About the Office of Training and Workforce Development

The Office of Training and Workforce Development (OTWD) trains staff members at ACS and its provider agencies to support children, youth, and families. OTWD is a partnership between ACS and the City University of New York.

OTWD pairs best practices in adult learning and technology to develop NYC’s child welfare and juvenile justice workforce, which helps ACS meet its strategic goals. Through its three entities, OTWD supports workers at ACS and provider agencies from the day they start their job and throughout their career.

James Satterwhite Academy

Newly hired ACS staff and supervisors onboard with the James Satterwhite Academy. JSA also provides targeted ongoing training for ACS and provider agency staff.

Workforce Institute

Staff working at ACS and its provider agencies take trainings with the Workforce Institute throughout their career.

The WI Professional Development Program provides scholarships and learning opportunities for staff working at ACS and its provider agencies who are enrolled in partner colleges or universities.

Institute for Leadership Development

Leaders from ACS and provider agencies can apply to participate in programs to grow and advance their leadership skills.

Cross-Cutting Themes

Five themes cut across all programs to promote consistent, effective practice with children and families. The core themes are:

Coach Approach: help supervisors model best practices and provide ongoing feedback to build on staff’s strengths and support them with action planning.

Cultural Humility: look beyond personal beliefs and biases to empathize with, respect, and see the strengths in others.

Race, Racism, and Implicit Bias: seek to reduce the over-representation of people of color in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

Trauma-Sensitive and Healing Centered Practice: recognize the effects trauma can have on a person and strive toward practices that promote healing.

Strengths-Based Practice: encourage positive partnerships with families that draw on their strengths, goals, and needs, rather than only focusing on their problems.