Course Description

Course Content and Format

In this course, the provisions of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) are presented in the order in which a child welfare worker might encounter them in an ICWA case. Along with an explanation of the law in non-legal language, the course gives the recommended performance steps associated with effective social work practice. Information is provided to both support practice and to ensure appropriate case records.


Course Objectives

•  Explain the circumstances that have shaped Indian child welfare policies
•  Explain the purpose for the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).
•  Explain ICWA and ASFA principles of good social work.
  
•  Use the Indian Child Welfare Act performance path to handle a simulated case situation.
  
   With the use of this course material, learners should be able to:
  
  
• Explain how a child welfare worker should handle a case involving an Indian child in order to comply with ICWA.
• Explain how to handle the out-of-home placement of an Indian child in compliance with both ICWA and the Adoption and  Safe Families Act (ASFA).
• Identify a resource for additional information about integrating ICWA and ASFA.
  
• Explain the optimum tribal response at various stages of an out-of-home placement of an Indian child.
  
• Explain cultural factors to consider when handling cases involving Indian children and families.
• Identify the rights of all parties when an Indian child is placed outside of the home.

Course Length


The course is likely to take three to six hours to compete, including the test. It is divided into three sections making it convenient to complete in several sessions. Only the most motivated learners are likely to complete the course in one session.


Tests

This course has two kinds of tests, quizzes that are titled Check Your Knowledge and the Completion Test. The quizzes are an optional element of the program designed to give users feedback about their learning. They appear at the end of most modules except in the case of short ones, where a quiz appears only after several modules. Taking them is not required to get a Certificate of Completion.  

Passing the Completion Test with 80% correct answers is required to get a Certificate of Completion. Learners may take this test at any time while visiting the site. When they successfully complete the test, they’ll receive a personalized Certificate of Completion.


Course Structure

The course is divided into three sections and the test is divided into two sections. Each module page contains information about elements of the ICWA. Where applicable, the page will list recommended performance path steps for both state and county social workers and tribal workers. Performance path steps for tribal workers will be identified with a Native American symbol or icon. Where applicable, the page will also contain buttons that link users to pages with information about elements of Native American culture, and good social work practices.


Instructional Strategies

 
To provide users with an optimum opportunity to learn, this course utilizes these strategies:

• Use case studies throughout the course to provide context for the learning and to provide the opportunity for learners to apply the information they are reading rather than simply memorizing it.
• Provide quizzes to allow learners to check their knowledge, to motivate them to retain information so they can get the reward of successfully answering the test questions, and to provide an interactive element to the training program.
• Provide immediate feedback to learners during quizzes:
• • indicate whether the answer is correct or incorrect;
  • state the correct answer; and,
  • give the location in the course of information about the question
• Encourage learners to stay on the site by allowing them to study the material in whatever order they like.
• Change the color on menu items when users select them, helping users to track which topics they have already visited.
• Allow learners to take the Course Test as many times as needed to pass.

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