Title IV-E Training & Education

 

Project Description:

This Social Research Institute (SRI) project involves training, education, and evaluation components that include participants from the BSW Program, the MSW Program, and new and existing child welfare workers in the Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS), as well as the Division of Juvenile Justice Services (DJJS). The goal of the project is to better prepare current and prospective child welfare workers for case management in the child welfare system in Utah. Additionally, this project aims to assess whether a comprehensive, evidence-based training package can impact both worker outcomes and child/family outcomes. A child welfare worker's first child abuse or neglect case is often an overwhelming experience. The process of engaging, gathering information, and making a decision requires a complex skillset, which is difficult to perform under the best circumstances. When the situation is highly emotional, competent performance is even harder to achieve. The training of child welfare workers, like many other types of social work, is acquired mainly through on-the-job experience. This type of training leads to wide variations of competency and outcomes. To better equip child welfare workers with the skills they will need on the job, the University of Utah, in partnership with DCFS, has developed a series of simulation experiences that provide real-time data dashboards for immediate feedback to the workers and trainers. Additionally, a series of skills practice modules are being developed as part of the Virtual Social Work Trainer (VSWT.utah.edu) that includes virtual-reality simulations, as well as skills modules available on Macs, Windows, Android, and iOS devices. Such technologically-supported learning methods, leverage cutting-edge evidence-based training modalities toward the expert performance of the child welfare workforce in Utah.

 

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