Training for Public Child Welfare Workers in Rural Eastern Kentucky. Public Child Welfare Certification Program (PCWCP).

Autor/in	Stafford, Judith
Titel	Training for Public Child Welfare Workers in Rural Eastern Kentucky. Public Child Welfare Certification Program (PCWCP).
Quelle	(2000), (22 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Certification; Child Welfare; Distance Education; Higher Education; Job Satisfaction; Job Training; Practicums; Professional Training; Program Evaluation; Rural Areas; Social Workers; Kentucky + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Abschlusszeugnis; Zertifizierung; Kindeswohl; Distance study; Distance learning; Fernunterricht; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Labor; Labour; Satisfaction; Arbeit; Zufriedenheit; Berufsqualifizierender Bildungsgang; Practicum; Praktikum; Praktika; Berufliche Fachbildung; Berufliche Fortbildung; Programme evaluation; Programmevaluation; Rural area; Ländlicher Raum; Case workers; Sozialarbeiter; Sozialarbeiterin
Abstract	A certification program was designed to provide specialized knowledge and skills courses for future public child welfare workers in Kentucky. The program involves 6 hours of course work, delivered via distance education, and an intense practicum in local offices. Incentives for program participation included special consideration for hiring by the state department of protective services. An evaluation of the program was conducted via semi-structured interviews with graduates. Findings indicate that the goal of recruiting more professional workers was met. The goal of retaining workers had mixed success; most graduates indicated they would stay with the department long enough to get their master's degree, a few said they would work for the department until retirement, and a couple claimed that if the system did not change to enable them to serve families better, they would leave. Graduates started their jobs ready to work, but some felt that ongoing supervision and mentoring were still needed. The program provided well-trained people committed to families and children, but high caseloads and heavy paperwork interfered with adequate provision of family protection. All graduates acknowledged that no one group of people could protect families from abuse without community involvement. Graduates found the distance learning technology intimidating at first, but on-site instructors helped them deal with it. All agreed that the practicum was key to program success. More training in court behavior was recommended. (TD)
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC