Home > Arhiva > 2010 > Numar: 2 > Best Practices for Developing Child Protection Workers’ Skills: Domestic Violence, Substance Abuse, and Mental Health Training

Best Practices for Developing Child Protection Workers’ Skills: Domestic Violence, Substance Abuse, and Mental Health Training

Betty Blythe (Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, Professor at the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, Chestnut Hill, MA E-mail: blythe@bc.edu. Address correspondence to Betty Blythe, School of Social Work, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467.)
Kristin Heffernan (State University of New York College at Brockport, Assistant Professor, PhD at the State University of New York College at Brockport, Department of Social Work, Brockport, NY. E-mail: kheffern@brockport.edu.)
Barbara Walters (Eastern Michigan University School of Social Work, Assistant Professor, PhD at Eastern Michigan University School of Social Work, Ypsilanti, MI, E-mail: barbara.walters@emich.edu. )

Families seen by child welfare agencies often experience mental health, substance abuse and domestic violence problems in addition to child abuse. Many child protection agencies have been slow to incorporate information about such co-occurring familial problems into training protocols. This training deficit continues despite research suggesting that the presence of confounding issues in families involved with the child welfare system warrants specialized intervention strategies. This study explores cross-training efforts in domestic violence, mental health, and substance abuse treatment undertaken by child protection agencies. Information about exemplary cross-training initiatives was collected via telephone interviews with professionals at sites deemed to represent best practices in cross-training by nationally recognized experts in child welfare, mental health, substance abuse and domestic violence. The dynamics of training received by child protection workers at exemplary sites throughout the U.S. was examined, including what motivated these sites to offer training, who was involved, and what kinds of cross-training opportunities were offered. The findings indicate a particular need to devote more resources to training in mental health issues and to provide on-going training in all three areas, domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental health. Supervisors need to be involved in both initial and on-going cross-training efforts. More rigorous evaluation of cross-training efforts is necessary, especially training that examines changes in the behavior of child protection workers. Finally, collaborative networks need to be developed across systems of care to further develop and sustain the results of cross-training.

Keywords: child protection, child welfare