A video series filmed at the University of Illinois Springfield’s Child Protection Training Academy is serving as a national simulation training model for preparing child welfare workers and students for working with at-risk children and families.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for States, part of the Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative and a service of the Children’s Bureau, filmed the academy’s simulation scenarios and conducted interviews at the UIS residential simulation lab and mock courtroom earlier this year.
The videos and other resources on the new “Keeping it Real” website will be used by child welfare agencies throughout the country to prepare child welfare workers and students for difficult interactions with families, as they investigate cases of suspected child abuse.
The Center for States hopes the videos will help agencies learn about the benefits, costs and considerations for implementing similar training programs in their states.
This story appeared in The State Journal-Register on October 16, 2020.
