About Us

Adult Protective Services Workforce Innovations (APSWI) is a training program of the Academy for Professional Excellence, a project of the San Diego State University School of Social Work.

APSWI provides innovative workforce development to APS professionals and their partners. Our mission is to provide exceptional learning and development experiences for the transformation of individuals, organizations, and communities to ensure that abused and vulnerable older adults and adults with disabilities receive high quality, effective interventions and services.

APSWI in partnership with state and national organizations has developed a nationally recognized Core Competency Training Curriculum for APS professionals. This curriculum is reviewed and approved by experts in the elder and dependent adult abuse fields.

APSWI Training Videos

SEE ALL VIDEOS

Free E-Learning

Course Description

This course will address reporting responsibilities; help participants to understand how, when and where to report suspected abuse or neglect; and inform participants of what to expect after the report has been made.

Disclaimer: To ensure that you successfully obtain a copy of your certificate of completion, please be certain to follow the prompt after completing the post-test by entering your name and email address so that your certificate of completion can be emailed to you. Those who do not follow that prompt will be unable to obtain their certificate, and will need to retake the course again as a transcript of completion is unavailable.

Free Mandated Reporting for Elder and Dependent Adult Abuse eLearning

News and Updates

April 2024

1.) Two New Supervisor Core eLearnings Are Now Available!

APSWI (Adult Protective Services Workforce Innovations) is pleased to announce two new Supervisor Core eLearnings that are now available, made possible by the generous funding of the California Department of Social Services.

• ***The Unique Role of the APS Supervisor eLearning is a new Supervisor Core eLearning a part of Supervisor Core Competency 1. In this course participants will explore the roles of effective supervision, including educational, supportive, and administrative roles, examine the tasks and competencies specific to APS Supervisors, and discuss issues that can come up when transitioning from peer to supervisor or transitioning into APS as a supervisor and the importance of maintaining professional boundaries.

Thank you to our Subject Matter Expert (SME), Gina Di Mercurio, LCSW, for developing the curriculum for this eLearning and to Brenda Wilson-Codispoti, APSWI’s Workforce Development Specialist for coordinating this project. 

• ***In the new Supervising Non Face-to-Face Investigations eLearning, a part of Supervisor Core Competency 4, participants will explore the shift of APS practice to conducting more frequent non-face-to-face investigations and the role of the supervisor, the best practices and technology that APS professionals can use when conducting non-face-to-face visits, the supervisor’s role in determining face-to-face contact vs non-face to-face visits, and how to evaluate the appropriateness of non-face-to-face investigations.

Thank you to our Subject Matter Expert (SME), Trudy McClure, LCSW, for developing the curriculum for this eLearning and to Brenda Wilson-Codispoti, APSWI’s Workforce Development Specialist for coordinating this project.

  ***Please note that funding for CA APS professionals to access these eLearning modules is generously provided by the California Department of Social Services. APS professionals outside of CA can access these eLearning modules for an access fee $50 per module.***

2.) Two Newly Revised Supervisor Core Instructor-led Trainings Are Now Available!

APSWI (Adult Protective Services Workforce Innovations) is pleased to announce and two newly revised Supervisor Core Instructor-led Trainings that are now available, made possible by the generous funding of the California Department of Social Services.

• The Effective Case Consultation Instructor-led Training a part of Supervisor Core Competency 4 was recently revised. This interactive training will address specific, foundational roles of case consultation. Upon completion of the course participants will be able to explain the importance of case consultation, identify constructive methods for case consultation within their supervisory role, explain the different components, and be able to demonstrate effective case consultation practice within a given case scenario.

Thank you to Subject Matter Expert (SME), Jessica E. Burke, MPA, for developing the curriculum for this training; the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) Education Committee for their work on this project; and to Brenda Wilson-Codispoti, APSWI’s Workforce Development Specialist for revising the curriculum and coordinating this project. 

• The Supervising Complex Cases Instructor-led Training a part of Supervisor Core Competency 4 was recently revised. In this 4-hour instructor-led interactive training and 1-hour transfer of learning activity participants will explore examples of complex cases and the role of the APS supervisor in providing oversight of these investigations. Participants will learn about tools, best practices, and strategies they can share with their staff to guide and support them through the investigation process and that promote quality assurance, alignment with agency policy and procedures, and ensure the well-being of the clients served in our communities.

Thank you to Brenda Wilson-Codispoti, APSWI’s Workforce Development Specialist for providing the subject matter expertise, for developing and revising the curriculum for this training and for coordinating this project and to the Supervisor Curriculum Advisory Committee (SCAC) and National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) Education Committee for their work on this project.  

March 2024

1.) Three New APS Workforce Development Projects Are Now Available!

APSWI (Adult Protective Services Workforce Innovations) is pleased to announce three new APS workforce development projects that are now available, made possible by the generous funding of the California Department of Social Services:

• Substance Use, Recovery and APS Considerations covers foundational information on substance use and misuse, substance use related disorders experienced by older adults and what recovery can mean to this population. Participants will use the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) working definition of recovery and guiding principles, as they explore risk factors specific to older adults. They will also work within that definition to review assessments that APS can use in order to create collaborative service plans that include interventions that mitigate risk, empowering clients to live a life of recovery.
• The accompanying Substance Use in Older Adults Resource Guide provides additional information and resources APS professionals can use when providing psychoeducation to people they are working with.

Thank you to our Subject Matter Expert (SME), Alice Joy Kirk, LCSW for developing the curriculum; to E. Penny Jacobo, LCSW for providing additional subject matter expertise; and to APSWI Workforce Development Supervisor, Kat Preston-Wager, for coordinating this project. 

• Financial Abuse, Alleged Perpetrator Interview Video Discussion Guide to facilitate conversations, encourage critical thinking, and enhance investigation skills with staff conducting home visits with clients and interviewing alleged perpetrators.

Thank you to our Subject Matter Expert (SME), Quatana Hodges, MPA for developing the curriculum and to APSWI Workforce Development Specialist, Amy Waszak, for coordinating this project.

January 2024

1.)  New APS Supervisor Core eLearning “Onboarding New Staff” Is Now Available!*

In the new “Supervisor Core: Onboarding New Staff eLearning” a part of the Supervisor Core Competency 3 curriculum, learners will explore how onboarding effectively acclimates new APS professionals to the practice of Adult Protective Services, and to the organization as a whole. In addition, learners will discover the vital role APS supervisors have in the development of their new employees, including setting training milestones, evaluating an employee’s progress, providing support, and giving effective feedback.

Thank you to the generous funding of the California Department of Social Services, our Subject Matter Expert (SME), Quatana Hodges, MPA for developing the curriculum; to the Arizona Adult Protective Services Division of Aging and Adult Services, Department of Economic Security, National Adult Protective Services(NAPSA), and Susan Staples, NAPSA Consultant for providing additional subject matter expertise; to the Supervisor Curriculum Advisory Committee (SCAC) for their work on this project; and to APSWI Workforce Development Specialist, Amy Waszak, for coordinating this project.  

*Interested in taking this eLearning course? Funding for CA APS professionals to access this eLearning module is generously provided by the California Department of Social Services. APS professionals outside of CA can access this eLearning module for an access fee of $50 per module. Reach out to APSWI at apstraining@sdsu.edu for additional information.*

December 2023

1.) Four Revised APSWI Core Instructor-led Training Curricula Now Available

APSWI (Adult Protective Services Workforce Innovations) is pleased to announce the following revised NAPSA core instructor-led trainings that are now available made possible by the generous funding of the California Department of Social Services:

• Mental Health in APS, instructor-led training for Core Competency Module 6, was recently revised. During this highly engaging and captivating skill building session, participants will continue the learning from the foundational eLearning and review characteristics of common mental health disorders to better understand challenges and problem solve solutions when working with clients with mental health conditions.

Thank you to our Subject Matter Expert (SME), Katie Wilson, MS for revising the curriculum; the CA Curriculum Advisory Committee for their work on this project; and to APSWI’s Workforce Development Supervisor, Kat Preston-Wager, for coordinating this project. 

• The recently revised Power and Control Dynamics, instructor-led training for Core Competency Module 8, is now available. In this thought provoking and engaging training, which replaces the previous version titled Dynamics of Abusive Relationships, participants will focus on power and control dynamics in abusive relationships. During the training, participants will learn various tactics abusers use, explore many reasons and situations where someone may feel they cannot or will not leave an abusive relationship and work through an experiential exercise to help develop empathy and awareness of various outcomes and resources when working with people who are being abused.

Thank you to our SME, APSWI’s Workforce Development Supervisor, Kat Preston-Wager, for revising the curriculum and for coordinating this project. 

• Working with Clients Experiencing Self-Neglect, the recently revised instructor-led training for Core Competency Module 10, is now available. In this interactive and thought-provoking introductory training, new APS professionals and their allied partners will learn the definition of self-neglect, how prevalent it is in our society and the risk factors and indicators to watch for when assessing a case. They will learn how to assess self-neglect across five domains (medical, psychological, environmental, financial and social) and be exposed to promising interventions to incorporate when working with individuals experiencing self-neglect. They will explore how to develop service plans, how to document a self-neglect case and what agencies they might want to partner with to work these cases.

Thank you to our SME, Dina Bagues, MSW for revising the curriculum; the CA Curriculum Advisory Committee for their work on this project; and to APSWI’s Workforce Development Supervisor, Kat Preston-Wager, for coordinating this project. 

• Caregiver Neglect, the recently revised instructor-led training for Core Competency Module 11 is now available. In this engaging introductory training, participants will: explore various types of caregiving challenges and situations, examine possible risk factors, indicators and causes of neglect, and discuss the importance of the criminal justice system in situations that result in serious bodily injury. Participants will also learn interviewing best practices in caregiver neglect allegations, discuss considerations in developing a service plan, and explore possible prevention strategies.

Thank you to our SMEs, Kevin Bigelow and APSWI’s Workforce Development Supervisor, Kat Preston-Wager for revising the curriculum; the CA Curriculum Advisory Committee for their work on this project; and to Kat Preston-Wager, for coordinating this project.

July 2023

1.) The Updated “California Adult Protective Services Framework for Determining Dependent Adult Status” eLearning Is Now Available Here! 

APSWI is pleased to announce that the updated eLearning “California Adult Protective Services Framework for Determining Dependent Adult Status” is now available and was made possible by the generous funding of the California Department of Social Services. Thank you so much to our Subject Matter Expert and coordinator of this project, Amy Waszak, for their work on this project, and thank you to the Protective Services Operations Committee (PSOC), a project of the County Welfare Directors Association (CWDA), and the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) for providing additional subject matter expertise.

2.) New APSWI/NATC Training Videos: “Assessing for Risk: Initial Home Visit” and “Assessing for Risk: Follow up Visit” Videos Are Now Available Here! 

APSWI is excited to share two new videos, “Assessing for Risk: Initial Home Visit” and “Assessing for Risk: Follow up Visit,” that were developed by Adult Protective Services Workforce Innovations (APSWI) in collaboration with the National Adult Protective Services Training Center (NATC).

Risk assessment is a critical part of the work of APS for all cases. The first video of a two part video series, demonstrates a situation where the APS professional conducts an initial risk assessment with a person who is reported to be experiencing self-neglect and financial exploitation. The video demonstrates one example of the necessary skills for risk assessment including rapport building, active listening, observation, and effective questioning. In this second video of a two-part video series, an APS professional conducts a follow-up interview and second assessment of the person’s risk after protective services have been initiated for someone who was reported to be experiencing self-neglect and financial exploitation. Viewers will observe an APS professional demonstrating one example of how a risk assessment follow up visit can be conducted.

Thank you to our Subject Matter Expert, Rachel Vo, MSW for developing the scripts and to NAPSA’s Education and Development Committee for additional input; and to Kat Preston-Wager for coordinating this project.

ADA Statement

The Academy for Professional Excellence and Adult Protective Services Workforce Innovations is committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment that appreciates and builds on diversity. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended, The Academy for Professional Excellence prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. To request accommodations, please contact your county’s Human Resources representative.