Courses offered through University of Louisville/University of Kentucky

Course I: Introduction to Child Welfare Practice (3 credit hours) (For New Employees)

This course focuses on understanding problems and issues faced by children and families within an ecological framework. The complexity of social work practice within the child welfare system is examined. Open only to new protection and permanency employees of the Cabinet for Families and Children. This class meets over four weeks (each week is noon-4pm Monday, 8:30-4pm Tuesday-Thursday)

Course II: Family Violence (3 credit hours) (For New Employees)

The focus of this course is to provide students with the research, practice, and policy knowledge necessary for understanding, assessing, and intervening in various forms of family violence- child, partner, elder and sibling abuse. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to examine their own values, beliefs, and biases as it relates to working in this area of social work. Open only to new protection and permanency employees of the Cabinet for Families and Children). This class meets over 3 weeks, one of which is on Blackboard (each week is noon-4pm Monday, 8:30-4pm Tuesday-Thursday)

This course provides students with critical knowledge about substance abuse and mental health problems experienced by families. A variety of subjects related to substance use disorders and mental health problems will be discussed such as screening, assessment, case management, and referral services. Collaborative practice with substance abuse and mental health services providers is addressed. Open only to tenured protection and permanency employees of the Cabinet for Families and Children. Delivered by university faculty only. This class meets over four weeks (First and last week are face to face; noon-4pm on Monday and 8:30-4pm on Tuesday; Two weeks in-between are on Blackboard)

Course IV: Child Welfare Supervision Practices & Policies (3 credit hours) (offered only thru UofL) (For Tenured Employees)

This course provides students with an understanding of supervision practices and policies in the field of child welfare. In particular, students learn about the supervision process in the context implementing a practice model during assessment, case planning, ongoing work and case closure. Additionally, students gain knowledge about assessment skills to evaluate worker skills in context of supervision. Open only to supervisors and their teams who are protection and permanency employees of the Cabinet for Families and Children. (Meets over 4 weeks)

Ethical Decision- making (3 credit hours) (offered only thru UK) (For Tenured Employees)

This course introduces students to the place of ethics in professional social work practice and the philosophical formulations and concepts that underlie ethics. The course emphasizes the development of ethical reasoning and decision- making. Students will learn to think critically regarding issues commonly faced in child protection and apply ethical decision-making to their work. (Meets over 4 weeks)