1563
. (a) The department shall ensure that licensing personnel at
the department have appropriate training to properly carry out this
chapter.
(b) The department shall institute a staff development and
training program to develop among departmental staff the knowledge
and understanding necessary to successfully carry out this chapter.
Specifically, the program shall do all of the following:
(1) Provide staff with 36 hours of training per year that reflects
the needs of persons served by community care facilities. This
training shall, where appropriate, include specialized instruction in
the needs of foster children, persons with mental disorders, or
developmental or physical disabilities, or other groups served by
specialized community care facilities.
(2) Give priority to applications for employment from persons with
experience as care providers to persons served by community care
facilities.
(3) Provide new staff with comprehensive training within the first
six months of employment. This comprehensive training shall, at a
minimum, include the following core areas: administrative action
process, client populations, conducting facility visits, cultural
awareness, documentation skills, facility operations, human relation
skills, interviewing techniques, investigation processes, and
regulation administration.
(c) In addition to the requirements in subdivision (b), group
home, short-term residential treatment center, and foster family
agency licensing personnel shall receive a minimum of 24 hours of
training per year to increase their understanding of children in
group homes, short-term residential treatment centers, certified
homes, and foster family homes. The training shall cover, but not be
limited to, all of the following topics:
(1) The types and characteristics of emotionally troubled
children.
(2) The high-risk behaviors they exhibit.
(3) The biological, psychological, interpersonal, and social
contributors to these behaviors.
(4) The range of management and treatment interventions utilized
for these children, including, but not limited to, nonviolent,
emergency intervention techniques.
(5) The right of a foster child to have fair and equal access to
all available services, placement, care, treatment, and benefits, and
to not be subjected to discrimination or harassment on the basis of
actual or perceived race, ethnic group identification, ancestry,
national origin, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender
identity, mental or physical disability, or HIV status.
(d) The training described in subdivisions (b) and (c) may include
the following topics:
(1) An overview of the child protective and probation systems.
(2) The effects of trauma, including grief and loss, and child
abuse or neglect on child development and behavior, and methods to
behaviorally support children impacted by that trauma or child abuse
and neglect.
(3) Positive discipline and the importance of self-esteem.
(4) Health issues in foster care, including, but not limited to,
the authorization, uses, risks, benefits, assistance with
self-administration, oversight, and monitoring of psychotropic
medications, and trauma, mental health, and substance use disorder
treatments for children in foster care under the jurisdiction of the
juvenile court, including how to access those treatments.
(5) Accessing the services and supports available to foster
children to address educational needs, physical, mental, and
behavioral health, substance use disorders, and culturally relevant
services.
(6) Instruction on cultural competency and sensitivity and related
best practices for, providing adequate care for children across
diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, as well as for children
identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.
(7) Understanding how to use best practices for providing care and
supervision to commercially sexually exploited children.
(8) Understanding the federal Indian Child Welfare Act (25 U.S.C.
Sec. 1901 et seq.), its historical significance, the rights of
children covered by the act, and the best interests of Indian
children, including the role of the caregiver in supporting
culturally appropriate, child-centered practices that respect Native
American history, culture, retention of tribal membership, and
connection to the tribal community and traditions.
(9) Understanding how to use best practices for providing care and
supervision to nonminor dependents.
(10) Understanding how to use best practices for providing care
and supervision to children with special health care needs.
(11) Basic instruction on existing laws and procedures regarding
the safety of foster youth at school; and ensuring a harassment and
violence free school environment pursuant to Article 3.6 (commencing
with Section 32228) of Chapter 2 of Part 19 of Division 1 of Title 1
of the Education Code.
(12) Permanence, well-being, and educational needs of children.
(13) Child and adolescent development, including sexual
orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
(14) The role of foster parents, including working cooperatively
with the child welfare or probation agency, the child's family, and
other service providers implementing the case plan.
(15) A foster parent's responsibility to act as a reasonable and
prudent parent, and to provide a family setting that promotes normal
childhood experiences that serve the needs of the child.
(16) Physical and psychosocial needs of children, including
behavior management, deescalation techniques, and trauma informed
crisis management planning.