This 90-minute webinar describes how to screen and assess reports of child maltreatment on licensed foster homes, including the notification and foster home revocation processes.
CPS
Drafting Abuse, Neglect, or Dependency Petitions with or without Requests for Nonsecure Custody
Child welfare workers in North Carolina are responsible for assessing a child’s safety and risk of future maltreatment. A key role is identifying when it is necessary to request the nonsecure custody of a child in abuse, neglect, and dependency court. This 90-minute webinar explains what is required to include in and how to file a juvenile petition for nonsecure custody.
Back To Basics Webinar #3 / Safety and Risk Assessment
The target audience for this webinar is all North Carolina county child welfare employees who complete, review or approved the Structured Decision Making Safety Assessment and Risk Assessment tools. This webinar is a scenario-based practice using the Safety Assessment tool to build competency and consistency, with an emphasis on using the current tool with fidelity, combining use of safety and risk assessments.
Back To Basics-Safety and Risk Webinar #2 / Safety and Risk Assessment Key Elements
The target audience for this webinar is all North Carolina county child welfare employees who complete, review or approved the Structured Decision Making Safety Assessment and Risk Assessment tools. This webinar is a scenario-based practice using the Safety Assessment tool to build competency and consistency, with an emphasis on using the current tool with fidelity, and an introduction to Risk Assessment.
Back To Basics-Safety and Risk Webinar #1 / Safety Assessment
The target audience for this webinar is all North Carolina county child welfare employees who complete, review or approved the Structured Decision Making Safety Assessment and Risk Assessment tools. This webinar is a step by step review of the Safety Assessment tool with an emphasis on using the current tool with fidelity.
Child Medical Evaluation Program Policy and Practice Revisions
This webinar is designed to educate child welfare staff on policy and practice changes to the Child Medical Evaluation Program. This policy includes new mandated circumstances in which a Child Medical Evaluation must be obtained to assess suspected maltreatment to children in certain age groups and/or with certain injuries or conditions.
Dr. Molly Berkoff is a child abuse pediatrician with both UNC School of Medicine and Wake County Human Services. Dr. Berkoff is the medical director for the NC Child Medical Evaluation Program. Emi Wyble is a safety strategist with DHHS whose work includes technical assistance to counties and policy improvements.
Responsible Individuals List: The How and the Why
Use of the Responsible Individuals List (RIL) is required by North Carolina statute. Agencies must follow law, rule, and policy when using the RIL. The RIL is in place to ensure anyone who has caused harm or maltreatment to a child is not placed in a position giving them access to children. This 90-minute webinar explains the how and the why of the RIL and provides guidance to help agencies ensure they are using the RIL correctly.
NOTE: In the webinar a presenter stated minor parents cannot be placed on the RIL. This is incorrect. Minor parents can be listed on the RIL.
NOTE: The DSS-5104A has been revised in the following fields: Field 12 – Date Notice delivered to alleged perpetrator/ ex parte order entered. The instructions have also been revised to include the following: Enter the date (in the eight-digit numeric MMDDYYYY format) that the notice to the responsible individual was delivered. This date cannot precede the Date of Case Decision listed in Field 10 on the DSS-5104. If the responsible individual is unable to be located, enter the date ex parte order entered.
Child Welfare Practice and Safe Sleep
In 2015-16, nearly one in three child fatalities in North Carolina involved unsafe sleep conditions. In this 90-minute webinar, the Medical Director of North Carolina’s Child Medical Evaluation Program and representatives of the NC Division of Social Services provide information and strategies to help child welfare professionals improve their practice around “safe sleep.”
Strengthening Family Service Agreements in CPS In-Home Services
Family Service Agreements have a tremendous influence on the outcomes we achieve with families and children. This 90-minute webinar explores how to avoid common errors related to FSAs in in-home services as well as strategies for ensuring effective communication between CPS assessors and CPS in-home staff.
“Well Begun is Half Done” — How CPS Intake and Timely Initiation Can Improve CPS Assessments
This 90-minute webinar explores ways to strengthen CPS intake and CPS initiation in North Carolina. Audience: Child welfare professionals from North Carolina county DSS agencies, especially those involved with CPS intake, CPS Assessments, and on-call/after hours.
Distinguishing Safety and Risk in the Real World: A Key Skill at Every Stage in Child Welfare Work
This practice-focused webinar uses real-world examples to show how accurately distinguishing between safety and risk benefits families, workers, and agencies. Audience: Child welfare professionals in ALL roles from NC County DSS agencies (directors, program administrators/managers, supervisors, and line staff in every child welfare service area).
Developing and Implementing Family Service Agreements
Family Service Agreements can be powerful tools for engaging families, ensuring accountability, and making children safer. Yet if they aren’t done correctly, FSAs do few or none of these things. This 90-minute webinar focused on how we can help families develop strong FSAs, while avoiding cookie cutter recommendations, allowing the family to help guide the agreement and achieve greater success through increased engagement.
Human Trafficking: What Child Welfare Agencies Should Know
This 90-minute webinar gives an overview of labor and sex trafficking of minors, emphasizing how child welfare professionals can identify and respond to victims. Audience: Directors, child welfare program administrators/managers, and all child welfare staff from North Carolina county child welfare agencies.
Safety Plans are Changing: What You Need to Know
Safety resource placements have frequently been used by CPS to ensure safety, permanence, and well-being for children and their families. However, in response to growing concerns regarding the overuse of safety resource placements and especially the length of time children are remaining in them, North Carolina has reviewed and revised its policy around this practice. This 90-minute webinar provides an overview of impending policy changes, including the use of a new approach called the “Temporary Parental Safety Agreement.” Target audience: Child welfare professionals from NC county child welfare agencies (including directors, program administrators/managers, and line staff) and their court partners (including judges, attorneys, and GALs).
Documentation in Child Welfare: Effective Practices for County DSS Agencies
Clearly and accurately documenting our efforts can help improve decision-making and outcomes for children and families. This webinar explores common challenges and best practices related to documentation in the areas of CPS, foster care, and adoption. It does not cover specific North Carolina forms or instruments. Instead, it focuses on key things practitioners, supervisors, and agencies can do to ensure documentation is timely, effective, and “court ready.”
Engaging Families Affected by Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is a common trauma faced by children in the child welfare system. To keep children safe and help their families heal and prosper, child welfare professionals must have a wide variety of skills. This webinar focuses on two of the most important: (1) identifying and engaging batterers and (2) crafting effective family service agreements with families affected by domestic violence.
Video Series: Engagement
Engagement Part 1: “Engagement in Child Welfare Work”
Drawing on his 30 years in the field, UNC-Chapel Hill faculty member and child welfare trainer Dan Comer defines family engagement and explains why it is the key to keeping children safe and achieving positive outcomes for families.
Engagement Part 2: “Why We Struggle with Engagement”
To succeed in child welfare work we must be able to engage families. But it isn’t always easy. Here UNC-Chapel Hill faculty member and child welfare trainer Dan Comer suggests steps practitioners can take to build genuine relationships with families, even those who are most resistant.
Engagement Part 3: “A Success Story”
Told by UNC-Chapel Hill faculty member and human services trainer Dan Comer, this moving, real-world example makes it clear that although there is no guarantee, family engagement in child welfare is always possible.
Video Series: Getting Ready for Court
Getting Ready for Court Part 1: “Tips for Child Welfare Professionals”
Angie Stephens, an Assistant Attorney General for Child Welfare with the NC Department of Justice, explains the child welfare worker’s role in court and offers suggestions on preparing to testify in court.
Getting Ready for Court Part 2: “Tips for New Social Workers”
Angie Stephenson, an Assistant Attorney General for Child Welfare with the NC Department of Justice, offers advice for child welfare worker who are new to testifying in court.
Getting Ready for Court Part 3: “Tips for Child Welfare Supervisors”
Angie Stephenson, an Assistant Attorney General for Child Welfare with the NC Department of Justice, offers suggestions for ways child welfare supervisors can improve collaboration with agency attorneys and help their workers be successful in court.
Video Series: Child Abuse Prevention
Child Abuse Prevention Part 1: “Levels of Child Abuse Prevention”
Kristin O’Connor from the NC Division of Social Services describes North Carolina’s efforts to prevent child maltreatment.
Child Abuse Prevention Part 2: “Prevention Programs Available in North Carolina”
Learn about evidence-based child abuse prevention programs in North Carolina.
Child Abuse Prevention Part 3: “Cost-Effectiveness of Evidence-Based Prevention Programs”
Kristin O’Connor from the NC Division of Social Services explains why child abuse prevention efforts are a worthwhile investment.
Risk and Protective Factors Related to Hoarding
This presentation for professionals working in child welfare and adult services identifies behaviors characteristic of hoarding, distinguishes between collecting and hoarding, identifies possible risks and protective factors associated with hoarding, and discusses practical steps social workers can take to help families experiencing hoarding.
