Pre-Service

Welcome to Case Worker Pre-Service training. Pre-Service training provides beginning knowledge and awareness of areas essential to child welfare practice, including knowledge of the scope and philosophical base of child protective services, the basic process and functions of providing child protective services, and an introduction to engagement, safety, court, and human behavior.

 

This is the pre-service training approved by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. This content meets the requirement for pre-service training identified in DCF 43 (see below for more details). These modules are one component of a new child welfare professional’s initial training package that should also include direct supervision, job shadowing, and other on-the-job training.

 

To access a document that provides titles and descriptions of each section of the pre-service and length of each module, click here:

Click Here for Module Info

In order to maximize learning, new child welfare professionals, with support from their agency supervisor or coach, are encouraged to apply what they have learned through optional on-the job (OJT) activities. To access suggestions for on-the-job application activities, click here: Click Here for On The Job Activity Info

ATTENTION: If you began employment after January 1, 2023, AND it is in a county child welfare agency, AND your primary job functions are CPS Access, CPS Initial Assessment, or CPS Ongoing, please click here for information about how to access the Pre-Service training. All others, please follow the steps below to access the Pre-Service Training. 

Step 1: Let’s Get Started on Pre-Service Training

Please send a notification that you are beginning Pre-Service via one of the email links below.
In the email please include “pre-service” as the subject and the following in the body of the email:

Name:
Name of Agency:
Agency Address:
Work Telephone:
Work Email:
Job Title:
Date Hired:
Area of Practice:
Name of Direct Supervisor:
Email of Direct Supervisor:

Email Links:

I work in Milwaukee for Children’s Wisconsin, WellPoint or DMCPS : wcwpds-mke@uwm.edu

I work for one of the 11 Wisconsin Tribes : halonie@wisc.edu

I work for one of the 71 Wisconsin counties (outside of Milwaukee) : connie.koebke@wisc.edu

Step 2: Completing Pre-Service Training in PDS Online:

First – View the PDS Online Registration Information to learn how to log into your account.

Most caseworkers in Wisconsin are assigned an eWiSACWIS account – if you have not received information about your eWiSACWIS account, please talk to your supervisor before proceeding onto the next step. If you do / will have an eWiSACWIS account, a PDS Online account has been / will be created for you. Do not create a Self-Registration account as your completed training will not be accurately documented for training compliance purposes.

 

Second – Log into PDS Online with your user information.
Third – Select Request – you will be taken to your transcript.
Fourth – Select Open Curriculum – the full series of pre-service modules will appear.

If you have trouble accessing Pre-Service in PDS Online, please contact us at (608) 890 – 3965 for assistance.

Click Here to Access PDS Online

System Support

Please click here for the Computer Requirements for using the PDS Online system.

If you experience issues in launching the Pre-Service training, it may be because of a pop-up blocker. Please disable the pop-up blocker.

For additional PDS Online assistance, please visit:

  1. the User Guide to PDS Online Registration and Learning Management System
  2. or contact us at (608) 890-3965 for assistance

Your Pre-Service Training Requirements

Wisconsin Administrative Rule, Chapter DCF 43, Training for Child Protective Services Caseworkers and Supervisors, which defines the training requirements for child protective services workers and supervisors, requires those whose primary job functions include child protective services access, initial assessment, and ongoing child protective services to complete pre-service training prior to being assigned as a primary caseworker in eWiSACWIS. DCF Memo Series 2008 – 02 specifies that the minimum period pre-service training is full-time for one week. Agencies supplement the pre-service training with on-the-job activities, shadowing or assisting as secondary workers on cases, and other agency orientation activities.