6150. Client De-escalation Training

Approval:             Connie Lambert-Eckel, Acting Assistant Secretary

Original Date:      July 1, 2018

Revised Date:      July 1, 2018

Policy Review:     July 1, 2021

Purpose

Children’s Administration (CA) staff need tools and training to engage with clients, recognize escalation, and make effort to de-escalate the encounter while remaining engaged. This policy makes mandatory Right Response Level 3 (RRL3) training provided through the Alliance for Child Welfare Excellence (Alliance).

Scope

All CA caseworkers, supervisors, area administrators and any staff who have verbal or physical contact with CA-involved children, youth, and families.

Laws

RCW 74.13.031 Duties of department - Child welfare services - Children's services advisory committee.

Policy

  1. All CA staff who have verbal or physical contact with children, youth, and families will complete RRL3 training in their first year of employment.
  2. All CA staff who complete the training become certified in RRL3. Certification expires after two years and all staff required to complete RRL3 must repeat the training.  
  3. All CA staff employed on or after the original date of the policy will complete RRL3 training. Priority of enrollment in the training is according to the following:
    1. Social service specialist 2 and 3
    2. Social service specialist 4
    3. Area administrator
    4. Deputy regional administrator (DRA)
    5. Regional administrator (RA)and Division of Licensed Resources (DLR) administrator
    6. Headquarters staff who have contact with children, youth, and families

RAs, DRAs, and the DLR administrator may be waived from RRL3 through an administrative waiver. The DCFS Administrative Approval Request DSHS form 05-210 must be completed and submitted to the Assistant Secretary for approval. See DCFS Administrative Approval policy.

Procedures

  1. New social service specialist staff will enroll in RRL3 training after Regional Core Training (RCT) through the WA State Learning Center (WSLC) within one year of employment.
  2. The Regional Administrator and DLR Administrator or designee will create a RRL3 regional plan to ensure that all regional staff, including themselves, employed on the original date of the policy complete RRL3 training within three years of the original date of the policy.
    1. The RRL3 regional plan will be communicated to the assistant secretary of child welfare programs or designee within six months of the original date of this policy.
    2. The regional administrator and DLR administrator will request additional training as capacity is reached impacting the ability of staff to complete training.
    3. The regional training plan must include recertification of staff every two years after completion of initial training.
  3. Social service specialist staff employed on or after the original date of the policy will enroll in RRL3 through the WSLC based on capacity.
  4. Headquarters staff will enroll in RRL3 through the WSLC.

Forms

DCFS Administrative Approval Request DSHS form 05-210

Resources

WA State Learning Center