Pre-service training provides an introduction to BMCW mission, purpose, structure, policy, procedure, job functions and the legal codes central to public child welfare in Milwaukee.

Except as noted below, all new staff, including supervisory and non-supervisory staff, are required to complete all pre-service courses before they take primary assignment of a case.

Pre-service courses are organized by program area. Pre-service courses are also organized into series. New staff are advised to sign up for an entire series. Doing so will assure that material is learned in the most logical sequence and in the most manageable time frame.

The pre-service training classes are:

• Court Preparedness & Court Orientation
  This one-day training will introduce child welfare staff with the skills necessary to provide factual information to the courts in cases of maltreatment of children.
  
  
• Cultural Competence
  Participants are introduced to the influence of culture on the delivery of quality service to client families.  Participants will learn to recognize their own cultural identifications and how they may effect work with clients.  Participants will also be introduced to culturally competent ways of interacting with diverse populations. 
  
  
• Intro to ACCESS
  This session is for both Intake and IA workers.
  
  
• Introduction to BMCW
  This orientation class introduces staff to the structure and organization of the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare (BMCW).
  
  
• Introduction to CST
  This one-day course introduces staff to the CST model, including its purpose and guiding principles.  Participants will also be introduced to how the CST process is used in the process of case management. 
  
  
• Introduction to Initial Assessment
  Intake and Initial Assessment staff will learn how to work with families in crisis.
  
  
• Introduction to Ongoing Case Management & Safety Services
  Participants will learn family-centered case management concepts with particular emphasis on case planning, management of case records, and compliance with documentation requirements.
  
  
• Introduction to Out of Home Care
  Adoption and Out of Home Care staff will be introduced to their role as a child welfare team member.
  
  
• Juvenile Court Intake Training
  This 30-hour course is required for all Intake and Initial Assessment Social Workers and Supervisors before cases can be assigned.
  
  
• WiSACWIS
  The Wisconsin Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (WiSACWIS) is the web-based system for documenting case activity and collecting data used by all public child welfare organizations in Wisconsin.

Newly hired staff must complete the pre-service courses designed for the program area:

Course Intake Initial Assessment Ongoing Case Management Out of Home Care Adoption Safety Service (including FISS) Quality Assurance Introduction to CST Introduction to the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare Cultural Competence Quality Case Documentation Court Preparedness and Court Orientation WiSACWIS (web-based training course) Introduction to Intake and Initial Assessment           Introduction to Ongoing Case Management             Introduction to Adoption and Out-of-Home Care           Introduction to Safety Services             Juvenile Court Training