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.

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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

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.

February 2023

1.) The Updated California Regulations for APS eLearning Is Now Available Here!

APSWI is pleased to announce that the updated core competency “California Regulations for APS” eLearning is now available. Thank you to APSWI Curriculum Development Specialist Amy Waszak for developing the curriculum and to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) for their generous funding.

January 2023

1.) AB135 and Changes to APS Practice in the State of California eLearning Is Now Available Here! 

APSWI is pleased to announce that the “AB135 and Changes to APS Practice in the State of California” eLearning is now available. Thank you to APSWI Curriculum Development Specialist Amy Waszak for developing the curriculum and to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) for their generous funding. 

September 2022

1.) 3 New APS Supervisor Core Curriculum Modules Are Now Available Here!

APSWI is pleased to announce that 2A- Implicit Bias & Structural Racism, 2B- Building Cultural Humility & Responsiveness and 4E- Supervising Complex Cases are now available, and was made possible by the generous funding of the California Department of Social Services.

Thank you to our SME(s) Amanda Lee LCSW, Sara Kimber LMFT and Brenda Wilson-Codispoti LCSW for developing the curriculum; to the Supervisor Curriculum Advisory Committee for their work on these projects; and to Brenda Wilson-Codispoti and Krista Brown for coordinating these projects.

August 2022

1.) “Variability in Findings from Adult Protective Services Investigations in Selected Southern California Counties.” Research Report now available here!

Read all about the successful impact the delivery of the “Consistency in Findings” training has had on Adult Protective Services professionals within the Southern California region in this report. This virtual instructor-led training was delivered during fiscal year 20/21. A special thanks to all of the APS professionals who participated in this effort, and our Evaluations team for this information.

Core Competency Curriculum Development

APSWI and its partner agencies have developed each of the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) Core Competencies into easily accessible in-person and on-line training modules. Each module is examined by skilled APS professionals and experts in the field to determine specific learning objectives. APSWI staff work with nationally recognized experts to develop evidence-based curriculum that builds on adult learning theory and teaches to the identified learning objectives. Once drafted, each curriculum is reviewed by curriculum advisory committees composed of APS staff, supervisors, and managers to ensure the training will meet the needs of APS professionals in the field. Each curriculum is piloted-tested, evaluated, revised, and made available for use in training.

Download the NAPSA to APSWI Table of Core Competency Areas
Check out the available training for the NAPSA Core Competency Areas
APSWI NAPSA Certificate Program–What You Need To Know

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.