Become a Service Provider

Service Providers bring real-world expertise to the Academy’s trainings, coaching and curriculum. Learn what the role involves, check the basic requirements, and see what to expect during the process.

Before You Apply

Recruitment Opportunities

Open recruitment is currently paused. We recruit Service Providers on an as-needed basis based on program and training needs.

New Service Providers

Welcome to the Academy!
Work through these three steps before you begin providing services.

Step 1

Welcome & Orientation

An overview of your role, responsibilities, Academy expectations, systems, scheduling, payment, evaluations and support.

Step 2

Onboarding Requirements

Complete each required step. Every item links directly to the form, training or document you need.

Step 3

Knowledge Bases

Learn what each system is used for and how to access it.

Active Service Providers

Your hub for the certifications each course requires, and the expectations that guide your work with the Academy.

Course Certification Requirements

These courses require a certification or award that must be kept current. To see the courses you’re approved to deliver, check your booking page in Access PlanIt.

Common Core 3.5 Facilitator

Requirements for courses marked CC3.5 Facilitator in the list below. Complete these steps within your first year of training Common Core. New SPs will receive the Common Core 3.5 Facilitator Probationary Year Award and will have a year to complete the award before being given the CC3.5 Facilitator Award.

Within Your First Year
  1. View the prerequisite eLearnings in CACWT for each class you teach. Find them in the CACWT Curriculum Library.
  2. Attend the CC3.5 Training for Trainers (T4T), a full-day, instructor-led, skills-based session.
  3. Complete the CRPB Tool eLearning (Culturally Responsive Practice Behaviors Assessment and Development Tool). Self-enroll in CACWT.
  4. View the four T4T webinars, self-paced in the CACWT Course Catalog: Cultural Humility, Assessment, Trauma Informed Practice, and ICPM Common Core Overview. Be ready to help child welfare staff connect to each topic.
To Stay Current

At least every other fiscal year, attend one coaching or skills-based training. Any training skills course counts. Contact your RTA or county, or check the CACWT Course Catalog for current offerings.

Submitting Proof of Completion
  1. Log in to CACWT and switch your dashboard role to Learner.
  2. Click Print Transcript in the left sidebar.
  3. Email to Development Operations Coordinator.

Course not in CACWT? Email your completion documents to the same address.

Statewide Trainer Qualifications →

CourseProgramRequired Certification(s)
Child and Family Teaming
Common Core 3.5. CANS User Certification is through the Praed Foundation.		CWDSCC3.5 FacilitatorCANS
Fairness and Equity
Common Core 3.5		CWDSCC3.5 FacilitatorFairness and Equity T4T
ICWA and Working with Native American Tribes
Common Core 3.5		CWDSCC3.5 FacilitatorTribal STAR
Structured Tools and Assessment Skills Lab
Common Core 3.5. SDM certification is through Evident Change.		CWDSCC3.5 FacilitatorCANSSDM Facilitator
CANS (Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths) Assessment
IP-CANS. Recertify every year through the Praed Foundation.		CWDSCANS
Child and Family Team Meeting Facilitation (CFT)
Your CFT award status may be affected by your CANS award status. See the Statewide Trainer Qualifications for criteria.		CWDSCANS
CA Family First Prevention Services (FFPS) Overview
Attend these eLearnings as a learner: CA FFPS Overview, Shifting Mindset toward Prevention, and Implicit Bias and Disproportionality. Then complete the CA FFPS Overview T4T.		CWDSFFPS Overview Facilitator
CA FFPS Learning Series – Tier 2: Case Management for Community Pathway
Complete this course’s T4T. Submit proof of completion to CWDS.		CWDSFFPS Overview FacilitatorFFPS Tier 2 T4T
CA FFPS Learning Series – Tier 2: Safety Through the Lens of Prevention
Complete this course’s T4T. Submit proof of completion to CWDS.		CWDSFFPS Overview FacilitatorFFPS Tier 2 T4T
CA FFPS Learning Series – Tier 2: Case Management for Child Welfare
Complete this course’s T4T. Submit proof of completion to CWDS.		CWDSFFPS Overview FacilitatorFFPS Tier 2 T4T

The Training Coordinator team will send out open recruitments to all SPs, and we encourage SPs to routinely check the booking page in AP for availability.
See open recruitments →

Qualify & Stay Current

Expectations

IES Employees & Vendors FAQ

Disclaimer: The information provided in this resource reflects current processes and requirements for individuals providing services for the Academy for Professional Excellence (The Academy). Information and processes are subject to change as updates are made.

IES Employees: Onboarding & Employment

Once you have been identified and scheduled to provide services for the Academy, your name and contact information will be shared with IES. IES will then contact you to begin onboarding.

Resource: IES Onboarding Video.

Yes. To provide services for the Academy, you must either complete the IES onboarding process or submit the required information and documents to be paid as a vendor through an incorporated business.

Important: If you do not complete the IES or vendor process within one week of your scheduled delivery, the training may be canceled or reassigned. You will not be offered additional training opportunities until the applicable process is fully complete.

The IES onboarding process typically takes 3–5 business days. The actual timeline depends on how quickly you provide all required information and complete and submit the necessary documents.

IES will email you instructions and information about the documents required for onboarding and employment.

Required documents may include an IES application, Form I-9 paperwork (which has two parts), and any other items requested by IES.

After you complete the full process, IES will send an automated welcome email with information such as your active status and pay rate.

You will also receive an email from the Academy with the subject line “Welcome to the Academy for Professional Excellence & Innovative Employee Solutions (IES).”

Yes. All IES employees must complete Sexual Harassment Prevention Training or submit proof of completion within 30 days of beginning employment with IES.

Vendor Status & Onboarding

You may need to complete an updated Classification Survey.

Once classified as a vendor, you must set up a secure online account through PaymentWorks to receive payment from the SDSU Research Foundation. The invitation will come from no-reply@paymentworks.com.

Important: An LLC taxed as a sole proprietorship is not considered a corporation and does not qualify for the business-to-business exemption under AB5; sole proprietors will still receive a 1099. To qualify as a vendor under this process, an LLC must have S-Corp or C-Corp tax status. The Foundation will not issue a 1099 once you are designated as an LLC S-Corp or LLC C-Corp, and you will file your own taxes. Contact a tax professional if you need clarification.

No. You will not be paid for services performed before the onboarding process is fully complete because retroactive payment is not available through this process.

Yes. You can switch from IES employee status to vendor status by completing an updated Classification Survey and the other required forms to be classified as a vendor.

Vendors with an incorporated business receive a daily rate based on their qualification level (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, etc.).

Vendors who provide coaching receive an hourly rate for coaching services only.

Rates, Compensation & Paid Services

Your daily/hourly rate is based on preparation and delivery time, using a formula based on industry standards for training delivery and preparation.

Expected arrival/login times are: in person, up to one hour before training starts; virtual, up to 30 minutes before training starts.

The Academy determines the hourly rate based on the Service Provider’s experience, expertise, qualifications, and established rate criteria. The program lead reviews these factors and communicates the approved rate to the fiscal analyst, who initiates IES onboarding. The IES employee is informed of their hourly rate after completing onboarding.

Resource: Academy Service Provider Rate Criteria

IES employees receive the same pay rate for specialized services, including facilitation, curriculum development or revisions, professional-development opportunities, Training for Trainers, and meeting attendance.

Vendors are paid at established full-day, half-day, or hourly rates, depending on the service provided, such as training facilitation, coaching, meetings, curriculum development or revisions, and other related work.

No. IES employees and vendors receive their full rate for deliveries co-trained with Academy staff or another service provider.

Rate increases depend on the available fiscal-year budget. Because the annual budget can change, increases are not guaranteed.

When the budget allows, providers must meet the program’s criteria for an increase.

Academy staff will update IES employees’ hourly rates in the IES portal and include an effective date. For vendors, increases are added to the daily rate and are also subject to program criteria and the implementation schedule.

Training observations and other professional development opportunities are typically unpaid because they support individual growth and development. If the Academy requires your participation, you may be paid at your current IES employee rate or, as a vendor, at an hourly rate. Payment is determined case by case.

Timesheets, Hours & Meal Breaks

Service Providers should enter two hours of preparation time on their IES timesheet for each training delivery, whether in person or virtual.

Any time spent with a co-trainer and/or TOA preparing for a virtual training day must be included within those two hours.

Additional preparation time for a specific course must be approved in advance by Academy staff. Service Providers who consistently bill more than two hours of preparation per delivery may no longer receive training opportunities.

Enter preparation time on a separate day before the training. In the timesheet comments, write “Prep hours” and include the full course title and facilitation date so the expense can be matched to the correct records.

IES staff will explain how to complete your timesheet in the Webtime Timesheet portal.

Resource: How to Use Webtime Video Tutorial.

No. Do not attach an invoice to your IES timecard entry.

In the comments section of your Webtime timesheet, include the training name and the number of preparation hours billed.

IES employees must submit timesheets every Friday. IES typically sends weekly reminders.

Do not enter more than eight hours on any one day. If entering preparation time and training on the same day would exceed eight hours, record them on separate days.

Time exceeding eight hours in a single training day will not be paid. Timesheets submitted more than 45 days after a delivery will also result in nonpayment. Submit timesheets no later than two weeks after facilitating a delivery.

If you did not provide any services during a week, you do not need to submit a timesheet, even if you receive an automated reminder.

Yes. Any Academy training delivery lasting more than five hours requires at least a 30-minute unpaid meal break before the fifth hour. Record the break in the IES web portal timesheet.

For virtual trainings, a 45-minute lunch is included. For in-person trainings, the full one-hour lunch break remains part of the training day.

If you are unsure how many hours to enter, contact Academy staff for guidance.

Examples of timesheet entries:

Full Day In class:

For full day in-person deliveries please input a total of 7.00 hours (including meal break before the 5th hour)

Half Day: For a 1/2 day in person or virtual training enter a total of 3.75 hours.

Virtual (Via Zoom): For Full day virtual deliveries please input a total of 6.5 hours.

For trainings or events outside standard delivery hours, you will be told the expected number of hours when you are scheduled. IES employees do not enter travel time on their IES timesheets.

Training Logistics & Scheduling

Trainings and other events may be held in person at Academy training sites in San Diego or Riverside, California, or at an identified site in one of the seven counties served: Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura.

The Academy also offers trainings and other events virtually through Zoom.

Training events are typically scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Facilitators are expected to arrive before the event begins—typically 30 minutes early for virtual trainings and one hour early for in-person trainings. For specialized events, you will receive the expected arrival time by email.

Most half-day trainings are scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to noon, with occasional sessions from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Some specialized deliveries, such as SOP or simulations, may have different time frames. You will be notified when scheduled to facilitate these topics. All events must end at the scheduled time to accommodate staff schedules.

If you cannot deliver a scheduled training or event, notify your Training Coordinator  at least five business days in advance. In an emergency, notify the Training Coordinator  as soon as possible.

The Academy may occasionally cancel an event because of low enrollment, natural disasters, or other challenges. The Academy will make every effort to provide 5–7 business days’ notice. IES employees and vendors are not paid for canceled training or events.

You will be compensated only for services covered by your agreement with the Academy/program in your role as an IES employee or vendor.

Curriculum & Professional Development

Proprietary Curriculum owned by an external provider remains that provider’s intellectual property. Time spent updating it for an Academy delivery is unpaid.

Revisions requested by Academy staff to curriculum owned by the program or another entity are paid at the service-provider rate. Academy staff requesting the revisions will agree on the scope and amount of time allowed.

Revisions requested by the Academy to existing curriculum owned by the Academy, the state, or another entity are paid at the service-provider rate. Providers may be compensated for up to three hours to complete the revision. Additional time must be approved in advance by the Academy staff member who requested the revisions.

Meet Our People

Get to know the Academy team and fellow Service Providers.

Newsletter Archive

Browse past Service Provider newsletters, organized by month and year.

Contact WMD

Reach out to  our Workforce Management and Development team with questions.