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Family Engagement in Child Welfare: Ethics, Empathy, and Evidence-Based Practice - 9/18/2026

90

Course Overview
This course equips mental health professionals with trauma-informed, ethical, and culturally responsive strategies for engaging families involved in the child welfare system. Participants explore the clinical impact of systemic trauma, learn to reframe “resistance” as a survival response, and strengthen communication and documentation practices that build safety and trust. Grounded in evidence-based practice, this course offers tools to enhance outcomes for families navigating CPS involvement. Through real-world case studies, reflective exercises, and applied frameworks, this course empowers clinicians to support family healing, safety, and reunification within multidisciplinary teams. 

Learning Outcomes 
Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:

  • Describe the impact of trauma on family engagement and participation in mandated services. 
  • Reframe resistance and avoidance behaviors as protective trauma responses. 
  • Apply ethical and documentation practices that reduce bias and support reunification. 
  • Demonstrate cultural humility and awareness of systemic racism in child welfare practice. 
  • Collaborate effectively with CPS social workers and other team members to support sustainable family change. 
  • Integrate reflective supervision, peer consultation, and self-compassion into trauma-informed practice. 
     

About the Author/Presenter 
Ashley Castro, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over a decade of experience in child welfare, behavioral health, and trauma-informed systems training. She serves as a Staff Development Officer for a Public Sector and the founder of AC Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Inc., where she provides clinical therapy, consulting, and curriculum development. Her expertise bridges direct clinical practice and system-level change, with a focus on ethics, empathy, and evidence-based engagement strategies for court-involved families. 


Audience/Accreditations and Approvals 
TRC Healthcare/ NetCE 
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by TRC Healthcare/ NetCE. TRC Healthcare/NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. 
This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details): 
Counselor, Psychology, Social Work

If you require special accommodations, please contact Colibri Healthcare Support by clicking here: Contact Us