Social Work Certificate in Child Welfare Services
The Texas Permanency Outcomes Project
The Social Work Certificate in Child Welfare Services is awarded through the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin. This certificate is designed for employees at child placing agencies, shelters, residential treatment centers, and group homes; attorneys, judges, and other judicial staff; mental health providers; employees at other support agencies; and volunteers with any of the above agencies.
REQUIREMENTS
Post-certificate survey – All individuals admitted to the program will be asked to complete a 20-minute post-training survey after completing all courses.
Prerequisite courses – See list of prerequisite courses.
Certificate Program at a Glance:
Social Work Certificate in Child Welfare Services
For professionals working at child placing agencies in Texas.
Hybrid classes:
12 hours of prerequisites
(5 online, 7 in-person)
8.5 hours of certificate courses
(3 online, 5.5 in-person)
Regional cohort enrollment includes:
An online learning community
In-person courses taught in 2-3 days
CEUs for all course hours
Child Welfare Services Coursework
Objectives:
- Demonstrate an understanding of ACEs and become familiar with the findings of the ACEs study
- Understand how positive childhood experiences can buffer ACEs with families involved in child welfare
- Apply the knowledge of ACEs and positive childhood experiences to build resiliency with children and families
Time: 1-hour online course
Objectives:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the core values of trauma-informed care and its application in child welfare
- Introduce healing centered engagement practice
- Understand what you can do to implement healing centered engagement into practice at the practitioner level
- Learn how to bring awareness of healing centered engagement practice to your agency and team
Time: 1-hour online course
Objectives:
- Begin to understand relational health in the context of parent / caregiver-child relationships
- Apply strategies with children and families in child welfare to promote preservation of connections
Time: 1 hour online course
Objectives:
- Demonstrate a basic understanding of brain development
- Understand the core concepts of developmental trauma
- Understand how trauma impacts children and families involved in child protection and how to apply the information to better engage families
Time: 2-hour in-person course
Objectives:
- Demonstrate a basic understanding of relational and legal permanence
- Identify the impact of relational and legal permanence on child and family wellbeing
- Determine strategies to increase rates of permanence and relational networks for children
Time: 2-hour in-person course
Objectives
- Understand how shame is present for professionals and families in the child welfare system
- Identify one’s personal and professional values and identify the specific behaviors that align with those values
- Begin to understand how values clarification is essential to the development of resiliency
Time: 1.5-hour in-person course
STATEWIDE CAPACITY BUILDING
TXPOP will provide trainings and support to professionals working in child welfare with the development of a professional certificate in child welfare from the Steve Hicks School of Social Work. TXPOP is also developing a multimedia campaign for caregivers on how to engage families and ensure that the child’s voice is at the heart of the work.