Training

Since the late 1980s, the CCFL faculty and staff have provided training to newly hired child welfare and juvenile services employees for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Over the intervening years, training-related services have expanded and evolved to include: job analysis; training needs assessment; curriculum development; delivery of pre-service training, specialized, and in-service training; field-learning supervision; training evaluation; and assessment of worker performance.

Child Welfare and Juvenile Services (CW & JS) Training for all Child and Family Services (CFS) Specialists in Nebraska is currently provided via a specialized model that includes two phases, pre-service and required in-services. The training is administered as a joint project between the Human Resources and Development unit of the Nebraska DHHS and CCFL.

The goal of CW & JS Training is to prepare Nebraska's CFS Specialists to intervene as authorized to provide safety for Nebraska's children, families, and communities and to consistently move the children in the state's care toward permanency and well-being.

This model for training newly hired CFS Specialists places a strong focus on:

• adherence to the principles and procedures of the Nebraska Safety Intervention System for keeping children and families safe
• implementation of Family Centered Practice principles to ensure the inclusion of children and families in the decision-making processes that impact their lives
• achieving the key outcomes of safety, permanency, and well-being for every child and family
• helping each CFS Specialist develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are needed to successfully carry out his/her job

Key features of the training include:

• a close collaboration between DHHS and CCFL
• utilization of adult learning principles and an emphasis on active learning
• a training curriculum built on three logical and interconnected courses of study (Children, Youth, and Families; Case Management Foundations and Process; and Working within the Legal System)
• a positive learning environment supported by regular communication among trainers, trainees, supervisors, and Field Training Specialists (FTSs)
• delivery of on-site training at a variety of locations throughout the state on a regular basis, making the training more family friendly for trainees
• quality field-training experiences supported by a Field Training Specialist (FTS)
• timely provision of accurate feedback to the assigned supervisor
• maintenance of a university-sponsored website that houses the training curriculum and that supports training delivery

Access the Child Welfare & Juvenile Services Training for Child & Family Services Specialists: Training Overview (PDF) and the Child Welfare and Juvenile Services Field Training Resource Book (PDF) for a detailed summary of the current training, and the Child Welfare & Juvenile Services Training Team Directory for a description of the training staff.

Access the Child Welfare / OJS Reform: Service Coordinator Training Curriculum