Under Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) Part IV, a Qualified Individual (QI) must assess any foster child before placement into a Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP) made on or after October 1, 2021, except for emergency placements. This assessment is a prerequisite for Title IV-E funding eligibility.
The QI will assess the child's behavioral health needs and goals. They will determine if the child's needs can be met by family members or in a family setting. If not, the QI will identify the most appropriate level of care, interventions and treatment for the child.
The training opportunities and resources listed here are sponsored by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), in partnership with the Resource Center for Family-Focused Practice at UC Davis Human Services.
Courses
Initial Required Training
The courses below are required for anyone who is or will be performing the QI activities pursuant to Welfare and Institution Code (WIC) 4096(g) and All County Letter (ACL) 21-113 Behavioral Health Information Notice (BHIN) 21-060 with child and family serving agencies who provide placement services, such as short-term residential treatment programs (STRTPs) and other therapeutic settings:
- 1. Prerequisite Webinar: The Qualified Individual – Understanding the California Children and Youth System of Care
This webinar is a pre-requisite to the Qualified Individual Fundamentals course, intended for anyone who is or will be performing the QI activities pursuant to Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) 4096(g) and All County Letter (ACL) 21-113 Behavioral Health Information Notice (BHIN) 21-060. It provides an overview of a collaborative approach to supporting children, youth, and families involved in systems of care and explore cross-system partnerships for coordinated support and integration of services.
Register to access the recorded webinar and to document your attendance
- Qualified Individual Fundamentals
- Learn about the course and check for an upcoming training date
NOTE: New QIs who are prepared to complete assessments and are either waiting to attend or are on the waitlist for an upcoming Qualified Individual Fundamentals course can register for Qualified Individual: Getting Started in the interim. Completing the Getting Started course will allow QIs to complete assessments, but they must still complete Qualified Individual Fundamentals as a requirement.
Annual Training Requirements
Additional courses will be added pending updated guidance from CDSS and DHCS on annual training requirements and timelines.
For questions on training enrollment, please contact us at resourcecenter@ucdavis.edu.
Browse All Courses Currently Open for Enrollment
QI Learning Collaborative
Join us in launching the Qualified Individual Learning Collaborative (QILC), a dedicated space for clinicians serving as Qualified Individuals under the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA).
The QILC is designed to create a supportive place for Qualified Individuals to:
- foster cross-county collaboration
- strengthen and share best practices
- promote youth voice and address complex needs
- drive systemic change by identifying barriers and co-creating solutions for system-involved youth
Each session will feature a focused presentation on a topic identified through feedback from the Qualified Individual Fundamentals course. Participants will join small-group discussions, then come together to share ideas and learn from one another.
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with other QIs and transform outcomes for children, youth and families!
Who Should Join: Qualified Individuals, Supervisors, Program Managers
Schedule: Sessions will be held virtually via Zoom every other month for two hours.
Upcoming Sessions
- September 25, 2025 | 10:00am – 12:00pm
Topic: Wraparound: Family-based Aftercare Planning and Transition Support
Learn how high-fidelity wraparound principles guide effective aftercare and transition planning, empowering families and youth voice through collaborative, strength-based approaches.Presenters:
Dawne’ Lynch, leader and strategist in human services at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education, longtime advocate and statewide Wraparound contributor.
Rebekah Cox, Wraparound trainer and consultant, active member of the California Wraparound Community and statewide leadership groups.
- November 18, 2025 | 9:00am – 11:00am
Topic: Using IP-CANS to Drive Meaningful Goals and Treatment Planning
Apply IP-CANS to create individualized, strength-based QI Assessment Reports. Learn how to translate ratings into actionable goals through collaborative, family-centered planning.
Presenter: Shelly Paule, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., child welfare leader, trainer and lecturer at San Diego State University, with 24 years of experience in frontline practice, supervision and policy.
Webinars
County Placing Agency Data Collection Process and Requirements for Qualified Individual (QI) Activities
Thursday, September 18, 2025, 2:00–3:00pm
Focused Audience: This webinar is intended for identified child welfare and probation staff responsible for entering information into the Portal. It will provide instructions on how to access and report the required data.
- About the Webinar
- Pursuant to ACL 25-57, placing agencies are required to report certain QI data to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). As such, CDSS developed the Placing Agency QI Data Reporting Portal to collect these data elements needed to measure timeliness of required QI activities and provide support and technical assistance, as needed, for continuous quality improvement.
The Data Reporting Portal will provide placing agencies access to a password-protected folder through which the placing agency must input the required data for each youth referred for a QI Assessment. On a monthly basis, county placing agencies must input the required data into the Portal for each youth referred for a QI assessment during that month and ensure all data fields are completed as each QI and court activity is conducted. County placing agencies must complete a new entry for each QI referral.
Presenter: Bill Moore, Program Specialist, CDSS .
Resources
- ACIN 1-73-21: Family First Prevention Services Act Implementation in California
- Joint CDSS and DHCS FFPSA Part IV FAQ—Issued November 21, 2021
- CDSS Website: Child and Family Teams
- Explore upcoming and past Complex Care Webinars and learn from complex care/specialized permanency experts on how to effectively address the diverse needs and challenges faced by youth involved in systems of care.
- Discover how Wraparound provides essential and comprehensive support to maintain children in the home or support their return from an STRTP placement to a family-based environment.
- Website: eQIP - a Partnership in Qualified Individuals