Blog

Visit our Human Services Blog regularly for information about current issues, research and happenings in the field of human services. All content is generated by UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education staff, instructors or colleagues.

We also produce several digital publications—each with a specific focus on an area of human services practice:

ripple of water

The Ripple Effect of Change

  • by Alison Book, Director, UC Davis Human Services
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa

As we proudly present this second edition of our Horizons publication, we can’t help but reflect on how much has changed since the inaugural issue was released. In the summer of 2020, then-Human Services director Susan Brooks introduced the publication at a time when the human services community grappled with the combined crises of soaring unemployment, a global pandemic and the violent personification of systemic racism.

Butterflies in flight

California Department of Social Services and UC Davis Partner to Launch Center for Excellence in Family Finding, Engagement and Support

Youth in California’s foster care system will soon have a new statewide resource to help keep them connected to family – one of the goals of California’s foster care system.

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) are launching the Center for Excellence in Family Finding, Engagement and Support (Center) to support county child welfare agency efforts to keep youth linked with their family members.

Photo of Human Services instructors being honored

UC Davis Human Services Celebrates Outstanding Instructors

  • by Meredith Herndon, UC Davis Human Services

Returning to celebrate in-person after four years, UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education happily hosted the biennial Outstanding Service Award reception for CPE instructors on Thursday, Sept. 8. CPE Dean Susan Catron presided over a reception that was well attended by instructors, staff, friends and family who were happy to celebrate the achievements of the past four years.

little girl running with blanket

This Week and Every Week: Thank You!

  • by Alison Book, Director, Human Services at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education

Child welfare work often feels like a thankless job. We can get so caught up in the day-to-day deluge of work that we don’t always pause to recognize good work when it is happening. There’s just so much work, and so many challenges, that taking the time to reflect on how much good is actually done, every single day, can seem impossible.

Award Winner Maria Carvajal with her Probation Team

Meet the Award Winners

Nine individuals were honored at the Partnerships for Well-Being Institute in June 2022. These award winners were selected for their outstanding dedication to their work and their impact in improving outcomes for children and families involved with California’s systems of care. 

Alison Book Appointed as Director of Human Services

UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) is pleased to announce Alison Book has formally been appointed as director of CPE’s Human Services division. Book replaces Susan Brooks, who recently retired as director and chair after a 35-year career. Book now serves in a dual role which includes continued oversight of the Northern Academy (one of California’s five regional training academies for child welfare professionals).

child's drawing of family

The SOP Toolkit: Safety Over Service Compliance

A foundational principle informing Safety Organized Practice is that services and safety are not the same thing. Service completion, on its own, does not promise child safety. Behavior change, on the other hand—demonstrated and sustained over time—is a far more promising sign of safety.
photo collage of people

“Embracing the Power of Community”

In July 2022 UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education Human Services hosted the 17th annual National Tribal TANF Institute. This year’s institute, held at the Hilton Sacramento Arden West hotel, saw over 230 attendees from 40 tribal agencies across 13 states. This Institute was the first to be held in-person in three years.

The theme of this year’s Institute, “Embracing the Power of Community,” recognized and celebrated the inherent strength that exists within native communities.

Ebony Chambers and Cheryl Treadwell

Partnerships for Well-Being Institute Opens Up Dialogue to Cultivate a Trauma-Informed System of Care

  • by Raisa Khan

By listening and learning from others’ experiences, creating a trauma-informed system of care becomes more attainable in a way that strengthens the voice of the child, youth and family. Hosted by UC Davis Human Services, the Partnerships for Well-Being Institute provided a valuable opportunity for providers and professionals serving children and families to share perspectives. More than 620 people attended the conference, including practitioners in child welfare, behavioral health, early childhood, education and probation as well as other specialists serving children and families.

child's painting of house and family

The SOP Toolkit: Hearing and Helping Our Kids

Integrating a child’s perspective is so important to the work of child welfare. Safety Organized Practice (SOP) provides a series of strategies, specifically the utilization of the Three Houses and Safety House information gathering tools, which allow children, in a developmentally appropriate way, to meaningfully contribute to both risk assessment and safety planning.

Looking for some quick tips and strategies to break down these important tools?

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