On April 4th, West Texas Together (WTT) hosted their first ever Lunch and Learn for Child Protective Services (CPS) Caseworkers, CASA Volunteers, and local social workers.
As a community partnership for West Texas foster care, WTT has formed six work groups around unique needs of our foster system. One of those workgroups has identified the need to develop the skills of our local workforce.
West Texas offers a dynamic and challenging landscape. The ubiquitous workforce crisis is compounded by the complexities that come with practicing social work in a rural setting. Rural child welfare research tells us that social workers need to be well versed in a wide range of topics and well connected to their community resources. As a community we can invest in their knowledge of best practices and local resources.
That is exactly what happened this past week. Seventy-seven local professionals gathered at Midland Bible Church to hear about the resources provided by Safe Place of the Permian Basin, High Sky Children’s Ranch, and Harmony Home Children’s Advocacy Center. Of those in attendance, ten child serving organizations were represented, fostering a sense of unity around the protection of vulnerable families and kids and creating bonds over lunch provided by Fostering Restoration Ministries. It was truly an experience that brought like minded people together.
Reflecting on the event, social workers from CPS said they appreciated the opportunity to interact with local resources in a relaxed environment. Tenured staff thought it was a well needed reminder and appreciated the depth of understanding they were able to come away with about each of the presenters. WTT partners are excited to bring this resource to West Texas child welfare and look forward to holding these trainings quarterly.
If you have training or resources you want to share with West Texas social workers you are encouraged to reach out to Matt Waller at mwaller@oneaccordtx.org. If you would like to stay connected with WTT or partner on projects to support vulnerable West Texas families please take a minute to fill out this form.