Child Welfare Certification Training Program

The Child Welfare Certification Training Program is a competency based training curriculum for child welfare social workers in the state of North Dakota.

Child welfare practitioners are required to complete this training within their first year of employment in the State of North Dakota. Trainees will receive the Child Welfare Practitioner Certificate upon satisfactory completion of the program. Satisfactory completion includes attendance at all of the in-class sessions and completion of all assignments.

Child Welfare Certification Training Program

Child Welfare Certification is a five session training program held at the University of North Dakota (UND). Training consists of virtual live and in person sessions along with online modules and take home assignments designed to address competencies.

Certification Schedule

Child Welfare Certification Training is designed to address the needs of the child welfare practitioner with special emphases in each of the required training sessions to include, but not limited to:

• Philosophical, ethical, and legal mandates of child welfare with a special emphasis on child abuse and neglect assessment.
• Providing wraparound strength-based case management services.
• Understanding and skill based learning of North Dakota's Safety Framework Practice Model, which includes a definition of safety, set criteria for removal and reunification, and ability to Identify protective capacities in parents and caregivers
• Knowledge and skills in working with the legal system including understanding the role of the Indian Child Welfare Act and providing testimony in court.
• Understanding and working with children and families in out-of-home care with emphases on attachment and separation issues, concurrent and permanency planning, visitation, reunification, and providing support to the foster family.

Attendance is required at all sessions. If a trainee is absent or plans to be absent for any portion of the training, they must notify Children and Family Services Training Center (CFSTC) of their conflict/absence and discuss how that session will be covered. Trainees are also required to complete all assignments in order to be certified. If there are barriers to completion of the requirements they must be discussed with the CFSTC staff.

Upcoming Certification Dates

• Spring 2023 Session FULL

  • Session 1: January 9-12 (Introduction/Foundation) held online
  • Session 2: January 30-February 2 (Safety Framework Practice Model) held in Grand Forks
  • Session 3: February 27-28 (Case Flow Process) held online
  • Session 4: March 20-23 (Engagement of Families) held in Grand Forks
  • Session 5: April 17-20 (Legal & Perspectives) held online

• Fall 2023: REGISTRATION AVAILABLE 

  • Dates will be shared as soon as they are confirmed.

You must register for the entire training session. Please register early due to cohort size limitations. Registrants will receive more detailed information prior to the training.

If a session is full, preference will be given to Human Service Zone workers. For further information, contact UND CFSTC at 701.777.3442 or und.cfstc@UND.edu.

Training Fee

CFSTC provides the training at no cost.  CFSTC does cover the cost of lodging for Child Welfare workers employed with ND Human Service Zones, Tribal Social Services, Nexus-PATH Treatment Foster Care, and AASK/Post Adopt. Please contact CFSTC with any cost related questions. 

Child Welfare Certification Faculty

The Child Welfare Certification Training program faculty are selected on the basis of their knowledge, experience and training abilities. The core training staff is from the UND CFSTC. They are supplemented by other trainers who have special topic expertise. Trainers include:

• Amy Oehlke, LMSW, Director, Children and Family Services Training Center
• Jason Moug, MA, Training Coordinator, Children and Family Services Training Center
• Rachel Behm, LMSW, Training Coordinator, Children and Family Services Training Center
• Katrina Strasner, LBSW, Training Coordinator, Children and Family Services Training Center
• Katie Kruckenberg, LMSW, Associate Professor for Behavioral Sciences, University of Mary
• Heather Simonich, MA-LPC, Operations Director for Nexus-PATH
• Dereck Stonefish, Training Coordinator for ND Native American Training Institute
• Kirsten Hansen, LBSW, Field Service Specialist Supervisor for the NDDHS Children and Family Services Division
• Deb DeWitz, LMSW, Owner of Family Resource Consultants
• Anna Frissell, JD, Director of the Red River Children's Advocacy Center
• Shawn Peterson, BS in Criminal Justice Studies, Director of Juvenile Court for North Dakota
• Jim Fish, BA in Sociology with a Minor in Criminal Justice, MA in Counseling, Juvenile Court Officer III for North Dakota Juvenile Court
• David Conrad, LCSW, University of Colorado Denver