Child Welfare Professional Certification Partnership

The ISU School of Social Work now offers our students an opportunity to complete two specialty  Child Welfare Classes  ( SWK 323  and  SWK 324 ) to become  certified child welfare specialists  upon completion of their social work degree. The re-designed course integrates training material from the DCFS child welfare specialist training curricula and also prepares students for a series of exams and on line instruction. The “child welfare specialist” certificate makes graduates more marketable as new hires within the child welfare work force.

Child Welfare Classes

Your general knowledge in social policy will be enriched through increased learning about policy and history in child welfare—including child welfare laws and initiatives that shape the context of practice for child welfare workers.
You will:

• expand your knowledge of ethics and professionalism by exploring the legal and ethical roles and responsibilities a child welfare worker in Illinois must fulfill.
• develop your knowledge of theories and how they inform child welfare practice through a closer look at human behavior and development theories –including attachment theory. You will also strengthen your ability to practice effectively with diverse groups.
• learn how trauma impacts the children and families served.
• sharpen your practice skills through opportunities to further develop your interviewing skills with individuals and with families...you will get the opportunity to learn and apply assessment skills that will help you identify the signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect as well as identify the influence of chemical dependency, domestic violence, sexual abuse, mental illness and developmental disabilities on children and families.
• increase your documentation skills—with practice, practice, practice!
• learn how to develop service plans with families.
• learn how the juvenile court system works and how social workers function within it.

And you will be well prepared to pass required exams and be ready to go on the job market at a time when the child welfare workforce is in need of many new social workers.