LANSING - Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) Director Marianne Udow and Michigan State Police Director Colonel Peter C. Munoz today announced that the two departments are collaborating to strengthen the investigation training program for children's protective services (CPS) workers. The enhanced training will give workers and supervisors better tools to anticipate potentially dangerous situations, and will be required of all child protective service workers as part of an ongoing effort by the Michigan Department of Human Services to reform the state's child welfare system.

"We must do everything possible to protect Michigan's children and to keep them safe," said DHS Director Marianne Udow. "This collaboration with the Michigan State Police adds yet another additional element to our ongoing plan to fundamentally overhaul child protective services in Michigan."

DHS children's protective services workers conduct more than 75,000 investigations of abuse and neglect each year, which breaks down to approximately 100 cases per year for each worker.

"This expanded investigation training program is just one of many changes DHS is making to improve the state's child welfare system," said Udow. "The enhanced investigation training is designed to give our workers and supervisors better tools to detect and anticipate dangerous situations, conduct thorough investigations and make the best possible decisions regarding individual cases."

Michigan State Police staff closely reviewed the training that CPS workers currently receive and offered a five-step approach to strengthening the current investigative process.

"It is critical that CPS workers have the ability to conduct thorough and useful investigations in order to ensure the safety of the children they are charged with protecting," said Munoz. "We've partnered with the Department of Human Services in the past to provide limited training on occasion, but this is the first time the MSP will be providing a training program required for all CPS workers."

The five-step approach in the required training includes:

1. Development and use of an evidence checklist - DHS staff will utilize a checklist that includes a listing of observable factors that may indicate the presence of neglect or abuse. CPS workers will use this list to gauge the severity and number of factors in each case which determine the need to escalate the interaction with the family from a visit to an investigation.
   
2. Development and use of a report writing handbook - DHS worker will use a handbook that details what the investigative report must include, allowing workers to gather better information during the course of the investigation.
   
3. Improved interview training - MSP training will improve the critical interviews that CPS workers conduct to determine child abuse or neglect and the need for law enforcement involvement.
   
4. Improved report writing training - MSP training will help CPS workers and foster care staff to more accurately document observations, information and statements during client interactions.
   
5. Enhanced Supervisory Training - CPS supervisors will be trained in the use of the evidence checklist and report writing handbook. Additionally, MSP training will help them develop an even higher level of technical knowledge in the areas of investigation and documentation in investigative reports.