(a) The department shall ensure that licensing personnel at the department have appropriate training to properly carry out this chapter.

(b) The department shall institute a staff development and training program to develop among departmental staff the knowledge and understanding necessary to successfully carry out this chapter. Specifically, the program shall do all of the following:

(1) Provide staff with 36 hours of training per year that reflects the needs of persons served by community care facilities. This training shall, where appropriate, include specialized instruction in the needs of foster children, persons with mental disorders, or developmental or physical disabilities, or other groups served by specialized community care facilities.

(2) Give priority to applications for employment from persons with experience as care providers to persons served by community care facilities.

(3) Provide new staff with comprehensive training within the first six months of employment. This comprehensive training shall, at a minimum, include the following core areas: administrative action process, client populations, conducting facility visits, cultural awareness, documentation skills, facility operations, human relation skills, interviewing techniques, investigation processes, and regulation administration.

(c) In addition to the requirements in subdivision (b), group home, short-term residential therapeutic program, and foster family agency licensing personnel shall receive a minimum of 24 hours of training per year to increase their understanding of children in group homes, short-term residential therapeutic programs, certified homes, and foster family homes. The training shall cover, but not be limited to, all of the following topics:

(1) The types and characteristics of emotionally troubled children.

(2) The high-risk behaviors they exhibit.

(3) The biological, psychological, interpersonal, and social contributors to these behaviors.

(4) The range of management and treatment interventions utilized for these children, including, but not limited to, nonviolent, emergency intervention techniques.

(5) The right of a foster child to have fair and equal access to all available services, placement, care, treatment, and benefits, and to not be subjected to discrimination or harassment on the basis of actual or perceived race, ethnic group identification, ancestry, national origin, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental or physical disability, or HIV status.

(d) The training described in subdivisions (b) and (c) may include the following topics:

(1) An overview of the child protective and probation systems.

(2) The effects of trauma, including grief and loss, and child abuse or neglect on child development and behavior, and methods to behaviorally support children impacted by that trauma or child abuse and neglect.

(3) Positive discipline and the importance of self-esteem.

(4) Health issues in foster care, including, but not limited to, the authorization, uses, risks, benefits, assistance with self-administration, oversight, and monitoring of psychotropic medications, and trauma, mental health, and substance use disorder treatments for children in foster care under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, including how to access those treatments.

(5) Accessing the services and supports available to foster children to address educational needs, physical, mental, and behavioral health, substance use disorders, and culturally relevant services.

(6) Instruction on cultural competency and sensitivity and related best practices for, providing adequate care for children across diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, as well as for children identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.

(7) Understanding how to use best practices for providing care and supervision to commercially sexually exploited children.

(8) Understanding the federal Indian Child Welfare Act (25 U.S.C. § 1901 et seq.), its historical significance, the rights of children covered by the act, and the best interests of Indian children, including the role of the caregiver in supporting culturally appropriate, child-centered practices that respect Native American history, culture, retention of tribal membership, and connection to the tribal community and traditions.

(9) Understanding how to use best practices for providing care and supervision to nonminor dependents.

(10) Understanding how to use best practices for providing care and supervision to children with special health care needs.

(11) Basic instruction on existing laws and procedures regarding the safety of foster youth at school; and ensuring a harassment and violence free school environment pursuant to Article 3.6 (commencing with Section 32228) of Chapter 2 of Part 19 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code.

(12) Permanence, well-being, and educational needs of children.

(13) Child and adolescent development, including sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.

(14) The role of foster parents, including working cooperatively with the child welfare or probation agency, the child’s family, and other service providers implementing the case plan.

(15) A foster parent’s responsibility to act as a reasonable and prudent parent, and to provide a family setting that promotes normal childhood experiences that serve the needs of the child.

(16) Physical and psychosocial needs of children, including behavior management, deescalation techniques, and trauma informed crisis management planning.

(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 612, Sec. 54. (AB 1997) Effective January 1, 2017.)