Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 418 § 418.751 — Training and education for persons investigating child abuse

Training and education for persons investigating child abuse. (1) The Department of Human Services, as provided in ORS 418.702, and the Department of Justice shall ensure that training and education are provided for persons, other than law enforcement officers, who are required to investigate allegations of child abuse. (2)(a) The Department of Human Services shall provide trauma-informed training for employees within the department who are responsible for licensing, certifying or otherwise authorizing child-caring agencies and foster homes and for employees who investigate such agencies and homes. The training provided under this subsection must include the following: (A) Interview models and practices that are informed by policy, research and practice guidelines, with an emphasis on avoiding retraumatization by interview; (B) Recognizing characteristic signs and symptoms of child traumatic stress in children of different developmental ages and cultural backgrounds; (C) The impact of trauma on a child’s safety, permanency and well-being; (D) Using and administering trauma-informed assessment tools, instruments and practice strategies; (E) Collection of information on a child’s trauma history; (F) Techniques that promote children’s recovery and resiliency; and (G) Methods for improving placement stability by reducing the number of placements, shortening length of stays in care and reducing the number of placement moves. (b) Subject to the availability of funds, the Director of Human Services may extend trauma-informed training to other persons in the child welfare system including caseworkers, foster parents, parents, medical examiners and educators. (3) The Department of Human Services shall work to develop a written set of guidelines for trauma-informed practices for department employees who work with programs for children that can be shared with other entities, including but not limited to the Oregon Health Authority, the Oregon Youth Authority and the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training. (4) The Department of Human Services and the Department of Justice shall work with the Board on Public Safety Standards and Training to ensure that the training that is offered to persons under subsection (1) of this section and ORS 418.702 is coordinated with the training given to law enforcement officers. [1993 c.637 §§6,12; 2001 c.624 §5; 2005 c.562 §8; 2012 c.37 §57; 2017 c.498 §1] Note: See note under 418.746.