1. No category

Child Welfare Academy
Quarterly
Training Catalog
Winter 2015
http://www.windrushonline.com/bigfalls.jpg
Winter 2015 | Quarterly Training Catalog
1
Table of
Contents
A partnership of the
University of Maryland
School of Social Work
and the
Maryland Department of
Human Resources (DHR)
The University of Maryland School
of Social Work (UMB SSW)
Training Program is authorized
to sponsor social work continuing
professional education credits
by the Maryland State Board of
Social Work Examiners.
CWA Training opportunities are
open to
Maryland State Department of
Human Resources Child Welfare
Staff and Resource Parents.
Child Welfare Academy
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
410.706.3637
www.family.umaryland.edu/cwa
2
Quarterly Training Catalog | Winter 2015
3
Newsworthy Notes
4
On the Horizon
5
Pre-Service CompetencyBased Training
6
Pre-Service Training
Schedule
7
CPE Training Opportunities
8
Continuing Education
Workshops
9
Workshop Series
10
New! Continuing Education
Offerings
11
Webinars
14
Continuing Education
Workshop Schedule
(January, February, March)
20
A to Z Workshop
Descriptions
Newsworthy
Notes
Inclement Weather Policy
In the event of inclement weather the training schedule will follow the Maryland State
Government delay and closings. If the MD state government has liberal leave, the training is
cancelled. If the MD state government has a delayed opening, training will follow the delay
time frame.
This new policy affects all trainings (Pre-Service and In-Service) held in Baltimore at the School
of Social Work as well as regionally in the local departments. Please check the CWA’s Delay/
Cancellation Line at 410-706-3637. Option 5 will provide a daily announcement related to either
Pre-Service or In-Service training by 6:30 am.
*Please note that a separate attendance policy applies to Pre-Service Training. Participants
will receive notification of the policy with their registration confirmation notice.
http://wanderinglili.blogspot.com/2012/02/here-comes-snow-maybe-baltimore-md.html
Winter 2015 | Quarterly Training Catalog
3
On The Horizon
The Child Welfare Academy is excited to announce that a new and
improved course registration system is in development. CWA participants
will soon be able to establish a personal account, thereby increasing
efficiency, accessibility and control over the registration process. Under
the new system, participants will have the ability to view a full calendar of all
upcoming courses, register for multiple classes at one time and maintain a
history of their past and upcoming classes.
Be on the lookout for future announcements regarding setting up and
accessing your personal account.
4
Quarterly Training Catalog | Winter 2015
Pre-Service
Competency-Based
Training
Process for Pre-Service Registration
Pre-Service Training is required by
Maryland Law for new employees
providing child welfare services. New
staff should be registered for Pre-Service
Training as soon as possible after
beginning employment and are expected to
attend the Pre-Service cycle for which they
have been registered. The training consists
of topical areas referred to as modules.
Module Foundations of Practice
I
Module Indications and Dynamics
II
of Abuse and Neglect
Module Engaging Children and
III
Families
Module Conducting Family
IV
Centered Assessments
Module Planning with the Family
V
Module Working Effectively with
VI
the Court
So that pre-service needs are addressed in a timely
fashion, new child welfare employees are registered
for Pre-Service Training by local DSS Personnel
Liaisons as soon as possible after beginning
employment. In some cases, employees have been
able to begin pre-service training within days of
beginning their employment, resulting in trained staff
being available more quickly to provide services
to the families and children served by DHR. The
Training Program will confirm enrollment and provide
directions for registered trainees.
Pre-Service Training and
Testing Accommodations
The Child Welfare Academy is committed to
providing training to a diverse group of child welfare
professionals. Included in this group are qualified
staff that have impairments, functional limitations,
and/or disabilities. DHR and the Academy wish
to facilitate the training of such staff and make
reasonable accommodations in order to promote
learning and performance.
All staff who attend the Academy’s Pre-Service
Competency Training may submit requests for
possible accommodations to the Examination
Services Unit within the DHR to determine whether
accommodations are appropriate and to what extent
they will be provided.
DHR will review accommodation requests and notify
the Academy when supportive services are needed.
The Department of Human Resources and the
Child Welfare Academy are committed to providing
a training environment that enables all participants
to be successful. In compliance with the Americans
with Disabilities Act and to ensure accessibility to all
staff, please contact your LDSS Personnel Liaison
or DHR’s Examination Services Unit if you have
questions or are in need of any accommodations.
The contact number for the Examinations Services
Unit is 410-767-7414.
Winter 2015 | Quarterly Training Catalog
5
Pre-Service
Training Schedule
LDSS Personnel Liasons, to register CLICK HERE or go to
http://cf.umaryland.edu/ssw_online/calendar.cfm?audience=CWAPS
Cycle 5-15
01/06
Cycle 6-15
02/24
01/07
01/08 CHESSIE
02/25
02/26 CHESSIE
Module II
01/12 ONLINE
01/14
01/15
01/16
03/02 ONLINE
03/04
03/05
03/06
Module III
01/20 ONLINE
01/21
01/22
01/23 CHESSIE
03/09 ONLINE
03/10
03/11
03/12 CHESSIE
Module IV
01/26 ONLINE
01/27 CHESSIE
01/28 CHESSIE
01/29 CANS
03/16 ONLINE
03/17 CHESSIE
03/18 CHESSIE
03/23 CANS
Module V
02/02 ONLINE
02/03
02/04
02/05 RP
02/06 CHESSIE
03/24 ONLINE
03/25
03/26
03/27 RP
03/30 CHESSIE
Module VI
02/09
02/10
02/11
03/31
04/01
04/02
Comprehensive 02/12
Test
04/06
Module I
Newly hired staff should be
registered to attend one entire
cyle of training.
NOTE: Starting August 2013,
CANS will be held on Day 4 of
Module IV.
6
Quarterly Training Catalog | Winter 2015
CPE Training
Opportunities
Additional training opportunities with the School of Social Work’s
Continuing Professional Education Program
The school of Social Work’s Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Program offers training
on a number of topics relevant to social workers. Some of the workshops offered have been
identified by the Child Welfare Academy (CWA) as appropriate to meet the unique continuing
education needs of veteran child welfare workers, supervisors, and administrators. The
approved workshops were selected based on content related to knowledge, skills, and
competencies identified by the Child Welfare Academy and the Maryland Department of Human
Resources as important and relevant for child welfare professionals who have completed preservice training and core foundation courses offered by CWA.
Specialized, competency-based child welfare education and professional development are
central to developing and maintaining a skilled and committed child welfare workforce. The
combination of CWA in-service courses and approved CPE courses provides child welfare staff
with a full array of training options to meet their ongoing professional development needs.
Each local Department of Social Services has been allocated a specific number of slots for CPE
approved workshops, and has an assigned agency coordinator who must approve and register
participants. Individuals who are interested in attending an approved CPE course should
contact the assigned agency coordinator or administrator in their local department for approval.
A full listing of approved course can be found at:
http://www.ssw.umaryland.edu/cpe/
Winter 2015 | Quarterly Training Catalog
7
Continuing
Education
Workshops
Registration Process for Continuing
Education Workshops
All registration for Continuing Education
Workshops must be completed
online. Electronic confirmations will be
forwarded immediately upon receipt of
registration.
A to Z Listing of Courses
http://cf.umaryland.edu/ssw_online/index.cfm
Beyond the Basics Workshops
Child Welfare workers who have completed Pre-Service
Training should note the following workshops that are being
offered this quarter:
•
A Journey to Remember:
Supporting Clients Who are on
the Road To Recovery
•
Structured Analysis Family
Evaluation (SAFE) Interviewing
Skills Workshop
•
Advanced FIM Facilitation:
Strategies for Managing
Challenging Behavior
•
Structured Analysis Family
Evaluation (SAFE)Supervisor’s
Training
•
Advanced FIM Facilitation:
Techniques for Reframing
Strengths and Concerns
•
•
Alternative Response Skills
and Practice
Supporting Permanency:
Debunking Myths, Engaging
Youth and Beginning Family
Finding
•
•
Assessment, Diagnosis and
•
Intervention for Mentally and
Physically Impaired Caregivers
and their Children as Victims of
Exploitation
•
Beyond Meditation:
Mindfulness in the Workplace
The Dynamics of Maltreatment
and the Impact on Interviewing
Calendar View of Courses
http://cf.umaryland.edu/ssw_online/calendar.
cfm?audience=Inservice
Process for Online Continuing
Education Registration
Correct email addresses for both the
registrant and supervisor are required.
After registration, the individual and
his/her supervisor will be sent an
email confirmation. The individual and
supervisor will be sent a SECOND
CONFIRMATION 1 week prior to the
class.
Cancellation Process for Continuing
Education Workshops
Child Welfare employees who register
for training but who do not attend, for
whatever reasons, may prevent those
on a waiting list from advancing on the
list and ultimately obtaining a seat in
the training session. Please recognize
the importance and value of cancelling
in advance. If employees are registered
to attend more than one workshop
and must cancel, cancellation of each
workshop is required.
Cancellation notices should come to
the Child Welfare Academy by way of
email to:
[email protected]
8
•
The Dynamics of Sexual Abuse
and the Impact on Safety and
Service Planning
Trans-Racial Placements:
Preparing and Supporting
Families, ½-day
•
Coaching Training
•
Trauma Informed Casework
•
Conducting Screening
Assessments: Seeing
Reporters as Resources
•
Trauma Survivors as Parents
•
Understanding the Association
Between Foster Care and
Human Sex Trafficking, ½-day
•
Using Critical Thinking to
Enhance Child Welfare
Assessments
•
Enhancing Your Credibility in
Court
•
FIM Facilitation, 3-day
•
From Good to Great:
Maximizing Skills to Enhance •
AR Practice
•
How Grief and Loss Impact
Everyone in the Foster Care
World
•
Intimate Partner Violence:
Dynamics, Assessment and
Intervention Strategies
•
Safety Awareness for Child
Welfare Professionals
•
Secondary Traumatic Stress
•
Signs of Safety (SoS) Assessing and Planning
Using the SoS Framework:
Experienced Worker and
Supervisor Training
•
Signs of Safety (SoS)
- The Supervisor’s Role in
Implementation
Quarterly Training Catalog | Winter 2015
WEBINAR - Cues and
Miscues: How Attachment
Impacts the Way Kids in
Care Communicate
•
WEBINAR - Is this Normal?
Understanding Sexual
Development and Behavior
in Children
•
WEBINAR - Prescription
Drug Misuse/Abuse and
Child Welfare Practice
•
Whose Child is it Anyway?
The Challenges of
Reunification
•
Writing Skills for Excellent
Case Documentation
Courses in blue
denote New! offerings.
Workshop
Series
The Child Welfare Academy has workshops that are offered in a series to enable a deeper and
broader understanding of topics of interest to our participants. While some series can be taken in
any order, some trainings are designed to be in a special order so that we can build upon concepts
introduced in prior offerings. Participants must register for each workshop separately.
Below are the workshops that are part of a series being held during the Winter of 2015.
Child Protection
Trauma
The Dynamics of Maltreatment and the Impact
on Interviewing
January 27, 2015, Talbot County DSS
The Dynamics of Sexual Abuse and the Impact
on Safety and Service Planning
March 18, 2015, Anne Arundel County
DSS
Working with Offenders
April 8, 2015, UMB SSW
Advanced CPS Interviewing
June 10, 2015, UMB SSW
Trauma Informed Casework (must be taken first)
January 29, 2015, Howard County DSS
February 3, 2015, Somerset County DSS
February 12, 2015, UMB SSW
March 18, 2015, UMB SSW
Trauma Survivors as Parents
March 17, 2015, Frederick County DSS
Secondary Traumatic Stress
January 9, 2015, UMB SSW
March 13, 2015, Harford County
Child Protection encompasses many elements
to ensure all persons involved with the case
including the caseworker, victim, offender,
non-offending caregiver, and other children in
the family have a clear understanding of the
situation and are able to work together to create
a safe environment and ultimately strengthen
the family unit. This series will address
elements related to enhancing a caseworker’s
interviewing skills, safety and service planning,
and working with offenders. Participants are
encouraged to take each class in this series in
the order listed. Please be advised that the
following courses must be taken prior to the
Advanced Interviewing class: Dynamics of
Maltreatment and the Impact on Interviewing;
Dynamics of Child Sexual Abuse and the
Impact on Safety and Service Planning; and
Working with Offenders.
The Trauma Training Series is designed to
support the goals of safety, permanency
and well-being by providing child welfare
professionals with a solid understanding of
the impact of trauma on children, families and
child welfare professionals, and the importance
of creating a trauma-informed system of
care. Through a series of four complementary
courses, professionals will learn about the
relationship between attachment, trauma,
and brain development, the impact of trauma
across domains of development and on daily
functioning, and how to reframe behaviors,
develop case plans, and design strategies
for working with children and families using a
trauma-sensitive lens. In order to derive the
greatest benefit, participants are encouraged
to take the courses in the order listed.
Winter 2015 | Quarterly Training Catalog
9
New! Continuing
Education
Offerings
Whose Child is it Anyway? The Challenges of Reunification
January 29, 2015, Frederick County DSS • 9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
When a child is removed from his/her family due to abuse or neglect, the preferred permanency
option is safe and timely family reunification. Because the majority of children who leave foster care
are in fact reunited with their families, it is important to consider the factors and practices that support
successful reunification, as well as those that might impede success. Child welfare workers, who are
charged with maintaining the safety, permanency and well-being of children in care, must manage
the inherently conflictual relationships among all parties. Resource parents have often formed deep
emotional bonds with the children in their care and are reluctant to return a child to the very same
family that occasioned the trauma. Likewise, both the family of origin and the child will likely grapple
with mixed emotions and experience multiple challenges as a child transitions home. DSS workers
must address their personal feelings around a given case that may run counter to the Department’s
plan. This workshop will explore roles and responsibilities of the adults involved in the foster care
system in supporting permanency outcomes and family reunification.
Trans-Racial Placements: Preparing and Supporting Families,
½-day
February 19, 2015, Howard County DSS • 9:00 am - 12:15 pm • 3 CEUs
Families who adopt a child of a different race or from another culture are confronted with a unique
set of issues and concerns that require careful thought, preparation and ongoing education. This
seminar is designed for professionals working with families who intend to adopt trans-racially or transculturally. It will provide information and strategies when working with parents to help them evaluate
their readiness to embrace a multi-racial/multi-cultural family identity. It will also help professionals to
prepare families for the realities and ongoing challenges of adopting trans-racially/trans-culturally to
increase the likelihood of a smooth transition and successful placement.
How Grief and Loss Impact Everyone in the Foster Care World
February 24 2015, Prince George’s County DSS • 9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
This workshop will explore how the inevitable grief that arises when foster care becomes necessary
affects all stakeholders within the foster care world. Common grief behaviors in infants, children,
adolescents, birth and resource parents as well as the myriad professionals who work with them, wil
be examined. Program content will explore the following topics: specific types of grief related to foster
care issues; common myths about grief; consequences of multiple loss experiences; developmental
understanding and coping; specific stakeholder responses; adult side effects; and resources for help.
10
Quarterly Training Catalog | Winter 2015
Webinars
Prescription Drug Misuse/Abuse and Child
Welfare Practice
January 13, 2015, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Webinar, Online
Prescription drug use is becoming increasingly more common among families and can bring
clear benefits when used as intended. Unfortunately, prescribed medications can also result
in significant harm when used in ways that are not approved,
resulting in addiction, impaired functioning across multiple
domains, and possibly even death. The abuse of prescription
medication can negatively impact the ability of parents in the
child welfare system to provide loving and appropriate care to
their children. Child welfare workers must have information and
tools to educate families, assess possible misuse/abuse, and
intervene when appropriate to ensure the safety and well-being
of the children they serve.
Participants in this webinar will learn ways to assess possible
prescription drug abuse from a family-centered, strengths-based
perspective, as well as ways to intervene and support the family when needed. The impact
of substances on parenting skills and abilities will be explored, and ways to keep children
and teens safe will be reviewed. In addition, participants will learn strategies for educating
families about prescription misuse/abuse to better ensure that they reduce risk and harm
within the family system.
Presented by
Ken Dickinson, MS, RHP
Gaudenzia
Ken Dickinson has been with Gaudenzia since 2007 and is responsible for all
aspects of client recruitment. Mr. Dickinson is a registered pharmacist. He enjoys
a national reputation as a lecturer and advocate in the areas of addiction and
behavioral health. He is a Trainer for the Institute for Research, Education, and
Training in Addictions (IRETA) as well as the North Eastern Addiction Technology
Transfer Center (NEATTC).
Winter 2015 | Quarterly Training Catalog
11
Webinars
Cues and Miscues: How Attachment Impacts
the Way Kids in Care Communicate
February 2, 2015, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Webinar, Online
Secure attachments develop when caregivers are available, responsive, and sensitive to the
needs of their children. Children with secure attachments who are raised in loving homes
typically learn early on how to express their feelings and needs directly, and to pair their feelings
with an event. Cues (or signals) are used to communicate specific wants or needs, and an
attuned caregiver responds by meeting that need in a timely and sensitive manner. In contrast,
children with a history of maltreatment often have attachment challenges, behavioral issues,
and difficulty expressing their needs and feelings in
healthy and appropriate ways. These children sometimes
miscue, sending contradictory or misleading messages to
their caregivers. Their caregivers may respond in harmful
ways; reinforcing rejecting, neglectful and possibly abusive
patterns of interaction. These interactions may leave both
the caregiver and child feeling confused, angry, hurt,
misunderstood and frustrated.
This webinar will examine how communication is adversely
http://mommylife.net/archives/2010/ 01/22/child% 20thinking.jpg
affected by attachment challenges, resulting in a cycle of
unhealthy caregiver-child interactions. Participants will
learn how to recognize miscues in children, as well as the various defensive coping strategies
that children with a history of trauma use in order to protect themselves from further hurt and
harm. Practical strategies for intervening and helping children learn to communicate their true
feelings and needs constructively. Participants will also learn ways to help caregivers apply
attachment-based parenting strategies to better create a healing environment for the children in
their care.
Presented by
Louise Fleischman, LCSW-C
Anchor Counseling and Training, LLC
12
Louise Fleischman is a licensed clinical social worker with over 20 years of
experience helping individuals, families, and children. She specializes in helping
families provide a nurturing environment for children with histories of early
trauma and attachment challenges. Ms. Fleischman is a nationally known trainer
on attachment disorders, adoption, older child placement issues, and behavior
management strategies. She has designed numerous workshops on clinical and
practice issues and is a guest speaker for parent support groups in the public
and private sectors.
Quarterly Training Catalog | Winter 2015
Webinars
Is This Normal? Understanding Sexual
Development and Behavior in Children
March 10, 2015, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Webinar, Online
While discussing sexuality can be uncomfortable, understanding age appropriate sexual
development and behavior in children can play a significant role in preventing sexual abuse
and victimization. Sometimes it is difficult to discern when sexual behavior is natural and
healthy, and when it may be indicative of a problem or disturbance. In order to maintain the
safety and well-being of children, child welfare professionals must be able to recognize what
behaviors are developmentally appropriate at different ages
and stages, and what might signal that a child has been
sexually abused or is victimizing others. In this webinar,
participants will learn about “normal” sexual behaviors and
developmental patterns in children, as well as signs and
symptoms that may be cause for concern. They will be
provided with strategies for educating both children and
caregivers about typical sexual development so that they
can better support healthy attitudes and behaviors.
Presented by
Carolyn C. Finney, LCSW-C
Director, Programs and Services
The Family Tree, Inc.
Carolyn Finney, is the Director of Programs and Services at The Family
Tree, Inc. Her responsibilities include oversight of program development,
implementation and quality assurance for all The Family Tree programs.
Prior to joining The Family Tree, Ms. Finney worked as Director of
Community and Family Services for the Woodbourne Center. In this
position she had oversight of outpatient and in-home mental and behavioral
health services. She has also held positions at the Maryland Office of
Child Care Administration, and the Maryland State Department of Juvenile
Justice. Ms. Finney has designed and presented numerous trainings,
workshops and other presentations on local, state and national level.
Winter 2015 | Quarterly Training Catalog
13
Continuing
Education
Workshops
January 2015
14
6
Conducting Screening Assessments: Seeing
Reporters as Resources
Frederick County DSS
100 East All Saints Street
Frederick, MD 21705
8
Intimate Partner Violence: Dynamics, Assessment
and Intervention UMB SSW
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
9
Secondary Traumatic Stress
UMB SSW
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
13
Enhancing Your Credibility in Court
UMB SSW
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
13
WEBINAR - Prescription Drug Misuse/Abuse and
Child Welfare Practice
New!
13
Understanding the Association Between Foster
Care and Human Sex Trafficking, ½-day Montgomery County DHHS
1301 Piccard Drive
Rockville, MD 20874
14
Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE)
Interviewing Skills Workshop
UMB SSW
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
15
Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE)
Supervisor's Training
UMB SSW
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
15
A Journey to Remember: Supporting Clients Who
Are on the Road To Recovery UMB SSW
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
21
Advanced FIM Facilitation: Strategies for
Managing Challenging Behaviors
Quarterly Training Catalog | Winter 2015
Online
Prince George’s County DSS
925 Brightseat Road
Landover, MD 20785
Continuing
Education
Workshops
January 2015
23
Alternative Response Skills and Practice
27
The Dynamics of Maltreatment and the Impact on
Interviewing
27-28
UMB SSW
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Coaching Training
Talbot County DSS
301 Bay Street
Easton, MD 21601
UMB SSW
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
29
Trauma Informed Casework
Howard County DSS
7121 Columbia Gateway Drive
Columbia, MD 21046
29
Whose Child is it Anyway? The Challenges of
Reunification
New!
Frederick County DSS
100 East All Saints Street
Frederick, MD 21705
Winter 2015 | Quarterly Training Catalog
15
Continuing
Education
Workshops
February 2015
16
2
WEBINAR - Cues and Miscues: How Attachment
Impacts the Way Kids in Care Communicate
New!
3
Trauma Informed Casework
Somerset County DSS
30397 Mt. Vernon Rd
Princess Anne, MD 21853
4
A Journey to Remember: Supporting Clients Who
Are On The Road To Recovery Washington County DSS
122 N. Potomac Street
Hagerstown, MD 21741
5
Using Critical Thinking to Enhance Child Welfare
Assessments Charles County DSS
200 Kent Avenue
LaPlata, MD 20646
6
Signs of Safety (SoS) - Assessing and Planning
for Experienced Worker and Supervisor Training Howard County DSS
7121 Columbia Gateway Drive
Columbia, MD 21046
12
Trauma Informed Casework
UMB SSW
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
18
Writing Skills for Exceptional Case Documentation UMB SSW
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
19
From Good to Great: Maximizing Skills to Enhance
AR Practice
New!
Harford County DSS
2 S. Bond Street
Bel Air, MD 21014
19
Trans-Racial Placements: Preparing and
Supporting Families, ½-day
New!
20
Understanding the Association Between Foster
Care and Human Sex Trafficking, ½-day Quarterly Training Catalog | Winter 2015
Online
Howard County DSS
7121 Columbia Gateway Drive
Columbia, MD 21046
UMB SSW
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Continuing
Education
Workshops
February 2015
24
How Grief and Loss Impact Everyone in the Foster
Care World
New!
Prince George’s County DSS
925 Brightseat Road
Landover, MD 20785
24
Intimate Partner Violence: Dynamics, Assessment,
and Intervention Anne Arundel County DSS
7500 Ritchie Highway
Glen Burnie, MD 21061
25
Safety Awareness for Child Welfare Professionals
Talbot County DSS
301 Bay Street
Easton, MD 21601
25
Supporting Permanency: Debunking Myths,
Engaging Youth, and Beginning Family Finding
Calvert County DSS
200 Duke Street
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
Winter 2015 | Quarterly Training Catalog
17
Continuing
Education
Workshops
March 2015
3
3-5
18
Using Critical Thinking to Enhance Child Welfare
Assessments
Montgomery County DHHS
1301 Piccard Drive
Rockville, MD 20874
FIM Facilitation, 3-day
UMB SSW
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
5
Signs of Safety (SoS) - The Supervisor’s Role in
Implementation 10
WEBINAR - Is this Normal? Understanding Sexual
Development and Behavior in Children
New!
12
Enhancing Your Credibility in Court
13
Secondary Traumatic Stress
17
Intimate Partner Violence: Dynamics, Assessment,
and Intervention UMB SSW
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
17
Trauma Survivors as Parents
Frederick County DSS
100 East All Saints Street
Frederick, MD 21705
18
Safety Awareness for Child Welfare Professionals
Cecil County DSS
170 E. Main Street
Elkton, MD 21921
18
The Dynamics of Sexual Abuse and the Impact on
Safety and Service Planning
Anne Arundel County DSS
7500 Ritchie Highway
Glen Burnie, MD 21061
Quarterly Training Catalog | Winter 2015
Howard County DSS
7121 Columbia Gateway Drive
Columbia, MD 21046
Online
UMB SSW
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Harford County DSS
2 S. Bond Street
Bel Air, MD 21014
Continuing
Education
Workshops
March 2015
18
Trauma Informed Casework
UMB SSW
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
19
Advanced FIM Facilitation - Techniques for
Reframing Strengths and Concerns
Frederick County DSS
100 East All Saints Street
Frederick, MD 21705
25
From Good to Great: Maximizing Skills to Enhance
AR Practice
New!
Washington County DSS
122 N. Potomac Street
Hagerstown, MD 21741
26
A Journey to Remember: Supporting Clients Who
are on the Road to Recovery
UMB SSW
525 West Redwood Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
27
Assessment, Diagnosis and Intervention for
Mentally and Physically Impaired Caregivers and
their Children as Victims of Exploitation Prince George’s County DSS
925 Brightseat Road
Landover, MD 20785
31
Beyond Meditation: Mindfulness in the Workplace
One Stop Job Center
31901 Tri-County Way, Suite 117
Salisbury, MD 21804
Winter 2015 | Quarterly Training Catalog
19
A to Z Workshop
Descriptions
A Journey to Remember: Supporting
Clients Who are on the Road to
Recovery
January 15, 2015, UMB SSW
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
February 4, 2015, Washington County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
March 26, 2015, UMB SSW
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
Explore the Caseworker’s role in supporting
clients who are struggling to achieve health
and recovery from substance abuse and/or
mental health disorders. This training will help
workers understand the individual and family
dynamics, theories, treatment modalities and
helpful engagement approaches for clients
struggling with substance abuse and/or mental
health disorders. Workers will have a better
understanding of how these two dynamics
can be intertwined, and how co-morbidity may
complicate the process of recovery. Through
discussion and activities, workers will be
equipped to weave together their roles as
motivator/supporter with their protective authority
to foster better relationships and outcomes for
clients.
20
Quarterly Training Catalog | Winter 2015
Advanced FIM Facilitation: Strategies
for Managing Challenging Behaviors
January 21, 2015, Prince George’s County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
This training session will address a wide
range of challenging behaviors that facilitators
encounter during Family Involvement Meetings
(FIMS) including hostility, monopolizing, nonparticipation, ramblers, unpreparedness and
mental health dynamics. Attendees will be
introduced to several skills and strategies for
managing these behaviors and through practice,
examine which strategies are most effective for
addressing specific situations.
Advanced FIM Facilitation: Techniques
for Reframing Strengths and Concerns
March 19, 2015, Frederick County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
Drawing on core concepts from the Signs of
Safety Model, attendees will explore strategies
for reframing concerns in a concise and
meaningful way that directly relates to safety and
welfare. Attendees will also examine solution
focused strategies that can be used to help FIM
participants articulate strengths that are more
focused on resources and supports.
Click here to go to A-Z Listing Online
A to Z Workshop
Descriptions
Alternative Response Skills and
Practice
January 23, 2015, UMB SSW
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
This specialized training is open for registration
to CPS, Screening, Family Preservation, InHome workers and supervisors. The training will
build from the information shared in the general
overview training and skills developed in the
prerequisite Assessing and Planning for Risk
and Safety training. The course reinforces the
philosophy of Family Centered Practice with
focus on the skills needed and new procedures
required for successful delivery of an Alternative
Response with families. Knowledge and skill
development areas will include: Engagement
and Communication, Assessment, Cultural
Competence, Partnering, Advocacy, Community
Collaboration and Resource utilization.
Participants also receive instruction on new
processes and procedures for MD CHESSIE and
Alternative Response documentation.
Click here to go to A-Z Listing Online
Assessment, Diagnosis and
Intervention for Mentally and
Physically Impaired Caregivers
and their Children as Victims of
Exploitation
March 27, 2015, Prince George’s County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
This workshop provides strategies for assisting,
assessing, and intervening with families
when the caregivers have mental, medical, or
intellectual disabilities that impair their ability to
provide adequate care. Strategies for working
with children and caregivers will be covered. Also
covered are strategies for dealing with exploitive
partners and building family and community
supports. The training will include lecture,
PowerPoint slides, video, and case examples
that will promote building targeted assessment
and intervention skills. Key concepts include, but
are not limited to: conditions, disorders, disability,
impairment, unrealistic expectations, support
resources, intellectual development disorder,
promoting compliance, and borderline intellectual
functioning.
Winter 2015 | Quarterly Training Catalog
21
A to Z Workshop
Descriptions
Beyond Meditation: Mindfulness in the
Workplace
March 31, 2015, One Stop Job Center, Salisbury
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
For many, the workplace is a highly stressful
environment, leaving little time for self-reflection
or emotional rest. According to mindfulness
pioneer, Jon Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness is a
practice that involves paying focused attention,
on purpose, without judgment, to the present
moment. The benefits of mindfulness to overall
health, happiness and well-being are many.
Practicing mindfulness has been shown to
help with depression, anxiety, sleep and eating
disorders, phobias, relationship challenges, and
overall stress management. Mindfulness helps
to dampen the part of the brain that causes
us to act out of fear, anxiety and anger, while
strengthening those parts of the brain related to
attention, focus, emotional regulation, cognition
and memory. When we are out of touch with our
feelings and the thinking patterns that trigger
anxiety and stress, we operate from a flight or
flight place, and react instead of responding
thoughtfully in the moment. Practices such as
meditation, yoga, and martial arts can all help to
cultivate mindfulness, but integrating it into the
workplace requires deliberate effort and focus.
Participants will understand how integrating
mindfulness practices into the workplace can
help them become more focused, productive,
and calm under pressure. Through experiential
activities, scenarios, discussion and group
exercises, participants will leave with specific
techniques for practicing mindfulness at work,
and living a more mindful, stress-free life.
22
Quarterly Training Catalog | Winter 2015
Coaching Training
January 27-28, 2015, UMB SSW
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
RESTRICTED TO SUPERVISORS: This 2 day
training is designed for individuals who would
like to coach supervisors that have recently
attended the Supervision Matters Supervisory
Courses and/or plan to use coaching with their
own staff. SSA, in collaboration with the Child
Welfare Academy and a nationally certified
coaching consultant, is offering training in a
coaching model that will reinforce practice
expectations and skills related to effective and
quality supervision. The coaching program will
provide a model of peer support and constructive
feedback exchange to enhance supervisory
skills through a partnership for learning and
change. Designed as a very interactive training,
participants will learn about the coaching process
and elements of the coaching relationship; gain
an understanding of the structure and guidelines
used in coaching; and the coach/coachee roles
and responsibilities.
Conducting Screening Assessments:
Seeing Reporters as Resources
January 6, 2015, Frederick County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
When a call comes in to the hotline, it is
Child Welfare’s first opportunity to begin the
assessment process and assist families to
meet their unique and at times complex needs.
This training is intended for all workers who
are employed full time in a screening unit or
who have regular or occasional responsibility
for screening reports. The training will focus
on building strengths-based, family centered
interview skills to gather information to make
the informed and balanced initial assessment
required for accurate screening decisions.
Click here to go to A-Z Listing Online
A to Z Workshop
Descriptions
Enhancing Your Credibility in Court
FIM Facilitation, 3-day
January 13, 2015, UMB SSW
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
March 3-5, 2015, UMB SSW
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 18 CEUs
March 12, 2015, UMB SSW
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
The 3-day Family Involvement Meeting (FIM)
Facilitation training will provide participants
with the general values, principles and skills
needed for introductory level facilitation of Family
Involvement Meetings. Participants will gain
an understanding of the MD Family Centered
Practice model (FCP) principles, outcomes and
goals and how a FIM reflects them. They will
learn about the procedural aspects of why, when
and how FIMs are scheduled and how to prepare
for a FIM.
Many child welfare workers feel that they do
not receive the respect they deserve when they
appear in court. Others feel intimidated by the
process of testifying. This one day training is
designed to assist the new worker to enhance
his or her professional image and performance in
court.
Topics include:
1. preparing for a successful outcome in court,
2. presenting a professional image,
3. testifying as an expert witness, and
4. maintaining composure and responding to
the adversarial attorney through effective
testimony under cross-examination.
Through lecture, small group discussions and
practice, participants will be able to pace a
FIM, focus participants on strengths/concerns/
ideas and systematically move a group through
the problem-solving model assuring that each
stage is fully developed to reach consensus.
Content will cover ways to ensure effective and
clear discussion related to safety and risk issues
at all FIMs so that decisions are grounded in
safety and protection for the child. Participants
will also develop intervention strategies and
skills to maintain comfort guidelines/ground
rules, manage group dynamics and deal with
participants who exhibit difficult group behaviors.
Facilitator self-awareness is explored and
participants will learn how their own personal
biases and values may impact the facilitation of a
FIM.
NOTE: FIM Facilitation is mandatory for staff that
will be facilitating FIMs full or part-time.
Click here to go to A-Z Listing Online
Winter 2015 | Quarterly Training Catalog
23
A to Z Workshop
Descriptions
From Good to Great: Maximizing Skills
to Enhance AR Practice
How Grief and Loss Impact Everyone
in the Foster Care World
New!
New!
February 19, 2015, Harford County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
February 24, 2015, Prince George’s County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
March 25, 2015, Washington County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
This workshop will explore how the inevitable
grief that arises when foster care becomes
necessary affects all stakeholders within the
foster care world. Common grief behaviors in
infants, children, adolescents, birth and resource
parents as well as the myriad professionals
who work with them, wil be examined. Program
content will explore the following topics: specific
types of grief related to foster care issues;
common myths about grief; consequences
of multiple loss experiences; developmental
understanding and coping; specific stakeholder
responses; adult side effects; and resources for
help.
Now that Maryland’s Dual Track CPS System is
fully operational, it is time to turn our attention
to strengthening and sustaining AR skills and
practice. Many localities have expressed a need
for more in depth, practical training that will build
on previous training and take their AR skills to
the next level. You asked and we delivered!
In partnership with DHR, CWA is pleased to
announce a new Alternative Response course
that will help local departments move from
“good enough” to GREAT AR implementation.
Participants will explore best practices and
what is working, as well as opportunities for
improving the integration and delivery of AR
whether working with a relatively easy going or
challenging family situation. Through hands-on
learning and practice, participants will enhance
their ability to utilize tools and strategies to
engage and plan with family from start to finish
(first the family visit, developing the service
plan and finally preparing a strengths based
closing summary), ultimately leading to desired
outcomes for the children and families being
served.
Prerequisite:
All attendees must have completed the Assessing and Planning for Risk and Safety Using Signs
of Safety 1-day or 2-day Pre-Service workshop.
24
Quarterly Training Catalog | Winter 2015
Click here to go to A-Z Listing Online
A to Z Workshop
Descriptions
Intimate Partner Violence: Dynamics,
Assessment and Intervention
Safety Awareness for Child Welfare
Professionals
January 8, 2015, UMB SSW
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
February 25, 2015, Talbot County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
February 24, 2015, Anne Arundel County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
March 18, 2015, Cecil County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
March 17, 2015, UMB SSW
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
This safety awareness training for child welfare
staff is designed to equip participants with the
tools, discipline, and self-confidence to handle
themselves in situations which may arise during
the course of work. The training will cover
several different areas including risk assessment,
safety planning, pre-assault indicators, verbal
escalation and report taking essentials. The
workshop will enhance a participant’s ability
to determine a client’s potential for violence,
plan appropriately to ensure safe client care
and when transporting clients, recognize
indicators that an assault may be imminent,
learn techniques to diffuse a potentially explosive
situation with clinical interventions and discuss,
items to keep in mind when reporting an assault
to law enforcement personnel.
The purpose of this training is to provide
participants with a framework for addressing the
issue of domestic violence within the context of
a child welfare case. Specifically, participants will
learn:
1. what constitutes domestic violence, and how
children are affected by it;
2. how to identify the three different types of
batterers, and the appropriate interventions
for each type;
3. how to understand and work with the nonoffending parent to enhance child safety;
4. what legal remedies are available; and
5. when it is appropriate to remove a child from
a home due to the presence of domestic
violence.
Click here to go to A-Z Listing Online
Winter 2015 | Quarterly Training Catalog
25
A to Z Workshop
Descriptions
Secondary Traumatic Stress
January 9, 2015, UMB SSW
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
Signs of Safety (SoS) - Assessing and
Planning Using the SoS Framework:
Experienced Worker and Supervisor
Training
March 13, 2015, Harford County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
February 6, 2015, Howard County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
Both new and experienced workers can be
affected by Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS),
potentially causing a significant impact on
their personal and professional lives. This full
day training will help child welfare workers to
understand STS and its effects so that they can
concentrate on building coping mechanisms and
supports in order to be effective in all areas of
their lives.
This training is designed for experienced case
workers and supervisors from all service areas.
It provides an introduction to the Signs of Safety
(SoS) framework, a strengths based, family
centered approach to assessing and planning for
risk and safety with children and families. It is a
supportive framework to our current methods and
an extension of the Maryland Family Centered
Practice Model. SoS is a way of thinking about
risk and safety which acknowledges that all
families have at some point acted to protect
their children and are capable of using these
protective factors to keep their children safe
in the future. Attendees will learn questioning
techniques to gather information for a thorough
assessment and will learn and practice
assessment strategies to differentiate safety
threats from complicating factors. Participants
will be introduced to several tools and will have
opportunities to apply them in safety mapping
with practice cases.
26
Quarterly Training Catalog | Winter 2015
Click here to go to A-Z Listing Online
A to Z Workshop
Descriptions
Signs of Safety (SoS) - The
Supervisor’s Role in Implementation Structured Analysis Family Evaluation
(SAFE) Interviewing Skills Workshop
March 5, 2015, Howard County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
January 14, 2015, UMB SSW
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
This specially designed one day course for
supervisors and administrators will focus on
the Signs of Safety framework as a means
for helping the child welfare workforce look at
levels of risk and child safety so that workers will
assess conditions similarly and make decisions
while taking into account their experience,
education, and bias.
The Home Study Interview is an integral part of
the home study process. Structured Analysis
Family Evaluation (SAFE) and the Social Work
Interview Training provides tools to help Home
Study Practitioners use SAFE to better prepare,
plan and perform the home study interview.
The training provides not only practical advice
but new and innovative interviewing skills,
techniques and approaches to interviewing
Applicants. All Attendees MUST have
completed the SAFE 2-day training.
Participants will be given the opportunity to use
strategies to distinguish Safety and Risk factors.
The training will be interactive with practice
exercises and will include references to current
relevant policies and procedures.Participants
must have previously participated in a full
day or two day session of Assessing and
Planning for Risk and Safety using the Signs
of Safety.
Click here to go to A-Z Listing Online
Winter 2015 | Quarterly Training Catalog
27
A to Z Workshop
Descriptions
Structured Analysis Family Evaluation
(SAFE) Supervisor’s Training
January 15, 2015, UMB SSW
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
This one-day supervisor’s training is designed
to aid supervisors in proper supervision
of Structured Analysis Family Evaluation
(SAFE). THE TWO-DAY SAFE TRAINING IS
A PRE-REQUISITE FOR THE SUPERVISOR
TRAINING. Although Consortium for Children
mandates that all individuals using SAFE attend
the SAFE 2-day training, we understand that
a worker can’t sit around waiting for the next
SAFE training and that supervisors must be able
to help them begin to do the work as soon as
possible.
This training teaches supervisors how to
introduce SAFE to new workers so they can
get started. Please note that new workers
should attend the two-day SAFE training within
four months of the start of using the tool. The
Supervisor Handbook provides the SAFE
supervisor with handouts and a step-by-step
methodology on how to introduce SAFE to a new
worker.
28
Quarterly Training Catalog | Winter 2015
Supporting Permanency: Debunking
Myths, Engaging Youth and Beginning
Family Finding
February 25, 2015, Calvert County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
This training will provide a foundation for Family
Finding by first reinforcing the importance of
permanency, exploring common myths and
misconceptions, and confronting personal
biases, attitudes and beliefs that may create
barriers to creating permanency for youth. This
will be followed by an examination of engaging
youth in the permanency and family finding
process, and preparing them for permanency by
addressing their attitudes, feelings and potential
resistance. Best practices for engaging youth
in the permanency planning process will be
reviewed, and participants will be provided with
effective tools and techniques to assess and
prepare a youth for permanency. Building on
the work of Kevin Campbell, the second portion
of the training will provide an introduction to
Family Finding and Engagement with the goal
of creating and sustaining lifelong connections
for youth in foster care. Techniques for relative
search and engagement will be introduced, and
the basics of case mining and record review will
be examined and discussed. Participants will
leave with an understanding of the important
role that they play in creating and sustaining
permanency for youth who might otherwise
have no lifelong connections. The training
will incorporate discussion, small group work,
case studies, role plays, and other experiential
activities to introduce and reinforce important
concepts.
Click here to go to A-Z Listing Online
A to Z Workshop
Descriptions
The Dynamics of Maltreatment and the
Impact on Interviewing
The Dynamics of Sexual Abuse and the
Impact on Safety and Service Planning
January 27, 2015, Talbot County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
March 18, 2015, Anne Arundel County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
There are many factors involved in conducting
a successful forensic interview with children
who have experienced maltreatment. Winging
it is not one of the recommendations. This
class will discuss the unique dynamics of child
maltreatment and how they impact the worker’s
ability to engage with the family, and gather
accurate, detailed information. Participants
will examine effective interviewing styles and
strategies, ideal interview environments, and
common interviewing challenges .The application
and utilization of learned tools, techniques and
strategies to direct practice will also be explored.
This class will explore how the unique dynamics
of sexual abuse impact the ability of the
caseworker to engage and partner with the
family in planning for safety and appropriate
services. Participants will examine the role
and influence of non-offending care-givers,
compliant victims, and situations involving incest
on achieving positive outcomes for safety, wellbeing and permanency. Actionable strategies for
helping families and their supportive caregivers
to navigate the court process will also be
provided.
**Course formerly known as Investigative
Interviewing**
Click here to go to A-Z Listing Online
**Course formerly known as Sexual Abuse
Investigations**
Winter 2015 | Quarterly Training Catalog
29
A to Z Workshop
Descriptions
Trans-Racial Placements: Preparing
and Supporting Families, ½-day
Trauma Informed Casework
New!
January 29, 2015, Howard County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
February 19, 2015, Howard County DSS
9:00 am - 12:15 pm • 3 CEUs
February 3, 2015, Somerset County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
Families who adopt a child of a different race or
from another culture are confronted with a unique
set of issues and concerns that require careful
thought, preparation and ongoing education. This
seminar is designed for professionals working
with families who intend to adopt trans-racially
or trans-culturally. It will provide information
and strategies when working with parents to
help them evaluate their readiness to embrace
a multi-racial/multi-cultural family identity. It will
also help professionals to prepare families for
the realities and ongoing challenges of adopting
trans-racially/trans-culturally to increase the
likelihood of a smooth transition and successful
placement.
February 12, 2015, UMB SSW
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
30
Quarterly Training Catalog | Winter 2015
March 18, 2015, UMB SSW
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
A trauma informed child welfare workforce is
knowledgeable about how trauma affects an
individual at any stage of development, and is
strategic about incorporating specific elements
into service delivery to improve communication,
increase awareness, and ultimately reduce
trauma for children. This workshop will explore
the origins of trauma, the impact of trauma on the
neurological system, and subsequent cognitive
distortions and behavioral manifestations.
Participants will also gain knowledge regarding
appropriate trauma informed screening,
assessment and intervention strategies for
families and foster care providers.
Click here to go to A-Z Listing Online
A to Z Workshop
Descriptions
Trauma Survivors as Parents
March 17, 2015, Frederick County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
Much emphasis has been placed on
understanding and supporting children who
have experienced trauma, without consideration
for how a parent’s unresolved trauma history
can profoundly impact their ability to parent in a
healthy and appropriate way. When parents are
struggling with their own unresolved trauma, the
caseworker’s ability to partner with the family
to eliminate complicating factors, strengthen
the family unit, and ultimately achieve lasting
positive outcomes is significantly diminished.
This workshop will explore how unresolved
trauma can impact parenting, as well as outline
strategies to work with and engage parents so
that families move towards their goals of safety,
permanency and well-being for all.
Click here to go to A-Z Listing Online
Understanding the Association
Between Foster Care and Human Sex
Trafficking, ½-day January 13, 2015, Montgomery County DHHS
9:00 am - 12:15 pm • 3 CEUs
February 20, 2015, UMB SSW
9:00 am - 12:15 pm • 3 CEUs
This half-day training is designed to educate
child welfare workers to ensure that highrisk and trafficked males and females placed
in foster care are identified, assisted, and
protected. Training participants will gain a better
understanding of what human trafficking is, the
basics of domestic minor sex trafficking and
forced labor trafficking, how to better identify
potential trafficking victims, the laws and referral
mechanisms, myths and misconceptions about
sex trafficking, and much more. CWA trainers
have been certified by the Maryland Human
Trafficking Task Force to conduct this training.
Winter 2015 | Quarterly Training Catalog
31
A to Z Workshop
Descriptions
Using Critical Thinking to Enhance
Child Welfare Assessments
February 5, 2015, Charles County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
WEBINAR - Cues and Miscues: How
Attachment Impacts the Way Kids in
Care Communicate
New!
March 3, 2015, Montgomery County DHHS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
February 2, 2015, Online
10:30 am - 12:00 pm • 1.5 CEUs
Conducting assessments is a critical component
of the delivery of child welfare services. In order
to conduct meaningful, quality assessments,
critical thinking skills must be developed, honed
and applied. Child welfare outcomes are directly
correlated to the accurate assessment of child
and family strengths and needs. Thorough and
well-conducted strengths-based assessments
require the child welfare worker to apply critical
thinking skills so they know when, how and what
questions to ask for continual re-evaluation of
client needs; thus enabling the worker to skillfully
team with the family to develop and provide
appropriate services. This full day interactive
workshop will examine the attributes of critical
thinking, challenges to conducting quality
assessments, tools to help gather and organize
assessment information, and the application of
critical thinking skills to the assessment process.
Time will also be spent exploring the ways in
which personal thinking and decision-making
styles affect the assessment process.
Secure attachments develop when caregivers
are available, responsive, and sensitive to
the needs of their children. Cues (or signals)
are used to communicate specific wants or
needs, and an attuned caregiver responds by
meeting that need in a timely and sensitive
manner. Children with a history of maltreatment
often have attachment challenges, behavioral
issues, and difficulty expressing their needs
and feelings in healthy and appropriate ways.
These children sometimes miscue, sending
contradictory or misleading messages to their
caregivers. Their caregivers may then respond
in harmful ways; reinforcing rejecting, neglectful
and possibly abusive patterns of interaction.
Rather than strengthen and affirm the caregiverchild relationship, these interactions leave
both the caregiver and child feeling confused,
angry, hurt, misunderstood and frustrated. This
webinar will go beyond the basics of attachment
to examine how communication is adversely
affected by attachment challenges, resulting in
a cycle of unhealthy caregiver-child interactions.
Participants will learn how to recognize miscues
in children, as well as the various defensive
coping strategies that children with a history of
trauma use in order to protect themselves from
further hurt and harm. Practical strategies for
intervening and helping children in care learn
to communicate their true feelings and needs
constructively will be explored. Participants
will also learn ways to help caregivers apply
attachment-based parenting strategies so that
they can better create a healing environment for
the children in their care.
32
Quarterly Training Catalog | Winter 2015
Click here to go to A-Z Listing Online
A to Z Workshop
Descriptions
WEBINAR - Is this Normal?
Understanding Sexual Development
and Behavior in Children
New!
March 10, 2015, Online
10:30 am - 12:00 pm • 1.5 CEUs
While discussing sexuality can be uncomfortable,
understanding age appropriate sexual
development and behavior in children can play
a significant role in preventing sexual abuse
and victimization. Sometimes it is difficult to
discern when sexual behavior is natural and
healthy, and when it may be indicative of a
problem or disturbance. In order to maintain the
safety and well-being of children, child welfare
professionals must be able to recognize what
behaviors are developmentally appropriate at
different ages and stages, and what might signal
that a child has been sexually abused or is
victimizing others. In this webinar, participants
will learn about “normal” sexual behaviors and
developmental patterns in children, as well as
signs and symptoms that may be cause for
concern. They will be provided with strategies
for educating both children and caregivers about
typical sexual development so that they can
better support healthy attitudes and behaviors.
Click here to go to A-Z Listing Online
WEBINAR - Prescription Drug Misuse/
Abuse and Child Welfare Practice
New!
January 13, 2015, Online
10:30 am - 12:00 pm • 1.5 CEUs
Prescription drug use is becoming increasingly
more common among families and can
bring clear benefits when used as intended.
Unfortunately, prescribed medications can also
result in significant harm when used in ways that
are not approved, resulting in addiction, impaired
functioning across multiple domains, and
possibly even death. The abuse of prescription
medication can negatively impact the ability of
parents in the child welfare system to provide
loving and appropriate care to their children.
Child welfare workers must have information
and tools to educate families, assess possible
misuse/abuse, and intervene when appropriate
to ensure the safety and well-being of the
children they serve.
Participants in this ONLINE offering will learn
ways to assess possible prescription drug
abuse from a family-centered, strengths-based
perspective, as well as ways to intervene and
support the family when needed. The impact
of substances on parenting skills and abilities
will be explored, and ways to keep children
and teens safe will be reviewed. In addition,
participants will learn strategies for educating
families about prescription misuse/abuse to
better ensure that they reduce risk and harm
within the family system.
Winter 2015 | Quarterly Training Catalog
33
A to Z Workshop
Descriptions
Whose Child is it Anyway? The
Challenges of Reunification
Writing Skills for Exceptional Case
Documentation
New!
February 18, 2015, UMB SSW
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
January 29, 2015, Frederick County DSS
9:00 am - 4:30 pm • 6 CEUs
When a child is removed from his/her family due
to abuse or neglect, the preferred permanency
option is safe and timely family reunification.
Because the majority of children who leave foster
care are in fact reunited with their families, it is
important to consider the factors and practices
that support successful reunification, as well as
those that might impede success. Child welfare
workers, who are charged with maintaining the
safety, permanency and well-being of children
in care, must manage the inherently conflictual
relationships among all parties. Resource
parents often have formed deep emotional
bonds with the children in their care and are
reluctant to return a child to the very same family
that occasioned the trauma. Likewise, both the
family of origin and the child will likely grapple
with mixed emotions and experience multiple
challenges as a child transitions home. And DSS
workers must address their personal feelings
around a given case that even may run counter
to the Department’s plan. This workshop will
explore roles and responsibilities of the adults
involved in the foster care system in supporting
permanency outcomes and family reunification.
34 here
Quarterly
Training
Click
to go to A-Z
Listing Catalog
Online
| Winter 2015
This workshop is designed to help child welfare
workers develop a clearer, more factual and
pertinent writing style specifically for child welfare
documentation. Through writing experiences,
training participants will work on identifying
pertinent data for inclusion in contact notes,
differentiating between case fact and opinion,
and recording summarized case assessments,
case plans and other supporting data in case
records. Training participants will gain an overall
understanding on how to organize information in
a clear, concise manner.