Manager Core

CWDS’s Manager Core course has been developed as a comprehensive series for child welfare managers, linking the themes in other levels of core (lineworker, supervisor and executive) to be specific to managers and to illustrate parallel process opportunities. This curriculum provides opportunities for participants to assess their knowledge, strengths and resources and apply knowledge and critical thinking skills to real manager scenarios. The participant exercises are designed to be relevant and applicable to child welfare managers.

This curriculum underscores the importance of different adult learning styles and provides information in a number of ways to help trainees integrate the information they are learning. The Manager Core curriculum, which includes participant activities, is designed to integrate the knowledge and experiences of the participants and encourages them to share that knowledge and those experiences with others during the course of the training.

The following themes are recognized as central concepts and are present in each module:

Fairness and equity
Self-Assessment
Engagement
Outcomes and accountability
Strength-based practice
Evidence-based and promising practices

Competencies for managers not only encompass those that are basic and first-level for supervisors, but begin to lead to those higher-level competencies established for executives.

Basic competencies include oral communication, written communication, problem solving, leadership, interpersonal skills, self-direction, flexibility and technical competence.

First-level supervisor competencies include managing a diverse workforce, human resources management, conflict management, team-building and influencing/negotiating.

Manager Core Training Handouts

Click the links below for training materials for each module of the Manager Core Training.

Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Module 5
Module 6

Day 6 Strategic Thinking and Planning for the Manager

In this course trainee will review at least three decision making and problem solving models, identify strategies to initiate and monitor for best practice, explore steps in program design, implementation and evaluation, link program design to policy and procedure, recognize importance of including personnel at all levels in strategic planning, list steps in successful strategic planning, and demonstrate presentation skills of an innovative program to include evaluation results.

Day 5 Essentials for Resource Management

In this course, trainees will review steps in thinking in a fiscally responsible manner in order to develop,monitor, and provide oversight to budgets, define outcome based management/contracting, identify ways to use Safe Measures as a tool for measurement of performance, recognize current issues related to service and performance, and practice developing strategies to address current issues.

Day 4 Growing and Sustaining Effective Internal Teams

In this course trainees will recognize the value of teamwork, clarify the needs of teams and identify strategies for shaping and managing a team, review the steps in interdisciplinary collaboration, increase and demonstrate skills related to collaboration and conflict management, link positive team environment to stress management, and develop a plan for creating a positive team environment with all teams.

Day 3 Strategies for Effective Organizational Communication

In this course trainees will identify information as a management tool, recognize the importance of translating the big picture and mandates to supervisors, identify the components of a learning organization, list steps to managing up and across programs, develop strategies for facilitating autonomous supervisors and review stages of change in order to facilitate change.

Day 2 Effective Relationships as a Manager

In this course, trainees will explore the role of authority in relationship, develop a process for succession planning, and define the boundaries of effective management. Trainees will learn about the steps and challenges in delegating and the importance of developing and maintaining relationships within an organization. Defining steps for managing for successful performance and identifying strategies for developing a mentoring relationship in order to develop staff will also be covered.

Day 1 Foundations for Managers in Child Welfare

In this course trainees will define the function of manager as liaison with community and state partners, link manager core to supervisor core and executive development, and complete a self-assessment to be used to understand strengths and challenges in role as manager. Trainees will also list the goals and themes of the manager series including transfer of learning tools and recognize the importance of maintaining the integrity of the organization and the manager’s role in supporting this.