Pre-Service: Child Welfare in North Carolina

There is an extensive Pre-Service Transfer of Learning (TOL) tool for Foundation Training and a separate TOL tool for Core Training. Both should be started prior to beginning the in-person classroom and re-visited on an ongoing basis to assess growth and re-prioritize actions for development.

Employees who are enrolled in the Foundation Training are required to complete the TOL tool for Foundation. All employees must complete the TOL tool for Core Training.

The computer that the participant will use to access the online components must have the following settings. We encourage participants to contact the Information Manager at their agency for assistance in case of questions regarding the requirements:

• Broadband Internet access
• Adobe Reader (DC or higher) must be installed on the computer. Download Adobe Reader.

Completion of the self-paced modules are required as pre-work in the week prior to attending the in-person classroom-based sessions of Pre-Service Training: Child Welfare in North Carolina. The self-paced modules will open one week prior to the first Foundation classroom day and will take approximately one half-day to complete (approximately 4 hours of online work).

There are 10 online modules required as part of your pre-work:

1. North Carolina Practice Standards Worker Training Series (5 modules)
2. Introduction to North Carolina Child Welfare
3. Child Welfare Process Overview
4. Introduction to Human Development
5. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
6. History of Social Work and Child Welfare Legislation

The online modules are intended to provide learners with a broad overview of the different aspects of the child welfare system to orient learners to the work they will be engaged in at DSS. After the modules, participants must take the Knowledge Assessment.

*Note: Participants must complete all modules before beginning the in-person classroom training days. Immediate supervisors will play a key role in the participants’ success during the self-paced online component of Pre-Service.

Participants will begin the online portion through completion of the North Carolina Practice Standards Worker Training Series modules where they will learn about the essential functions of communicating, engaging, assessing, planning and implementing and the behaviors and skills that illustrate how workers will conduct the essential functions of child welfare. After completion of the North Carolina Practice
Standards Worker Training Series, participants will continue through the remaining five modules. After completing these modules, participants will understand the mission, vision, and values of the child welfare system in North Carolina. They will have learned about the child welfare process and key terms and definitions related to child welfare. Participants will be introduced to human development and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, including the impact of unmet needs on development. They will have learned about federal and state laws that protect the rights of children and parents and how the history of child welfare has impacted practice today. Participants will close out the online portion through an introduction to the structure of the child welfare system while learning more about the many roles and responsibilities of child welfare staff.

Foundation Training is a week-long, instructor-led training for child welfare new hires that do not have a social work degree (BSW or MSW).

Staff with prior experience in child welfare or a social work degree are exempt from Foundation Training. Immediate supervisors are responsible for reviewing and determining whether the participant is exempt based on social work degree held or prior social work experience.

IMPORTANT:

• Supervisors must ensure their employees’ personnel record in the NCSWlearn.org
  database accurately indicates whether they currently have a BSW or MSW degree in social work. This information will determine whether they are exempt from the Foundation Training portion of the Pre-Service course. To check and ensure that this information is up to date follow the below steps:
  • Log in to NCSWlearn.org
  • Access the “Supervisor Resources (My Employees)” section
  • Click on “Employee Management”
  • Click on “Edit” next to the name of the worker
  • On page 1 of 4, check to ensure the field “Highest Social Work Degree” has the
    correct answer chosen
  • Proceed through pages 2 to 4 and click “Finish” to complete the update
• If supervisors feels that in lieu of a social work degree, their worker possesses prior child welfare social work experience and should be exempt from the week of Foundation Training, they will need to enter that information in the “Comments” section on page 4 of 4, prior to clicking the “Register Employee” button.

The purpose of this training is to provide a foundation and introduction to social work and child welfare. After completing Foundation training, these new hires will continue their training and job preparation with Core Training. Foundation Training includes 24 hours (4 days) of in-person classroom-based training completed in one week.

During the Foundation Training, new workers will be introduced to the child welfare system, including being provided with the goals of child welfare and the persons and organizations that make up the child welfare system. Participants will also learn about child abuse and neglect; the definition of child maltreatment and neglect; how to recognize signs of abuse and neglect; and how to differentiate between safety and risk. After reviewing the legal definitions of abuse and neglect, participants will be provided with information about the historical and legal basis for child welfare services, which includes information on National Child Abuse and Neglect Data (NCANDS); the history of institutional racism in child welfare; and an overview of the court system. Participants will continue through the week by learning about ethics and equity in child welfare, including an introduction to family-centered practice in child welfare; diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; the NASW Code of Ethics; treating families with dignity and respect; professional boundaries; and confidentiality. Participants will end their Foundation.

Core training is required for all new child welfare staff, regardless of degree or experience. This training provides an overview of the roles and responsibilities of a child welfare social worker in North Carolina working with families throughout their involvement with the child welfare system. The training will provide opportunities for skills-based practice through learning labs and on-the-job training.

Each training week consists of three training days in the classroom and two days in the local DSS office. During the two agency days each week, supervisors are encouraged to meet with their new workers to discuss what was learned during the three days of classroom training to support the transfer of learning.

Below is an overview of the topics that will be covered during each week of classroom instruction.

• Child Welfare Overview, Roles, and Responsibilities
• Interviewing Skills Learning Lab
• Assessing Skills Learning Lab
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Bias
• Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)
• Engaging Families through Family-Centered Practice
• Quality Contacts
• Overview of Child Welfare Process: Part 1 Intake and CPS Assessments
• Overview of Child Welfare Processes, Part 2: In-Home Services
• Overview of Child Welfare Process, Part 3: Placement, Permanency Planning Services, and Working
  with Relatives
• Key Factors Impacting Families and Engaging Communities: Partnering with Community Services
  to Support Families; Addressing Biases and Assumptions Related to Domestic Violence, Substance
  Use, Child Sexual Abuse, and Human Trafficking; and Engagement and Service Matching for
  Families Impacted by Substance Use Disorder, Domestic Violence, Mental Health, Sexual Abuse,
  and Child Human Trafficking.
• Documentation
• Self-Care and Worker Safety