Basic Intake Worker Training

Pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes Chapters 48.06 and 938.06, all workers who are assigned to perform court intake worker duties (taking and holding in custody, conducting intake conferences, etc.) as part of their job are required to attend Basic Intake Worker Training. “All intake workers providing services under this chapter who begin employment after May 15, 1980, shall have the qualifications required to perform entry level social work (entry level case work) in a county department and shall have successfully completed 30 hours of intake training approved or provided by the department prior to the completion of the first 6 months of employment in the position.”

The Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System provides the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families’ approved training. The 5-day, 30-hour training is provided in a live, virtual instructor-led training (VILT) modality on a monthly basis. The training is broken up into 2 parts: an initial 3-day session and a 2-day session 1-2 weeks later.

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What is Basic Intake Worker Training?

The training is designed to provide a new Intake Worker with the following specialized training and application on the law relating to children and youth:

  • Taking, holding, and releasing a child or juvenile in custody
  • Timelines for the intake process
  • Establishing jurisdiction in Chapters 48 and 938
  • Understanding the elements of a crime for delinquent acts
  • Making custody and placement decisions based on a developmental approach

Registering for the Training

Registration for Basic Intake Worker Training is now done through an automated enrollment process.  When completing the PDS Online profile, professionals must be sure to check the box that says “Register me for the next BI Training”. Training cohorts are typically held once a month with limited seating. All child welfare professionals indicating a need for Basic Intake Worker Training will be auto-enrolled in the next available session, and will receive an automated email that confirms the session they have been enrolled into. This information will also appear on the PDS Online transcript page under “Active” trainings.

If the child welfare professional is unable to attend all 5 days of the session, they should contact the WCWPDS Office to be registered for another session. The office can be reached by calling: (608) 890-3965 or emailing: office@wcwpds.wisc.edu.

If an individual does not have an automatic PDS Online account (generated via their eWiSACWIS account) and needs to attend the training, they need to create a PDS Online self-registration account. This link provides directions on how to Create the Self-Registration Account. For directions on how to complete the User Profile Form once the PDS Online account is created, please see the User Guide to PDS Online Registration.

For those with existing PDS Online accounts who now have intake duties and need to complete Basic Intake Worker Training, they can either edit your PDS Online survey to check the box that says “Register me for the next BI Training”  to be auto-enrolled or contact Nicki Laudolff at: nllaudolff@wisc.edu or the WCWPDS front desk at: office@wcwpds.wisc.edu to be enrolled in the next training available.

NOTE: Basic Intake Worker Training dates are no longer listed on PDS Online, as all enrollment is managed through WCWPDS. If you have questions about dates, please contact the emails above.

Training Fees

Training fees listed on PDS Online are the member training rate. If registrant is not a member of one of the Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System Partnerships, a non-member training fee may be charged. Withdrawals received eight (8) days or fewer before the start of the training and “no-shows” at trainings are subject to the full registration fee.

If you have questions regarding membership or training fees, please look on our Registration and Payment pages and then contact the WCWPDS Office.

If you have any questions concerning Basic Intake Worker Training, please contact:
Nicki Laudolff
Youth Justice Curriculum Coordinator
Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System
nllaudolff@wisc.edu