The Academy for Professional Excellence and the Public Child Welfare Training Academy’s Simulation Site was designed specifically to strengthen critical thinking, decision-making, interviewing, analytical and problem-solving skills in a safe, realistic environment for child welfare workers entering the public child welfare system. Simulation can easily be adapted to benefit many disciplines. They are designed in a way that allows them to be malleable and shift to meet the needs of a variety of workforce demographics. The Academy is in its second year of implementation and shared the process of development and lessons learned from the past year.

The Evolution of Simulation Training at the Public Child Welfare Training Academy

• Jennifer Baum, Assistant Director and Chief Financial Officer, Academy for Professional Excellence
• Cynthia Ebron, Riverside Site/Simulation Coordinator, Public Child Welfare Training Academy
• Chelsea Payne, Research and Development Specialist, Academy for Professional Excellence
• Nancy Satterwhite, County Consultant Manager, Academy for Professional Excellence
• Anzette Shackelford, Training Development Manager and County Consultant, Academy for Professional Excellence