The Professional Excellence Program in the university’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies’ School of Social Work has provided continuing education training for the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) for more than a decade. DFCS, in partnership with the Professional Excellence Program, has been awarded $2 million by the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation to develop the Child Welfare Training Collaborative (CWTC). The CWTC will improve outcomes for Georgia’s children by strengthening the relationship between the division and its community partners and by cultivating a shared vision for supporting and strengthening families. The grant provides training and professional development opportunities focused on trauma-informed practices, such as: The Impact of Child Maltreatment on Brain Development, The Impact of Trauma on Children in the Child Welfare System, Mental Health and Children in the Child Welfare System and The Impact of Substance Abuse on Children. The training is free for division staff and its community partners—law enforcement, schools, foster parents, faith-based organizations, mental health providers, youth-serving agencies, child-care agencies, juvenile courts, healthcare providers, Court-Appointed Special Advocates and other community and government organizations. It is expected to reach more than 5,000 Georgians who serve the state’s families and children.
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$2 Million Grant To Andrew Young School Supports Training To Strengthen Georgia’s Families