Requires training in developmental disability awareness and sensitivity and cultural competency, sensitivity and implicit bias for child protective services workers.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4969
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 19, 2021
___________
Introduced by Sen. KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to requiring child
protective services workers to receive training in developmental disa-
bility awareness and sensitivity and cultural competency, sensitivity
and implicit bias
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraphs (b) and (c) and of subdivision 5 of section 421
2 of the social services law, paragraph (b) as amended by chapter 525 of
3 the laws of 2006, paragraph (c) as amended by chapter 67 of the laws of
4 2019, are amended to read as follows:
5 (b) promulgate regulations setting forth training requirements which
6 shall specify, among other things, that all persons hired by a child
7 protective service on or after April first, nineteen hundred eighty-six
8 shall have satisfactorily completed a course approved by the department
9 within the first three months of employment, in the fundamentals of
10 child protection. Such course shall include at least basic training in
11 the principles and techniques of investigations, including relationships
12 with other investigative bodies, legal issues in child protection, and
13 methods of remediation, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Such regu-
14 lations shall also specify that all persons employed by a child protec-
15 tive service [on or after December first, two thousand six] shall satis-
16 factorily complete [six] eight hours of annual [in service] in-service
17 training, beginning in their second year of employment. Such annual [in
18 service] in-service training shall include, but is not limited to,
19 review of the protocols for identification and investigation of child
20 abuse and maltreatment, any developments in legal, treatment and
21 prevention issues in child protection, [and] review and analysis of
22 field experiences of child protective services workers, developmental
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04956-01-1
S. 4969 2
1 disability awareness and sensitivity, and cultural competency, sensitiv-
2 ity and implicit bias training.
3 (c) require all persons assigned to be a supervisor by a child protec-
4 tive service on or after April first, nineteen hundred eighty-six, shall
5 have satisfactorily completed, within the first three months of employ-
6 ment as a supervisor or within three months of the effective date of
7 this paragraph, whichever shall occur first, a course in the fundamen-
8 tals of child protection developed by the office of children and family
9 services. All supervisors must complete eight hours of annual in-ser-
10 vice training beginning in their second year of employment as a supervi-
11 sor. Such training course shall, among other things, strengthen and
12 expand current training procedures for child protective service supervi-
13 sors; provide the skills, knowledge and standards to practice effective
14 case planning and case management; provide comprehensive assessment
15 tools needed in critical decision making; require participation in the
16 existing next generation training required by child protective service
17 caseworkers; strengthen recognition and response to safety and risk
18 indicators; improve skills to promote consistent implementation of
19 training and practice; provide the necessary tools and assistance to
20 build the ability to coach and monitor child protective service case-
21 workers and model effective investigation practice; increase cultural
22 competency and sensitivity; increase developmental disability awareness
23 and sensitivity; and establish an annual [in service] in-service train-
24 ing program specifically focused on child protective service supervi-
25 sors.
26 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
