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Topical Training for Caseworkers: Working with American Indian Families
Resources include training curricula and materials for child welfare caseworkers on working with American Indian children, youth, and families, including information on the Indian Child Welfare Act and effective strategies for working with Tribes. Resources include Tribal, State and local examples.
National Resource Center for Tribes
Provides States and Tribes training and technical assistance to improve Tribal child welfare practice and promote the delivery of culturally appropriate services to American Indian and Alaska Native children, youth, and families.
National Indian Child Welfare Association: Training
Offers trainings on a variety of topics related to American Indian child welfare, including an online training for the Indian Child Welfare Act.
Advanced Indian Child Welfare Act Curriculum: Active Efforts. Trainer's Guide (PDF - 165 KB)
Judicial Council of California (2010)
Presents an advanced curriculum designed to be conducted by an Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) expert and an attorney who have experience in this area. It is expected that each trainer will add examples from the trainer's professional and personal experiences to help illustrate the points and clarify the material.
Child Protection in Indian country: A Handbook for Indian Health Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs
Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, Native American Programs (2005)
Provides culturally specific information on child protection investigations and response, training materials and handouts are also provided.
The Collaborative: Creating Connection: For Tribal and Non-Tribal Directors, Managers, Supervisors and Frontline Workers (PDF - 1938 KB)
Tribal STAR (2009)
Provides approaches to training on sensitive American Indian topics and an overview of the issues facing child welfare and Indian Child Welfare workers. This guide includes recommendations, protocol tips, and other resources designed to enhance cross-cultural relationships at the micro and macro levels. Also available: Trainer's Manual (PDF - 1131 KB)
Ensuring the Seventh Generation: A Youth Suicide Prevention Toolkit for Tribal Child Welfare Programs (PDF - 3113 KB)
National Indian Child Welfare Association (2009)
Designed to educate Tribal child welfare workers of the warning signs of suicide, risk and protective factors, suicide prevention and intervention methods, and when such workers should seek professional mental health services.
FACES - Implementing the Indian Child Welfare Act [video]
Shenandoah Films (2010)
Provides tips for social workers on implementing the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) of 1978.
The Gathering: For Tribal and Non-Tribal Frontline Workers to Increase Positive Outcomes for Tribal Foster Youth: Trainer's Manual (PDF - 8,910 KB)
Tribal STAR (2009)
Offers indepth information that supports the trainer in training frontline staff of programs that serve Tribal youth.
Inter-disciplinary Training for Tribal and Non-Tribal Directors, Managers and Supervisors: Participant Workbook [The Summit] (PDF - 2,540 KB)
Tribal STAR (2009)
Provides an overview of the issues facing child welfare and Indian child welfare workers and includes recommendations, protocol tips, and other resources designed to enhance cross-cultural relationships at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
The Other Side of ICWA: A Cultural Journey to Fairness and Equity
Allen, Orrantia, Lidot, Okamura, White, Quinnett, et al.
Provides training materials designed to build culturally sensitive communication, relationship-building, and needs assessment skills in child welfare workers and other related professionals working with American Indian children and families through increased awareness and attention to cultural traditions, values, and support systems.
Tribal, State and local examples
Denver Indian Family Resource Center: Research Report (PDF - 1080 KB)
Leake (2007)
Discusses the activities and outcomes of the Denver Indian Family Resource Center's Rocky Mountain Quality Improvement Center, which was designed to prevent removal and out-of-home placement, or to promote timely return home of Indian children who have become involved with the child welfare system due to parental substance abuse and child neglect or maltreatment.
ICWA Training Videos
Eveleth (2009)
Equips child welfare and related professionals with the knowledge and skills to implement ICWA effectively and discusses how each Tribe in Nebraska handles cases in an effort to improve communication and collaboration.
Child Welfare Information Gateway encourages organizations to submit resources from their workforce or training efforts for inclusion in our library. Send information to library@childwelfare.gov.