Community Trainer: Child Welfare and the Law - Military Veterans

Position Overview

The Community Trainer position (Temp/Casual, 0001) is a University employee positioned in the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW) at the School of Social Work. CASCW has joined the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) in a joint project to co-create and operate the Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy (MNCWTA). The Community Trainer serves as a critical member of the integrated teams of DHS and the University. This position is responsible for using the MNCWTA curriculum to train child protection workers in Minnesota to ensure a competent workforce for the children and families in the state.

This non-benefits eligible position will work a variety of hours (depending on the scheduling and trainer availability) over the course of the year and will fill out timesheets for the hours worked. Typically, training schedules are set six months in advance.

As a part of New Worker Foundations training, as mandated for all new hires to county child protection agencies, MNCWTA also provides training for workers at all levels of experience to further their knowledge and skill in topics of particular relevance to their practice. One of these particularly relevant topics is Child Welfare and the Law. The topic is a module within our New Worker training and will also be a Specialty Course.

We are currently looking for applicants for all of our Regional Locations.

This position is based on campus. Per UMN policy, work may be done remotely when appropriate and approved by your manager.

Job Responsibilities

Coordination 100%

Session 6: Child Welfare and the Law and Simulation III

The simulation is designed to give learners an opportunity to apply skills learned in the Child Welfare and the Law training, including how to prepare and deliver statements in court. This simulation is based around court preparation, with trainers filling the roles of judge, county attorney, and parent attorney. Learners will participate in a simulated 90 Day review hearing, offering updates and answering questions from the judge and/or attorneys. Learners will be encouraged to collaborate with their fellow learners and the county attorney to craft statements. This will also act as an experiential simulation to help learners understand what it feels like to participate in a hearing.

Session 6 begins with a self-paced training, followed by one virtual instructor-led training and one in-person instructor-led training, followed by Simulation III.

• Training 1: topics include foundational concepts of child welfare and the law, meeting professional and legal expectations, and the court process
• Training 2: topics include how policies and procedures may sometimes have adverse effects and a critical examination of the child welfare worker's role within the child welfare system
• Training 3: topics include how to prepare for court within the role as a child welfare worker and how they will be expected to participate in the court process
• Simulation III: Court Preparation

Topics Covered: Reviewing Case Documents, Preparing and Delivering Statements in Court, Collaboration with Interdisciplinary Colleagues

Required Qualifications

• Must possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school
• One or more years of experience with cases pertaining to child welfare and/or child protection matters
• Established commitment to diversity and cross-cultural communication
• Ability to facilitate this course and navigate challenging conversations related to assessment policy and difficult situations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Child welfare expertise
• Understanding of state/tribal social services