{"id":109,"date":"2018-10-12T16:46:26","date_gmt":"2018-10-12T16:46:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2018\/?p=109"},"modified":"2018-10-22T14:33:55","modified_gmt":"2018-10-22T14:33:55","slug":"preparing-nebraskas-child-welfare-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2018\/preparing-nebraskas-child-welfare-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing Nebraska\u2019s Child Welfare Workers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Deborah Porter assumed the university\u2019s training to prepare her as a state child welfare worker would waste her time. She\u2019d already trained in another state and didn\u2019t think Nebraska could top it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWow! It opened my eyes,\u201d said Porter, a child and family services specialist in Omaha. \u201cThere\u2019s so much more I know now. I came out of that training just amazed.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The university\u2019s Center on Children, Families and the Law won a $12 million award from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to continue operating the state\u2019s Child Protection and Safety Training program, a role it\u2019s had since 1987. The new award extends the program for three years with the possibility of an additional two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1022\" src=\"http:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2018\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/171120_CCFL_021.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-238\" srcset=\"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2018\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/171120_CCFL_021.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2018\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/171120_CCFL_021-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2018\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/171120_CCFL_021-768x491.jpg 768w, https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2018\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/171120_CCFL_021-1024x654.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2018\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/171120_CCFL_021-1200x767.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><figcaption>Eve Brank (front left) and the center\u2019s research team <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For Porter, what makes Nebraska\u2019s 14-week training model special is four weeks of simulations, in which trainees role-play engaging with families and being cross-examined by a lawyer. A house used for simulations is available through a partnership with Lincoln\u2019s Child Advocacy Center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen you arrive at a home, you don\u2019t know what\u2019s on the other side of that door,\u201d Porter said. \u201cThe simulations teach us job skills to work through issues we\u2019re going to face.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To serve employees statewide, the training consists of webinars and online learning, followed by simulation training in Lincoln. Conducted about 10 times per year, the program trains more than 200 new child welfare employees annually, said center director Eve Brank, professor of psychology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trainees learn to assess safety and well-being, engage positively with family members and understand the effects of trauma, among other topics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also key to helping Porter in her job is the center\u2019s ongoing support. A field training specialist is stationed in every DHHS service area statewide to coach new employees and accompany them on family visits, among other activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Porter said the training sent her into the field with confidence, and she loves her new career helping Nebraska\u2019s families in crisis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPeople ask me how I can do my job,\u201d she said, addressing the perception that it\u2019s stressful. \u201cI\u2019m like, are you kidding? Do you know how many times we get thanked for helping them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-has-aspect-ratio wp-embed-aspect-16-9\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SG2tzi_m6GU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Deborah Porter assumed the university\u2019s training to prepare her as a state child welfare worker would waste her time. She\u2019d already trained in another state and didn\u2019t think Nebraska could top it. \u201cWow! It opened my eyes,\u201d said Porter, a child and family services specialist in Omaha. \u201cThere\u2019s so much more I know now. I [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[69,67,70,65,64,66,72,73],"class_list":["post-109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-children-and-families","tag-center-on-children-families-and-the-law","tag-child-protection-and-safety-training-program","tag-child-welfare","tag-children-and-families","tag-eve-brank","tag-nebraska-department-of-health-and-human-services","tag-public-policy","tag-workforce-development"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":240,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109\/revisions\/240"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.unl.edu\/annualreport\/2018\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}