table of contents
Core CPS Training
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Intended Audience
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Outline
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Materials
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Course Offerings
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Reimbursement of Expenses
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Registration
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Schedule
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Sites
In 1993-1994 there were substantial modifications made to the Core
curriculum to incorporate the Risk Assessment and
Services Planning Model and the SCR redesign. The Core curriculum
provides new Child Protective Services workers with
the basic skills, knowledge and attitudes essential to a beginning
protective worker. The curriculum focuses on specific
training objectives in interviewing, documentation, and case analysis so
that workers can develop the skills necessary to make
an appropriate safety decision, accurately analyze risk, and develop a
comprehensive service plan with a family.
The Core curriculum is offered to every new CPS worker within the first 3
months of employment and covers the following
general topics:
- The Report
- The CPS Response
- The Service Plan
- CPS and the Courts
Emphasis in these 4 modules is placed on the continuum of child welfare
services, now uniquely underlined by the risk
assessment framework that applies to all active CPS cases regardless of
case planner, service provider or stage of case. Core
training encourages child protective personnel to utilize available
community and family support services that strengthen and
empower neighborhoods and the families that reside in them. The Core
training also examines the importance of maintaining a
rehabilitative focus that integrates ethnographic principles in working
with families, and the necessity of complying with all
due process rights while ensuring the safety of children.
The Core curriculum conforms to all legal and regulatory child protective
services mandates and is closely linked to the practice
standards set down by the American Humane Association, The Child Welfare
League of America, and the American Public
Welfare Association.
Intended Audience
This program is open to new CPS caseworkers and supervisors in accordance
with provisions of the 1985 Child Abuse
Prevention Act.
Outline
Training is conducted in 2, week-long (5-day) sessions held 3 to 5 weeks
apart.
Week 1: Includes Module 1, The Report, and
Module 2, The CPS Response
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Module 1, The Report
This module gives a brief history of the continuum of child welfare
services, discusses how a family enters the child
welfare system through the receipt of a CPS report, and outlines the laws
and regulations designed to protect children
and support family preservation and permanency planning. The purpose and
function of families is discussed with
particular focus on family empowerment, family connections, and the themes
present in strong families. The
conflicting CPS roles of helper/investigator are discussed. The dual
investigation/assessment responsibilities are
introduced in this module with subsequent discussion to follow in the next
modules.
Module 2, The CPS Response
This module presents the diagnostic assessment of child abuse and neglect,
emphasizing the differences between safety
and risk assessment; provides definitions and indicators of physical and
sexual abuse, and neglect and emotional
maltreatment; and reviews family dynamics in CA/M cases. The functions and
dynamics of a "typical" family system
and the importance of knowing about basic child development are presented.
In this module the participants learn how
to identify CA/M and how to begin the ongoing process of assessing safety
and prioritizing risk. The dual
investigation/assessment responsibilities are revisited from Module I.
This module also reviews all the allegations of
child abuse and maltreatment and introduces the Preliminary Assessment of
Safety concept. Participants also learn the
decision making points in the life of a case, confidentiality, crisis
intervention, observation, documentation, and the
interviewing skills necessary for collecting information and beginning the
process of engagement with a family so
that a comprehensive risk analysis can be initiated. Participants are
given an opportunity to practice initial
interviewing skills with actors from Cornell Interactive Theatre Ensemble
(CITE).
Week 2: Includes Module 3, The Service Plan, and Module 4,
The Courts and
CPS.
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Module 3, The Service Plan
This module connects the process of investigation and the Preliminary
Assessment of Safety with the continuing
process of developing a more comprehensive analysis of problems related to
risk of future abuse and maltreatment and
services needed to reduce that risk. In this module the caseworker
completes a Preliminary Assessment of Safety and
uses the risk frames, scales, and risk analysis from the NYS Risk
Assessment and Services Planning Model Field
Guide. This analysis will be used to assist caseworkers in the planning
process, in working with families, and also in
documenting their efforts in the Uniform Case Record (UCR). The skills of
negotiation, contracting, and developing a
service plan with a family are covered in this module. The effects of
separation, removals, and outcome planning as
they relate to treatment planning, case closing and permanency are also
discussed.
Module 4, CPS and The Courts
This module introduces the legal mandates of child protective services,
highlighting the basic provisions of Article 10
of the Family Court Act and relevant aspects of the Penal Code. Specific
definitions of child abuse and neglect are
reviewed again, having been presented in Module 2. Module 4 includes the
differing functions of the criminal and
family courts in CA/M cases, includes a review and discussion of due
process, and reviews the functions and
responsibilities of CPS workers in the legal process. Participants are
given an opportunity to draft petitions and write
outcomes, to take part in a mock Family Court fact-finding hearing, and to
practice using casework notes for
testifying.
Certificates of attendance are awarded to participants who complete the
entire 10-day program. Attendance reports are forwarded
to the New York State Department of Social Services. Participants are
expected to complete assignments and readings beyond
the normal training hours.
Materials
Participants receive a 2-volume guidebook.
Course Offerings
Core training is a residency program that takes place in Ithaca, NY.
Eleven residential programs will be offered during the
1994-1995 training year. See the schedule in this announcement for dates
and hotel information.
Reimbursement of Expenses
CPSTI will cover or reimburse:
Hotel Accommodations
The Institute has made pre-paid arrangements with hotels for
accommodations from Sunday night through Thursday night of
each week of training. Participants are assigned by the Institute to
double occupancy rooms for which the Institute is
financially responsible. Any other hotel arrangements (due to specific
medical or other needs) must be requested no later than
the Thursday prior to training. No single rooms are provided by the
Institute, and no changes may be made without the
prior approval of the CPS Program Assistant (Registration Coordinator).
Participants requesting single accommodations by
the prior Thursday deadline will pay the double/single room difference of
$27.50* per night. Those requesting single
accommodations after the deadline will be responsible for the entire room
cost of $68.50* per night. The additional cost is
the responsibility of the training participant; the Institute will not be
responsible. All attempts will be made to match
training participants' preferences for smoking rooms and roommates.
(*These rates are subject to change due to increases or
decreases in room charges during the contract year.)
Each participant is responsible for any incidental expenses incurred
(telephone calls, etc.). Ithaca area hotels accept major
credit cards or cash; personal checks are not accepted.
Meals
Breakfast and lunch are pre-paid and will be provided at the hotel. Any
other meal arrangements will be at the participants' or
their agency's expense. Participants will be reimbursed at a set rate for
the dinner meal. Breakfast and lunch will be provided
Monday through Friday. Participants will be reimbursed for dinner for 6
nights (Sunday-Friday) if he/she arrives home after
7:00 PM on Friday; or 5 nights (Sunday-Thursday) if he/she arrives home
before 7:00 PM on Friday. Participants will be
reimbursed at $10.00 per evening. Dinner is an out-of-pocket expense,
reimbursed following the training
week upon submission of a trainee invoice.
Travel
Mileage will be reimbursed on a round-trip basis from the participant's
work site to Ithaca. Mileage paid is $.21 per mile.
ONLY the designated drivers from each agency/county are entitled to
mileage reimbursement. If a participant chooses
to travel in a personal car and is not the designated driver, or chooses
to travel by agency/county car, the participant is NOT
entitled to mileage reimbursement. Designated drivers' names must be
submitted to the CPS Program Assistant BEFORE
the training begins. CPSTI cannot reimburse airplane fare. If
participants wish to fly they will be reimbursed for the round-
trip car mileage costs only. The participant or his/her agency will have
to cover the remainder of the expense. Tompkins
County Airport is served by USAir and Continental. CPSTI cannot reimburse
bus fare. Reimbursements will be
mailed to participants approximately 4 to 6 weeks after receipt of the
participant's expense invoice.
Registration
Registration is limited to CPS caseworkers only. To register, mail or fax
the form in this announcement to CPSTI at the
address given or fax number on the form. The form may be photocopied as
needed. Those responsible for scheduling staff
should submit registration materials as soon as possible, since space is
limited. Forms must be mailed or faxed to
CPSTI at least 1 month prior to a scheduled training. Registration cannot
be accepted by telephone.
Cancellations must be made 5 days before the scheduled training, and
participant substitutions must
be approved in advance. If the desired program is filled, CPSTI will
notify the contact person. The applicant may re-
enroll in another scheduled training. The schedule has been designed to
minimize the waiting period between offerings. Every
effort has been made to coordinate CPSTI training dates with those of
other training programs. Training schedules and/or
locations may be subject to change. Agency staff development coordinators
will be notified of any changes. Confirmation
letters and information about training locations will be mailed or faxed
to the contact person identified on the registration form.
Training Schedule and Locations (Tentative)
Cycle Week Dates Location
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Core A (1) October 3 - 7, 1994 Ramada Inn
Core A (2) October 31 - Nov. 4, 1994 Ramada Inn
Core B (1) October 17 - 21, 1994 Sheraton Inn
Core B (2) November 14 - 18, 1994 Holiday Inn
Core C (1) December 5 - 9, 1994 Sheraton Inn
Core C (2) January 9 - 13, 1995 "
Core D (1) January 23 - 27, 1995 "
Core D (2) February 13 - 17, 1995 "
Core E (1) February 6 - 10, 1995 Ramada Inn
Core E (2) March 6 - 10, 1995 "
Core F (1) March 13 - 17,1995 "
Core F (2) April 10 - 14, 1995 "
Core G (1) April 17 - 21, 1995 "
Core G (2) May 1 - 5, 1995 "
Core H (1) May 15 - 19, 1995 "
Core H (2) June 5 - 9, 1995 "
Core I (1) June 19 - 23, 1995 "
Core I (2) July 10 - 14, 1995 "
Core J (1) July 17 - 21, 1995 "
Core J (2) August 14 - 18, 1995 "
Core K (1) August 21 - 25, 1995 "
Core K (2) September 18 - 22, 1995 "
Training Sites
- Ithaca Ramada Inn Airport
- 2310 N. Triphammer Rd.
- Ithaca, NY 14850
- (607) 257-3100
- Sheraton Inn
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- One Sheraton Drive
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- Ithaca, NY 14850
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- (607) 257-2000
- Holiday Inn
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- 222 S. Cayuga St.
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- Ithaca, NY 14850
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- (607) 272-1000
ida1@cornell.edu