Request a Training in Your Community

NICWA provides a wide range of trainings and technical assistance to tribes upon request.

On-site training workshops are conducted by experienced NICWA instructors. Bringing a trainer to your community is a great way to train a larger group of staff and prepares staff to support the families they work with.

Trainings are typically with one trainer and billed at $2500 per day of training and a $2500 travel/prep fee to the community and $1,250 for the day of traveling back for post training work, plus curriculum, shipping, and the cost of travel. Please contact us for details.

Workshop fees are negotiable—please call (503) 222-4044 or email training@nicwa.org for more information or to set up a training in your community.

 NICWA offers the following on-site training workshops:

Understanding ICWA
This training provides participants with information about the basic legal requirements of the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA) and the practice issues involved with ICWA’s implementation. This training includes information about the recent Bureau of Indian Affairs regulations and guidelines. This training can be done during a one-, two-, or three-day period.

Positive Indian Parenting
This three-day training is designed to prepare tribal and non-tribal child welfare personnel to train American Indian/Alaska Native parents using a culturally specific approach. Participants receive instruction in how to conduct parent training, as well as instruction in parenting approaches and practices. The content of the materials draws on the strengths of historic Indian child-rearing practices and blends traditional parenting values with contemporary skills. Storytelling, cradleboards, harmony, lessons of nature, behavior management, and the use of praise are discussed.

Qualified Expert Witness
This two-day training prepares participants with information about the basic legal requirements of ICWA and will train participants on how to provide qualified expert witness testimony in ICWA cases as well as the practice issues involved.

Tribal Customary Adoption
This curriculum and model code is a one-day training that discusses judicial processes for the recognition and certification of customary law regarding the adoption of children and sets out a culturally based framework for conducting formal adoptions without the termination of parental rights (TPR).

Working with Substance-Abusing Families
This multi-day training provides an overview of working with substance-abusing families from both direct service and systems collaboration points of view. Participants will learn how to deal with this issue and how systems collaboration can make successful outcomes possible.