This conference ‘bite size’ and ‘deeper dive’ opportunities are featured throughout each day and week the first three weeks of November. Below you will find topical professional development opportunities in varied formats, including videos, articles, webinars, and in person gatherings. Material is encouraged to be utilized individually and with your team to facilitate discussion and practice sharing.
Register on TrainLink. Select Children’s Services > Course Catalog. Select the Category "SSIS Learning Activities" and click Search. Select the SSIS COMBINED NEW MENTOR FORUM.
Note: The New Mentor Orientation and main Mentor Forum event have separate registration links. Please register for both if you wish to attend the orientation.
Registration instructions: Register on TrainLink. Select Children’s Services > Course Catalog. Select the Category "SSIS Learning Activities" and click Search. Select the SSIS COMBINED NEW MENTOR FORUM.
Archived Webinars
All Children All Families
All Children All Families is an initiative of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ inclusion advocacy group. The initiatives regularly provides online learning offerings covering promising practices in serving LGBTQ children, youth and families. There are 15 webinars to choose from, which cover topics including:
Introduction to LGBTQ Competency
Best practices for serving LGBTQ parents
Best practices for serving LGBTQ youth in out-of-home care
LGBTQ foster parent recruitment
Promising practices with trans and non-binary parents
A pronoun is a word used to refer to either the people who are talking (like “I” or “you”) or a person being talked about in the third person (like “she/her,” “he/him,” and “they/them”). Since some pronouns are gendered (“she/her” and “he/him”), it is important to be intentional about the way we use pronouns as we all work to create as inclusive an environment as possible. This document, created by Human Rights Campaign, outlines why pronouns matter, some tips on pronoun etiquette, and a chart offering examples of pronouns in use.
A collaboration of the ICWA Compliance and Child Welfare Training units, these monthly webinars review Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA) and Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) provisions and engage in a dialogue with a question and answer format. Each month will focus on a distinct ICWA provision, its requirements, and steps and strategies for implementation. Prior registration is required, and participants are highly encouraged to bring and share questions.
Webinar
ICWA Coffee Talk — ICWA Notice | 9:00 — 10 a.m.
A collaboration of the ICWA Compliance and Child Welfare Training units, these monthly webinars review the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA) and Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) provisions and engage in a dialogue with a question and answer format. Each month will focus on a distinct ICWA provision, its requirements, and steps and strategies for implementation. Prior registration is required, and participants are highly encouraged to bring and share questions.
Anton Treuer — ICWA in Practice: Culture in Practice | 10:30 a.m. — 12 p.m.
Description: Join in this discussion led by Dr. Anton Treuer, on ICWA practice: Culture in Practice. What does it mean to truly practice ICWA? Dr. Treuer will discuss the use of culture in carrying out ICWA provisions.
Anton Treuer (pronounced troy-er) is Professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University and author of 15 books. His equity, education, and cultural work has put him on a path of service around the region, the nation, and the world.
Additional information about Dr. Treuer can be found on the antontreuer.com site.
Dodge County, Conference Room 1, 22 East 6th Street, Mantorville, Minnesota 55955
Communities of Practice & Parent Support Outreach Program (PSOP) regional meeting | 1 – 4:00 p.m.
This round of Communities of Practice and the Parent Support Outreach Program (PSOP) regional meetings are combined. DHS staff will lead a discussion regarding working with Native American families, focusing on state and federal laws, tribal inquiry practice and requirements, and the engagement of tribes throughout the life of a case. All meetings will be focused on this topic so staff may attend whichever location is most convenient.
To transform child welfare, take race out of the equation
In this eye-opening talk about the impact of race and neighborhood on foster-care decisions, social worker Jessica Pryce shares a promising solution to help child welfare agencies make bias-free assessments about when to remove children from their families. "Let's work together to build a system that wants to make families stronger instead of pulling them apart," Pryce says.
Transform Child Welfare Take Race Out of the Equation Video
Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity – Implict Racial Bias 101Description:
This online course on implicit bias will introduce you to insights about how our minds operate and help you understand the origins of implicit associations. You will also uncover some of your own biases and learn strategies for addressing them. Each module is divided into a short series of lessons, many taking less than 10 minutes to complete. That way, even if you’re pressed for time, you can complete the lessons and modules at your convenience. Access modules here: https://kirwaninstitute.osu.edu/implicit-bias-101
Mount Iron Community Center, 8586 Enterprise Drive South, Mountain Iron, Minnesota 55768
Unconference hosted by Saint Louis County | 9 a.m. — 3 p.m.
Description: A conference organized, structured and led by the people attending it and the issues that matter to them. This one-day event will feature opportunities for participants to engage in discussion, networking, and reflection. The agenda could consist of multiple peer-driven workshops, large and small group discussions, and regional focus areas. Bring your questions, experiences, and expertise and get ready to experience conferencing in a whole new way.
Select Children’s Services > Class Schedule. Select all CSP classes or search “Unconference.”
General conference information
Minnesota Department of Human Services is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for those in need. Please email us in advance with any special needs for face-to-face events such as disability parking, ADA accommodations or a room for nursing mothers.