November is National Adoption Month
News | November 15, 2023
In honor of National Adoption Month, we want to acknowledge and celebrate the families made whole through the adoption process. Child welfare professionals and adjacent entities have been a driving force behind adoption initiatives and the permanency in which these children and youth feel every day.
Child Welfare Workforce Development Month 2023
News | September 06, 2023
As September unfolds, we embark on Child Welfare Workforce Development Month, a time of celebrating and honoring the accomplishments of Child Welfare staff as well as the passion and effort that they put forward to ensure that the families they support are treated in a culturally responsive and trauma-informed manner.
Child Welfare Development Services Meets Southern California Directors to Discuss Recruitment and Retention Strategies
News | May 16, 2023
Our Child Welfare Development Services (CWDS) program Director, Dawn Schoonhoven Scott, convenes the Southern Child Welfare Directors regularly throughout the year to provide a space for our regions leaders to share information, resources, barriers, and strategies to enhance our work.
SACHS & LIA Spring 2023 Update
News | April 30, 2023
Read our latest blog post to learn how the Southern Area Consortium of Human Services (SACHS) and the Leaders in Action (LIA) executive development program hit the ground running in 2023!
Important Update Regarding the Responsive Integrated Health Solutions (RIHS) program
News | January 25, 2023
It is with deep regret that we announce that the Academy will no longer be contracted with San Diego County Behavioral Health Services to deliver workforce development services to San Diego County Behavioral Health System after March 31, 2023, with the exception of the Cultural Competence Academy which will continue through June 30, 2023.
Cultural Competency Academy (CCA) Executive Training Slated to Start in January 2023
News | November 21, 2022
The January 2023 Executive Series will combine Collaborative Digital Learning, virtual training, collaborative learning activities, and coaching experiences to give the Executives the tools for the practical application of inclusive leadership practices.
LIA to Resume In-person Executive Development Program for 2023
News | November 21, 2022
With San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) joining the executive development training program this year, LIA 17 includes 30 participants from nine southern counties human services programs.
The Four Principles Embodied by the Indian Child Welfare Act
Blog | October 19, 2022
Tribal STAR discusses the four principles of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA): partnership, meaningful consultation, remediation, and resilience.
Tribal STAR Team’s Thoughts on Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Blog| October 10, 2022
Our Tribal STAR team which consists of Kim Mettler, Sunni Dominguez, and LaPrincess Greene share what Indigenous Peoples’ Day means to them.
Elevating Indigenous Voices
Blog| October 03, 2022
Elevating Indigenous voices means seeing us as people who occupied this land, for millennia, with a relationship to it and with one another to honor the ancestors that came before us, our people of today, and those. to come.
Organizational Health Assessments – Why Are They Important?
Blog| July 29, 2022
The annual Organizational Health Assessment Survey is a tool deployed to all Academy members to help get to the heart of how people feel about the organization.
How Taking an Organization-Wide Pause Can Foster Well-Being
Blog| July 18, 2022
Well-being has always been an Academy Core Value. In 2020, the pandemic put well-being at the forefront, challenging us to rethink what it meant to care for ourselves and our loved ones.
What is Coaching & What is its Value?
Blog| June 27, 2022
“Coaching is a powerful tool for supporting the child protection workforce, as the work is complex and requires both technical knowledge and adaptive skills that are challenging to learn in a one-time training.”
The Impact of Quality Supervision Simulation in Ventura County
News| June 21, 2022
In collaboration, Child Welfare Development Services (CWDS) & Ventura County Child & Family Services (CFS) created a learning environment to enhance the practice. of quality supervision.
Reading: A Form of Meditation
Blog| June 15, 2022
Can reading be a form of meditation? Yes, reading is an activity and it takes being fully engaged in the text you are reading to get through the pages of what you are reading.
Operating in an Evolutionary Process
Blog| May 31, 2022
At the Academy for Professional Excellence, we revolutionize the way people work to ensure the world is a healthier place. In order for us to maintain this standard, collectively and individually, we operate in an evolutionary process.
June is Pride Month
Blog| May 31, 2022
Pride Month is celebrated in June every year. As month-long celebrations take place around the country, today we share with you a brief history of why we celebrate Pride in the month of June.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Blog | May 18, 2022
The month of May is dedicated to Mental Health Awareness and RIHS, along with the Academy for Professional Excellence as a whole, joins with countless organizations in this national movement to raise awareness about mental health.
Why Leaders Need to Take the Time to Reflect on our Current Environment
Blog | Jan 21, 2022
As we enter this New Year in the midst of the largest COVID-19 surge since this virus was first detected, it’s essential that leaders take the time to reflect and to acknowledge the significant impact that COVID-19 continues to have on the well-being of our staff, our selves, and on our communities, and to focus our energy on supporting one another.
The Academy Partners with ACL, NAPSA to establish the National Adult Protective Services Training Center
News | Jan 20, 2022
The Academy is partnering with ACL, NAPSA, and others to establish the National Adult Protective Services Training Center. The NATC builds on the vision and work done by the Academy to provide eLearning training to Adult Protective Services professionals.
Minola Clark Manson receives CYFSOC Advancing Principles Awards
News | Jan 6, 2022
The Academy for Professional Excellence is proud to announce that Minola Clark Manson, Responsive Integrated Health Solutions (RIHS) Program Director, was selected to receive the County of San Diego, Children, Youth and Families System of Care Advancing Principles Award!
SACHS Celebrates 20 years
News | Nov 16, 2021
This month the Southern Area Consortium of Human Services (SACHS) program proudly celebrates its 20th anniversary! The very first SACHS meeting was held back in November 2001 in Dana Point, CA.
#WhyWednesday Series: Rosemarie Campos Sachs
Blog | Oct 27, 2021
Rosemarie Campos Sachs is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has facilitated several trainings for RIHS. Today we speak with Rosemarie to learn a little more about her and her “Why.”
September is Child Welfare Workforce Development Month
Blog | Sep 20, 2021
September is Child Welfare Workforce Development Month. This is a time for us to recognize and honor the dedication of Child Welfare workers who provide critical services to our communities.
APSWI Upgraded Two Adult Protective Services Core Competency eLearnings
News | Sep 15, 2021
Adult Protective Services Workforce Innovations (APSWI) is excited to announce that the eLearnings for two National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) Core Modules are available to support APS professionals as they navigate challenging situations.
CWDS Creates Workgroup with San Diego County to Strengthen the Continuum of Workforce Development
News | Sep 13, 2021
Child Welfare Development Services (CWDS) has been working closely with San Diego Child Welfare Services and their University partners to strengthen the continuum of workforce development – from social work students to agency employees.
Reflection on the Remote Culture at the Academy
Blog | Aug 23, 2021
In challenging times, like during a pandemic, it’s important for organizations to be intentional about maintaining a healthy work culture. In this article, Lynette Lopez, CWDS Workforce Development Assistant, reflects on the remote culture at the Academy.
Leaders in Action (LIA) Graduates its 16th Cohort
News | July 27, 2021
The Leaders in Action (LIA) program held a virtual graduation for participants attending the 16th cohort of the program. To date, a total of 424 graduates have completed this executive leadership program for county Human Service managers since its inception in 2004.
The Academy wins gold Hermes Award for Culturally Responsive Practice for Contact Tracers eLearning
News | June 21, 2021
The Culturally Responsive Practice for Contact Tracers eLearning developed by the Child Welfare Development Services (CWDS), a program of the Academy for Professional Excellence, has earned a gold Hermes Creative Award.
Marching Forward: Coming Together to Integrate a Critical Theory of Workforce Development Using CRT
Blog | June 16, 2021
We’ve been getting acquainted with Critical Race Theory (CRT) by taking a look at its five tenets to help us create shared language as we continue our work together in CWDS. This article will focus on the concept of race as a social construct.
California Adult Protective Services Leaders Institute Finds Success with Virtual Trainings
News | May 13, 2021
Adult Protective Services Leaders Institute saw an increase in participation and level of connection after transitioning to virtual training from an in-person, half-day format.
Adult Protective Services Workforce Innovations (APSWI) launches a new eLearning: SOC 242 and You: What You Need to Know
News | May 13, 2021
Adult Protective Services Workforce Innovations (APSWI) launched a new eLearning: SOC 242 and You: What You Need to Know which will support APS investigators throughout California to accurately align the data they collect in daily practice with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) SOC 242 monthly report.
Youth Professionals and Families Come Together to Discuss Teen Substance Use and Misuse
News | May 10, 2021
The Children Youth and Families System of Care (CYFSOC) Training Academy, and the Responsive Integrated Health Solutions (RIHS) are proud to announce the 2021 CYFSOC Conference: Youth Substance Use: Risk, Resilience, Reconnection, happening on Thursday, May 27th, 2021.
Critical Race Theory, March 2021
Blog | March 16, 2021
Marching Forward: Coming Together to Integrate a Critical Theory of Workforce Development Using CRT. This article will focus on the concept of interest convergence.
The Academy Stands Strong In Solidarity With The Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Communities
News | March 5, 2021
Given the continued surge in hate crimes against Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) communities that have occurred, the Academy feels it is essential that we reaffirm our commitment to act in solidarity with members of APIDA communities.
A Thank You Letter To My Social Worker
Blog | March 2, 2021
Given that March is Social Work Month, what better time than now to give thanks and tell Social Workers how much they are appreciated.
Core 3.5 ICWA Revision Update
News | March 1, 2021
Tribal STAR provides an update on its CDSS contract to revise the Common Core 3.0 ICWA curriculum in October 2020 to meet Phase III Common Core Standards, incorporate the California Integrated Core Practice Model; and more.
Cultural Responsiveness: Discover How You Can Use Inquiry to Enhance Engagement in Human Services
Blog | February 26, 2021
This article highlights how inquiry can be used in culturally responsive practices to cultivate curiosity and enhance engagement among those receiving services from Health & Human Services agencies.
Marching Forward: Coming Together to Integrate a Critical Theory of Workforce Development Using CRT
Blog | December 15, 2020
We are looking into the five tenets of Critical Race Theory (CRT), as they are central to this framework and can help us create shared language as we continue our work together in CWDS.
Safety Organized Practice: A Tool to Help During the Pandemic
Blog | November 19, 2020
Safety Organized Practice is a tool social workers can lean into during the pandemic to build strong relationships, facilitate equitable decision-making, and create detailed plans for enhanced safety of the children.
Why You Need to Invest in Your Relationships with the Workforce
Blog | October 6, 2020
Through collaborative relationships with partners and the workforce, leaders can move well beyond traditional training topics and evolve into a deeper and broader context for supporting the workforce.
The Academy for Professional Excellence is Selected to Revise the Statewide Common Core ICWA Curriculum
News | September 29, 2020
The Academy & Tribal STAR have been selected by the California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC) to revise the statewide Common Core Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Curriculum.
CalSWEC Selects the Academy for Professional Excellence to Evaluate SERVE
News | August 18, 2020
The Academy for Professional Excellence has been selected to evaluate the California Social Work Education Center’s (CalSWEC) statewide SERVE: Indigenous Community Social Workers for Change program.