California Uses Mandated Reporter Training to Bring its Child Abuse Mandated Reporter Training Online
California's Mandated Reporter Training initiative from The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and Office of Child Abuse Prevention (OCAP) provides training for all mandated reporters of child abuse in California.
Child Protective Services is California's primary intervention system for child abuse and neglect. OCAP administers federal grants, contracts, and state programs to promote best practices and innovative approaches to child abuse prevention, intervention, and treatment. OCAP serves as a statewide source of information, developing and disseminating educational material regarding prevention/early intervention programs, activities, and research.
CDSS’s ongoing partnership with Simple Learning Systems (Simple) has provided continued improvement for end users by enhancing the user experience in the mandated reporter training platform, current content in the courses, and optimized courses that reduced run times by 50% in most of the courseware. In 2023, CDSS migrated to Simple’s cloud Mandated Reporter Training (MRT) platform - MandatedReporterTraining.com.
The move expanded on the user features and benefits of the previous LMS and was in alignment with the California Department of Technology’s ongoing goals to make technology easy to access, use, and deliver dependable public services.
The migration was a seamless transition of all existing learners and maintained training history that enabled existing learners to pick up where they left off in the legacy system.
As a mandated reporter, your perspective can shape the policies and practices that impact children and families. You are being asked to share your experience because The Center believes that those closest to the work have the greatest wisdom to share.
The survey is quick, confidential, and anonymous. Your individual responses will not be shared, but the data from the survey may be reported in publications and could shape the future of mandated reporting.
To thank participants, the Center will raffle off five $50 gift cards to survey respondents.
About the Center: Bridging the Gap Between Hotlines and Helplines
The Quality Improvement Center on Helplines and Hotlines (The Center) was established to provide practical, research-based solutions for child protection hotlines and community helplines, supporting all families in reaching their full potential.
Mandated reporters report to child protective service agencies when they have knowledge or reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect. However, many mandated reporters struggle with difficult decisions about whether their concerns involve actual child maltreatment or other factors, such as economic need, that could be addressed through community-based resources. Some may turn to child protection hotlines not to report abuse, but in an attempt to help provide resources for a family.
Child protection hotlines are not equipped to meet all the needs a family may have, and reports involving families needing resources can strain the agencies meant to keep children safe from danger, divert child protection agencies from their mission, and cause families stress.
Many communities are now trialing “helplines,” typically managed by community, faith-based, and nonprofit service providers, designed to connect families in need with prevention services. Helplines can free up child protection hotlines to focus on their important mandate of child safety and make a real difference for families with complex needs.
However, there are currently no nationally established best practices to help mandated reporters and CPS hotline staff determine which reports must be referred to CPS hotlines and what kinds of concerns are appropriate for helplines.
The Quality Improvement Center on Helplines and Hotlines is working to bridge this gap. By taking this survey as a mandated reporter or staff/volunteer at a hotline or helpline, you are helping provide data that can impact future policies and make a difference.
Have your voice heard, influence policy, and be entered to win a gift card. Take this critically important survey today.
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