First BIA Training of 2016 in Preparing, Preserving and Presenting Evidence of Child Abuse and Neglect to be Held March 8-10 in Tucson

WASHINGTON – In partnership with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) will hold its first tribal court training of 2016 on March 8-10. The training is designed specifically for social workers and tribal court presenters in the preparation, preservation and presentation of evidence in child welfare cases. The first session will be held at the Tribe’s Casino Del Sol Conference Center and Resort in Tucson, Ariz. Additional training dates and locations will be announced at a later date.

The program has been developed with the help of Casey Family Programs, the nation’s largest operating foundation focused on safely reducing the need for foster care placements and building Communities of Hope for children and families across America. The training is based on a fact pattern developed by BIA regional social services directors in conjunction with tribal court judges and other tribal court personnel. Casey Family Programs helped develop the training process, and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, which contributed greatly to the course materials, is providing facilities and other support.

The training will teach social services investigators and case managers about the procedural and evidentiary requirements of each phase of proceedings. It is tailored for:

• BIA and tribal court personnel involved with ICWA and tribal child welfare proceedings;

• Tribal social services investigators, case managers, and supervisors primarily assigned to ICWA and/or tribal child welfare cases; and

• Tribal court personnel involved in presenting child welfare cases in state courts and those representing tribes.

WHO: Tribal Justice Support Directorate, Office of Justice Services, Bureau of Indian

Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior

Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona

Casey Family Programs

WHAT: The BIA Tribal Justice Support Directorate, in partnership with the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe of Arizona and Casey Family Programs, will conduct the first in a series of

training sessions in 2016 designed specifically for social workers and tribal court

presenters in the preparation, preservation and presentation of evidence in child

abuse and neglect cases.

WHEN: March 8-10, 2016

Tuesday, March 8 8:15 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. (MST)

Wednesday, March 9 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (MST)

Thursday, March 10 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (MST)

WHERE: Casino Del Sol Conference Center and Resort, 5655 W. Valencia Rd., Tucson,

Ariz. Phone: 855-765-7829.

CREDENTIALS: This invitation is extended to credentialed media representatives, who must display sanctioned media credentials for admittance to the event.