Increasing Knowledge, Advancing Permanency
ISS-USA’s Training and Technical Assistance Program is designed to equip social service, legal, and judicial professionals with the knowledge and tools they need to navigate complex cross-border cases effectively. Our training options are fully customizable to meet the specific needs of each jurisdiction and include comprehensive participant guides with presentations, ISS-USA forms, and recommended resources to enhance case practice.
As the research, advocacy, and technical support arm of ISS-USA, the Arthur C. Helton Institute for the Study of International Social Service (ACH Institute) plays a central role in our training initiatives. Established in 2007 with funding from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, the ACH Institute honors the legacy of Arthur C. Helton, a dedicated international lawyer, scholar, and humanitarian who spent his career advocating for refugees and displaced persons. Mr. Helton, who was serving as the Chairman of ISS-USA’s Board of Directors at the time of his passing in the 2003 United Nations headquarters bombing in Baghdad, was a champion for migrant rights and policy reform.
Through the ACH Institute, ISS-USA provides specialized training and technical assistance to professionals handling international child welfare, family reunification, and cross-border legal matters. Our team works closely with agencies, courts, and organizations to develop tailored educational programs that strengthen best practices and improve outcomes for children and families across borders.
Preview ISS-USA custom training example below:
“Strengthening Case Management Capacity for Children on the Move.”
Mexican Consulate, San Diego, California
April 2021
“Advancing Children’s Best Interest through International Collaboration.”
Kempe Center
October 2022
“Engaging Family Across Borders: Strategies for Inclusive Permanency Planning for Children with Family Overseas.”
Quebec, Canada (virtual) March, 2022
“Equitable Access to Family: Improving policies to protect children separated from their families across borders.”
Tallinn, Estonia (virtual) June 2022
“Identity, belonging and culture in childhood separation.”
(Virtual) June 2022
“Broken Chains: Examining Existing Biases Related to Children in Care and their International Family Connections.”
May 2023
“The Best Interest Principle & Best Interest Assessments”
Moldova (AVE Copiii)
May 2023
“Promoting Permanency During A Pandemic: The Use of Remote Assessments In Permanency Planning.”
Virtual 2021
Social Work Trainings:
- International family finding and engagement
- Document tracings
- International home studies for visitation and/or custody
- Post-placement monitoring and reporting
- Child welfare checks in foreign countries
- Protective Service Alerts in foreign countries
- Utilizing technology to include family in permanency planning
- Travel assistance for social workers travelling to place a child
- Causes and factors of the separation of families across borders
- Developing policy and best practice for your agency on international child welfare issues
Legal and Judicial Trainings:
- Relevant state, federal, and international laws on family finding, family notification and family engagement
- Serving legal notices overseas
- Permanency planning across international borders
- How to obtain international home studies for visitation and/or custody
- Post-placement monitoring and reporting
- Your role under the various Hague Conventions
- Utilizing technology to include family in hearings, depositions, or other legal proceedings
- Judicial cooperation across international borders
Schedule Training
Please email Elaine Weisman at [email protected]