New Caseworker Academy Overview

Congratulations on your decision to pursue a career in child welfare!

Colorado’s children, youth, and families will be safer and healthier because of the work that you’ll do.

Click on each tab to learn more about your next steps.

Account

Create your account in the CWTS LMS system.

Required Courses

Complete your Fundamentals of Colorado Child Welfare courses.

  • Welcome to Colorado Child Welfare
  • Hotline and RED Team: Where Assessment With Families Begins
  • Safety Through Engagement
  • Working Toward Closure: Decision Making and Documentation
  • Legal Preparation for Caseworkers
  • The Fundamentals Practice Simulation
  • Choose Your Own Trail: Documentation and Practice

You can read course descriptions here.

Some of your courses include web-based training and video components that must be completed prior to your classroom learning. Download the New Caseworker Checklist for detailed information.

Transfer of Learning

Apply What You've Learned

Work with your supervisor, training coordinator or coach to complete a set of Transfer of Learning activities.

Download your Transfer of Learning Guide in the Resources for Caseworkers section of the website.

Certification

Receive your initial caseworker certification.

Your county may now request that the State Training Unit certifies you.

Your certification badge and certificate will appear on your ColoradoCWTS profile page.

 

Now that you’ve completed your Fundamentals courses and your Transfer of Learning experiences, register for the classes we require and recommend you complete during your first year as a new caseworker.

Following your initial certification, you are required to complete:

  • Cracking the Medical Code: A Collaborative Response to Medical Aspects of Child Maltreatment
  • Habits for Resiliency
  • Worker Safety: Protecting Those Serving Others
  • Confidentiality Bootcamp

When you complete one or two more classes (depending on the number of training hours of the courses you select), you’ll have 40 or more training hours—and you’ll earn recertification.

This recertification, available only for new caseworkers, recertifies you through the following fiscal year.

When you decide (with your supervisor) which courses to take to complete the 40 training hours required for recertification, please keep in mind that you may choose from any in-service courses. CWTS strongly recommends you include these courses in your selection:

  • Building Safety with Families Impacted by Domestic Violence (8 training hours)
  • Building Safety when Parents Use Substances (6.5 training hours)
  • Building Safety with Family Impacted by Mental Illness (6.5 training hours)
  • A Future of Their Own: Essentials for Engaging Youth (12 training hours)