Training Catalog

The goal of this training is to introduce best practices when working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and trans, queer and questioning, intersex, asexual or agender, and two-spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) youth. LGBTQIA2S+ youth are over-represented in child welfare systems and have been subjected to historical discrimination and oppression contributing to vulnerability and challenges. This training is intended to increase the awareness, knowledge, skills and abilities of social workers and supervisors to work effectively with this unique population through self-reflection, data, resource sharing, and interactive activities. 6.0 CEUs.

This course, also known as Home Studies, is designed to help you gain an understanding of the Home Study assessment process. It will introduce you to engaging and conducting interviews with applicants and explore how to equitably and collaboratively assess an applicant's strengths and needs. By enhancing your knowledge of the Home Study Assessment, you will enhance your ability to gather, synthesize, assess, and summarize an applicant’s ability to provide for the safety and well-being of children. This course consists of three self-paced trainings followed by two instructor-led trainings (in-person). 15.5 CEUs.

This training is brought to you by the University of Minnesota Duluth Tribal Training and Certification Partnership (TTCP). This is an introductory course to the basics of the history of ICWA and application of ICWA and MIFPA. We have an education team comprised of several community trainers that come from University of Minnesota Duluth's MSW faculty and instructors, the Center for Regional and Tribal Child Welfare Studies instructors and researchers; tribal child welfare workers, county child welfare ICWA specialists, urban ICWA workers, individuals with lived experience, the MN GAL program, and elders. Your education team will include a mixture of individuals representing these varied backgrounds. 12 CEUs.

This training is brought to you by the University of Minnesota Duluth Tribal Training and Certification Partnership (TTCP). This is an introductory course to the basics of the history of ICWA and application of ICWA and MIFPA. We have an education team comprised of several community trainers that come from University of Minnesota Duluth's MSW faculty and instructors, the Center for Regional and Tribal Child Welfare Studies instructors and researchers; tribal child welfare workers, county child welfare ICWA specialists, urban ICWA workers, individuals with lived experience, the MN GAL program, and elders. Your education team will include a mixture of individuals representing these varied backgrounds. 12 CEUs.

The Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (MAAFPCWDA) was passed in 2024 and seeks to promote family stability by establishing minimum standards to prevent the arbitrary removal of children from their families and improve permanency outcomes, including family reunification. This initial four-hour training is designed to ensure county workers are prepared to utilize active efforts in their casework with disproportionately represented families, with special emphasis on African American families. 4.0 CEUs.

The Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (MAAFPCWDA) was passed in 2024 and seeks to promote family stability by establishing minimum standards to prevent the arbitrary removal of children from their families and improve permanency outcomes, including family reunification. This initial four-hour training is designed to ensure county workers are prepared to utilize active efforts in their casework with disproportionately represented families, with special emphasis on African American families. 4.0 CEUs.

This training is brought to you by the University of Minnesota Duluth Tribal Training and Certification Partnership (TTCP). This is an introductory course to the basics of the history of ICWA and application of ICWA and MIFPA. We have an education team comprised of several community trainers that come from University of Minnesota Duluth's MSW faculty and instructors, the Center for Regional and Tribal Child Welfare Studies instructors and researchers; tribal child welfare workers, county child welfare ICWA specialists, urban ICWA workers, individuals with lived experience, the MN GAL program, and elders. Your education team will include a mixture of individuals representing these varied backgrounds. 12 CEUs.

NOTE: This section is for Rice County employees only. These instructor-led virtual workshops build on the Introduction to Motivational Interviewing (MI) Skills for Child Welfare Professionals: Self-Paced course. Learners will dive further into the spirit, principles, processes, and skills of MI, with an emphasis on practical application. 4.0 CEUs.

The goal of this training is to introduce learners to the Family Group Decision Making (FGDM) process, and to understand how to work with families/youth involved with the child welfare system. An overview of the principles and phases of FGDM, including which cases are appropriate for referral to the FGDM process, is provided. Individuals will learn the specific skills, strategies, and techniques fundamental to facilitating and coordinating FGDM meetings in the context of child welfare. The training will cover the history, philosophy, and core practice elements of FGDM, along with an analysis of how it supports the goals of the MAAFPCWDA legislation by preventing out-of-home placements and promoting family reunification. It will also explore how FGDM aligns with the goals of ICWA by preserving families and preventing unnecessary out-of-home placements, thereby supporting reunification within American Indian communities. 12.0 CEUs.

This training is brought to you by the University of Minnesota Duluth Tribal Training and Certification Partnership (TTCP). This is an introductory course to the basics of the history of ICWA and application of ICWA and MIFPA. We have an education team comprised of several community trainers that come from University of Minnesota Duluth's MSW faculty and instructors, the Center for Regional and Tribal Child Welfare Studies instructors and researchers; tribal child welfare workers, county child welfare ICWA specialists, urban ICWA workers, individuals with lived experience, the MN GAL program, and elders. Your education team will include a mixture of individuals representing these varied backgrounds. 12 CEUs.

These instructor-led virtual workshops build on the Introduction to Motivational Interviewing (MI) Skills for Child Welfare Professionals: Self-Paced course. Learners will dive further into the spirit, principles, processes, and skills of MI, with an emphasis on practical application. 14.0 CEUs.

Note: This section is only for St. Louis County employees. The Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (MAAFPCWDA) was passed in 2024 and seeks to promote family stability by establishing minimum standards to prevent the arbitrary removal of children from their families and improve permanency outcomes, including family reunification. This initial four-hour training is designed to ensure county workers are prepared to utilize active efforts in their casework with disproportionately represented families, with special emphasis on African American families. 4.0 CEUs.

The 1.5-hour Coaching Circles are designed to help you foster a realistic self-appraisal, hone your MI skills (with practice and feedback) and increase your confidence in the approach. The topics in each course have some similarity that will prepare you to take the final skills demonstration course. Learners will need to register for each of the four sessions. Circles do not need to be completed in order. 1.5 CEUs Each.

Note: This section is only for St. Louis County employees. The Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (MAAFPCWDA) was passed in 2024 and seeks to promote family stability by establishing minimum standards to prevent the arbitrary removal of children from their families and improve permanency outcomes, including family reunification. This initial four-hour training is designed to ensure county workers are prepared to utilize active efforts in their casework with disproportionately represented families, with special emphasis on African American families. 4.0 CEUs.

Note: This section is for St. Louis County employees only. The Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (MAAFPCWDA) was passed in 2024 and seeks to promote family stability by establishing minimum standards to prevent the arbitrary removal of children from their families and improve permanency outcomes, including family reunification. This initial four-hour training is designed to ensure county workers are prepared to utilize active efforts in their casework with disproportionately represented families, with special emphasis on African American families. 4.0 CEUs.

Note: This section is for St. Louis County employees only. The Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (MAAFPCWDA) was passed in 2024 and seeks to promote family stability by establishing minimum standards to prevent the arbitrary removal of children from their families and improve permanency outcomes, including family reunification. This initial four-hour training is designed to ensure county workers are prepared to utilize active efforts in their casework with disproportionately represented families, with special emphasis on African American families. 4.0 CEUs.

The Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (MAAFPCWDA) was passed in 2024 and seeks to promote family stability by establishing minimum standards to prevent the arbitrary removal of children from their families and improve permanency outcomes, including family reunification. This initial four-hour training is designed to ensure county workers are prepared to utilize active efforts in their casework with disproportionately represented families, with special emphasis on African American families. 4.0 CEUs.

The Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (MAAFPCWDA) was passed in 2024 and seeks to promote family stability by establishing minimum standards to prevent the arbitrary removal of children from their families and improve permanency outcomes, including family reunification. This initial four-hour training is designed to ensure county workers are prepared to utilize active efforts in their casework with disproportionately represented families, with special emphasis on African American families. 4.0 CEUs.

Note: This section is only for St. Louis County employees. The Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (MAAFPCWDA) was passed in 2024 and seeks to promote family stability by establishing minimum standards to prevent the arbitrary removal of children from their families and improve permanency outcomes, including family reunification. This initial four-hour training is designed to ensure county workers are prepared to utilize active efforts in their casework with disproportionately represented families, with special emphasis on African American families. 4.0 CEUs.

The 1.5-hour Coaching Circles are designed to help you foster a realistic self-appraisal, hone your MI skills (with practice and feedback) and increase your confidence in the approach. The topics in each course have some similarity that will prepare you to take the final skills demonstration course. Learners will need to register for each of the four sessions. Circles do not need to be completed in order. 1.5 CEUs Each.

Note: This section is only for St. Louis County employees. The Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (MAAFPCWDA) was passed in 2024 and seeks to promote family stability by establishing minimum standards to prevent the arbitrary removal of children from their families and improve permanency outcomes, including family reunification. This initial four-hour training is designed to ensure county workers are prepared to utilize active efforts in their casework with disproportionately represented families, with special emphasis on African American families. 4.0 CEUs.

Note: St. Louis County ONLY. The Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (MAAFPCWDA) was passed in 2024 and seeks to promote family stability by establishing minimum standards to prevent the arbitrary removal of children from their families and improve permanency outcomes, including family reunification. This initial four-hour training is designed to ensure county workers are prepared to utilize active efforts in their casework with disproportionately represented families, with special emphasis on African American families. 4.0 CEUs.

NOTE: This section is for St. Louis County employees only. The Minnesota African American Family Preservation and Child Welfare Disproportionality Act (MAAFPCWDA) was passed in 2024 and seeks to promote family stability by establishing minimum standards to prevent the arbitrary removal of children from their families and improve permanency outcomes, including family reunification. This initial four-hour training is designed to ensure county workers are prepared to utilize active efforts in their casework with disproportionately represented families, with special emphasis on African American families. 4.0 CEUs.

The 1.5-hour Coaching Circles are designed to help you foster a realistic self-appraisal, hone your MI skills (with practice and feedback) and increase your confidence in the approach. The topics in each course have some similarity that will prepare you to take the final skills demonstration course. Learners will need to register for each of the four sessions. Circles do not need to be completed in order. 1.5 CEUs Each.

This course, also known as Home Studies, is designed to help you gain an understanding of the Home Study assessment process. It will introduce you to engaging and conducting interviews with applicants and explore how to equitably and collaboratively assess an applicant's strengths and needs. By enhancing your knowledge of the Home Study Assessment, you will enhance your ability to gather, synthesize, assess, and summarize an applicant’s ability to provide for the safety and well-being of children. This course consists of three self-paced trainings followed by two instructor-led trainings (in-person). 15.5 CEUs.

At this time this course is only offered for child welfare and child protection workers. The training allows trainees to gain knowledge of trafficking and exploitation, and to develop skills pertinent to the child welfare response to youth and families impacted by trafficking and exploitation. The goal of this training is to provide staff with the knowledge and skills to: identify trafficking, identify exploitation, identify youth at-risk of trafficking or exploitation, assess and respond to potential trafficking and exploitation of youth, and coordinate with partners in meeting the needs of youth and families; and demonstrate culturally responsive practice. Intended Audience: Experienced workers who have not completed Foundations training (since 2020) or SEY x203 or x204 (since 2019). 6.0 CEUs.

The goal of this training is to introduce best practices when working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and trans, queer and questioning, intersex, asexual or agender, and two-spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) youth. LGBTQIA2S+ youth are over-represented in child welfare systems and have been subjected to historical discrimination and oppression contributing to vulnerability and challenges. This training is intended to increase the awareness, knowledge, skills and abilities of social workers and supervisors to work effectively with this unique population through self-reflection, data, resource sharing, and interactive activities. 6.0 CEUs.

The Signs of Safety (SOS) course teaches a strength-based, safety organized framework that focuses on engagement and child safety. SOS provides practical skill development based on the guiding principles of child welfare practice for workers and supervisors. Participants will learn about the Signs of Safety overview with brief history, Appreciative Inquiry, the Questioning Approach, Harm and Danger Statements and Safety Goals, Three Houses, Safety House, Mapping, and Safety Planning and Safety Networks. 16.0 CEU

The 1.5-hour Coaching Circles are designed to help you foster a realistic self-appraisal, hone your MI skills (with practice and feedback) and increase your confidence in the approach. The topics in each course have some similarity that will prepare you to take the final skills demonstration course. Learners will need to register for each of the four sessions. Circles do not need to be completed in order. 1.5 CEUs Each.

The Motivational Interviewing (MI) Skills for Child Welfare Professionals: Pathway 2 Training Documentation Approval course is the first of two Pathway 2 courses for workers who have successfully completed a minimum of 15 hour Motivational Interviewing training by a MINT certified trainer between 6/1/21 - present. If a learner successfully completed a 15-hour Motivational Interviewing training with a MINT trainer prior to 61/21, they will need to provide proof of attending and completing a refresher training if the training was held within the past 12 months. Upon completion of this course, learners will be able to register for the next course Pathway 2 Skills Demonstration.

In the Motivational Interviewing (MI) Skills for Child Welfare Professionals: Pathway 3 Skills Demonstration course, you will be asked to demonstrate your MI skills through a series of simulated encounters. In particular, you will watch a series of videos that simulate a person you might be working with as a child welfare professional. After each video, you will record yourself as if you were responding to this person sitting across from you in a way that is consistent with the MI skills and approach. Your responses will be reviewed at the end of the course, a final score will be assigned, and you will receive feedback on your demonstration.

In the final course in MI Training, you will be asked to demonstrate your Motivational Interviewing skills through a series of simulated encounters. In particular, you will watch a series of videos that simulate a person you might be working with as a child welfare professional. After each video, you will record yourself as if you were responding to this person sitting across from you in a way that is consistent with the Motivational Interviewing skills and approach. Your responses will be coded, a final score will be assigned, and you will receive feedback on your demonstration. Upon completion of the course, you will receive an email from the DHS CQI Department about the final MI phase/fidelity monitoring requirements under the FFPSA policy.

The Motivational Interviewing (MI) Skills for Child Welfare Professionals: Pathway 3 Training Documentation Approval course is the first of two Pathway 3 courses for workers who have successfully completed a minimum of 15 hour Motivational Interviewing training by a MINT trainer hosted through their agencies. In this course, you will need to provide electronic documentation of a minimum of 15 hours of training that includes applied practice of basic MI skills.

The Motivational Interviewing (MI) Skills for Child Welfare Professionals: Pathway 2 LYSSN Proficiency course is for learners who have completed MI training through a MINT trainer previously and will be submitting an ongoing fidelity skills assessment score that meets or surpasses basic advanced standards. LYSSN assessment must have been completed within the last 3 months.

In the Motivational Interviewing (MI) Skills for Child Welfare Professionals: Pathway 2 Skills Demonstration course, you will be asked to demonstrate your MI skills through a series of simulated encounters. In particular, you will watch a series of videos that simulate a person you might be working with as a child welfare professional. After each video, you will record yourself as if you were responding to this person sitting across from you in a way that is consistent with the MI skills and approach. Your responses will be reviewed at the end of the course, a final score will be assigned, and you will receive feedback on your demonstration.