Core for Social Workers provides a foundational understanding and skill set related to child welfare practice in California. The goal is to provide training that reflects real world application of knowledge and skill to daily child welfare practice. Additionally, Core for Social Workers allows participants to build a network of support with colleagues in Northern California as they work through the variety of key concepts and foundations of child welfare practice.
Application Required:
The Northern Academy will offer most of our Core cohorts fully in-person in the 2026/2027 training season. We understand that attending in-person training may present a hardship for some workers in our region. To accommodate, we are offering a limited selection of virtual cohorts by application. Priority will be given to staff who:
- Come from extremely small frontier counties who hire only one or two people at a time;
- Workplace is more than 2 hours away from any available in-person cohorts; and/or
- Have a unique hardship that would prevent them from attending in-person trainings
If you meet any of the above requirements and have the approval of your Child Welfare Director to attend virtually, simply choose "Enroll Now" to begin the application process.
Application Deadline: Friday, January 15, 2027
Cohort Course Schedule
This entire cohort will be held VIRTUALLY.
- Full day trainings: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
- Half-day trainings: 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
COURSE MAKE-UP REQUESTS: In order to be enrolled in select courses within this cohort for make-up, please email your request to [email protected]
Module 1
- Orientation to CA Child Welfare Practice Feb. 2, 2027
- Intro to Child Development Feb. 3, 2027
- Trauma-Informed Practice Feb. 4, 2027
- Fairness and Equity Feb. 5, 2027
Module 2
- Child and Family Teaming Mar. 2, 2027
- Legal Procedures Mar. 3, 2027
- Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and Working with Native American Families and Tribes Mar. 4, 2027
Module 3
- Key Issues in Child Welfare Apr. 6-7, 2027
- Cultural Humility in Child Welfare Interviews Apr. 8, 2027
- Critical Thinking & Assessment Apr. 9, 2027 (1/2 day)
Module 4
- Engagement & Interviewing May 11, 2027
- Interviewing Children May 12, 2027
- Child Maltreatment Identification Skills Lab May 13-14, 2027
Module 5
- Structured Tools & Assessment Skills Lab Jun. 8-9, 2027
- SOP Foundations Jun. 10-11, 2027
(SOP Foundations is not part of the statewide standardized Core requirements but is a regional addition. If students miss this class, they will still successfully complete Core.)
Module 6
- Teaming with Families to Develop Behavioral Case Plans Jul. 6, 2027
- Managing the Plan: Supporting Safety, Permanency and Well-Being Jul. 7, 2027
- Transition Practice Jul. 8, 2027
Please note this schedule only lists the classroom requirements for the Core for Social Workers program. Please refer to the Core 3.5 Overview document for information on the full requirements of the program, including eLearnings and Field Activities.