Target Population: Local District Social Services (LDSS) and voluntary agency child welfare and child protective services staff, including administrators, caseworkers, supervisors, directors of services; OCFS Child Welfare Home Office and Regional Office staff; other identified stakeholders, to include LDSS contract agencies providing child welfare services.

Purpose: This training provides the foundation for all child welfare professionals, regardless of specific job function (child protective services, preventive, foster care, etc.).

Training Type: Classroom, Web-Based Training

Description: YRI will use the OCFS approved curricula for this program. CWFP is a multi-part, multi-modality training. This competency-based course is intended for new child welfare professionals. It has been designed around the ten (10) domains of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services Practice Model. The ten (10) domains are: Critical Thinking; Cultural Competence; Strengths-based Family Engagement; Assessment; Interviewing; Self-Management; Intervention; Collaboration; and, Service Planning (note that the Service Planning component will include two days of CONNECTIONS training). Also included will be the one day virtual Safe and Together Overview training. This training will be conducted by another vendor. The program supports training participants in building competency and achieving performance outcomes in all these areas. This program lays the foundation for all child welfare workers, regardless of their function, and supports them in taking their next step into training related to their specific job function.

OCFS will specify the learning activities in each domain which will consist of one or more modalities (classroom instruction, WBT, skill clinic), and all domains include an on-the-job learning (OJL) component.

The OJL activities are a required part of the program. They are casework-related tasks that help workers take what they have learned and apply it on the job. In domains that include classroom instruction, the OJL activities should be completed after classroom participation. Trainees will be required to attest to the completion of OJL activities in HSLC in order to receive credit for fully attending CWFP.

Skill clinics provide each trainee with individual practice sessions in which their skills are self-assessed and evaluated by a trainer.

After the trainee completes all ten (10) domains, their learning culminates in an Integrative Skill Clinic. Using case scenarios, each trainee will practice incorporating the use of interpersonal skills, the interviewing protocol and process, intervention, assessment analysis, and identification of service needs of the family. Practice will include the demonstration of critical thinking skills, practice values, and self-management.

Target Population: Local District Social Services (LDSS) and voluntary agency child welfare and child protective services staff, including administrators, caseworkers, supervisors, directors of services; OCFS Child Welfare Home Office and Regional Office staff; other identified stakeholders, to include LDSS contract agencies providing child welfare services.

Purpose: Assist local districts/voluntary agencies with staff training for emerging needs.

Training Type: Classroom

Description: This will include, but is not limited to, training on the New York State Universal Assessment Tool. These trainings will be delivered regionally, on-site, or on a virtual platform as directed by OCFS. The number of training days will depend on the training topic.

Target Population: Child Welfare supervisors and direct service professionals in New York State who are required to complete OCFS training.

Purpose: To provide new supervisors in local districts and voluntary agencies with the training and support necessary to make a successful transition from worker to supervisor.

Training Type: Classroom, Distance Learning

Description: KEYS Core training focuses on the development of leadership and supervisory effectiveness skills. The KEYS Core curriculum focuses on the needs of new supervisors and the competencies they need most within the first six months of assuming a supervisory position.

KEYS Core Training includes: Transitioning from Worker to Supervisor, The Process of Supervision, and Case Consultation. In addition to the classroom training, there is a pre-class web-based training (WBT) component that introduces the concept of a working agreement to participants. Another integral part of the training is a mid-class group coaching component that is conducted using a virtual platform.

The KEYS Core trainers must have training experience in child welfare/CPS supervision or comparable experience as approved by OCFS.

Purpose: To provide in-person skill practice opportunities for trainees who attended CWFP on the virtual platform and will not be continuing on to the Child Protective Services Response Training (CPSRT).

Training Type: Classroom

Description: This activity is intended to support voluntary agency and LDSS participants’ learning by presenting them with a series of realistic family scenarios that will enable them to integrate their newly acquired foundational skills while using the simulation space at the Human Services Training Center. Evaluations will be conducted by their peers and by trainers to support participants’ skill building and prepare for transfer of learning to the field. This in person training will be provided to participants who will not be attending the CPSRT training.

Target Population: Foster and adoptive parents, foster care and adoption caseworkers, supervisors, home finders, trainers and agency administrators in local districts and voluntary and provider agencies.

Purpose: Upon successful completion of training, participants from local districts or voluntary agencies will be able to locally facilitate the pre-certification process for prospective foster/adoptive parents.

Training Type: Classroom, Virtual Classroom

Description: Through the use of the NTDC curricula, this training supports the preparation of local district and voluntary agency staff to become qualified to provide local training and activities to prospective foster/adoptive families. This training provides the knowledge and skills to locally deliver the training to their prospective foster/adoptive parents. The program includes the selection, development, preparation and certification of prospective foster/adoptive parents.

Target Population: Foster and adoptive parents, foster care and adoption caseworkers, supervisors, home finders, trainers and agency administrators in local districts and voluntary and provider agencies

Purpose: Purpose: Assists local districts/voluntary agencies with staff training for emerging needs with specially designed training to meet those needs.

Training Type: Distance Learning - Virtual Classroom

Description: Provide training as identified through requests to OCFS based on emerging training needs of local/regional foster/adoptive parents and/or local district/voluntary agency trainers, home finders and related staff. Trainings can range from half (½) day to two (2) days in length.

Some special topics days can support group coaching of home finders and related staff who train at regular intervals. This includes coaching on practice issues, sharing successful strategies to deal with foster/adoptive parent issues, practicing trainer techniques and resources.

Kinship Champions, which is a one and half (1.5) day training, will be delivered once each quarter of the year. This training will be conducted on a virtual platform.

Target Population: Foster and adoptive parents, foster care and adoption caseworkers, supervisors, home finders, trainers and agency administrators in local districts and voluntary and provider agencies

Purpose: To make training more convenient and accessible for foster/adoptive parents statewide through a distance learning format. This training helps reduce the rate of placement disruptions within a foster family; and distance learning has proven to be a successful method to reach foster/adoptive parents with relevant information on a variety of topics.

Training Type: Distance Learning: Virtual Classroom

Description: YRI will deliver Introduction to Developmental Disabilities training. This five-part series will be delivered on a virtual platform once in the first two quarters of the year and once in the last two quarters of the year. It is intended for foster/adoptive parents who are raising children with developmental disabilities.

Target Population: Local district social services (LDSS) CPS and child welfare caseworkers, supervisors and administrators and provider agency FAR staff as well as OCFS CWCS staff involved in FAR.

Purpose: Develop the knowledge and skills needed to conduct accurate investigations and assessments and to use both the casework practice skills and legal processes to promote child safety, well-being and permanency.

Training Type: Classroom, Web-Based Training

Description: Provide specialized training to CPS caseworkers or supervisors who have successfully completed Child Welfare Foundations Program. CPSRT builds the skills and knowledge base of CPS workers to enable them to conduct thorough investigations on reports of alleged abuse and maltreatment, to accurately assess safety and risk, to control for safety and reduce risk and support child well-being and permanency.

An integral part of this training program is on-line pre- and mid-classroom modules through a virtual platform. These components are mandatory for course completion and build on the skills learned in the classroom.

One (1) day of this training is facilitated by an attorney trainer and two (2) attorney trainers facilitate a half-day mock fact-finding hearing.

Target Population: Local district social services (LDSS) CPS and child welfare caseworkers, supervisors and administrators and provider agency FAR staff as well as OCFS CWCS staff involved in FAR.

Purpose: To prepare CPS workers for Child Protective Services Response training.

Training Type: Classroom

Description: This training will include content on risk and the Risk Assessment Profile (RAP) as well as foundational legal content necessary to attend Child Protective Services Response training (CPSRT). This activity includes two (2) attorney trainers for one (1) day.

Target Population: Local district social services (LDSS) CPS and child welfare caseworkers, supervisors and administrators and provider agency FAR staff as well as OCFS CWCS staff involved in FAR

Purpose: Skill development to administer the work of a CPS unit, provide support to CPS caseworkers and to develop the knowledge and skills of CPS casework staff so that they can conduct effective and efficient assessments and investigations in accordance with the NYS Child Welfare Practice Model.

Training Type: Classroom

Description: Provide training for supervisors who have successfully completed CPSRT and KEYS Core or KEYS Essentials. This training will build supervisors’ ability to coach, support, and monitor child protective services caseworkers through the CPS investigative process, including information gathering, safety, and risk and needs assessments, determination decisions, and family court involvement.

This course fulfills the NYS mandate, required by Chapter 525 of the Laws of 2006 that all CPS supervisors participate in a CPS specific supervisory training course.

This course is part of a CPS series of prescribed and mandated trainings including Child Welfare Foundations Program, CPSRT, KEYS and Supervising CPS.

One (1) day of this training is facilitated by one attorney trainer.

Target Population: Local district social services (LDSS) CPS and child welfare caseworkers, supervisors and administrators and provider agency FAR staff as well as OCFS CWCS staff involved in FAR.

Purpose: Provide child welfare LDSS staff with training to meet needs.

Training Type: Classroom

Description: Provide training as identified through OCFS request. This will include, but is not limited to, training on the New York State Universal Assessment Tool. These trainings will be delivered regionally, on-site, or on a virtual platform as directed by OCFS. The number of training days will depend on the training topic.

Target Population: Local district social services (LDSS) CPS and child welfare caseworkers, supervisors and administrators and provider agency FAR staff as well as OCFS CWCS staff involved in FAR.

Purpose: Provide and increase the knowledge and skill of caseworkers, supervisors, administrators and other key individuals to provide an effective Family Assessment Response to families reported to the NY Statewide Central Register for maltreatment.

Training Type: Classroom, Web-Based Training

Description: Deliver training that will include, but not be limited to: FAR Process and Practice, Solution-Focused FAR Practice, Assessing Safety and Risk in FAR, Supervising to a Practice Shift in FAR, Advanced Supervision in FAR and Increasing the Voice of Children and Youth.

The Advanced Supervision in FAR and Increasing the Voice of Children and Youth will be standalone courses; they will not necessarily be delivered sequentially with the other FAR courses.

Target Population: Local district social services (LDSS) CPS and child welfare caseworkers, supervisors and administrators and provider agency FAR staff as well as OCFS CWCS staff involved in FAR.

Purpose: To increase the availability of in-service training to assist child protective services caseworkers and supervisors to meet their annual training requirement, including specific practice topics identified in Chapter 525 of the Laws of 2006 and the OCFS and LDSS ongoing practice improvement plans.

Training Type: Classroom

Description: YRI will work with OCFS Regional Office and local district social services staff to assess the needs of the CPS workforce and provide a minimum of 25 days of professional in-service training through qualified experts on specific CPS casework and supervisory practice topics.

Target Population: Local district social services (LDSS) CPS and child welfare caseworkers, supervisors and administrators and provider agency FAR staff as well as OCFS CWCS staff involved in FAR.

Purpose: To provide skill demonstration opportunities for trainees who received CWFP/CPSRT training only via a virtual platform.

Training Type: Classroom

Description: Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic in-person training was suspended for training participants for significant periods of time. This activity will provide participants opportunities for skill demonstration and feedback from their immersive experience using the simulation space at the Human Services Training Center.

Target Population: All OCFS Staff, local district social services (LDSS) child welfare and adult services staff, representatives from family court, provider agency staff; stakeholders affiliated with Native American Services; non-traditional child welfare stakeholders and Non-Federal Funding participants. Staff of child welfare or adult services provider and community-based agencies licensed and/or monitored by OCFS including agencies providing these services through LDSS contracts.

Non-traditional child welfare stakeholders may include, but are not limited to, county probation officers, county mental health staff and county youth bureau staff.

Non-Federal Funding Participants may include staff from other state agencies including, but not limited to the Office of Court Administration and Office of Addiction Services and Supports.

Purpose: Participants will learn skills and be able to apply Motivational Interviewing techniques within their work.

Training Type: Classroom Training

Description: Training and consultation to support LDSS, Voluntary and Prevention Services Agencies, Community Based Provider Agencies, OCFS staff and OCFS identified stakeholders in the use of Motivational Interviewing techniques in their work. This activity may also include consultation on skill development and application. It may involve on-site observation and coaching/modeling for professional development.