Training Support Unit
The Training Support Unit’s (TSU) primary focus is oversight of the development, support, capacity building,
capability, and expertise of child welfare social workers, probation placement officers, and public entities,
providing child welfare services to more effectively and holistically meet the needs of vulnerable children and
their families.
Training For County Child Welfare Social Workers
The TSU oversees and supports capacity building and training of child welfare professionals via contractual
relationships with the California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC) and the statewide Regional Training
Academies. In addition, the TSU provides support for the development of cross-system integrated program models via
contractual relationships with the UC Davis Resource Center for
Family-Focused Practice and additional contract vendors as necessary.
Training For Juvenile Probation Officers
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) works in collaboration with the Chief Probation Officers of
California (CPOC) and coordinating partners throughout California to implement and deliver evidence-based
interventions that focus on addressing both the needs and strengths of the youth and family in order to bring about
lasting changes that foster family connectedness and reduce habitual relapse into crime. Training is developed by
instructors who are experienced in probation casework and practice as well as child welfare social workers familiar
with regulations that apply to foster care youth.
Title IV-E Stipend Program
The Title IV-E Stipend Program is the nation's
largest consortium of schools of social work and public service agencies providing support for the delivery of a
specialized public child welfare curriculum and support for students committed to service in public child welfare.
This collaborative effort will increase the complement of professional child welfare workers in California with
Master’s and Bachelors of Social Work by providing an appropriate educational program through an approved
competency-based child welfare curriculum. The Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Program also offers financial
support to graduate social work students preparing for the field of public child welfare, available at 21 schools of
social work. Upon graduation, students work in a county child welfare service for a time equal to the period for
which they received support.
Training is provided to child welfare social workers as detailed in the CDSS Staff Development and Training Manual, Section 14-610 and in the Welfare
and Institutions Code 16206 et al
.