Linkages Overview: CalWORKs and Child Welfare Collaboration - Empowering Families Through Partnership

About the Course

This course will provide participants with an in-depth exploration of the Linkages program, focusing on its essential components, collaborative partnerships, services and eligibility criteria. Participants will gain insights into the referral process, case management, coordination strategies and family engagement guidelines. Through interactive sessions and discussions, participants will examine historic barriers to collaboration and engagement and explore opportunities to strengthen partnerships between Child Welfare and CalWORKs. The course emphasizes the significance of family-centered practice and effective collaboration in preventing child maltreatment and supporting shared families.

What will I learn in this training?

After attending this training, participants will be able to:

Understand the purpose of the Linkages program and its role in strengthening families and preventing child maltreatment.
Identify historic barriers to effective collaboration between Child Welfare and CalWORKs and develop strategies to overcome them.
Recognize the importance of collaboration and partnership in serving shared families and demonstrate a willingness to engage in cooperative efforts.
Identify the intersections of requirements between CalWORKs and Child Welfare and understand how to navigate overlapping mandates to streamline service delivery.
Gain insights into Family Engagement guidelines and demonstrate the ability to apply family-centered practices in case management and coordination efforts.

CEUs

0.6

Section Number

244SSA981

Instruction Method

Online class

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Section Schedule

Wed., Apr 2nd, 2025, 9:00am to 12:30pm

Fees

Instructors

Laura Shotzbarger

Laura Shotzbarger has recently retired as a regional manager from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. With over 28 years of experience working in child welfare, she is passionate about supporting those staff working directly with children and families. As a regional manager, she advocated for advanced training in the areas of domestic violence as well as maternal mental health and its impact on the family. She embraces multidisciplinary teaming and quality supervision to make the best decisions possible for families. Shotzbarger is a champion for coaching and mentorship at all levels of the organization to foster an environment of transparency, respect and integrity.

Mandi Brum

Mandi Brum has over 18 years of experience in the field of health and human services. In addition to leading others through roles such as administrative analyst, supervisor and staff development trainer, Brum has also worked in eligibility programs such as CalFresh, CalWORKs and Medi-Cal. Her experience also includes integrated service delivery, homeless and housing support, and project management. Brum has developed and facilitated training for induction and other topics, with an emphasis on promoting the transfer of learning. As an instructor, Brum emphasizes the value of applying a strengths-based approach to enhance service delivery, as well as building capacity through modeling effective leadership.