Child Welfare Practice Issues

Learning Objectives

• To improve quality of support for students in child welfare agency placements
• To understand what local county social service agencies expect from students
• To understand the role students play in the child welfare agency.

Child protection can be stressful and seem unrewarding at times. There tends to be a high amount of turnover in staff in the field. Supervision plays a major role in making the field placement bearable and manageable for the student, and is influential in retaining child welfare workers. Gibbs (2001), notes workers need to be able to explore the impact of feelings and thoughts on action and perception and be reassured their work is of valuable to the children and families they are serving.

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Local county agencies have identified essential skills and knowledge that are critical to success in a child welfare placement. They are as follows:

Placements with St. Louis County:

1. Understand and be able to apply the mandated reporting law for child maltreatment
2. Understand and be able to apply the mental health screening tool for children
3. Understand and be able to apply IV-E protections for children in out-of-home placement
4. Demonstrate clear documentation in case notes, case plans, court reports
5. Demonstrate knowledge of the goals and indicators of safety, permanency and well-being
6. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of concurrent permanency planning in case law and practice, which includes understanding of permanency options-return of custody, long-term foster care, termination of parental rights and adoption, consent adoption.
7. Demonstrate knowledge of ICWA, ASFA and Minnesota Tribes
8. Attend at least one case intake meeting in both the initial Intervention and Family outreach Units early in their placement.
9. Demonstrate an understanding of Alternative Response
10. Demonstrate an understanding of basic child development guidelines and be able to apply these concepts to common issues that effect families (e.g. attachment, individuation, age appropriate behavioral expectations, safety issues at different ages, etc)
11. Attend at least one Children's Mental Health, Developmental Disability and Intensive Family Based Service Unit meeting
12. Attend at least one ICWA team meeting between tribe and the county
13. Demonstrate skill in using information system (SSIS).
14. Attend a CHIPS hearing
15. Attend a Level IV meeting
16. If possible, follow a case from intake to termination
17. If possible, follow a CHIPS case from intake to termination
18. Demonstrate the ability to identify signs of suspected abuse and neglect
19. Demonstrate a basic understanding of the types of agencies social workers use as referral resources
20. Demonstrate the ability to screen for ICWA eligibility and be knowledgeable with respect to tribal notification procedures required by state and federal law

Placements with Carlton County:

1. Attend and participate in Action Team meetings
2. Spend at least one day at Fond du Lac Human Services
3. Attend and participate in Child Protection Team meeting
4. Write a court report
5. Attend at least one Dialogue meeting with Fond du Lac
6. Observe a forensic interview
7. Understand and be able to apply the mandated reporting law for child maltreatment
8. Attend a CHIPS hearing
9. Demonstrate skill in using information system (SSIS).
10. Demonstrate the ability to screen for ICWA eligibility and be knowledgeable with respect to tribal notification procedures required by state and federal law
11. Demonstrate an understanding of basic child development guidelines and be able to apply these concepts to common issues that effect families (e.g. attachment, individuation, age appropriate behavioral expectations, safety issues at different ages, etc)
12. Demonstrate an understanding of Alternative Response
13. Demonstrate knowledge of ICWA, ASFA and Minnesota Tribes
14. Demonstrate a basic understanding of the types of agencies social workers use as referral resources
15. Demonstrate interviewing skills in actual case situations
16. Participate in case consultation of non-CPS cases
17. If possible, follow a CHIPS case from intake to termination
18. Demonstrate the ability to identify signs of suspected abuse and neglect

Placements with Fond du Lac:

1. Write a court report
2. Set up and keep a case file (consents, case activities, reports, etc)
3. Be involved in case management of a CHIPS case
4. Attend an interagency team meeting (ICWA team with FDL and SLC)
5. Work with people of diverse cultures/backgrounds
6. Become familiar with various programs/services offered by FDL
7. Demonstrate knowledge of ICWA, ASFA and Minnesota Tribes
8. Demonstrate an understanding of basic child development guidelines and be able to apply these concepts to common issues that effect families (e.g. attachment, individuation, age appropriate behavioral expectations, safety issues at different ages, etc)
9. Demonstrate interviewing skills in actual case situations
10. Demonstrate the ability to identify signs of suspected abuse and neglect
11. Demonstrate knowledge of American Indian culture/values/parenting styles
12. Attend court hearings

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It is critical to be clear about the student's expectations and role in the agency. The development of a learning contract facilitates this process. Every student must create a learning contract that is agency-specific and reflects the tasks to be completed in the field placement.

Learning assignments play a major role in the student's perception of the field placement. Alperin (1998), notes students desire to be involved in a variety of assignments, to work in multiple areas and use different practice models. It is important to work collaboratively with the student in the development of a learning experience.

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Some key points that you should keep in mind when working with interns in child welfare.

-Continue to foster their excitement to learn through giving them opportunities to participate in seminars, workshops and trainings.

-Remember to take advantage of “learning moments” when situations occur and remember to include your intern.

-Child welfare is difficult work, so remember to encourage your field student to debrief with you if they are working on a difficult case.

-Show interest; remember to ask your field student about some of the things they are learning in their child welfare classes and ask them how they can apply those skills to their caseloads.

-Be there to help your MSW intern through some of their first difficult encounters with child welfare, but also know when they are skilled enough to take on these activities independently

-Talk to your intern about safety when doing home visits. Talk about warning signs, how to position yourself in someone’s home, that they should always tell someone where they are going when they are going on a home visit, etc.

-Remember to practice self care and role model it to your student intern; this is key when working in child welfare so that burn out can be prevented.

-Know your student’s caseload when working your student and make sure they don’t feel too overwhelmed with some of the families they are working with: (checking in)

-Review the NASW Code of Ethics with your intern and ask how they are applying it in difficult situations.

-Sit down with your student intern and review policy and regulations regarding child welfare and the protocol that your agency uses in different situations.

-Be sure to speak to your intern about cultural competency and the different ways in which you approach clients from a traditional response as well as an alternative response.

-Speak to your intern about the Indian Child Welfare Act and make sure they understand the protocol that is to be followed when working with Native American families.

-Remember to mentally prepare students for experiences that might come up. Depending how seasoned your MSW intern is, you may need to spend more time in this area to ensure competency when working with very difficult family situations.

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If you have interns that are Title IV Child Welfare Scholars, here are a few helpful hints to ensure that they include their additional educational responsibilities as child welfare scholars into their learning contracts.
Child Welfare Scholars must complete a primary child welfare field placement. This means at least one field placement must occur at a public agency in a unit where the focus is on child welfare. Public specifically refers to a county, state or other approved public agency. For Non-Advanced Standing students, this placement must be completed to fulfill the Field I requirement. Since Advanced Standing students are involved only in Field II, they must meet these IV-E Child Welfare Training Project requirements through Field II. If you would like to read the addendum for child welfare scholars, click here.

Here are some sample schedules for child welfare curriculum.

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Resources to further explore at UMD regarding Child Welfare

Please visit the Center for Regional and Tribal Welfare Studies for more information relating to child welfare issues.

Click here for a printable brochure on the UMD Child Welfare Scholars Program.

Resources from the "Impact of Methamphetamine on Children and Families, Research and Community Response" Conference February 9th & 10th, 2006 UMD

Resources from "Working Effectively with Diverse Families" workshop. 2/11/05

Summer 2006
SW 5095 - Special Topics: Addressing Alcohol Related Problems in Child Welfare Practice

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