This year’s Applied Learning Communities (ALCs) will help supervisors enhance the skills needed to support workers in doing strong, family-centered case planning and teaming in CPS and Youth Justice (YJ). Supervisors and lead workers will have the opportunity to develop
these skills alongside peers across the state, learning from each other’s experiences.
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.
Utilizing adult learning strategies, participants analyze a specific policy that governs child welfare practice in Wisconsin. Participants gain consensus on the intent of policy expectations, consider supplementary skills to support their practice, and review policy implementation. Lastly, quality improvement recommendations are shared with leaders and policymakers.
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Annual ALC Series Participating Agencies
2025: Assessing and Planning for the Safety of Children Ages Birth – Five Years
Interactive Materials
Module 1: Assessing Young Children – Social-Emotional Development
Module 2: Assessing Young Children – Physical
Module 3: Assessing Caregiver Mental Health
Module 4: Assessing Interpersonal Violence in the Family
Module 5: Assessing Caregiver Substance Use
Module 6: Sustaining Change
“Applied learning” is defined as “an educational approach whereby students (participants) learn by engaging in direct application of skills, theories, and models.”
SUNY, The State University of New York
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What do ALC Sessions Include?
ALCs demonstrate our value for workforce support that includes:
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- Training
- Technical Assistance
- Team Work
- Sensitivity to Secondary Trauma
Sessions include something for everyone, no matter what your learning style is!
A trained facilitator structures the daylong session to draw out participants’ knowledge of Wisconsin statutes and standards and support participants’ critical thinking skills.
What do ALC Sessions Accomplish?
Sessions:
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- Build community within and between counties
- Increase our common understanding of how child welfare practice is experienced by staff and families in Wisconsin.
- Provide a unique learning opportunity to build a broader perspective outside of the local agency
What's Unique about ALCs?
There are unique aspects that make them different from other training offered through WCWPDS:
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- Local child welfare agencies send teams, including at least one supervisor
- Training curriculum is selected and developed in response to statewide practice data analyzed through Wisconsin’s Continuous Quality Improvement processes, including Systems Change Review
- Cases are real and consultation and coaching is offered to support case practice
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Program Flyer
Frequently Asked Questions
Email Program Coordinator
