What The CFSTC Does Now

Ashley Marquis

Document Type

News Article

Publication Date

5-13-2014

Campus Unit

College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines

Abstract

The College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines is highlighting the CFSTC for its many years of outstanding service. Several articles are planned to focus attention on the accomplishments of the center and its many distinguished employees over the years. This article continues that process with a look back on the individuals who started the CFSTC.

The Children and Family Services Training Center (CFSTC) at UND is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary this spring. The CFSTC has many accomplishments to celebrate which include its many training opportunities and programs.

Currently, the CFSTC offers Child Welfare Certification Training, Family Assessment Training, Foster and Adoptive Family Training, Foster Parent Recruitment and Retention program, and Secondary Trauma training. The CFSTC also hosts workshops, co-sponsors the North Dakota Children's Justice Symposium and the Children and Family Services Conference.

Child Welfare Certification training is offered bi-annually and is considered to be the core program for social workers. Child welfare workers in the state are required to complete this training within one year of employment. The training is one week per month for four months. The first week focuses on child abuse and neglect such as assessments, risks and strengths in the family. The second week focuses on wrap around case management. The third week looks more closely into child welfare and the legal process. The fourth week focuses on home placement issues, foster care, visitation and reunification. Coursework is done not only in class but also through online modules and assignments in the field.

The Parents Resources for Information Development and Educations (PRIDE) model at the CFSTC focuses on training and assessing foster and adoptive families and assessment training. PRIDE pre-service training is required for all licensed foster and adoptive parents. There are nine sessions that families must take that are three hours each that focus on issues related to fostering and adopting. PRIDE CORE training is in addition to the pre-service training and provides more information for families to further their skills and knowledge. PRIDE advanced and specialized training is available in addition. PRIDE also offers assessment training that provides social workers and prospective families with sources to determine if they are fit to be foster or adoptive parents. [t1]

Foster Parent Recruitment and Retention is a fairly new program at the CFSTC that provides assistance and technical support in regard to recruitment and retention, coordinates an annual survey, provides information for recruitment and retention resources and provides training to professionals. Lisa Piche works for the CFSTC as the Foster/Adoptive Home Recruitment and Retention Specialist. Piche is also an Assistant Regional Supervisor in the Northeast region.

Secondary Trauma training is another fairly new aspect of the CFSTC. Social work professionals are at a higher risk to endure secondary trauma because of the work they do with abuse victims. Secondary trauma is considered to be stress resulting from helping or wanting to help traumatized people. Secondary trauma is covered in the Child Welfare Certification training but in addition the CFSTC also does workshops, secondary trauma training for supervisors, education support groups for supervisor and topic driven trauma and stress reduction sessions. Director of the CFSTC, Peter Tunseth, said that many states are starting to look more into secondary trauma and that North Dakota has done well in being ahead of the game so to say.

The CFSTC also co-sponsors two conferences which includes the North Dakota Children and Family Services Conference and the North Dakota Children's Justice Symposium. The North Dakota Children and Family Services Conference is held each year in Bismarck and attendance is typically around 300 people. The North Dakota Children's Justice Symposium is held every two years, in Bismarck as well, and usually attracts 500 people.

In the future, the CFSTC hopes to continue what it has been doing for the past thirty years and expand more on being trauma informed.

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