Training matters : a publication of the NC DSS Children's Services Statewide Training Partnership [2008 : November, v.10 : no.1]

Training MATTERS A Publication of the NC DSS Family Support and Child Welfare Services Statewide Training Partnership Volume 10. Number 1 • November 2008 Training Matters is produced by the North Carolina Division of Social Services Family Support and Child Welfare Services Statewide Training Partnership, an organization dedicated to developing and delivering competency-based, job¬ relevant. accessible child welfare training. Partners include: • NC Division of Social Services • NC Association of County Directors of Social Services • Appalachian Family Innovations at Appalachian State University • Center for Family and Community Engagement at NC State University • Independent Living Resources. Inc. • NC Child Welfare Education Collaborative • Resources for Change, Inc. • UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work (Jordan Institute for Families) • UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine • UNC-Greensboro Department of Social Work We Want to Hear from You! If you have questions or would like to comment about something that appears in Training Matters, please contact Teresa Turner, Program Administrator, Family Support and Child Welfare Services Staff Development, NC Division of Social Services, 2412 Mail Service Center, 325 N. Salisbury Street, Suite 531, Raleigh, NC 27699-2412, State Courier: 56-20-25. (Teresa.Turner@ncmail.net, 919/334- 1175). Visit Our Website Go to <www.trainingmatters-nc.org> This issue of Training Matters was produced by John McMahon of the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work. ыыишп'й An Overview of NC's Child Welfare Training System North Carolina's county departments of social services have an important job. Under state and federal law, they are responsible for ensuring the safety, well-being, and permanence of children in every community. To fulfill this responsibility agencies need child welfare professionals who know how to do their jobs well. Fortunately, our state has developed a child welfare training system to help county agencies meet this need. Administered by the NC Division of Social Services, this system provides agencies with access to training that is competency-based, job-relevant, accessible, consistent, and timely. When agencies and individuals know how to use it, this system is an excellent way to enhance the professional development of child welfare staff at all levels. This special issue of Training Matters explains how the system is organized, lists required courses, and answers common questions. The goal is to make sure county agencies know what this system can do and how to use it to their advantage. If you have questions or specific child welfare training issues you'd like to discuss, please contact Teresa Turner, Team Leader of the Division's Family Support and Child Welfare Services Staff Development Team (919/334-1 175. Teresa. Turner@nc mail.net). In This Issue How Courses Are Structured . 2 Course Listing . 3 Inclement Weather Policy . 3 Required Courses . 4 How to Register . 5 Creating an Account on ncswLearn.org . 5 Using ncswLearn.org . 6 Snapshot of the Training System m The system offers county child welfare agencies: A Continuum of Training. The Division and its partners offer a continuum of more than 50 classroom-based and online courses that develop job-relevant knowledge and skills to meet the needs of workers and supervisors at all experience levels. Regional Training Centers. To make training more accessible and affordable, the Division has training centers in Asheville, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greensboro, and Kinston. These centers reduce agency travel costs and time away from the office for child welfare staff. Information about the regional training centers can be found online at the following location: <https://www.ncswlearn.org/help/siteinfo.aspx> ncswLearn.org. This gateway web site allows child welfare workers and supervisors to take online courses, find training events at a glance, apply online to register for training, track their training attendance history, review which courses are required, recommended, or elective, and much more. No registration fees are charged for child welfare courses offered through this training system.