CHILD WELFARE MANUAL

Section 6, Chapter 2 (Resource Provider Training- STARS (Specialized Training Assessment Resources and Support), subsection 5, – (In-Service Training)

2.5   In-Service Training

Licensed resource providers (foster/relative) complete in-service training to enhance their skills and provide support for parenting the foster youth h placed in their home. Thirty hours of in-service training is required for license renewal.

2.5.1 Professional Family Development Plan (CD-100)

Within 30 days of the family becoming licensed, the worker is to schedule a meeting to develop a Professional Family Development Plan, CD100, with the resource provider. A new CD-100 must be developed when the resource provider license is renewed. The CD-100 is reviewed quarterly and annually and should be updated as necessary.

Refer to the STARS Resource Development Specialist’s Handbook, Step 11

This plan should be a joint process between the resource provider and worker that assesses the provider’s learning needs in an ongoing, proactive, and purposeful way.

The Professional Family Development Plan has four components:

  • assessment of the resource provider’s present level of competencies,
  • their annual educational goals,
  • methods of reaching those goals, and
  • a way to determine if goals have been met.

Performance Based Criteria have been established to help staff assess the present level of competencies for resource providers. These criteria are:

Competency – Protecting and Nurturing

  •  Accepts placements of foster youth with abuse/neglect histories on an emergency basis with little notice and works to learn and understand the impact of that history on the youth’s emotions and behaviors.
  • Uses discretion in accepting placements in order to promote placement stability and minimize placement changes.
  • Cooperates with and promotes keeping siblings in the same placement.
  • Uses discretion in sharing information about foster youth placed in their home, within the guidelines established by the Foster Parent’s Bill of Rights.
  • Does not discuss any permanency plan with the foster youth until this plan becomes the case goal (i.e. discussing adoption while case goal remains reunification).
  • Works to protect the feelings of the foster youth by speaking positively about all members of the Family Support Team.
  • Works with the other Family Support Team members to determine what negative information is appropriate to be shared with the foster youth and when.
  • Works diligently to provide the child with opportunities for participation in tutoring, therapy, extracurricular activities, community events, and church which offer the child the opportunity to grow and develop in cognitive and interpersonal skills,
  • Learns and applies appropriate and consistent parenting to include both nurturing activities and disciplinary techniques.

Competency – Meeting Developmental Needs and Addressing Developmental Delays

  •  Makes and keeps all medical, psychiatric, counseling, dental, and rehabilitation appointments including all required and emergency appointments, or requests timely assistance from the foster youth’s case worker for appointments which cannot be kept by the resource provider.
  • Requests necessary diagnostic evaluations and once diagnoses are identified, learns the etiology and course of the diagnosed conditions and enlists the help of medical and psychiatric professionals to address the conditions identified.
  • Maintains contact with the therapist on a regular basis for each foster youth placed in the home and participates in the therapy is requested by the therapist.
  • Requests additional therapy and reports additional concerns to the Family Support Team when the need arises.
  • Knows, understands, and follows the treatment plan developed by the therapist for each foster youth and assists in the development if requested. Documents both positive and negative examples of the foster youth’s behaviors at home and at school and provides the documentation to the worker and Family Support Team.
  • Takes an active role in the school serving as the foster youth’s educational advocate, including requesting evaluation for an Individual Education Plan (IEP) if necessary, attending all IEP meetings, collecting report cards and other performance indicators, providing copies of the documents to the worker for the youth’s case file.
  • Works with the biological family to help them understand and meet the special needs of the foster youth including but not limited to:
    • Shares information about the foster youth’s developmental and educational progress.
    • Invites the birth family (if appropriate) to participate in school programs, back to school nights, award assemblies and teacher’s conferences.  

Competency – Supporting Relationships between Children and Their Birth Families

  • Cooperates with the family and sibling visitation plan by working with all members of the Family Support Team and other resource parents involved in developing a visitation plan that considers the needs of all parties.  
  • Supervises visitation between the foster youth and family/siblings when necessary or requested.
  • Is respectful of the birth family by speaking about and to the birth family kindly and respectfully.
  • Works with the therapist regarding the most appropriate methods to provide difficult information regarding the parents and/or the case to the foster youth.
  • Provides mentoring to the birth family to help work toward reunification.
  • Provides transportation to and from visitation with the family as needed.
  • Assists the birth family in indentifying community resources which may be useful to them in meeting their children’s needs once the foster youth have transitioned back home.
  • Keeps birth family informed of all appointments and school functions and invites them to these as appropriate.
  • Provides the birth family with photographs, drawings, and other souvenirs which encourage their belief in their ongoing importance in the children’s lives.

Competency – Connecting Children to Safe, Nurturing Relationships Intended to Last a Lifetime

  •  Starts and maintains a life book on each child in their care to be sent with the child when they move or return home.
  • Works to develop for and with the foster youth an understanding of their cultural and familial heritage, and encourages the foster youth to participate in activities which help them develop their individual identities.
  • Finds opportunities for the foster youth to participate in activities in the community, school, church, etc.
  • Supports the foster youth’s involvement in activities outside of the foster home by attending, photographing ,promoting, and encouraging the foster youth as he/she interacts with the larger community.
  • Supports transitions into permanent settings such as adoptive placement, relative placement, reunification, or an independent living arrangement by extending friendship, information, resources, and support to the other family/resource throughout the process of transition and as a support once the transition is complete.

Competency – Working as a Member of a Professional Team

  •  Attends Family Support Team Meetings and/or provides written report on the foster youth to include information on the child’s positive and negative behaviors, accomplishments, developmental needs, any services the resource provider believes are necessary which are not currently provided, and any reports on interactions observed between the foster youth and his/her parents, other service providers, and any other significant information.
  • Knows and follows the Children’s Division policies and procedures and requests clarification or explanation of policies and procedures which are unclear to the resource provider.
  • Supports the case plan developed by the Family Support Team even if they are not in agreement with the plan including but not limited to facilitating visits and appointments.
  • Expresses their concerns regarding the case plan with the child’s worker and during team meetings and understands the Children’s Division’s grievance process to challenge decisions of the Family Support Team.
  • Keeps the case manager or service worker informed of all the foster youth’s activities.
  • Allows items purchased for the foster youth to go with the youth when they move or return home.
  • Provides or makes arrangements for transportation for the foster youth as needed.

This is not a comprehensive list. Other criteria may be found in the STARS curriculum, specifically Step 11, for each of the competencies and/or may be suggested by the resource parents during the assessment process. These criteria should be utilized in evaluating the performance of resource providers during their license renewal process and are an integral part of developing an appropriate Professional Family Development Plan.

The following additional competencies are required of those resource providers who choose to be contracted to provide foster care for youth with elevated needs:

Promote Successful Integration into the Family and the Community

  • Understanding how much supervision the youth requires (before placement occurred and during current placement)
  • Assist the youth in adjusting to a new school and community
  • Transitioning the youth into another setting

Meeting Exceptional Care Needs (for Special Needs and/or Traumatized Youth)

  • Addressing those needs that are not developmental (social, emotional, daily care)
  • Understanding risk factors in the community, school and home setting
  • Understanding but not diagnosing mental illness and other developmental delays

Assessing Crisis Situations and Utilizing Proper Crisis Intervention/Prevention

  • Understanding what a crisis is
  • Using appropriate skill sets to deescalate crisis situations
  • Understanding attention seeking behaviors and knowing when to respond
  • Understanding power, authority and control
  • Setting fair and consistent limits
  • Understanding risk factors in the community, school and home setting

Recognizing and Implementing Positive Approaches to Challenging Behaviors

  • Identifying challenging behaviors early
  • Clearly defining target behaviors
  • Use of multidisciplinary service team for coordinating care
  • Team based wrap around services

2.5.2 In-Service Training Hours, Requirements, and Process

Enroll licensed resource providers in nearby in-service training sessions, as appropriate and approved by the local office. Available in-service training is listed in the next section of this chapter.

  1. Licensed resource providers are required to complete the following number of in-service training hours.
    • Resource providers are required to complete 30 hours per two-year licensure period.
    • Level B resource providers are to complete 32 hours per two-year licensure period.
    • Level A resource providers are to complete 30 hours per two-year licensure period.
    • Medical care resource providers are to complete 30 hours per two-year licensure period.

All licensed homes must successfully complete the following training prior to being licensed:

  1. Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR); Three (3) training credit hours using the code V252. The resource provider must successfully complete the CPR training certification prior to each re-licensure every 2 years.
  2. First Aid; Three (3) training credit hours using the code V898. The resource provider must successfully complete the First Aid training prior to each re-licensure every 2 years.
  3. Psychotropic Medication Management. Two (2) training hours credit using code V013 in FACES.
  4. Informed Consent; Two (2) training credit hours using code V150. Memo CD18-22.
  5. Health Information Portability and Accountability (HIPAA); One (1) hour of training credit hours for reading and signing the CD-194 using code V980. The form is read and signed at each re-licensure. However, the training credit is only earned for initial time.
  6. Secondhand Smoke Exposure Protection (V113) (2) Two hours of training credit hours. 

All licensed homes must complete the following training within the first year of licensure:

  1. Ready, Set, Fly training; Five (5) training credit hours using the code V706. This training is for all homes accepting placement of foster youth age 14 or older (Ideally, this training would be completed prior to the placement of a child age 14 or older in the home.)
  2. Reasonable and Prudent Parenting Standard; Two (2) training credit hours using code V280. This must be completed within 3 months of the license/approval begin date.
  3. Foster Care Bill of Rights; one (1) hour training credit using code V160. Link to training located in memo CD17-52.
  4. Trauma Care– 3 training credit hours (V815)

Read the following four documents from the Child welfare Trauma Training Toolkit and complete webinar:

Understanding Child Trauma Stress,

https://www.nctsn.org/resources/understanding-child-traumatic-stress-guide-parents

What is Child Traumatic Stress?

https://www.nctsn.org/resources/what-child-traumatic-stress

Parenting In A Challenging World

https://www.nctsn.org/resources/parenting-challenging-world

  The 12 Core Concepts; Concepts for Understanding Traumatic Stress Responses in Children and Families 

https://www.nctsn.org/resources/12-core-concepts-concepts-understanding-traumatic-stress-responses-children-and-families

and

Complete the following webinar: https://dssmanuals.mo.gov/wp-content/themes/mogovwp_dssmanuals/public/cd/memos/2013/cd13-053.pdf

5. Psychotropic Medications: Psychotropic Medication Management In-Service Trainings

All licensed resource providers will complete at least one (1) hour of required annual in-service training on a specified Psychotropic Medication training developed for that calendar year. This is the training requirement for all currently licensed resource providers. Any currently licensed resource provider must complete this training prior to November 1st of each year.

The required annual Psychotropic Medication Management In-Service trainings will have the following training titles and codes:

Psychotropic Medications Management Annual Requirement 2020 – V170

Psychotropic Medications Management Annual Requirement 2021 – A170

Psychotropic Medications Management Annual Requirement 2022 – B170

Psychotropic Medications Management Annual Requirement 2023 – C170

Psychotropic Medications Management Annual Requirement 2024– D170

Psychotropic Medications Management Annual Requirement 2025 – E170

V254 -Making Healthy Choices Psychotropic Medication Training is now an optional training and is located at the following link https://dss.mo.gov/cd/foster-care/information-for-foster-parents.htm.

6. Laws, policies and procedures governing child welfare – 5 training credit hours. (V400)

The Legal Aspects of Concurrent planning can be accessed at this link:

https://dss.mo.gov/cd/foster-care/legal-aspects-concurrent-training.htm

The Legal Aspects for Relative Placement training may also be accessed at,

           Legal Aspects for Relatives

Year Two:

  1. Additional Resources:

2. Importance of Sibling Placement – 7 training credit hours (V804)

Instructor Led with curriculum from NRC

Handouts http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/downloads/nrcfcpp-sibling-curriculum-handouts.pdf

b. The preferred method of training delivery is instructor led. Instructor-led training is live, interactive training facilitated by an individual with training and expertise to deliver the training topic. Only 14 hours of non-instructor led in-service training may be approved per two (2) year licensure period. In-service training may be approved on a case by case basis for viewing a video, reading a book, or participating via a website. Other approved in-service training must be approved by the licensing worker and supervisor. Other approved in-service training must address some aspect of foster care. The resource provider must submit the Resource Family In-Service Training Request, CD-114, to the licensing worker to obtain approval. The licensing worker will submit the request to his/her supervisor for approval.   The approval should be obtained prior to the completion of training, if the resource provider is requesting mileage or babysitting reimbursement. The intent is that the training will address areas identified within the resource provider’s Professional Family Development Plan. The total amount of other approved in-service training accepted per licensing period is to be determined by the Regional Director based upon the availability of training and the training needs of the region.

 See Section 6 Chapter 2.6 Other Approved In-Service Training.

c. Credit for educational/informational meetings (less than 8 hours) may be given, following the guide contained in2.5.3 paragraph Attachment D. The curriculum and number of hours must have local office approval.

d. Arrange reimbursement of babysitting expenses ($2/Child/Hr), and mileage, if necessary, at current state rates through SAM II. Meals may be reimbursed at the per diem rate when the provider attends training in which they are in overnight status according to the Administrative Manual Chapter 7, Travel. The babysitting reimbursement ($2/child/hr) is to be applied to all children in the foster home, including the biological children of the resource provider(s).

e. Special expenses (i.e., registration fees) may be approved by the Regional Office and paid through SAM II.

f. Evaluate use of training experience with resource provider and training facilitators.

g. Verify training hours completed and record required information on the Resource Parent Training screen in FACES.

2.5.3 In-Service Training Modules

InService Training is a requirement for continued resource provider licensure. Training hours are to be checked at the time of re-licensure.

The resource provider may choose from the following selections:

A. STARS In-Service Training 

12 Modules (99 hours) 

Module 1: The Foundation for Meeting the Developmental Needs of Children at Risk. (12 hours)

Session 1  Understanding and Assessing Self-esteem

Session 2  Building Self-esteem and Understanding Behavior

Session 3  Communicating with Children and Youth (Part 1)

Session 4  Communicating with Children and Youth (Part 2)

Module 2: Using Discipline to Protect, Nurture and Meet Developmental Needs. (9 hours)

Session 1  Promoting Positive Behavior

Session 2  Promoting Self-responsibility and Responding to Unacceptable Behavior

Session 3  Responding to the Challenges

Module 3: Addressing Developmental Issues Related to Sexuality. (3 hours)

Module 4: Responding to the Signs and Symptoms of Sexual Abuse. (6 hours)

Session 1  Understanding Sexual Abuse  

Session 2  Responding to the Issues of Sexual Abuse

Module 5: Supporting Relationships Between Children and Their Families. (9 hours)

Session 1  Respecting and Supporting Child/Birth Family Ties

Session 2  Supporting Contact Between Children and Their Families  

Session 3  Becoming Partners in Parenting

Module 6: Working as a Professional Team Member. (9 hours)

Session 1  Strengthening Teamwork Skills

Session 2  Developing Your Professional Role

Session 3  Conflict as Opportunity

Module 7: Promoting Children’s Personal and Cultural Identity. (6 hours)

Session 1  Valuing and Making a Commitment to Cultural Competence

 Session 2  Helping Children Develop Lifebooks

Module 8: Promoting Permanency Outcomes. (12 hours)

Session 1  Providing Children Safe and Nurturing Lifetime Relationships Through Reunification

Session 2  Providing Children Permanent Families Through the Goal of Adoption

Session 3  Providing Permanency through Guardianship, Long-term Foster Care and Independent Living 

Session 4  Foster Parent Adoption

Module 9: Managing the Impact of Placement on Your Family. (6 hours)

Session 1  Managing the Change in Your Family

 Session 2  Managing the Impact of Child Abuse/Neglect Allegations

Module 10: Understanding the Effects of Chemical Dependency on Children and Families. (15 hours)

Session 1  Understanding Risk and Protective Factors

Session 2  Understanding Chemical Dependency

Session 3  Recognizing the Impact of Parental Chemical Abuse on the Child and Family

Session 4  Understanding the Implications of Prenatal AOD Exposure for Parenting Young Children

Session 5  Developing Partnerships with Birth Parents and Working with the Team to Strengthen Families

Module 11: Understanding and Promoting Infant and Child Development. (6 hours)Session 1  Where It All Begins  Session 2  Positive Teen Development    

Session 1  Where It All Begins

Session 2  Toddlers, Preschoolers, and School-Aged Children

Module 12: Understanding and Promoting Positive Teen Development. (6 hours)

Session 1  Identity, Self-Esteem, and the Pre-Teen Years

Session 2 Positive Teen Development

B. Elevated Needs Training

Resource providers of youth with elevated needs receive specific training in addition to the 27 hours of Specialized Training Assessment Resources and Support (STARS) pre-service training to enable them to work with youth with elevated needs.

Level A

Prior to signing the Cooperative Agreement to provide Level A care, the resource provider shall successfully complete the 27 hours of STARS pre-service training and 18 hours of specialized training workshops which cover the following topics:

  1. Team and relationship building;
  2. Communication skills;
  3. Behavior management techniques;
  4. Discipline and punishment procedure;
  5. Management of behavior crisis situations;
  6. Development of an individual treatment plan;
  7. De-escalation skills;
  8. Negotiation;
  9. Positive reinforcement technique;
  10. Professional skills for foster parents.

The list of approved Level A training curricula is located on the Resource Development program intranet page.

Level B

Prior to signing the Cooperative Agreement to provide Level B care the resource provider must successfully complete the 27 hours of STARS pre-service training, the 18 hours of Youth with Elevated Needs-Level A training and successfully completed 9 hours of specialized training and practicum designed specifically for Level B. Level B resource providers must demonstrate acquisition of required knowledge and skills. However, participation in Level B training does not guarantee acceptance into the Level B resource provider program. The Level B training workshops include:

    1. Crisis Intervention – Two (2) hours
    2. Behavior Management – Two (2) hours
    3. Suicide Management – Two (2) hours
    4. Medication Management – Two (2) hours
    5. Family Orientation – One (1) hour (training shall include how the child may impact the resource provider’s family)
  1.  

The list of approved Elevated Needs Level B training curricula is located on the Resource Development program Intranet page.

C. STARS, Making the Commitment to Adoption Curriculum- Spaulding

Foster care providers wanting to adopt must take an additional 12 hours of STARS, Making the Commitment to Adoption (Spaulding) Pre-service training.  Relative care providers are encouraged to complete the Spaulding training but are not required to complete this training.

The additional 12 hours of Spaulding may be counted as in-service training credit hours using the V-198 training code.

D. Other approved in-service training resources may also be used to help a resource provider participate in needed training.

Other approved in-service training including but not limited to Children’s Division sponsored, facilitated, or provided must have prior approval by the licensing resource worker and supervisor if the placement provider is requesting the Division reimburse babysitting and or mileage. This approval is obtained by the resource provider completing and submitting the Resource Family In-Service training Request, CD-114.

Staff review the licensing competencies, discuss the needs of the home, and the needs of the placements in the home with the resource parent(s) to determine if the training fulfills the competencies required in Division policy and how many hours of other approved in-service hours will be permitted.

See Section 6. Chapter 2.6 Other Approved In-Service Training.

Chapter Memoranda History: (prior to 01-31-07)

CD06-37

Memoranda History:

CD07-48, CD08-106, CD09-94, CD09-105, CD10-08, CD10-27, CD12-82, CD12-85, CD13-71, CD14-20, CD15-61, CD16-09, CD16-87, CD17-52, CD18-22, CD18-39, CD19-07