Improving Service Delivery Through Training

CWLA offers models of practice and numerous training opportunities on a broad range of topics to strengthen skills and enhance competences for professionals and caregivers working with and supporting children, youth, and families.

PRIDE Model of Practice

An evidence-informed, competency-based model that strengthens the quality of family foster care and adoption services by developing and supporting resource (foster and adoptive) parents as team members in child protection and trauma-informed care of children.

Traditions of Caring & Collaborating Kinship Model of Practice

A trauma-informed model that strengthens kinship care by responding to the unique strengths and challenges of kinship families and enhancing the competencies of child welfare professionals and other advocates to support them.

Supervising for Excellence and Success

A curriculum that helps achieve agency mission and goals by developing supervisor and middle manager competence in implementing evidence-based best practices to improve staff performance and outcomes for children and families.

Working With Families Where Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse Is an Issue

A training for anyone working with children and their families where sexual abuse is suspected, but there has been no formal disclosure. This training builds capacity for prevention, identification, and intervention. The topic is further addressed by CWLA publication, Child Sexual Abuse Investigations and Assessments.

Working with Traumatized Children

A training that features the CWLA publication Working with Traumatized Children – A Handbook for Healing. Now in its third edition, Working with Traumatized Children includes new strategies and approaches for caregivers and others responsible for meeting the needs of children who are vulnerable.

Building Blocks for Effective Co-Parenting

A curriculum that provides an engaging, informative framework that highlights the importance of effective co-parenting, which can aid and assist in the overall growth and healthy development of children. This training is useful to birth parents, clinicians, agency staff, and resource/ kinship families.

Additional Training Topics Include:

Trauma-Informed Parenting in a Digital World

How to Succeed Against Compassion Fatigue 

Dear Black Male

Fostering School Success: Supporting the Educational Needs of Children

For assistance with CWLA’s Models of Practice and Training, please contact Marcus Stallworth, LMSW, Director, Training and Implementation or Gaelle Augustin, Training and Administration Associate.

Conversations on Race, Equity, and Inclusion Training Series

This six-part training series offers opportunity for social work and human service professionals to explore the following topics:

Being Color Brave and Culturally Humble Provides an opportunity for individuals to be reflective and introspective about how they manage race relations in their professional and personal lives in hopes of equipping them with tools they can use to better understand and serve the families they encounter.

Implicit Bias and Different Types of Privilege – Invites courageous dialogue on the highly sensitive issues related to racial disparity and disproportionality of children in the child welfare system.

The Evolution and Levels of Racism – Offers a historical perspective and evaluation of the racist policies and practices that persist in our fields of work and starts a discussion about dismantling systems of oppression so that equity, inclusion and justice can prevail.

Intersectionality: A Rationale for Cultural Humility – Identifies the societal effects of intersectionality and shares the importance of incorporating cultural humility into all our personal and professional interactions.

The Intersection of Race and Trauma – Begins the critical conversation about the intersection between race and trauma, and its impact on us as individuals and collectively.

Microaggressions: An In-Depth Exploration into Acts of Racism – Explores microaggressions from their origin, intent, and impact on others, as well as how they can be mitigated through cultural humility.

For assistance with CWLA’s Equity Training Series, please contact Deborah Wilson Gadsden, LSW, MSW, MHS, Director of Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.

Special thanks to Voce, a human services agency in Harrisburg, PA and CWLA member, for partnering with us to provide the “Conversations on Race, Equity, and Inclusion” training series.

CWLA Senior Fellow Trainings

CWLA’s Senior Fellows offer engaging, skill-building training opportunities that share their years of knowledge and expertise on a variety of children, youth, and family services topics.

For assistance with CWLA’s Senior Fellow trainings, please contact Julie Collins, MSW, LCSW, Vice President, Practice Excellence.

If your organization has an interest in bringing a CWLA Contract-Based Training to your staff,
please reach out to a specific contact person detailed above or MemberServices@cwla.org.

Learning Partners

CWLA is excited to partner with two online learning systems, so your staff can grow their knowledge when and where works best for them.

We are pleased to partner with Relias to provide CWLA members with a 20% discount on a comprehensive online training and management system with exceptional reporting and monitoring capabilities. Member organizations can customize on-demand access to Relias’ broad range of continuing education and professional development courses for all your staff. CLICK HERE to learn more.

Relias also offers individual access to their full menu of professional development and continuing education online courses for child welfare and human service workers, clinicians, supervisors, and managers at a 10% discount for CWLA members. CLICK HERE to explore the comprehensive collection of courses offered through Relias.

In partnership with FosterParentCollege.com (FPC), CWLA is pleased to provide Continuing Education Units (CEUs) through the National Association of Social Workers Washington State Chapter. CEUs are available on all online courses offered by FPC.

FPC’s interactive online courses enhance learning for social workers, caregivers, parents, and teachers.  FPC’s multimedia training is nationally recognized, taught by experts, and accessible 24/7.  There are over 40 FPC online courses and all are approved for CEUs. Visit FosterParentCollege.com to view all course offerings.

 FPC Online Courses Include:

  • Caring for Children Who Have Been Sexually Abused
  • Child Safety and Supervision
  • Culturally Competent Parenting
  • Family Dynamics in Foster Care
  • Parent-Child Attachment
  • Reactive Attachment Disorder
  • Relationships: Strengthening Communications
  • Substance-Exposed Infants

To Earn CEUs

  1. Register with FPC and order an online course
  2. Complete the course and download a FPC Certificate of Course Completion
  3. Select “CEUs Certification” and complete CEUs Evaluation Form
  4. Submit Evaluation Form, Certificate of Course Completion, and $25 payment to CWLA as detailed on evaluation form
  5. Once processed, CWLA will email a CEUs Certificate
  6. Contact memberservices@cwla.org for assistance

FPC online courses have been approved for CEUs by the NASW Washington State Chapter. Licensed social workers, marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors are eligible. Provider number is #1975-176.