The Applied Learning Communities (ALCs) facilitate dialogue among Child Protective Services (CPS) practitioners throughout Wisconsin. At the ALCs, participants learn from the communities by engaging in thoughtful discussion and reflection on practice.
Below on the left side are the five modules for strategic quality contacts. They cover planning and skills used before, during, and after the visit. On the right side of the page are microlearning modules for each of the concepts of initial quality contacts. They are designed to be short (less than 10 minutes) resources for individual or group learning.
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Module 1: Preparing for Contact: Knowing Yourself
Welcome to Module 1: Actionable Strategies to Reduce Unconscious Bias. Here we will be going into a discussion of ways to identify and reduce unconscious bias in decision-making.
Module 2: Strategic Quality Initial Contacts: Setting the Stage for Synergy with Families
Welcome to Module 2: Strategic Quality Initial Contacts: Setting the Stage for Synergy with Families. Here we will be going into a discussion of ways to prepare for and engage in a collaborative relationship while on the initial visit. We will use the next three modules to address the initial contacts, so not all elements are included in this module.
Module 3: Engaging to Elicite Opportunities Related to Parental Protective Capacities
Welcome to Module 3: Engaging to Elicite Opportunities Related to Parental Protective Capacities. Here we will be going into a discussion of ways to begin to gather information regarding Parental/Caregiver Protective Capacities. We will use three modules to address the visit with the family, so not all elements are included in this module.
This module explores the skills necessary to engage and collaborate with families to assess child safety, identify danger threats, and parental protective capacities. Please remember that this material is developed for discussion purposes; it is NOT DCF policy or practice direction.
Module 4: Centering Family Voice: Elevating Partnership During Difficult Conversations.
Welcome to Module 4: Centering Family Voice: Elevating Partnership During Difficult Conversations. An integral part of being a CPS professional is building trusting and authentic relationships with families that support change. Many families do not come to CPS by choice; it takes skill and self-awareness for the CPS professional to develop relationships in this context. The CPS process often views families as deficient. A strength-based approach to supporting families asks us to consider families as the resourceful, strong, and resilient people they are. This relationship-based work helps gain insights and information to support decision-making and planning holistically. The relationship quality is vital to change, so it requires discussing challenging topics. Nobody looks forward to conversations they anticipate will be contentious. Here we will discuss ways to navigate the turning points during challenging discussions, ensuring they can be meaningfully used to make, not break, your working relationships.
Module 5: Putting It Into Action: Documenting, Debriefing, and Follow-up
Welcome to Module 5: Putting It Into Action: Documenting, Debriefing, and Follow-up. In this module, we will explore how to conclude the process of quality contacts with documentation, debriefing, and follow-up on the initial visit.
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