issues Of Deaf Clients
• Obtaining Appropriate Educational Services for a Deaf Child
• Resource Awareness and Development: Meeting the Needs of Deaf Children and Families
• Forensic Interviewing: A Comprehensive Approach for Deaf Services
• Case Consultation: Engaging Difficult Clients, Understanding Your Own Limitations, Case Planning, Strengthening Parenting Skills, Family Assessment.

Adoptions

Curriculum was developed for adoptions workers to focus on the child/children, birth families, care givers and adoptive parents. It was also designed to familiarize workers with the issues in placing children, to delineate the practice capabilities needed to place children and to help them identify strengths and limitations that exist in the agency:

• Adoption Disruption: Evaluating Placements at Risk
• Assessment Tools, Techniques and Strategies For Preparing Children for Adoption
• More Than One: Preparing Families for Sibling Adoptions
• Systems Needed for a Culturally Competent Adoption Agency
• Relatives Raising Children: Issues Impacting Permanency Planning for Kinship Care
• When Adoption Hurts: Predicting Developmental Challenges and Managing Difficult Behavior
• Speaking the Unspeakable: Full Disclosure - A Legal and Psychological Imperative
• Multi-Ethnic Placement Act (MEPA): Implications for Practice

Legal Permanency

Achieving Legal Permanency for children is the primary mission of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. UCLA developed the following series of training in response to the Adoptions Safe Act of 1997 and AB 1544. Each module builds on previously developed foundation curriculum.

• Legal Permanency: It Begins with the Initial Contact
• The Road to Permanence
• Concurrent Planning Policy: Easing' Down the Road
• Termination of Parental Rights: Clinical Considerations
• When Home is Never Going to be Safe: Clinical Issues of Termination of Parental Rights

Training Unit Supervisors' Core Academy : Maximizing the Training Unit Environment

This five day academy was specifically designed to provide training and technical assistance to supervisors of training units who wear multiple hats as first line managers, educators/trainers, leaders and mentors. The curriculum is taught by two trainer/consultants whose expertise is administrative and clinical. Topics include:

• Creating a Supportive Learning Environment
• Understanding and Managing our Strengths and Weaknesses
• Clinical Dynamics of Supervision and Case Management
• The Training Unit Supervisor as Leader and Team Builder
• Understanding Group Dynamics and Change

Additional training modules for Training Unit Supervisors:

• From Supervisor to Trainer: Facilitating A Positive Training Experience
• Overcoming Workplace Obstacles and Increasing Quality of Work life
• Total Quality Leadership: Supervising for Quality Services

Administrators

The role of the manager/administrator in Public Child Welfare is a difficult one. There are the demands of the agency, the community and the staff. Curriculum was developed to assist upper and middle managers with the complex tasks of managing in today's work environment. The curriculum is adaptable for both groups of managers.

• Powerful Leadership: Shifting Your Personal Values to Reduce Conflict and Increase Productivity
• Implementing Powerful Leadership

MacLaren Children's Center

Specialized training for MacLaren Children's Center was determined in collaboration with the DCFS MacLaren Children's Center (MCC) workgroup. UCLA developed specialized training that had a multi-disciplinary focus to address the specific needs of their staff that represents different disciplines/practitioners.

• Working with Angry, Aggressive and Acting Out Children
• Suicide Prevention and Crisis Intervention for MacLaren Staff

Public Health Nurses

Specialized training for DCFS Public Health Nurses were developed and presented in collaboration with other Consortium members and the DCFS Training Section.

• Child Maltreatment: The Role of the Public Health Nurse
• Sexual Abuse of Children: The Role of the Public Health Nurse
• Effective Presentations: Tips and Techniques for PHNs
• Mental Health: Considerations for Public Health Nurses

Other Trainings

Concurrent Planning Core Enhancement: The Journey to Permanency

This full day Children's Social Worker Core Enhancement training was built on the 3-hour CSW Core Academy training that introduced trainees to the concepts of Permanency and Concurrent Planning. CSWs reviewed principles, definitions, State and Federal laws, Reasonable Efforts and Full Disclosure as they apply to Permanency and Concurrent Planning. This highly interactive training utilized lecture, role play, video, and small and large group activities.

Point of Engagement Academy: Creating a Community Safety Net for Children & Families

This 4-day training for CSW line staff, SCSWs and managers provided an introduction to and an overview of Point of Engagement (POE).  POE is a new service delivery model characterized by a seamless and timely transfer of responsibility from front-end investigations to actual service delivery.  This new system utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach that includes DCFS social work staff, the family, and community service providers in the decision making process.  Staff attending this training are able to enhance their collaborative efforts with co-workers, families and communities.  By utilizing a team decision making approach they are able to achieve the Department's mission of insuring safety, permanency and well being for each child.

California New Initiatives Training for Supervising Children's Social Workers (SCSWs)

This state-mandated training for all SCSWs presents an introduction to and overview of the newly implemented statewide initiatives that affect delivery of services in Los Angeles County.  Many factors led both Federal and California state agencies to recommend changes in the way child welfare services are provided.  This presentation included the key elements of AB 636 (Child Welfare Outcomes and Accountability System) that took effect January 2004 and implications for supervisors and managers.

Severely Emotionally Disturbed Children: A Comprehensive Overview

This training provided a comprehensive overview for working with severely emotionally disturbed children and adolescents. CSWs enhanced their assessment skills, and expanded their ability to identify and access outpatient service providers, school and mental health resources and placement alternatives.  In addition, CSWs increased their familiarity with causative factors and significant contributors to the designation of emotional disturbance.  This training included a focus on cultural diversity, emphasizing its influence on children and adolescents with emotional disturbance.

Planning for Permanency Day one: Full Disclosure with Children and Families

Day One of this two-day advanced level training for adoptions' CSWs (involved in the preparation of children and families for adoption) provided CSWs with the knowledge and practice skills for acquiring and presenting information to children and families about adoption. CSWs develop strategies and techniques for identifying the types of information needed, strategies for gathering that information and methods for presenting full disclosure information to birth parents, relatives, prospective adoptive parents and children. CSWs also understand how full disclosure or the lack of it affects the permanency outcomes for children and prospective adoptive parents from a psychological, clinical and legal perspective.

Planning for Permanency Day Two: Full Disclosure with Applicant Families

Day Two of this two-day advanced level training for adoptions' CSWs concentrated on working with the applicant families, reviewing existing policy and protocols related to full disclosure, and implement best practices.  CSWs developed strategies and techniques for gathering required information on the child; assessing a child's needs and matching the child's developmental needs with family strengths. Emphasis is placed on new practice modalities such as Family Team Conferencing, Concurrent Planning, and Fostering to Adopt. CSWs understand the importance of maintaining sibling connections for children placed in unattached, attached, and or relative home.

Creating Permanence Through Adoption: Engaging the Adults

Day One of a two-day training on creating permanence for children focused on the adults involved in the permanency process. Specific topics that must be addressed with foster/relative caregivers are shared. Through lecture, group discussion, video and experiential exercises, CSWs learned interviewing techniques and activities to help caregivers explore their commitment to adoption or their abilities to assist the child in transitioning to a permanent plan. CSWs' personal biases and concerns about permanence were identified and addressed as well as systemic inhibitors that may be barriers to permanency. Finally, issues of resistance with colleagues and other professionals, to the topic of permanence, were examined.

Creating Permanence Through Adoption Day 2: The Child's Perspective

Day Two of the two-day training on permanence for children focused on the child's issues and needs. CSWs examined the importance of permanency for children and the complexities involved in providing permanent families to children who may be resistant to moving forward.  Using various training modalities, CSWs learned how to address children's grief and loss at line different developmental stages. They also studied age- specific techniques to move the child towards acceptance of a permanent family. CSWs learned how to prepare children for recruitment events and how to debrief and support them following the recruitment events. Finally, specific recruitment strategies and their individualized impact on the child were examined.   

Strength-Based, Family-Centered Practice for Deaf Services Children's Social Workers (CSWs)

This training enhanced case-carrying Deaf Services CSWs' and SCSWs' skills and  knowledge in the use of Strength-Based, Family-Centered Practice. With DCFS initiatives and the Adoption and Safe Family Act outcomes as a foundation, participants learned about the impact of these outcomes and how to use them to strengthen families. Specific language and intervention with clients and families were presented in a Strength- Based Family-Centered approach. Use of the strength-based tool to evaluate work with families were also a component of this training. CSWs enhanced their practice skills for Deaf services after attending this interactive training.

Strength-Based, Family-Centered Practice for Children's Social Workers (CSWs)

This training enhanced case-carrying CSWs' and SCSWs' skills and knowledge in the use of Strength-Based, Family-Centered Practice.  With DCFS initiatives and the Adoption and Safe Family Act outcomes as a foundation, participants learned about the impact of these outcomes and how to use them to strengthen families.  Specific language and intervention with clients and families are presented in a Strength-Based, Family-Centered approach.  Using strength-based tools to evaluate work with families are a component of this training. Newly hired CSWs and seasoned workers enhanced their practice skills after attending this interactive training.

Medical Management of Premature High Risk Infants for Public Health Nurses

High-risk infants and their families, who often fall under the jurisdiction of DCFS, presented a number of psychological, social and medical challenges to physicians, nurses, and social workers. Gaining some understanding of these challenges, how they evolve, and how they are often rooted in developmental, cultural and socioeconomic contexts, enabled participants to work with these premature infants and their families more effectively. The training revisited infant development, premature births, infants born to teen mothers, attachment, bonding and early intervention. High-risk infants with developmental disabilities, genetic conditions and medical syndromes were discussed.

Changes, Challenges and Common Sense:  Assessing and Utilizing Your Strengths

This three-hour presentation was offered to enable public health nurses to effectively adapt to ongoing organizational changes within DCFS, which affect the delivery of services to children and families with the goal of achieving safety, permanency and well being for children. The program consisted of both individual and group explorations that were integrated with a presentation of theories of change management and suggested guides for dealing with personal and professional change.  The program concluded with a summary of key change concepts for "real life" application.

Domestic Violence: A Health Practitioner's Perspective

Domestic Violence has many different components including: emotional abuse, financial abuse, using children to gain power/control as well as the most overt aspect, physical abuse and the most covert, sexual abuse. In families with children, one or both of the parents may be the direct victims while children may be indirect victims. Frequently, as violence and issues of control escalate, the levels of danger to the adult victims and children also escalate. These issues are often hidden from service providers. This training helped Public Health Nurses understand the entire dynamic of domestic violence, how it affects its victims including children and what can be done.