Child Welfare often focuses on engaging with parents however, we have to keep in mind that we must communicate and engage with children and youth to effectively assess for safety, permanency and well-being. This course will assist child welfare staff in assessing gathering information from children. Learning Objectives: - Effectively gather relevant information from the family as well as a variety of other sources in order to complete quality, comprehensive family assessments. - Use critical thinking skills effectively when gathering, presenting case information and when assisting families with problem solving.

We want to remind you about the confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP) available to DCFS staff and eligible family members. We want to make accessing the EAP helpline resources as easy as possible through this course.

This in-person training is designed to provide participants with an opportunity to apply and practice skills for family engagement and assessment. By the end of this course, participants will have the ability to: - Respond respectfully and effectively to clients of different cultural, racial, religious, ethnic backgrounds, and sexual orientations. - Create a positive working relationship with children and families by listening and embracing differences. - Manage conflict and use protective authority appropriately. - Identify, describe, and demonstrate protective authority and the ability to use the least authority necessary to maintain engagement with a family and yet keep one safe. - Describe their conflict management style. - Discuss why anger and conflict is a part of the change process. - Partner and collaborate with families to improve child welfare outcomes. - Identify areas for professional growth when managing conflict - Explain the importance of empathy and establishing rapport when engaging families. - Know the importance and value of engaging and involving fathers in the casework process. - Describe the benefits of engaging fathers in the casework process. - Show understanding and identify the significance of fathers and their influence on a child�s life. - Self-reflect and examine their own views and biases of the significance of a father and how it could influence their commitment to father engagement. - Explain and illustrate ways to engage fathers, including the skills to search for fathers. - Identify strategies to foster engagement - Use reflective listening, and empathy to enhance engagement skills - Explore why anger/conflict is a part of the change process - Identify, analyze, and emulate the precepts of Family-Centered Practice and Engagement. - Understand and demonstrate knowledge of the importance of full disclosure while working with families and stakeholders.

For DCFS Staff - This training provides a high-level overview of the Family Team Meeting (FTM) and explains how engagement efforts connect with the PIP.

Children reared in homes without their fathers are at greater risk for negative outcomes when compared to children of a two-parent household, with an engaged father. Even more depressing, these children are also more likely to end up abused, neglected, and/or exploited. Studies showed Child Welfare workers who received training on father engagement and how to locate fathers, were more likely to search for and contact the father, develop a case plan, and provide services. This course will explore some of the negative outcomes for children without an engaged father and the benefits of having an engaged father. It will also some of the challenges workers face in trying locate and engage fathers of the children they are working with. This course will help prepare workers to better engage fathers on their caseloads.

Foster Care in Louisiana training was designed to educate staff, stakeholders and community partners on the development of the Extended Foster Care Program, the criteria, services and policies and procedures associated with the program. Learning Objectives: Develop an understanding of why Extended Foster Care was created. Develop an understanding of the eligibility criteria. Develop an understanding of the services offered to young adults in the program. Develop an understanding of policies and procedures associated with the program.