Blog

By Manpreet Singh, Program Analyst, Family Centered Practice Unit, California Department of Social Services

Nearly 550 child welfare professionals from across the state participated in a two-day event aimed at improving the safety and well-being of tens of thousands of vulnerable children and families. Hosted by the Northern Academy at UC Davis Human Services, the California Safety Organized Practice Conference took place on June 15-16, 2021, as a free virtual event.

Despite the challenges that COVID-19 brought, the Partnerships for Well-Being Institute successfully wrapped up its final day as a virtual conference on June 3, 2021. Though it was initially scheduled as a three-day in-person conference in June 2020, UC Davis Human Services quickly pivoted and revamped it into a three-part series of one-day virtual conferences in June 2020, December 2020 and June 2021. More than 1,600 people attended at least one of the virtual Institutes, breaking the record for attendance at any past conference.

Hosted by the California Department of Social Services and the Resource Center for Family-Focused Practice at UC Davis Human Services, this free webinar will walk participants through County Fiscal Letter (CFL) 20/21-94 entitled Updated Comprehensive Claiming Instructions for the Wraparound Program. Content to be covered includes claiming Wraparound expenses via the County Expense Claim (CEC) and County Assistance Claim (CA-800) processes.

On June 3, 2021, the Partnerships for Well-Being Institute honored individuals and organizations who embody the Integrated Core Practice Model and are making a profound impact on the lives of children and families in California. We are pleased to announce the 20/21 award winners and share their nomination videos.

Parent Partners Award Winners 
Cheryl Barrett - Contra Costa County, Children and Family Services
James Thyssen - Stanford Sierra Youth and Families

As COVID-19 vaccinations become more readily available, it may seem like we are close to the end of the pandemic, but the race is not over yet. Many Americans are wary of the vaccine, and as vaccine hesitancy persists, the progress toward herd immunity slows.

As the country fights back against the spread of COVID-19, UC Davis has done its most to protect its students and staff from rising case numbers. In fact, its partnership with the City of Davis, known as Healthy Davis Together, aims to expand its shield from the UC Davis campus to the Davis community as a whole. By providing free rapid testing, contact tracing, isolation housing and masks, this initiative has successfully slowed the spread of COVID-19 in Davis by identifying and containing infection before it can spread.

Knowing how to engage people in the learning process—particularly in a virtual environment—is more important than ever before. And while some training techniques work for both in-person and remote-learning settings, many others do not transition well in a virtual learning environment.

There's no doubt that the shift from physical to virtual operations over the past year has been a challenge, but it has also enabled our services to become more accessible and inclusive.

2020 has seen much turmoil and the cancellation or postponement of many time-honored traditions. One such tradition, the National Tribal TANF Institute hosted by UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education - Human Services, was not only postponed two months to late September, but also, for the first time in its 15-year history, moved to a virtual platform. 

In various contexts, we all heard, and may have even experienced, the proverb “It takes a village…”. I can’t think of a child and family serving community that embodies this sentiment more that California Wraparound. It takes a village to heal and uplift the children and families we serve, and likewise, it takes a village to support our Wraparound community.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a sudden and overwhelming shift in the way we do business—providing classroom-based instruction, county-based training, state and national conferences, one-on-one coaching and other workforce development services to human services professionals throughout California and across the nation—but it did not shift our mission of changing practice and transforming lives.

Let’s keep the celebration going! Last week, we featured seven outstanding Northern California child welfare social workers. This week, we are bringing you nine more to cap off our participation in and support of National Child Welfare Workforce Institute's Child Welfare Workforce Recognition Month. 

By Nancy Hafer, Program Director, Human Services

Colleagues and friends,