§ 62A-4a-107. Mandatory education and training of caseworkers -- Development of curriculum.

(1) There is created within the division a full-time position of Child Welfare Training Coordinator, who shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the director. The employee in that position is not responsible for direct casework services or the supervision of those services, but is required to:

(a) develop child welfare curriculum that:

(i) is current and effective, consistent with the division's mission and purpose for child welfare; and

(ii) utilizes curriculum and resources from a variety of sources including those from:

(A) the public sector;

(B) the private sector; and

(C) inside and outside of the state;

(b) recruit, select, and supervise child welfare trainers;

(c) develop a statewide training program, including a budget and identification of sources of funding to support that training;

(d) evaluate the efficacy of training in improving job performance;

(e) assist child protective services and foster care workers in developing and fulfilling their individual training plans;

(f) monitor staff compliance with division training requirements and individual training plans; and

(g) expand the collaboration between the division and schools of social work within institutions of higher education in developing child welfare services curriculum, and in providing and evaluating training.

(2)

(a) The director shall, with the assistance of the child welfare training coordinator, establish a core curriculum for child welfare services that is substantially equivalent to the Child Welfare League of America's Core Training for Child Welfare Caseworkers Curriculum.

(b) Any child welfare caseworker who is employed by the division for the first time after July 1, 1999, shall, before assuming significant independent casework responsibilities, successfully complete:

(i) the core curriculum; and

(ii) except as provided in Subsection (2)(c), on-the-job training that consists of observing and accompanying at least two capable and experienced child welfare caseworkers as they perform work-related functions:

(A) for three months if the caseworker has less than six months of on-the-job experience as a child welfare caseworker; or

(B) for two months if the caseworker has six months or more but less than 24 months of on-the-job experience as a child welfare caseworker.

(c) A child welfare caseworker with at least 24 months of on-the-job experience is not required to receive on-the-job training under Subsection (2)(b)(ii).

(3) Child welfare caseworkers shall complete training in:

(a) the legal duties of a child welfare caseworker;

(b) the responsibility of a child welfare caseworker to protect the safety and legal rights of children, parents, and families at all stages of a case, including:

(i) initial contact;

(ii) investigation; and

(iii) treatment;

(c) recognizing situations involving:

(i) substance abuse;

(ii) domestic violence;

(iii) abuse; and

(iv) neglect; and

(d) the relationship of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution of the United States to the child welfare caseworker's job, including:

(i) search and seizure of evidence;

(ii) the warrant requirement;

(iii) exceptions to the warrant requirement; and

(iv) removing a child from the custody of the child's parent or guardian.

(4) The division shall train its child welfare caseworkers to apply the risk assessment tools and rules described in Subsection 62A-4a-1002(2).

(5) The division shall use the training of child welfare caseworkers to emphasize:

(a) the importance of maintaining the parent-child relationship whenever possible;

(b) the preference for providing in-home services over taking a child into protective custody, both for the emotional well-being of the child and the efficient allocation of resources; and

(c) the importance and priority of:

(i) kinship placement in the event a child must be taken into protective custody; and

(ii) guardianship placement, in the event the parent-child relationship is legally terminated and no appropriate adoptive placement is available.

(6) When a child welfare caseworker is hired, before assuming significant independent casework responsibilities, the child welfare caseworker shall complete the training described in Subsections (3) through (5).

Amended by Chapter 171, 2013 General Session