Factors Leading to Premature Terminations of Kinship Care Placements

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This curriculum focuses on factors that may lead to differential placement outcomes for children who have become dependents of the court, as the result of abuse and neglect, and have been placed with kin rather than in traditional foster homes. It is intended for use by child welfare faculty in California’s schools of social work or social welfare in both BSW and MSW programs and may be used in direct practice or Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE) classes. In addition, the curriculum, or parts from it, may be used in workshops provided to line workers, supervisors, and/or managers by any of the public child welfare training academies in California or public child welfare agencies. The intent of this curriculum is to provide students and child welfare professionals with (a) background information on kinship care as an alternative to traditional foster care, (b) a brief review of the literature pertaining to the characteristics of dependent children in kinship care and their care providers, (c) opportunities to discuss beliefs about why kinship care is valuable (or not) and why it may or may not be successful, (d) demographic data pertaining to selected characteristics of children in kinship care and their care providers derived from a sample of California child welfare cases, (e) factors which may or may not be related to premature termination of kinship care placements, (f) caregiver perceptions of differential placement outcomes, (g) social worker perceptions of differential placement outcomes, and (h) opportunities to discuss how students and/or child welfare workers can decrease premature termination of kinship care placements. The curriculum is accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation containing key points from each module followed by one or more slides presenting an “active learning experience.” (78 pages) Chang, J., Liles, R., & Hoang, T. (2006).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Family Unity Meetings: Practice, Research, and Instructional Curricula

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This module explores the implementation, process, and outcomes of the Family Unity Meeting in San Diego County, which provides a case study for Family Group Decision Making. Module I covers factors that distinguish between families that accept or reject an invitation to a meeting, the meeting process, outcomes, family perspectives on family change, the use of social support, and family satisfaction with services. Module II includes a synopsis of Family Group Conferencing; legislation supportive of FGC; the history, definition, and philosophy of FGC; models of FGC; process of FGC; facilitator's role; trends and evaluation FGC; classroom exercises; videotape suggestions; and a bibliography. Module III is a proposed semester course syllabus that focuses on FGC and strength-based practice. Module IV is a handbook designed for field instructors and students who are engaged in FGC as part of the student's field practicum. (233 pages) Jones, L., & Daly, D. (2004).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Indian Families and Child Welfare: A Training Curriculum

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This module supports the guidelines of the Indian Child Welfare Act. It provides information on overcoming Indian families' fundamental mistrust and engaging families appropriately; how federal Indian policy affects Indian communities: Indian culture, traditions, family, and child rearing; the role of extended family systems and community networks for reservation and non-reservation Indians; the premise and guidelines of the ICWA and related federal and state laws that govern the implementation of the ICWA: the notion that the best interests of the Indian child are served by the tribes; collaborating with tribal workers; the role of cultural factors in risk assessment of Indian child welfare cases; community resources and skills in networking within the Indian community and within rural Indian community settings; skills in a variety of social work methods; and the differences between particular tribes. (236 pages)Becker, I., Daly, D., Gross, B., Robertson, G., Robinson, M., Casey, D., et al. (2000).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Improving Educational Services for Foster Youth Living in Group Homes: An Analysis of Interagency Collaboration.

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The purpose of this curriculum is to heighten the awareness and increase knowledge of child welfare workers, foster care providers, and school staff regarding the educational needs of foster children and to develop specific skills to address those needs and smooth the transition to new school environments in order to avoid unnecessary absences from school caused by transferring to a new foster home. The process requires a three-way collaborative effort between the caseworker, foster care provider, and school staff, and this curriculum provides clear, concise, and practicable actions for all of the responsible professionals to enable them to operate effectively as part of a collaborative team. (209 pages)Berrick, J. D., Ayasse, R. H. (2005).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Interagency Child Welfare Practice: Collaboration in Service of Children and Families

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This project provides a comprehensive overview of interagency collaboration in child welfare practice: it's three modules address the what, where, why, when, who, and how of collaborative practice; define collaboration in this context; provide a sound rationale for developing collaborations; outline strategies for overcoming barriers; explain the various stakeholders and systems involved; and describe the skills needed to build effective collaborations. The curriculum can be used on its own, or to augment existing courses or training sessions, and incorporates newly developed competencies on interagency collaboration in addition to CalSWEC core competencies. (149 pages)Black, J. (1998).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Interprofessional Collaboration: Five Curriculum Modules

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This curriculum was designed to teach social workers how to convey their knowledge of human development to the professionals who work with them in the field of child welfare. The five modules teach the principles of interprofessional collaboration, team building, communication styles, working with families in interprofessional teams, and addressing the interdisciplinary problems with which families and children have to cope. (188 pages)Rector, C., Garcia, B., & Foster D. (1997).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Kinship Care in California: An Empirically-Based Curriculum

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This curriculum, which may be used in whole or in part, offers an overview of kinship care including a brief historical context for this resource, funding associated with kinship care, and some of the legal issues that have shaped kinship care policy. Characteristics of kinship care providers and children are presented, along with a thorough examination of outcomes associated with kinship care. In addition, data on the number of children in foster care, kinship care in the context of the larger out-of-home care population, outcomes associated with kinship care versus non-kin care, and the discrepancy between AFDC and AFDC-FC payments in California and the role these differential payment rates may play in kinship care outcomes are provided. Last, child welfare workers' views about the primary differences between kinship foster parents and foster family parents, and changes in policy and practice are considered. (188 pages)Berrick, J. D., Needell, B., & Barth, R. P. (1995).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Legal Guardianship and Child Welfare in California: An Empirically Based Curriculum

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This curriculum on legal guardianship created by the permanency planning process can be used in whole or in part. It offers an overview of legal guardianship, including its history, role in the implementation of permanency planning, and some of the issues surrounding its use. In addition, it shares data collected from a focus group of California child welfare workers that candidly share the ways day-to-day practice differs from stated policy and discuss their views of how and why guardianship operates in the child welfare arena. A survey of county child welfare staff covers transracial placements, emancipation outcomes, and the details of the process in which the decision to recommend guardianship is made. (118 pages)Simmons, B., & Barth, R. P. (1995).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Legislative and Political Analysis

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This curriculum addresses legislative, policy, and political analysis for child welfare issues; analysis of the impact of funding sources; content of legislation; policy decision-making processes; development of plans for advocating for legislation that will help people who receive child welfare services; strategies for social action; lobbying; political campaigning; and identifying opportunities for intervention. It includes material on federal and state child welfare policies and funding mechanisms with practice-related content, a list of websites that can be used to gather information on legislation, policy-making, and electoral campaigns, and class discussion topics and assignments. (194 pages)Hardina, D. (1997)

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Listening to Children in Foster Care: An Empirically Based Curriculum

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This curriculum was designed to improve the quality of care provided to children in out-of-home care. It highlights the importance of providing child welfare services that are more responsive to the voices of children in kin and non-kin foster care. Components include an overview of the child welfare system in California, a literature review of children's experiences in out-of-home care, children's experiences with kin and non-kin foster care in California, adolescents' perspectives of out-of-home care in California, practice tips for child welfare workers, case vignettes, and a bibliography of relevant child welfare texts and articles cited in the curriculum. (348 pages)Fox, A., Frasch, K., & Berrick, J. D. (2000).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Mental Health Service Utilization and Outcomes for Children and Youth in the Child Welfare System: An Empirically Based Curriculum

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This curriculum focuses on issues related to mental health service utilization and outcomes among children in the child welfare system. In spite of the documented need for mental health services for these children, there is a lack of information on children involved with both the child welfare and mental health systems. In order to improve our understanding of the issues and needs of this population, this curriculum focuses on five areas: (a) demographic and system-related characteristics of children involved in both the child welfare and mental health systems; (b) clinical need for services, service utilization patterns, and association between mental health service utilization and child welfare outcomes; (c) policies affecting mental health service utilization by children in the child welfare system; (d) collaboration between child welfare and mental health systems; and (e) resources for collaboration and service provision for children and youth in both the child welfare and mental health systems. The curriculum will provide research highlights, conceptual frameworks, tools, and experiential opportunities to strengthen understanding of a wide range of issues related to mental health service utilization among children in the public child welfare system. (165 pages)Hines, A. M., Lee, P. A., Osterling, K. L., Tweed, M. (2007).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Pathways to College: Understanding the Psychosocial and System-Related Factors That Contribute to College Enrollment and Attendance Among Emancipated Foster Youth: An Empirically Based Curriculum

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This curriculum, written for graduate social work students and child welfare workers, is designed to improve the quality of care and services provided to children in out-of-home care. It highlights the importance of providing child welfare services that are responsive to the needs of children who must prepare for emancipation and the responsibilities of adult life. While more research efforts are aimed at tracking youth emancipating from the foster care system, little is known about those who are currently enrolled in post-secondary education. Further, research on youth exiting the foster care system tends to highlight negative outcomes. Little is known of former foster youth who go on to lead healthy and productive lives and what the contributing factors were that enabled them to succeed. Understanding their pathways to college and identifying the factors related to educational achievement can help inform program and service delivery to youth currently in the foster care system. (186 pages)Merdinger, J. M., Hines, A. M., Lemon, K., Wyatt, P., & Tweed, M. (2002).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

The Retention of Public Child Welfare Workers.

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This curriculum is intended to help child welfare workers, administrators, and policy-makers increase the job retention of public child welfare caseworkers. California’s statewide shortage of social workers is expected worsen, and the field of public child welfare is facing its own acute shortage of social work personnel. More important, high turnover rates in child welfare agencies are a major obstacle to timely investigations, compromising the ability of agencies to protect children. The retention of public child welfare workers is an immediate pressing professional and practical concern, and this curriculum points directly to specific solutions to the problem. (58 pages)Weaver, D., Chang, J., & Gil de Gibaja, M. (2006).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Strategies for Identifying & Assessing Children with Sexually Abusive Behavior Problems: Part One: Two Curriculum Modules

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Module I discusses effects of sexual abuse trauma on young children; describes the adverse effects of sexual abuse trauma and the role of past victimization experiences in motivating sexual acting out; includes a literature review; and covers affective, cognitive, and behavioral effects. Two practice models that explain the effects of abuse are discussed and compared, and an integrative treatment model is introduced. Module II discusses childhood sexual development, reviews research on sexual behavior problems in children, presents research findings about normative sexual development in children as well as criteria differentiating sexually abusive behavior problems from age-appropriate sex play, includes experiential exercises on sexual values, and reviews and discusses clinical and research methods used to classify types of children with sexual behavior problems. Each module contains learning objectives, suggested readings, an outline of issues addressed in the module, and suggestions for teaching the module in the classroom and in field practicum. (143 pages)Rasmusssen, L. (2000).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Structured Decision Making® and Child Welfare Service Delivery Project

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This curriculum examines the types of decisions child welfare workers are required to make, the factors that influence their decision-making patterns, and various approaches that could potentially improve decision making on both an individual and organizational level. To further explore the issues surrounding decision making, the curriculum focuses specifically on Structured Decision Making® (SDM®), a model that can be used to assist social workers in making accurate and consistent decisions about the levels of risk for maltreatment found in families, to provide guidance about service provision, and to assist with reunification and permanency planning. In 1999, the State of California decided to make SDM® a required tool for child welfare agencies statewide, and SDM® has since been implemented in several counties, including Los Angeles. To explore the implementation and effects of SDM®and its implications on child welfare decision making, the authors conducted a multi-level study in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. The study addressed three central questions: (a) what are the challenges related to implementing the full SDM® model in the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), (b) what impact does implementation of the full SDM® model have on child welfare service delivery, and (c) what impact does implementation of the full SDM® model have on child permanency outcomes? (254 pages) Kim, A. K., Brooks, D., Kim, H., & Nissly, J. (2008).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Successful Intervention With Substance Abusers

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This program explores the correlation between the reduction of the incidence of substance abuse and the reduction of the incidence of child abuse. Estimates indicate that 40-60% of child abuse cases are substance abuse related; yet, meager resources and attention are directed toward alleviating the problem. This tape offers six elements that provide a framework for successful intervention with substance abusers. Three role-playing scenarios show how these elements are incorporated into situations that social workers encounter in the field, translating classroom learning into practice. (28 minutes)San Diego State University. (1994).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Workplace Management and Child Welfare Policy, Planning, and Administration

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This curriculum is a standardized workplace management curriculum for training entry-level social workers in child welfare agencies in the State of California. The curriculum is composed of nine modules that may be used as separate classes or together in a single course. The modules are constructed to be suitable for three distinct groups of users: BSW students, MSW students, and child welfare agency supervisors and program managers (first and second line supervisors)--and those interested in such positions. Students can study from these sections during their matriculation, while agency employees might be exposed to them via departmental training opportunities, a local child welfare training academy, university extension or concurrent enrollment programs, or continuing education providers. (151 pages)Gilson, S., Cornet, B., & Ralph, C. (2009).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

YPAR Hub

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Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) Hub is a strategy-rich website that has the goal of empowering youth and their community to create meaningful and lasting change. The website has many freely available resources, including lesson plans, hand outs, examples of projects carried out, etc. Attribution Note: While the site has a © 2015 UC Regents, they also specify that "YPAR Hub resources may be reprinted or adapted for nonprofit purposes by K-12 schools, colleges, or universities, provided the source is accurately quoted and duly credited."

Material Type: Activity/Lab, Case Study, Lesson, Lesson Plan, Teaching/Learning Strategy

Author: UC Regents

Use of Cultural Brokers As an Approach to Community Engagement With African American Families in Child Welfare.

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This empirically based curriculum addresses a number of issues related to disparity and disproportionality experienced by African American families involved with child welfare. It is well documented that for decades African American children have been overrepresented in child welfare throughout this country. Yet little is known about what strategies might be implemented in order to reverse this phenomenon. This curriculum is based on findings from a Community-Based Participatory Research Project that brought together African American community leaders and university faculty to examine both the historical evolution and prominent features of a cultural broker approach to promote engagement and partnership with the African American community and the county child welfare agency. This curriculum provides research highlights, historical perspectives, conceptual frameworks, approaches for community engagement, tools and experiential opportunities to strengthen social worker understanding, and knowledge and skills regarding issues related to disproportionality and disparity experienced by African American families in child welfare. It addresses five areas: the history of cultural racism and oppression in child welfare, the prevalence of racial disparities and disproportionality in child welfare, the role of community partnership and collaboration with African American families in child welfare service delivery, the cultural broker approach to community engagement in child welfare practice, and key considerations for improved child welfare partnerships with African American communities. (108 pages) Siegel, D., Jackson, M., Montana, S., & Rondero Hernandez, V. (2011).

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC

Child Welfare Skills With Southeast Asian Families

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Offering a wealth of information, this module introduces the historical, cultural, and social factors that influence a social worker's ability to skillfully interact with Hmong, Lao, Vietnamese, and Cambodian families. It provides approximately 30 hours of classroom instruction and includes sections on: Southeast Asian history, escape, refugee, and resettlement experiences; legal and health issues; mental health and education issues; the Southeast Asian family; and child welfare practice and the Southeast Asian family. The curriculum includes pre- and posttests and materials that may be reproduced as handouts. (175 pages)Himes, H., Lee, S., Foster, D., & Woods, B. (1995)

Material Type: Module

Author: CalSWEC