The mission of the MISSOURI CHILDREN'S DIVISION is to partner with families, communities and government to protect children from abuse and neglect and to assure safety, permanency and well being for Missouri's children.

Goals of Services:

• Child Protective Services: to protect children who are identified as victims of abuse and neglect.
• Family Centered Services: to improve and maintain the family unit for the well-being of the children.
• Intensive In-Home Services: to offer an opportunity for families to remain safely together averting the out-of-home placement of children whenever possible, protect children through the enhancement of family capabilities and provide services that assist families in crisis management and restore families to an acceptable level of functioning.
• Adoption Services: to establish permanency and stability in children's living situations and ensure that the continuity of family relationships and connects will be preserved for children.
• Independent Living Skills: to equip youth in foster care with the skills needed to function as productive adults once they are released from alternative care.

THE FIELD EXPERIENCE FOR THE BSW CANDIDATE:  Opportunities for BSW students placed at the Children's Division are:

• Shadowing investigators on child abuse and neglect family assessments
• Supervising parent/child visits at the office
• Observing independent living classes
• Accompanying workers/supervisors to community meetings
• Observing interviews at the Network Against Sexual Violence
• Attending behaviour staffings for foster children
• Case management of safekeeping cases (intact families who need assistance)
• Accompanying permanency planning workers on home visits with foster children/families
• Completing home study on a family wanting to adopt a child
• Participating in staff meetings
• Attending CQI (Continuous Quality Improvement) meetings with staff
• Being assigned a foster child to visit twice per month and document
• Attend adoption staffing meetings
• Transport children to counseling or to school as needed
• Experience being an intake worker
• Attending Juvenile Court sessions

WHAT STUDENT'S SAY: "I went into the agency feeling like a practicum student.  But when I left - I was a social worker."

"My field education has been an awsome expereince.  It has allowed me to develop my skills and gain work experience. I have found my true calling through the Missouri Children's Division at Bloomfield"

"MCD at Bloomfield was a very good experience. Every day I had to apply ALL of the skills and knowledge I learned through the Social Work curriculum.  The agency supervisors pushed me to my limits on an every day basis. I learned to work out of my comfort zone and was able to accomplish tremendous tasks.  The experience was very challenging and helped prepare me for the social work practice yet to come. I did not know what child welfare was really about until I completed my field experience!"

For more information about Missouri Children's Division, visit their web site at: http://www.dss.mo.gov/

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