About Us

Child Welfare Development Services (CWDS) is a program of the Academy for Professional Excellence at San Diego State University School of Social Work. We work in partnership with southern region universities and their Schools of Social Work.
CWDS, sometimes referred to as the “Southern Academy,” is one of four Regional Academies (also known as Cal-Academies) in the state of California, responsible for providing state standardized workforce development to public child welfare agencies. Established in July 1996, it serves the counties of Imperial, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Riverside. Additional services, including advanced training, coaching and simulation, are offered to the counties of Ventura and Los Angeles. The program works collaboratively with several Universities offering social work degree programs: San Diego State University, California State University, San Bernardino, Loma Linda University, California State University, Fullerton,University of California Los Angeles and California State University San Marcos.
 

CWDS provides workforce development to over 7,000 public child welfare staff in the region. CWDS takes pride in the delivery of comprehensive, culturally responsive, and competency-based workforce development services. These services include expert technical assistance, implementation planning and support, leadership and organization development, and a variety of skill development modalities, including coaching, instructor-led training, simulations, eLearning/microlearning, pod/vod casts, and mobile applications.
 

The content and design of our services are intended to provide participants the knowledge, skills and values of the best in child welfare practice and research, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for children and families in the child welfare system. Our training and development services are offered in the context of implementation planning, leadership development, and organizational support to ensure changes are occurring at the individual practice level as well as leadership and organizational levels.
 

For more about our activity, see the CWDS 2023-2024 year in review.

CWDS Vision

As a result of our work, the workforce employed by public child welfare agencies and the children and families served by them will experience:

• Increased empowerment and voice in the decisions that impact them
• Positive behavior changes
• Equity and inclusion
• A sense of inspiration and hope for the future

Regional Training Calendar

Workforce Development Services

CWDS offers a variety of workforce development services through multiple modalities and levels of training for Child Welfare Services (CWS) staff and leaders. These include:

Expert Technical Assistance

• Subject matter expertise
• Evaluation
• Research
• Consultation
• Project Planning

Implementation Planning and Support

• Needs and readiness assessment
• Implementation planning
• Project planning and management
• Regional convenings and learning collaboratives to support implementation of statewide and regional practices and policies
• Facilitation of regional, statewide and national networking to support sharing of practice examples and resources

Training

• Line worker, Supervisor and Manager core training to set foundational skills
• Advanced training to support ongoing skill development
• Instructor led training
• eLearning and microLearning
• Simulation training
• Field-based training and coaching for workers, supervisors and managers
• Leadership development
• Podcasts and mobile applications to support brief, just-in-time training

Core courses represent the essential knowledge and skills needed to perform the tasks in Child Welfare Services (CWS). The Academy offers Core training in Child Welfare Social Work Practice, Supervision, and Management. Core courses are designed for newly hired or newly promoted staff, but are also useful to those who are transitioning into new job functions and/or those who are seeking to update their knowledge and skills in the ever changing field of child welfare.
Advanced classes build upon those offered as part of Core training. These classes are developed for staff that have the fundamental CWS skills and knowledge, but want to enhance their basic skills, knowledge or practice in a particular area. Other advanced classes may be requested by the counties based on their individual needs and developed for them. These advanced classes may relate to a newly adopted initiative, regulation or practice.
 

eLearning courses are offered as an alternative to classroom learning. Self-study modules for the distance learner are offered with CEs available for some courses. Webinars are also offered for live participation and recorded webinars for distance learners who may not be able to attend a live session. CEs are available for live and recorded webinars. Blended learning modules are also available where the distance learner takes a self-study module online and then attends a follow-up webinar or classroom session to focus on skill building activities.
 

Field-based training, also known as child welfare coaching, is an on the job, effective and strength-based practice that supports the implementation of training knowledge and best practice. Child welfare coaching is the collaboration or teaming of a coach and learner for the purpose of enhancing skills or personal development in their child welfare practice. It is learner led, in that the identified skill or goal to be explored during the coaching session is determined by the learner. The coach creates a positive, structured environment with agreed upon outcomes that are designed to allow the coach and learner to focus on the goals of the session. The session is a safe place to explore and practice strength-based critical thinking skills and does not replace supervision. It is not a place to grade performance but a place to deepen practice.
 

Learning collaboratives and regional convenings support statewide and regional implementation efforts. CWDS routinely offers ongoing learning collaboratives that may include in-person convenings as well as webinars to provide a space in which our counties can share successes, challenges, and expertise with one another. They support the assessment of current policies and practices, readiness for implementation, implementation planning and allow CWDS to provide technical assistance and consultation. State partners and subject matter experts are regularly brought into the process to inform our work.

CWDS Curriculum

Lineworker core curriculum is based on statewide practice standards and child welfare competencies established by the statewide coordinated workforce development system which includes Cal-Academies (also known as Regional Academies) and the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). Some of these classes are standardized throughout the State of California. The trainers deliver, in these fully standardized classes, a curriculum that has been developed by collaboration among representatives from Regional Academies and Child Welfare representatives across the state.
 

CWDS takes pride in our high level of professionalism and excellence in the training provided. This is supported by a standardized facilitator development policy and procedure and by an evaluation system that assists in facilitator development while supporting our commitment to quality in all services delivered. CWDS staff are committed to best practice in Child Welfare and sees training as a major support to this effort in each of our counties. We take pride in the strong backgrounds of CWDS staff in child welfare and related fields. Staff work closely with with trainers to ensure curricula is up to date and reflects the values stated above.

ADA Statement

The Academy for Professional Excellence and Child Welfare Development Services 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.