Training Specialist 1

Organizational Overview 

Youth Research, Inc (YRI) assists the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) and its’ state and local partners in developing, administering, and delivering training and learning opportunities and related activities for the full range of services for which OCFS is responsible, such as child welfare, juvenile justice, childcare, adoption and foster care, youth development, and child and adult protective services. 

Duties 

Under the supervision of a Training Supervisor the Training Specialist will be responsible for planning and carrying out foundational casework training to all Child Protective Services (CPS) caseworkers or Child Welfare (CW) caseworkers and supervisors in classroom and synchronous on-line settings. The Training Specialist will be responsible for the duties listed below. 

• Present training courses by personally conducting classroom training, synchronous on-line training, coaching, facilitation and simulation training for caseworkers and supervisors assigned to Child Protective Services or Child Welfare caseloads. Courses to be delivered include the Child Protective Response Training, Supervising CPS, Family Assessment Response, CPS in-service training, advanced functional area training, Child Welfare Foundations Program, and special topics as assigned. 

• Prepare lesson plans for classroom delivery, synchronous on-line delivery, mock interviews, facilitated group discussions and simulations that will help address areas of need and provide valuable lessons that the trainees can take with them into the field. 

• Review local district and volunteer agency programs training needs through formal needs assessments. Analyze needs assessment data to develop course delivery schedules and proposals to address unmet needs.    Collaborate with OCFS CPS & Child Welfare program staff to identify future needs based upon information from the field, changes to policy and/or regulation and current models of best practice in Child Protective Services.    Participate in and provide subject matter expertise for curriculum development and review as directed.    Evaluate training courses using Kirkpatrick 1, 2, and 3 evaluation instruments. Review and analyze training evaluation data to identify trends and areas for course/delivery improvement.    Other duties as assigned.

• Undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university preferably in social work, public policy, or similar. 

• Two years of experience working in Child Protective Services or Child Welfare Casework 

• Strong organizational skills and an ability to handle multiple projects and deadlines. 

• Ability to effectively establish rapport and maintain appropriate boundaries with YRI colleagues and OCFS employees. 

• Proficient in written and verbal communication. 

• Commitment to teamwork and proactively fostering a collegial work environment. 

• Basic computer skills required – Word, Excel, PowerPoint. 

• Experience working with diverse groups and populations. 

• Supervision experience desirable but not required. 

A valid NYS Driver’s license is required. 

Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. YRI is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. YRI is committed to ensuring equal opportunity for persons with disabilities and workplace diversity. It is the policy of YRI to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of the position for which they are applying or for which they are employed. YRI does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with all regulations promulgated by the 

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under title I of the ADA.