About Us
Training Grant
Judicial Leadership Roundtables
Judicial leadership in child abuse and neglect cases is an issue needing significant attention. The Court Administrative Office of the WV Supreme Court and the CIP Oversight Board is developing a curriculum and program, focusing upon the outcomes of safety, well-being, and permanency, for roundtable sessions attended by circuit judges. These regional sessions will be designed as small-group gatherings led by a trained facilitator. During the initial year, efforts will focus on the design, planning, and organization of the roundtable sessions. Technical assistance for curriculum development will be sought from the National Child Welfare Resource Center on Legal and Judicial Issues (NCWRC). The NCWRC may also be a source for the trained facilitator. The sessions will be scheduled for the second and third year of the training grant.
Re-Evaluation and Updating of Multi-Disciplinary Treatment Team (MDT) Training
Under applicable State statutes and Supreme Court rules, after case initiation, a child's MDT is formed and is to promptly meet to devise an appropriate treatment and case plan, and continue to meet at least quarterly to evaluate and revise the plan. The MDT is made up of professionals directly involved in the case as well as the child, parents, and other interested persons such as educators, foster parents, and pre-adoptive parents. The DHHR has provided its Child Protective Services (CPS) caseworkers MDT training for several years. Additionally, the CIP has included some limited training on MDTs as part of the cross-training programs sponsored by the CIP during the past several years. The MDT training curricula will be updated, and a comprehensive training program to educate agency and legal professionals on the best practices for an effective use of the MDT is being planned.
Annual CASA Training Conference
A network of non-profit agencies provide trained CASA volunteers and agency coordination for CASA programs in many of the State's circuit courts handling child abuse and neglect cases. In support of this important service to the courts, the CIP will co-sponsor an annual conference providing further training for CASA volunteers and the staff of their supporting agencies.
Cross-Training on Basic and Advanced Topics and Judicial Education
The Court Improvement Oversight Board has developed and provided cross-training on a regional basis for judges, prosecutors, child and parent attorneys, DHHR caseworkers and other involved case participants to improve the handling of child abuse and neglect cases. These multi-disciplinary seminars cover basic law and procedure on day-one and specialized or advance topics on day-two. The two-day seminars will be provided at 3 regional sites during the year. Continuing education credits for various professional disciplines will be pre-approved and offered for cross-training attendees. Post-session attendee evaluations will be conducted to aid development of training curricula for subsequent years. Additionally, the Court Administrative Office/Court Improvement Oversight Board will provide nationally recognized trainers/presenters on abuse and neglect topics for the semi-annual circuit judge conferences and the annual family court and magistrate court conferences. Funding will also be provided to permit interested judges to attend national conferences relating to the outcomes of safety, permanency, and well-being sponsored by the NCWRC, ACF, or other nationally recognized organizations. Training on basic law and procedure in child protection cases and foster care/Title IV-E matters for circuit court law clerks will also be provided each year for the newly hired law clerks.
Training for Court and Legal Professionals on Form-Generating Software
The Court Improvement Board Oversight Board and DHHR have collaboratively established technical support and training for users of both the JUDI and JANIS order-generating software programs.
