NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State University is opening a child protection training academy in early November. This new addition will make ISU to be one of four regional training hubs for the Illinois DCFS.
Doris Houston is the co-director of the training academy. She shared what the program will look like for students.
“We’ll be bringing in individuals who are working in child protection and various areas with child welfare to ensure that they have a chance to have what we call ‘experiential learning,’ so in addition to classroom learning… which will take place for several weeks, they’ll have a chance to come to us and practice their skills,” Houston said.
This academy will serve as a simulation-based training program for students who plan to go into child welfare services. It will feature a training facility consisting of two mock apartments, a mock courtroom, a small mock medical office and a classroom.
Trainees will start in the classroom with 8-10 students for a brief introduction to what a day on the field would look like. Following this, trainees will be given a case scenario to simulate by visiting a mock apartment with a mock family played by Coalesce Theater actors. Houston shared the concept behind this simulation.
“Just like they are in a real-life scenario, they’ll have that chance to practice their skills, seeing what it’s like to actually be in a home, sit in a living room of a family, talk with them under circumstances that are not always easy,” Houston said.
Trainees will also simulate testifying their case in court with the mock courtroom so they can get experience gathering information and presenting it to a judge.
Additionally, the mock medical office provides child protection investigators with the simulation of visiting a child in the hospital and talking with the medical providers to get a clear understanding of any injuries.
Illinois State University is currently working to repurpose a rented space from a former Baby Fold residential treatment center to contain this simulation lab. The facility will be off-campus due to limited space on campus. Upon completion, an open house will be held.
“The opening will be just a way to invite the community and our stakeholders and leaders to see the space it will be using,” Houston said.
This simulation lab will provide trainees with the observation and evaluation skills associated with work in the field of child welfare through hands-on, simulatory learning.