How a training team delivers simulation training of child protection investigators

Abstract

This article presents results of a qualitative study regarding how a training team delivers simulation training for child protection investigators. Since 2016, a team from the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) has collaborated with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to implement the Child Protection Training Academy (CPTA) that provides full-scale simulations has been implemented for training all new child protection investigators. Using key informant interviews and focus groups, we explored how the training team, including the simulation trainer, the standardized patients playing the role of the family in a mock family house, and the professionals playing roles in a mock courtroom, collaborate to shape the simulation training. The qualitative data point to the central role of the trainer’s blend of skills, the dedication of the standardized patients staying in character, the interest of role-playing professionals in correcting misconceptions about court, and the teamwork involved in implementing simulation training.