Illinois State University will become one of four regional training hubs for the State of Illinois Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) when the ISU Child Protection Training Academy (CPTA) opens in early November 2024. The four-year, $2.1 million grant was finalized in June of 2024 following months of planning.
The University is committed to the values of collaboration and community and civic engagement. This partnership will support workforce development. The simulation experience will promote skill development and confidence in early career social work professionals, while also giving ISU student interns and graduate assistants the ability to observe, learn, and engage in social work simulations once the sim lab is fully established.
“The ISU child protection training academy will serve as an experiential learning center for child welfare practitioners to hone their assessment and engagement skills in a simulated lab setting that mirrors real-life case scenarios.” said Dr. Doris Houston, associate professor of social work and director of the Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies at Illinois State. “Utilizing professional actors, skilled facilitators, and volunteer medical and legal experts, the sim lab model takes training to the next level by creating an environment for reflective practice that prepares future professionals to effectively engage with families from all walks of life and to ensure the safety and well-being of children.”
ISU CPTA will be housed in the Bloomington/Normal community at the Baby Fold, 614 Oglesby Avenue in Normal, IL. Coalesce Theater company will serve as the academy’s professional acting partner. An open house* is being planned for early- to mid-November.
The Illinois DCFS SIMS program launched in 2019, training over 1,000 staff to date. It grew out of a legislative requirement for DCFS to develop sites for experiential learning to bridge the gap between policy and practice, increase worker engagement, and accelerate learning. All new DCFS employees are required to train at an academy site following hire. Other academy sites include Cook County (University of Illinois at Urbana) and Dekalb (Northern Illinois University). Carbondale (Southern Illinois University) is the fourth location that is anticipated to open later this year.
“Illinois DCFS is thrilled to expand our SIMS programming and extend our partnership with ISU,” said Illinois DCFS Director Heidi E. Mueller. “Each of our SIMS labs is carefully designed to simulate a real-world environment for our workers to practice identifying child safety concerns, assessing risks, and recognizing family strengths. We cannot wait to bring this national model to ISU.”
Illinois State has partnered over the years with the DCFS through the Center for Child Welfare and Adoption Studies, that also implements the Illinois Permanency Enhancement Project, and First Star Academy, a college readiness program for high school students receiving foster care services. This longstanding commitment to the professional development of child welfare professionals, child welfare research, and promotion of equity for the children and families served by the child welfare system serves as the basis for this new endeavor to provide simulation experiences for child welfare professionals.
