CFSR Report

1
CFSR Report

• The final report of the federal Child and Family
  Service Review, January, 2004, states the
  following
• Wisconsin is not in substantial conformity with
  the systemic factor of Training. Information
  obtained during the CFSR indicates that the
  collaborative approach to training between the
  State, counties, training partnerships, tribes
  and universities does not ensure that newly hired
  caseworkers in all county child welfare offices
  receive the initial training necessary to provide
  services that support the goals and objectives of
  the child and Family Services Plan (CFSP). In
  addition, the CFSR found that many newly hired
  caseworkers are assigned caseloads before
  completion of a core or foundation training
  program, and that DCFS does not have statewide
  requirements for staff to participate in ongoing
  training. (Executive Summary, CFSR Report, p. 9,
  January, 2004)

2
Program Improvement Plan

• Staff and Provider Training For staff
  training, PEP Action Step R addresses CFSR Items
  32 and 33 relating to initial and ongoing
  training. A statewide pre-service training
  program will be developed to ensure staff receive
  basic training prior to taking child welfare
  cases. Statewide requirements will be
  established for caseworker training, including
  foundation training for core practice skills,
  ongoing advanced skills training for caseworkers,
  and foundation and skills training for
  supervisors. Staff training will be provided
  through the existing University of Wisconsin
  Training Partnerships, but the capacity of the
  Wisconsin child welfare training system will be
  expanded to provide additional training and take
  advantage of technology and other training
  resources to deliver training in the most
  effective and cost-efficient manner.

3
Charge to AdHoc Committee

• The major responsibility of the AdHoc Committee
  on Initial Ongoing Staff Development is to
  create a report for the Wisconsin Child Welfare
  Training Council on what should constitute
  pre-service, foundation, ongoing (in-service) and
  supervisor training for child welfare workers in
  Wisconsin. The Training Council will then make a
  recommendation to the Division of Children and
  Family Services who have the final responsibility
  for creating the administrative rule and for
  satisfying the requirements of the Wisconsin
  Program Improvement Plan regarding minimum
  training requirements for child welfare workers.

4
AdHoc Committee on Pre-Service, Foundation,
Advanced and Supervisory Staff Development

• Membership includes staff from
• The 5 child welfare training partnerships
• BMCW
• DCFS
• The 5 DHFS regions (director, supervisor, worker
  from each)
• 2 DHFS regional offices
• WiSACWIS
• University BSW/MSW stipend programs

5
Process

• The group created a list of what a new worker
  would need to know. (meeting 1)
• That list was organized around broad topics, and,
• Organized by 3 functions
• Intake
• Initial assessment
• On-going services
• The list was refined by the Committee (meeting 2)
• The Committee identified how they would get the
  list to their constituents for review in
  preparation for meeting 3.

6
Process

• The Committee solicited feedback and reported
  that feedback to the Chair in preparation for
  meeting 3
• They finalized the list of what new workers need
  to know for each of the 3 functions (meeting 3)
• The Committee approved the basic process for
  continuing their work including
• Basic steps for the Committee as a whole
• Organization of work between AdHoc Committee
  meetings

7
Product

• The Committee
• Agreed on a definition of good practice to use as
  a benchmark
• Agreed on definitions for the functions of
  intake, initial assessment, on-going services
• Agreed on content areas for pre-service for each
  function
• Agreed on basic assumptions about pre-service

8
Product

• Assumptions
• Content will be covered in concise, tightly
  designed modules intended to help a new worker
  start safelyfor clients, worker and agency.
• Modules may be taught via interactive internet
  units, videos, supervisory meetings, where
  numbers are sufficient, workshops.
• New workers will be able to do work while they
  are doing pre-service, although they will not be
  able to formally carry a caseload.
• The modules will be planfully interspersed with
  shadowing, mentoring and actual work assignments.
• Exemptions for those with BSW/MSW degrees and
  past experience will be worked out.

9
Product Assumptions

• Pre-service modules will replace much of what a
  supervisor is currently doing to orient new staff
• Supervisors will be essential to effective
  pre-service and therefore will be trained first
• A continuous flow of information and feedback
  from all affected by the implementation of
  pre-service is essential.

10
Continued Work

• Since the last meeting, the following steps have
  been taken
• A workgroup organized the content areas into
  modules and ordered those modules (handout)
• Contacts have been made with consultants who are
  gathering content for each unit with the modules.
• Units that are ready are being reviewed.

11
Continuing the Work

• Once likely content for a unit(s) have been
  identified and gathered together, a workgroup of
  county, state and partnership staff will meet to
  decide on a final version of that content.
• Toward the end of the process, a media specialist
  will meet with the group to work out how that
  unit will be delivered
• The unit will be completed.

12
Next Committee Meeting

• The AdHoc Committee will have its 4th meeting on
  April 21. At that time the group will develop
• Recommendations on the number of hours of
  inservice training line staff and supervisors
  will need will to complete each year.
• Recommendations on the time within which new
  staff must complete worker CORE.

13
http//www.uwrf.edu/wwpartnership/
PEP/HomePage.htm