Training Guidelines for Community Professionals
CWTS training time is considered professional work time, as it is required in order to effectively carry out the duties of your role(s). Due to the sensitive nature of the content delivered in CWTS courses and to protect the learning environment for all learners, children, of any age, are not allowed in training. When planning to participate in training, please make alternative child care arrangements.
- To get the most from your training, we recommend you check the “target audience” field to make sure the class is relevant to you.
- When you attempt to register for a class that is full, you will be placed on the waitlist. As soon as a spot in the class becomes available, you will be automatically moved to a registered status and will receive a confirmation email that will include a calendar invite.
Pre-Service Training for Caseworkers, Supervisors, and Foster Parents
In the interest of providing the very best child welfare services to the children, youth, and families served through the child welfare system, allowing professionals and community partners to attend CWTS trainings is invaluable. It is also necessary for the CWTS to ensure priority seating is made available for new caseworkers, new supervisors, and new foster parents who are required to complete pre-service training before they are able to fulfill the duties of their job.
The maximum learner capacity for training is set with consideration to several factors: maximizing the training experience for the adult learner, maintaining an opportunity for the transfer of learning to occur, and protecting the learning environment in a manner that allows learners to be fully engaged and included in the learning process. Therefore, registration for CWTS trainings is not to exceed the stated capacity.
When demand for pre-service training exceeds capacity, a waitlist will be created. When there is at least one person on a pre-service training waitlist, the training provider will need to assess registration and prioritize participation. This means that the training provider will need to monitor the class registration lists in order to know when a waitlist has been created. Participation will be prioritized according to the following criteria, in the order listed:
- Newly hired caseworkers or supervisors or newly recruited foster parents who must complete the pre-service training to begin their job or caregiving duties and who are employed by a county within the region where the training is occurring
- Newly hired caseworkers or supervisors or newly recruited foster parents who must complete the pre-service training to begin their job or caregiving duties and who are employed by a county outside of the region where the training is occurring
- Employed county caseworkers, supervisors, or foster parents who do not need to complete the pre-service training to fulfill the duties of their job but need to complete the training to be considered for promotion/advancement within the organization (e.g., a lead caseworker who cannot be considered for promotion without participation in the New Supervisor Academy)
- Learners not employed with a county who wish to complete pre-service training for cross-training or auditing purposes
If all registrants are in a single priority category, priority is determined based on the date and time they registered for the training through the CWTS LMS. Prioritized waitlisted learners who are being moved into the class and/or their supervisors will be contacted by the training provider to inform them that they have been added to the registered list.
In-Service Training for Caseworkers, Supervisors, and Foster Parents
In-service training courses are open for registration by anyone employed within the Colorado child welfare system. In general, in-service course registration and waitlists follow a first-come, first-served order, based on the date and time a learner registered. However, CWTS may determine that a more rigorous prioritization order may be needed to best meet learners’ needs for certain courses. In that event, CWTS will work with the provider to determine final registrants and notify all affected learners.
- Some CWTS courses include a web-based component that must be completed before the classroom training begins. These are called “hybrid training.” You’ll find this information in the course description and on your confirmation email.
- If you’re not able to complete the web-based component prior to the day the classroom training starts, please drop the class and register for another class at a later date.
- You’ll receive a confirmation email when you register for a class and a reminder email one week before the training. Occasionally, rooms or other logistical information change after you’ve registered, so please read through your reminder email.
Our commitment to you:
CWTS Trainers will make every effort to create learning environments that maximize technology, are culturally inclusive, and appreciative of the unique learning needs of adults. You can count on us to deliver cutting-edge content while engaging with you in energized and intelligent ways.
Our expectations of you:
- Come to class prepared to engage in interactive learning experiences. This means actively listening, asking questions, sharing experiences, practicing skills, and connecting with other participants and trainers.
- During training, silence your phone and attend to email only during breaks.
- Our utmost responsibility is to protecting the integrity of the learning environment. If at any time, you are violating the above expectations in a way that disrupts learning for other students, your instructor will ask you to leave. If you are asked to leave, you will not receive training hours for the class; you will not be reimbursed for your travel expenses; and your supervisor and county director will be notified.
- The CWTS training providers are responsible for creating and upholding learning environments that are professional and effectively meet the learning needs of all training participants. Time spent in training is considered “work” time and active efforts are made by the CWTS training providers to eliminate learning distractions and disruptions. Therefore, children (of any age) will not be allowed in training. The CWTS training providers encourage learners to make alternative child care arrangements. If this is not possible, please contact your Regional Training Coordinator to explore attending an alternative course offering.
- If you’re unable to attend a class, please drop it at least two business days before the class begins, so another student can take your place.
- If you don’t notify us, you’ll be considered a “no-show.” We report “no-shows” to county directors on a monthly basis.
Low Enrollment
- If fewer than six learners are registered within one week of an in-service or SAFE training, the class will be cancelled and you will receive an email notification.
- If fewer than four learners are registered within one week of a pre-service class, the class will be cancelled and you will receive an email notification.
- We make every effort to re-schedule cancelled classes. The training provider will be in touch by email to let you know when the class will be offered.
Inclement Weather
Your safety is our top priority, and we do not want you traveling when weather-related road conditions make it unsafe for you to travel to and from training.
When bad weather is anticipated, a decision about whether training will be held or cancelled will be made in the early morning hours on the day of training.
When the decision is made to cancel training, the training provider/facilitator will contact you by calling the emergency contact number listed in your LMS profile, as early in the morning as is possible, in an attempt to reach you before you are on the road. (Please ensure your LMS profile is up-to-date with your emergency contact information).
Additionally, when classes are cancelled because of inclement weather, an email message will be sent to you from CWTS and a message will be posted in the LMS and on the CWTS home page.
When weather conditions cause you to feel unsure about whether or not to travel to training, visit http://www.coloradocwts.com/ to find out if training is cancelled before hitting the road.
- You will receive training credit hours as soon as you complete all components of the course, including the post-test and evaluation.
- Partial training hours will not be granted for incomplete classes. You need to complete the whole class satisfactorily in order to receive credit. The training provider will make this determination.