Build your leadership skills and gain confidence in your ability to support your team at the micro, mezzo and macro levels throughout this comprehensive program tailored specifically for child welfare supervisors. Throughout the 11 days of training, we will help you gain more knowledge about yourself, your leadership style and your practice as a whole.
Supervisor Core will engage you through the use of videos, scenarios, small and large group activities, journaling and action plans, providing a rich environment for collaboration, discussion and individual reflection. Each day will layer and integrate knowledge to show the parallels to your agency practice and to cross-thread the ideas in the classroom.
This program consists of multiple topics spread across 11 days that are grouped into five modules.
Cohort Course Schedule
This will be a fully virtual cohort. Modules 1-5 will be held through Zoom. All trainings are full-day trainings from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. except for Ongoing Development as a Leader, which will be from 9:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
MODULE 1
Day 1 and 2: Leading in Child Welfare – The Role of the Supervisor — Oct. 6-7, 2026
MODULE 2
Day 3 and 4: Creating an Organizational Learning Environment — Nov. 3-4, 2026
MODULE 3
Day 5: Data-Informed Supervision — Dec. 15, 2026
Day 6: Supervising for Accountability — Dec. 16, 2026
MODULE 4
Day 7 and 8: Case Consultation and Critical Thinking: Teaming for Success — Jan. 12-13, 2027
Safety Organized Practice for Supervisors — Jan. 20, 2027
MODULE 5
Day 9: Supporting Individual and Team Development — Feb. 16, 2027
Day 10: Ongoing Development as a Leader — Feb. 17, 2027
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]
Instructors
Peggi Cooney
Peggi Cooney, M.S.W., has more than 15 years of experience in social services with expertise in child welfare, adult services and supervision. In Colusa County, she developed the Independent Living Program and helped develop and implement the Multi-Disciplinary Interview Team.
Baljit Hundal
Baljit Hundal has more than 30 years of experience in health and human services across the public and private sectors in California and New York City. She has led major initiatives including extended foster care, Katie A., Continuum of Care Reform and CalAIM implementation and currently consults with state and county partners while training child welfare professionals through California’s regional training academies.
Betsy Watson
Betsy Watson has worked in child welfare since 2001 and has served as a child welfare trainer since 2019. Her areas of expertise include Child and Family Team Meetings, Structured Decision Making, trauma-informed practice, Common Core, fairness and equity, cultural humility, critical thinking and assessment.
Marian Kubiak
Marian Kubiak, M.S.W., is a Title IV-E liaison and lecturer in the Department of Social Work at California State University, Sacramento. She teaches undergraduate and graduate social work courses and works with Master of Social Work students participating in the Title IV-E program.
Catherine Chase
Catherine Chase has more than 30 years of experience working with children and families and has trained and coached child welfare professionals since 2016. Her expertise includes Safety Organized Practice, Common Core for Social Workers, Concurrent Planning Documentation, Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Assessment, Structured Decision Making, Child and Family Teaming, as well as leadership development for supervisors and managers.
Dorothy Byron-Arrington
Dorothy Byron-Arrington has 20 years of experience in child welfare services. Her background includes work in the Indian Child Welfare Unit, Resource Family Approval and Team Decision Making. She currently serves as a county child welfare administrator and trainer for Quality Caseworker Visits.
Christina Stimmann
Christina Stimmann has more than 26 years of experience in health and social services. She currently serves as a mental health services manager for Solano County, overseeing clinical and contract management for acute and sub-acute care programs, including hospital liaison, crisis stabilization, crisis residential, crisis aftercare and long-term residential services.
Dionne Puckett
Dionne Puckett brings nearly two decades of experience in human services spanning community outreach, direct practice, leadership and education. As a social worker with the County of San Diego, she developed expertise in family engagement, staff development and leadership.
Laura Shotzbarger
Laura Shotzbarger recently retired as a regional manager with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services after more than 28 years in child welfare. She is passionate about supporting child welfare professionals and advancing multidisciplinary teaming and quality supervision to improve outcomes for children and families.
Kate Bedwell
Kate Bedwell is a social worker, trainer and certified Gallup CliftonStrengths coach with more than 20 years of experience in public child welfare, juvenile justice, family self-sufficiency and workforce development. As a supervising practice coach, she developed expertise in coaching, training and simulation facilitation to support implementation of best practices in child welfare.
Rebekah Rogers
Rebekah Rogers, M.A., served as a social worker with Tuolumne County Adult, Child and Family Services for 12 years. She later served as a Foster and Kinship Care Education program specialist, developing curriculum and delivering training for Resource Family Approval caregivers across multiple counties.
Michaela Woodward
Michaela Woodward has worked in nonprofit and county settings since 1998, serving as a Team Decision Making facilitator, therapist, social worker, program manager and program director. Her experience spans the child welfare continuum from screening through permanency and includes work in legal, educational, juvenile probation and behavioral health settings.