6.0 Major Accomplishments

6.2 Program Accomplishments

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• 6.2.1 Early Childhood Education and Training
• 6.2.2 Department of Child Care Regulatory Training
• 6.2.3 Child Care Assistance Program Training
• 6.2.4 Legally Exempt Child Care Provider Training
• 6.2.5 Training and Technical Assistance to Support Local DSS Permanency Planning
• 6.2.6 Public Service Workshops Program
• 6.2.7 Department of Computer Training Services
• 6.2.8 Department of Temporary Assistance Training
• 6.2.9 Child Support Training and Outreach Project
• 6.2.10 Instructional Technologies Unit
• 6.2.11 Department of Child Welfare Training
• 6.2.12 Department of Media Production
• 6.2.13 Homeless Services Training Resource System
• 6.2.14 Information Systems and Programming (ISP)

6.2.1 Early Childhood Education and Training

July 2022–June 2023

Child Care Scholarships

PDP ECETP provides funding to eligible NYS child care providers through several programs, the Educational Incentive Program (EIP), Medication Administration Training (MAT) scholarship, and Quality Scholars. In January 2023, the MAT scholarship applications were incorporated into the PDP Training Portal giving participants the ability to apply online.

Funding for the 2023 scholarship year increased significantly to 8 million dollars, which allowed for several important changes to the program. Income eligibility limits were increased to allow more providers to participate, the maximum annual scholarship amount for college courses increased from $2,000 to $ 2,500, and the maximum annual scholarship amount for credential training increased from $1,250 to $2,500.

EIP issued 7,445 scholarships totaling $5,981,686. 86% of the funds issued were allocated for College Credit-Bearing and Credential activities. 983 scholarships totaling $110,771 were issued for CPR/FA, and 610 scholarships totaling $383,816 were issued to programs participating in Quality Scholars.

In collaboration with the Council on Children and Families, PDP received additional funding through the New York State Birth through Five Project (NYSB5) to support EIP. The use of these funds allowed EIP to issue an additional $984,022 in scholarship awards in the 2022 scholarship year. Additional awards totaling $267,494 were issued to provide enhanced support for child care providers attending SUNY and CUNY schools.

EIP’s Event Approval process requires all non-credit bearing training be reviewed and approved by PDP staff prior to becoming eligible for EIP scholarship funding. A total of 831 trainings were reviewed and approved and 2,107 individual trainings were scheduled and eligible for scholarship funding.

PDP Event Approval Staff serve on the NYS Distance Learning Committee to review and approve asynchronous distance learning training. 13 new courses were approved, 3 courses were renewed, and 1 new organization was added to the list of Approved Training organizations.

PDP approved 125 virtual training events through 2022. OCFS updated the Distance Learning Policy to include virtual training delivery. To support organizations and clarify training and trainer requirements for synchronous distance learning events, The Event Approval Team, in conjunction with the Professional Development Institute, developed a flow chart and tip sheet to be accessed by trainers, providers and licensors. The document was approved by OCFS and posted on the PDP Training Portal and the ECETP Distance Learning page.

The EIP compliance staff verified the completion of 6,793 courses representing $5,086,949, conducted 58 unannounced monitoring visits, and completed 17 training organization program reviews to ensure adherence to program policies.

Project Support

ECETP’s Administrative Unit provides direct support to PDP’s training staff to support the high volume of training activity and aid in meeting project deliverables. All the while helping thousands of individuals who call or email seeking information and technical support with various issues including assistance creating an account or resetting a password, difficulty completing eLearning courses and answering general program questions.

MAT Training

PDP’s MAT training program delivered 4 MAT Training of the Trainer courses resulting in 16 new MAT trainers. 14 existing MAT trainers were monitored and 21 were recertified. 3,220 child care providers were trained to administer medications and 1,399 providers renewed their certification using the online exam.

Health and Safety Training

PDP’s Health & Safety Program delivered 3 offerings of Health and Safety Training of Trainers for FDC/GFDC/DCC/SACC Staff which resulted in 15 new trainers. PDP delivered 3 offerings of Health and Safety Training of Trainers for DCC/SACC/LE Group Directors, which resulted in 14 of the existing trainers now being eligible to train the Directors course. 48 Health and Safety trainers were monitored and 59 were recertified during this period. 4,677 providers completed Health & Safety trainings.

July 2021–June 2022

Child Care Scholarships and Rebates

PDP ECETP continues to provide funding to eligible NYS child care providers through several programs, the Educational Incentive Program (EIP), Medication Administration Training (MAT) rebates/scholarships, and Quality Scholars. At the start of the 2022 EIP scholarship year, PDP launched an upgraded online application system. The new features remove nearly 100% of paper-based communication. Applicants upload application supporting documents during the application submission process. Applications and awards are signed electronically, and notifications regarding status changes and reminder emails are automatically sent.

During this reporting period 6,956 EIP scholarships totaling $4,731,522 were awarded. 86% of the EIP funds issued were for College CreditBearing and Credential activities. 609 scholarships totaling $57,745 were issued for CPR/FA activities The MAT rebates program transitioned to a scholarship program mid-way through this reporting period. 611 MAT rebates totaling $51,595 were issued in 2021 and 647 scholarships totaling $53,360 were issued in the first half of 2022.

In collaboration with the Council on Children and Families, PDP received additional funding through the New York State Birth through Five Project to support EIP eligible candidates. The use of these funds allowed PDP to issue an additional $410,575 in scholarship awards in the 2021 scholarship year. Additional awards totaling $209,652 issued to provide enhanced support for child care providers attending SUNY/CUNY schools.

EIP’s Event Approval process requires all non-credit bearing training be reviewed and approved by PDP staff prior to becoming eligible for EIP scholarship funding. A total of 667 trainings were reviewed and approved and 2,100 individual trainings were scheduled and eligible for scholarship funding.

PDP Event Approval Staff serve on the NYS Distance Learning Committee to review and approve asynchronous distance learning training. 9 new courses were approved, 3 courses were renewed, and 7 new organizations were added to the list of Approved Training organizations. The PDP Event Approval Team continued to serve as the state wide main point of contact to review, approve and track trainer requests to conduct training virtually. During this reporting period, PDP approved 481 events and approximately 2,100 events were conducted virtually.

The EIP compliance staff verified the successful completion of 4,591 courses representing $3,436,047.89, conducted 51 unannounced monitoring visits and completed 21 training organization program reviews to ensure adherence to program policies.

Project Support

ECETP’s Administrative Unit provides direct support to PDP’s training staff to support the high volume of training activity and aid in meeting project deliverables. All the while helping thousands of individuals who call or email seeking information and technical support with various issues including assistance creating an account or resetting a password, difficulty completing eLearning courses and answering general program questions.

MAT Training

PDP’s Medication Administration Training (MAT) Program delivered 3 MAT Training of the Trainer courses resulting in 13 new MAT trainers. 7 existing MAT trainers were monitored and 21 were recertified. 3,210 child care providers were trained to administer medications and 1,764 providers renewed their certification using the online exam.

Health and Safety Training

PDP’s Health & Safety Program delivered 6 offerings of Health and Safety Training of Trainers for FDC/GFDC/DCC/SACC Staff which resulted in 35 new trainers. PDP delivered 4 offerings of Health and Safety Training of Trainers for DCC/ SACC/LE Group Directors, which resulted in 10 of the existing trainers now being eligible to train the Directors course. 41 Health and Safety trainer were monitored and 29 were recertified during this period. 4,141 providers completed Health & Safety trainings.

6.2.2 Department of Child Care Regulatory Training

July 2022–June 2023

PDP continued revision of the comprehensive Regulatory Supervisor Training based on sponsor feedback, receiving sponsor approval of the threeday Session A curriculum and all but one unit of the two-day Session B curriculum.

PDP developed the Enforcement Essentials classroom course and bridged enforcement content included in other courses (New Regulator Institute, Regulatory Supervisor Training, Navigating Complaints 101) to help create a holistic web of training regarding this critical element of regulatory work.

In July 2022, PDP revised the Webex training, Is This a School-Age Child Care Program? and received sponsor approval of the updated curriculum.

July 2021–June 2022

As in-person training resumed post-pandemic, PDP restructured and revised the comprehensive New Regulator Institute and Regulatory Supervisor Training courses.

PDP also adapted the former Behavior Management in Regulated Care classroom course to the Webex environment as two courses: developing the Regulatory Guide to Behavior Management Plans, reflecting the most up-to-date child development and regulatory/policy content; and obtaining approval for the proposed Evaluating Behavior Management Plan Compliance (which would eventually be renamed Supporting Providers with Behavior Management Plans), reflecting the incorporation of best practices and the NYS Pyramid Model program to provide content and resources for effective technical assistance.

In response to training population needs and sponsor initiatives, PDP received approval in February 2022 to develop the in-person Enforcement Essentials course and the Supporting Programs with Allergy Preparedness and Planning Webex training.

PDP also revised the existing Webex courses Focus on Fire Safety and Navigating Complaints 101.

6.2.3 Child Care Assistance Program Training

July 2022–June 2023

PDP responded to the sponsor’s comprehensive redesign of the Child and Family Services Plan by developing the Child Care Assistance Program: Child and Family Services Plan Development Webex course and delivering it statewide during the second quarter of 2023.

PDP began development of the Webex training, Child Care Assistance Program for Protective and Preventive Services (Webex).

PDP revised CCAP-related courses pursuant to regulatory and policy changes, state income standards, and annual rate changes.

July 2021–June 2022

In the spring of 2022, the NYS Office of Children and Family Services rebranded the former Child Care Subsidy Program as the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) to better reflect the purpose of the program and its effect on children, families, and providers. At sponsor request, PDP consolidated three former Child Care Subsidy trainings and updated the content to reflect the new CCAP perspective, creating the comprehensive multi-day Foundations of the Child Care Assistance Program course. The course is offered as a regional classroom training comprising three full days or as a Webex training comprising five half days.

PDP completed development of the Child Care Subsidy for Fraud Investigators Webex training, receiving sponsor approval in July 2021. This course was subsequently renamed Child Care Assistance Program for Fraud Investigators (Webex).

PDP also made extensive routine revisions to all CCAP-related courses and the Child Care Assistance Program Guide in response to regulatory and policy changes, annual rate changes, and to align with the NYS Gender-Specific Language Policy.

6.2.4 Legally Exempt Child Care Provider Training

July 2022–June 2023

PDP developed Enrollment/Re-Enrollment Training Requirements Tip Sheets and received sponsor approval in the first half of 2023.

PDP also revised legally exempt provider training courses in response to regulatory and policy changes.

July 2021–June 2022

As in-person training resumed post-pandemic, PDP continued to offer several courses in both classroom and Webex formats to best meet the needs of the statewide training audience, including Legally Exempt Provider Enrollment and Legally Exempt Group Enrollment.

PDP completed development of the Medication Administration in Legally Exempt Child Care Webex course, receiving sponsor approval in December 2021; and Assessing Legally Exempt Provider History classroom course, receiving sponsor approval in June 2022.

PDP also made extensive revisions to legally exempt provider training courses in response to regulatory and policy changes, and to align with the NYS Gender-Specific Language Policy.

6.2.5 Training and Technical Assistance to Support Local DSS Permanency Planning

July 2022–June 2023

In this reporting period, project staff continued to use multiple training and coaching methods to collaborate with OCFS. Staff built their competency in different coaching models and spent time learning new curriculum. Since the pandemic, the skills of the staff have grown to embrace various virtual platforms to connect with the participants in a manner that is the most convenient for them. When an area of practice is identified as a statewide need or a practice is identified as a strength worth sharing, the project establishes a way to correct or amplify respectively. The project has assisted with improving fatherhood engagement, ensuring consumer voice is heard and used, reviewing, and designing a comprehensive assessment in child protective practices, and providing technical assistance with practices to address disparity and disproportionality in child welfare. Project staff designed a new learning approach titled “Child Welfare Grand Rounds”, where exceptional casework practice is amplified through a solution focused interview and shared throughout the state through a virtual platform. Project staff continue to support developing a dual track of child protective intervention by supporting counties using the Family Assessment Response, two new counties were launched and supported. Two more Counties have been identified and will be brought online in the next reporting period, bringing the total to 18. The project saw a decline in the participation in this reporting period, possibly due to the workforce crisis. While 10 differing courses were offered to 4,983 total participants, 543 were classroom based and 4,440 were virtual.

Project staff continued to coordinate with OCFS on many projects. A sample of these projects include:

• Project staff participated in daycare collaborative workgroup in anticipation of Families First Prevention Act. As a result of the barriers identified, project staff developed proposal for a curriculum titled: Child Care Subsidy for Protective and Preventive Families which was accepted and will be developed and delivered to both child welfare and daycare professionals through another training project. Project staff are advising and reviewing this curriculum on behalf of OCFS Division of Child Welfare and Community Services (CWCS).
• Project Staff continued the development of Supporting and Promoting Race Equity Cultural Competency TOT with the intention to develop more trainers within local districts and voluntary agencies to continue to propel the work and create champions.
• Project Staff participated in a review of the National Training and Development Curriculum for Foster Parents to assess its alignment with NYS and potential implementation.
• Project staff provided feedback on Motivational Interviewing training.
• Continued an analysis of the CANS- FAST and NYS current child welfare practice and tools, visioning how practice can be improved leading to the development of a Universal Assessment and the start of a new child welfare delivery system.
• Developed and facilitated four OCFS Grand Rounds, capturing a variety of topics including Intimate Partner Violence, Kinship, Father involvement and Permanency. The purpose of the Grand Rounds concept is to highlight excellent casework, capture alignment with initiatives and allow for others to learn from the example.
• Began competency building with the team to support the Safe and Together model by attending the kickoff event and beginning the foundational training.
• Worked to develop a press event regarding the new Mandated Reporter Training. Working closely with OCFS divisions and partners, project staff acted as a project lead to assure the success of the press event and the development of a video which will be used for marketing and promotional purposes.
• Led the state-wide OCFS collaborative to discuss fatherhood initiatives and work occurring across the state to determine alignment and support.
• Coordinated the implementation of Trauma Informed Practice within NYS child welfare.

July 2021–June 2022

The Training and Technical Assistance to Support Local DSS Permanency Planning is a unique program positioned in OCFS offices to support program improvement. The Office of Children and Family Services is divided into 6 Regional Offices to support local practice, PDP field staff are available to assist each region in meeting their training needs, acting as advocates and brokers of training and technical assistance. In 2021–2022 Project staff offered 11 different courses in topics related to engaging and involving fathers, assisting in safety and risk assessment training, Concurrent Planning, hosting town halls on disparity and disproportionality data in child welfare, and conducting a statewide virtual summit on Equity and Family Engagement. The project staff also used their expertise on differential response to coach and prepare for two new counties in utilizing this approach. Through these effort project staff trained 8,254 participants where 522 were taught in the classroom and 7,732 were trained using a virtual platform.

Project staff also engaged in the following activities throughout the state:

• Attending and facilitating the Regional Office Voluntary Agency (VA) Report Outs. Assessing for training needs based on area needing improvement trends.
• Reviewed Performance Improvement Plans as well as other county plans and provided feedback to regional office leads/supervisors on strengths and considerations for improvement.
• Prepared and compiled findings by identifying common themes and trends from Voluntary Agency Reviews in preparation for a report out with agency staff and Regional Office.
• Attended quarterly regional Staff Development Coordinator (SDC) meetings to inform SDCs of all training products currently available and to further understand the training needs and barriers within the region.
• Facilitated and completed training needs assessments for Counties and VAs. Reviewing OCFS PQI supporting materials.
• Conducted Race Equity and Cultural Competency training needs assessment for counties with extreme disparities.
• Collaborated with OCFS and partners relative to the 2021 CPS In-Service training needs assessment for LDSS.
• Co-facilitated the Home Finders’ Meeting and provided technical support and consultation relative to foster parent trainings.
• Continued facilitation discussions and support of Blind Removal process with Counties. Offered continuous support with each component of the ADM requirements.
• Worked with local districts to assess training needs around the NYS Blind Removal ADM and provide access to the Race Equity and Cultural Competence training.
• Collaborated with Regional Offices staff to discuss outcomes related to Safety, Permanency and Well-being as it relates to Voluntary Agency reviews. Identified trainings to meet these needs.
• Corresponded with Regional Office, local districts and voluntary agencies regarding Involving Fathers for Children: Fundamentals and Foster Care/ Preventive, Concurrent Planning and Safety and Risk by scheduling and planning for deliveries within each Region.

6.2.6 Public Service Workshops Program

June 2022–July 2023

During the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023, PSWP staff continued scheduling workshops and classes at a record-breaking pace. Three hundred and forty-nine (349) PSWP workshops, twenty (20) Learning and Development classes, and three SLMS Primary Administrator classes were delivered to 6,409 completed participants over 507.6 training days. This includes the first full inperson delivery of the New York State Leadership Institute since before 2020 and two Leadership Development Programs (one virtual, one in-person). These are intensive leadership programs tailored to employees in upperlevel leadership positions in State government. Also notable during this timeframe was the development of a facilitator-led video content-based training program developed to meet the new NYS mandate for Equal Employment Opportunity and Workplace Discrimination Prevention training, and delivery of fifteen (15) of the corresponding Train-the -Facilitator classes. Additionally, during this timeframe, PDP continued the series of Project Management workshops designed to prepare State Project Management practitioners for the PMI Project Management Professional exam and to award completed participants with the required Professional Development Units (PDU) to sit for the exam, including two deliveries of the new three-day Capstone program for qualified applicants.

July 2021–June 2022

During the period July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022, PSWP scheduled and delivered two hundred and fifteen (215) PSWP workshops and forty-five (45) Learning and Development classes to 4,035 completed participants over a total of 306.6 training days. The PSWP Team was well prepared for the ratification of the negotiated agreement between the State and PEF and posted twenty (20) workshops in the SLMS by the day after ratification was announced (7/29/21) and began a record-breaking pace of workshop coordination and delivery. PDP delivered a hybrid virtual and classroom offering of the New York State Leadership Institute and two virtual Leadership Development Programs. These are intensive leadership programs tailored to employees in upper-level leadership positions in State government. Additionally, during this timeframe, PDP kicked off a series of Project Management workshops designed to prepare State Project Management practitioners for the PMI Project Management Professional exam and to award completed participants with the Professional Development Units (PDU) required to sit for the exam.

6.2.7 Department of Computer Training Services

July 2022–June 2023

PDP’s Department of Computer Training Services (DCTS) provided training, curriculum development, needs assessment, and trainee support to nearly 11,000 trainees through more than 1,500 offerings from July 2022 through June 2023 across numerous Microsoft application topics and a variety of OCFS and OTDA computer systems and programs, including the following:

• Adult Services Automation Project (ASAP. NET) system
• Automated Restraint Tracking System (ARTS)
• Benefit Issuance Control System (BICS)
• CONNECTIONS
• Cognos Analytics
• Detention Risk Assessment Instrument System (DRAIS)
• Document Review Management System (DRMS)
• Facility Application and Management System (FAMS)
• Family Type Homes for Adults (FTHA)
• Juvenile Detention Automated System (JDAS)
• Juvenile Justice Information System for Child Welfare (JJIS-CW)
• Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) Online System
• NYS Procurement Card (P-Card)
• Shelter Management System (SMS) system
• Statewide Financial System (SFS)
• Welfare Management System (WMS), and
• Welfare-To-Work Caseload Management System (WTWCMS)

DCTS staff continued to develop and deliver customized training on commercial applications such as the Microsoft Office suite, which included tailoring training scenarios, examples, and learning objectives to meet the needs of trainees working in the area of social services. In response to the ongoing pandemic, DCTS prioritized development and delivery of online distance learning classes, including instructor-led training.

Classes were delivered through virtual classroom training, webinars, in-person classroom training, and self-paced web-based training. One-on-one and small group training support, as well as the development and maintenance of a help system for an OCFS application, were also provided throughout the year.

DCTS continued its support of OTDA initiatives related to making agency documents accessible for persons with visual or other impairments. This included providing formal training to agency staff as well as serving as a source of “in-house” expertise for OTDA staff.

PDP also provided extensive training on CONNECTIONS, the NYS system of record for child welfare casework documentation, which encompasses areas such as child protective services and foster care. Other training deliverables related to OCFS and OTDA initiatives focus on the support of child care services, adult services, juvenile justice programs, shelters, financial assistance, and more. DCTS delivers training statewide to NYS staff, Local Districts of Social Services, child care providers, voluntary agencies, and other staff who use and support the aforementioned systems. DCTS coordinated their application training development and delivery with several external training partners with the goal of providing a comprehensive educational experience for these multiple audiences.

In addition to supporting thousands of local district and provider agency staff in their varied roles using CONNECTIONS, the project continued to provide the system component of the newhire training program for the OCFS Statewide Central Register (SCR). Each multi-day session provides new workers with pertinent SCR policies supplemented with demonstrations and practice in multiple CONNECTIONS environments. The critical topics of person search and case merging are discussed in detail then demonstrated in an environment that provides numerous mock, yet realistic, examples in preparation for use in the production system. In order to support remote staff, DCTS developed a curriculum designed for virtual delivery of this training. Both virtual and classroom deliveries were provided during this period.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, staff continued to provide the CONNECTIONS classroom training content from two courses in an online, instructor-led format. Per sponsor guidance, classroom delivery of in-person training for multiple courses commenced during this period alongside continued development of new virtual course curricula.

DCTS field staff working with OCFS program areas played critical roles this year, especially in supporting the Welfare Management System and related financial systems, as well as efforts to support the efficient processing of claims associated with COVID-related grants to child care providers.

July 2021–June 2022

PDP’s Department of Computer Training Services (DCTS) provided training, curriculum development, needs assessment, and trainee support to over 12,900 trainees through more than 1,000 offerings from July 2021 through June 2022 across numerous Microsoft application topics and a variety of OCFS and OTDA computer systems and programs, including the following:

• Adult Services Automation Project (ASAP. NET) system
• Automated Restraint Tracking System (ARTS)
• Benefit Issuance Control System (BICS)
• CONNECTIONS
• Child Care Facility System (CCFS/CCFS2)
• Child Care Time and Attendance (CCTA) system
• Cognos Analytics
• Detention Risk Assessment Instrument System (DRAIS)
• Document Review Management System (DRMS)
• Facility Application and Management System (FAMS)
• Family Type Homes for Adults (FTHA)
• Juvenile Detention Automated System (JDAS)
• Juvenile Justice Information System for Child Welfare (JJIS-CW)
• Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program (KinGAP) Online System
• NYS Procurement Card (P-Card)
• Shelter Management System (SMS) system
• Statewide Financial System (SFS)
• Welfare Management System (WMS), and
• Welfare-To-Work Caseload Management System (WTWCMS)

DCTS staff developed and delivered customized training on commercial applications such as the Microsoft Office suite, which included tailoring training scenarios, examples, and learning objectives to meet the needs of trainees working in the area of social services. In response to the ongoing pandemic, DCTS continued to prioritize development and delivery of online distance learning classes, including instructor-led training. This work included migrating existing classroom-based training to distance learning classes while developing simulations and other hands-on activities that provide an interactive environment for trainees.

A majority of classes were delivered through virtual classroom training, webinars, and selfpaced web-based training. One-on-one and small group training support, as well as the development and maintenance of help systems for two OCFS applications, were also provided throughout the year.

DCTS continued its support of OTDA initiatives related to making agency documents accessible for persons with visual or other impairments. This included providing formal training to agency staff as well as serving as a source of “in-house” expertise for OTDA staff.

PDP also provides extensive training on CONNECTIONS, the NYS system of record for child welfare casework documentation, which encompasses areas such as child protective services and foster care. Other training deliverables related to OCFS and OTDA initiatives focus on the support of child care services, adult services, juvenile justice programs, shelters, financial assistance, and more. DCTS delivers training statewide to NYS staff, Local Districts of Social Services, child care providers, voluntary agencies, and other staff who use and support the aforementioned systems. DCTS coordinates their application training development and delivery with several external training partners with the goal of providing a comprehensive educational experience for these multiple audiences.

DCTS continued to provide training to support system training needs of the OCFS Division of Child Care Services (DCCS), which is responsible for the licensing, registering, and inspecting of all child day care facilities regulated by the state. The Child Care Facility System maintains records related to licensed/registered child care facilities as well as legally-exempt providers. In addition, applications for certain provider modalities, such as day care centers and school age child care centers, are entered and maintained through the Facility Application and Management System. As such, regulatory changes may impact these systems. DCTS responded to these changes by updating existing courses and developing instructor-led as well as self-paced distance learning courses. The deployment of iPads for use by regulators led to the development and delivery of customized training on the use of these iPads for conducting inspections and other field-based regulatory tasks. Additional training related efforts include developing and publishing CCFS help topics and system release notes. These activities provided ongoing support to staff using CCFS or needing to understand the latest system changes. DCTS staff also worked closely with other PDP staff providing child care policy training, leading to coordinated scheduling and delivery of child care policy and system training for new staff.

In addition to supporting thousands of local district and provider agency staff in their varied roles using CONNECTIONS, the project continued to provide classroom instruction for the system component of the new-hire training program for the OCFS Statewide Central Register (SCR). Each multi-day session provides new workers with pertinent SCR policies supplemented with demonstrations and practice in multiple CONNECTIONS environments. The critical topics of person search and case merging are discussed in detail then demonstrated in an environment that provides numerous mock, yet realistic, examples in preparation for use in the production system.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, staff continued to provide the CONNECTIONS classroom training content from two courses in an online, instructor-led format and developed additional virtual training content to expand access to training for Administration for Children’s Services staff in NYC as well as other staff throughout the state who were unable to attend any classroom instruction.

DCTS staff migrated their training platform from Citrix to VMWare which required trainers to apply new security protocols including multi-factor authentication.

During this period, New York State SCR reform regulations resulted in system modifications that required updates to multiple curricula.

DCTS field staff working with OCFS program areas played critical roles this year, especially in supporting the Welfare Management System and related financial systems, as well as efforts to support the efficient processing of claims of COVID-related grants to child care providers.

6.2.8 Department of Temporary Assistance Training

July 2022–June 2023

Working under four contracts totaling over $5.8 million, the Department of Temporary Assistance Training delivered 72 different courses to state, county, and service provider audiences throughout New York State in support of Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) training initiatives.

With the COVID-19 public health emergency ending in May 2023, the focus of work this year was on substantially increasing the number of in-person training deliveries while also maintaining the large portfolio of instructor-led online training delivered in virtual classrooms that expanded during the pandemic. The department was successful in this venture and expanded its course catalog by 7.5% to meet established and emerging training and project sponsor needs. Several new courses were implemented, and additional courses were in design and development phases as of the end of the year.

This past year, 559 days of training was delivered to 9,205 trainees. Approximately 51% (283.5 days) was delivered in-person and 49% (275.5 days) was delivered in virtual classrooms via Webex and Teams. Overall, 465 training offerings were provided, of which 18% (83) were in-person offerings and 82% (382) were virtual classroom offerings. Course durations varied, ranging from two-hour webinars to the 10-day in-person Institute for Temporary Assistance Programs, delivered recurrently since July 1981.

Training was delivered to a broad range of target populations, including: Temporary Assistance (TA), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) eligibility staff and supervisors; employment services (ES) staff and supervisors; temporary housing, disability determinations, child support services, and financial services staff; fair hearing agency representatives; hearing officers/administrative law judges; welfare fraud investigators and audit and quality improvement/program integrity staff; and staff development/training coordinators.

Significant project resources were allocated to aid the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) with training new eligibility workers. Nine offerings of the five-day Cash Assistance Training Institute (CATI) were delivered to new TA workers, and 10 offerings of the five-day SNAP Training Institute for HRA were delivered to new SNAP workers. Additionally, four offerings of the one-day HEAP Eligibility and Certification Training were delivered to new HEAP workers, and the five-day Welfare Fraud Investigator Training Institute was delivered to HRA investigative staff. All 104 days of training for HRA were delivered at the OTDA Harlem Training Center except for one large CATI offering delivered at HRA’s Regina D. Russ Training Center in Brooklyn.

This department also supported a range of program integrity initiatives led by OTDA’s Bureau of Audit and Quality Improvement (AQI). Among these included facilitating the provision of training scholarships to district staff to attend the three-day New York Welfare Fraud Investigators Association (NYWFIA) Annual Training Seminar. This training conference was delivered in October 2022 in Oswego (the first since pre-pandemic), and then again in June 2023 in Syracuse, resuming its usual late spring delivery schedule. The department delivered two conference sessions during the June 2023 offering:

• A Refresher on Preparing a SNAP Claim (delivered twice)
• The Affect of Poverty and Trauma on Decision Making and Behaviors (delivered once)

Both conferences were attended by a statewide audience of social services district welfare fraud directors and investigators, OTDA-AQI program integrity staff, and NYWFIA members.

Additionally, the department collaborated with OTDA-AQI staff to substantially revise the curriculum for the Audit Institute. This two-day core training provides an opportunity for new OTDA auditors to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to perform their job tasks. Two offerings of this in-person training institute were delivered this year to OTDA-AQI staff with the following titles: Management Specialist 1’s, Management Specialist Trainees, Auditor 1’s, and Auditor Trainees.

The department also provided logistical support for two OTDA-AQI manager retreats. Similar leadership retreat and staff development activity support was provided for other OTDA divisions, including Disability Determinations, Employment and Income Support Programs, and Upstate and Downstate Systems.

July 2021–June 2022

This was a successful yet challenging year for the Department of Temporary Assistance Training (DTAT). While coping with staff attrition and continuing to respond to the extraordinary circumstances and resulting training needs amid the on-going COVID-19 pandemic and public health emergency, this department balanced the ongoing heightened level of virtual classroom training needs with the phased return to in-person classroom training. To meet sponsor and trainee needs and accomplish a significant amount of work, this department relied on their talent, creativity, and dedication.

Operating under four contracts totaling over $5.3 million, 67 different courses (71.8% increase) were delivered to state, county, and service provider audiences throughout New York State in support of Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) training initiatives.

In-person training for statewide audiences resumed in October 2021 and deliveries progressively increased throughout the year. Tremendous thought, care, and effort went into creating and implementing new procedures and protocols to ensure in-person training was delivered safely amid the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. Regular deliveries resumed for 13 different in-person training institutes and an array of other in-person courses. While doing so, this department continued to significantly expand its course catalog from the pre-pandemic level. Many new virtual classroom/webinar and self-paced online courses were implemented.

This department also continued to expand their training reach, achieving its highest trainee level to date. During the period, 13,193 trainees participated (38.5% increase) in 596 days of training (42.9% increase), of which in-person training comprised 27% (161 days) and instructor-led synchronous training delivered via Webex and Teams comprised 73% (435 days). Overall, 612 training offerings were provided, of which 8% (47) were in-person offerings and 92% (565) were delivered in virtual classrooms. This ratio flipped from prepandemic years where 85–90% of this department’s training portfolio was focused on a range of in-person training institutes, conferences, and statewide, regional, and site-specific training events of varied lengths.

Training was delivered to a broad range of target populations, including: Temporary Assistance (TA), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) eligibility staff and supervisors; employment services (ES) staff and supervisors; temporary housing, disability determinations, and financial services staff; welfare fraud investigators; fair hearing agency representatives; and hearing officers/administrative law judges.

Throughout the year, there was a focus on expanding training support for OTDA’s Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) and related initiatives. In this vein, the new Telephonic Fair Hearings: District Preparation and Participation course was implemented on a statewide basis. This two-hour webinar provides information and best practices to social services district staff about how to prepare for and participate in telephonic fair hearings involving TA, SNAP, HEAP, and other assistance programs administered by OTDA. Telephonic fair hearings became the dominant format for OTDA fair hearings after March 2020. A total of 23 offerings of this training were delivered to 696 district fair hearing agency representatives, welfare fraud investigators, and eligibility staff and supervisors. This course continues to be offered on a quarterly basis.

To support OTDA Hearing Officers within OAH, three new online training courses were developed and implemented:

• Intentional Program Violations (IPVs) and Administrative Disqualification Hearings (ADHs) for TA and SNAP
• SNAP Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP)
• SNAP New York State Combined Application Project (NYSCAP)

Each course was custom designed. Sessions were delivered live via Webex and recorded, and then posted to TrainingSpace.ny.gov for self-paced, on demand use.

In addition, this department collaborated with PDP’s Instructional Technologies Unit (ITU) to develop and launch the new self-paced Burial Assistance and Cost Reimbursement for Deceased Persons Who Are Indigent course and redesign and re-launch HEAP Cooling Assistance course on TrainingSpace.ny.gov.

6.2.9 Child Support Training and Outreach Project

July 2022–June 2023

PDP has provided training for the child support workforce statewide for nearly as long as PDP has existed through its Child Support Training and Outreach Project. Using a variety of approaches the training team develops and delivers both synchronous and asynchronous training and tools to about 1,300 child support case workers across NYS.

Child support workers rely on an automated statewide case and accounting management system for information on the status of cases, however their work entails much more than entering data and running reports. They need a clear understanding of the child support process, the rules, and the underlying policies that support that process so they can effectively perform their job tasks to ensure the money goes where it belongs – to the child.

The success of the child support program in NYS is measured by various performance indicators that show how successful the program is at bringing due child support to children on time and in the right amount. Training workers to learn about and understand what their work entails, and providing workers access to information resources that help them do their jobs better, results in better performance outcomes for the child support program. PDP provides this training, and it developed, maintains, and enhances online asynchronous resources and tools that bring current information to workers to support the decisions they need to make as they do their work.

July 2021–June 2022

One of PDP’s long running projects, the Child Support Training and Outreach Project (CSTOP), supports the training needs of the NYS Division of Child Support Services statewide workforce by developing and offering innovative and engaging training and work performance support activities. During this past year, it helped facilitate a training offered by the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) for the states on how everyday work at the state level feeds into the OCSE157 federal reporting and impacts state performance outcomes. The NYS program office requested assistance with coordinating registration, so participants were evenly disbursed across a series of four sessions, offered twice for NYS via Microsoft Teams. PDP project staff prepared custom announcements and confirmation notices for using the sponsor’s learning management system for this purpose, and an email distribution plan for participant materials. PDP kept the sponsor informed of the use of the learning management system, and the network of district staff development coordinators was asked to work with child support coordinators to split participants as evenly as possible across both series. Approximately 1 week prior to the first session in each series PDP sent each registrant a link to access the training online via Microsoft Teams and participant materials for each session. PDP monitored registrations of about 320 individuals, fielded questions, and prepared reports for the state office.

6.2.10 Instructional Technologies Unit

July 2022–June 2023

PDP’s Instructional Technologies Unit (ITU) collaborates closely with its sponsors to design, develop, implement, and maintain a wide range of webbased products, including online training, applications, reporting tools, learning management systems, websites, and social media content. This year, ITU explored and embraced new technologies to expand its expertise and service offerings and improve production processes.

PDP continued to work closely with OCFS to maintain and enhance the online County Plans application. Project staff completed the development of the updated forms and other related system improvements in March of 2022, and the 2022 Plan Update was opened on April 5. At the end of 2022, 97% of counties’ plans were certified for the update.

PDP provides a customized learning management solution for the UAlbany School of Public Health’s Center for Public Health Continuing Education (CPHCE), called PHTC Online, which hosts more than 30 courses for the public health and health care workforce. When CPHCE redeveloped its Public Health Nurse Ready and Foundations of Public Health certificate programs into a single Public Health Foundations Certificate (PHFC), CPHCE staff worked with PDP to integrate the new certificate program directly into the site. Before this, both programs were largely manual: learners took the trainings online and then sent a request to CPHCE for the certificate, which was then created and emailed to the learner. PDP worked to automate this process. Learners now learn about the PHFC on PHTC Online, track their progress on PHTC Online, and receive their certificate on PHTC Online. CPHCE staff use the site to download custom Excel reports to view and analyze certificate completions and related information.

For OTDA and OCFS, project staff built customized pages that list available county-based social services jobs and other relevant information to help drive agency staff recruitment.

In January of 2023, ITU staff launched the final phase of the TrainingSpace redesign project, which finalized design and functionality updates that started in mid-2022. Among the many changes, a new “Discover” link provides users numerous ways to find and browse the 150+ trainings and materials on the site. In addition, staff migrated the site to a new, more cost-effective cloudbased server that allows for future expansion and flexibility. Staff continued to develop and post new trainings, including several video-based courses and short, focused Microsoft-application training programs developed by PDP’s Computer Training Services unit.

Staff also coordinated with PDP’s Department of Temporary Assistance Training to update the numerous SNAP and HEAP program-related courses based on new or updated OTDA policies. These courses serve thousands of eligibility workers statewide, helping to decrease error rates and improving responsiveness to program clients and their families.

For OCFS, ITU staff worked closely with OCFS Child Care staff to design and develop English and Spanish graphics and messaging for a social media campaign to promote allergy awareness and the availability of free non-patient-specific autoinjectors to child care providers. The campaign was met with great enthusiasm and will serve as a model for future child care initiatives.

For the Office of Employee Relations (OER), ITU staff made annual updates to trainings mandated by the State for the New York State public workforce. These trainings include: Language Access, Equal Employment Opportunity: Rights and Responsibilities, Gender Identity in the Workplace, Prevention of Workplace Violence: Law Policy, and Program, and Information and Cyber Security Awareness, and Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. These trainings are provided in several formats and through various outlets to ensure compliance.

July 2021–June 2022

ITU partnered with its sponsors to design, develop, implement, and maintain a wide range of web-based products, including online trainings, applications, reporting tools, learning management systems, websites, and content for social media channels.

ITU staff completed several website-related milestones during the past year.

ITU staff relaunched the OCFSsponsored Youth In Progress website in September 2021. The site sports a refreshed look, a trainings and events calendar, and an ongoing series of “trending topics” focused on areas of interest to foster youth, caseworkers, direct care staff, and foster parents.

ITU staff optimized the Early Childhood Education and Training Program (ECETP) training portal website for small screens while maintaining its ease of use.

Due to legislation signed by Governor Kathy Hochul that required New York State agencies to provide translated versions of their public-facing websites in the 12 most spoken languages, PDP worked closely with The Office of Information Technology to integrate the selected translation tool for the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) and NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) websites.

ITU staff also completed its multi-year update of the OCFS website to a new template and navigation scheme that follows the New York State branding guidelines, is mobile-friendly, and offers multiple ways for users to find child care and other State and local services.

ITU staff continued to develop and maintain the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) websites, including the rollout and maintenance of sub-sites for several high-priority programs: the Low Income Housing Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), and the Pandemic EBT and Supplemental Emergency Allotment of SNAP.

In terms of web-based training, ITU staff maintained the TrainingSpace learning management system and developed new trainings for the public social services workforce. ITU worked closely with PDP’s Department of Temporary Assistance Training to design, develop, and launch new selfpaced, web-based trainings, Burial Assistance and Cost Reimbursement for Deceased People Who Are Indigent and HEAP Heating Equipment Clean and Tune. ITU also launched two courses to cover new SNAP initiatives: the SNAP New York State Combined Application Project (NYSCAP) and the SNAP Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP). Over the year, staff posted over 20 new trainings and resources to TrainingSpace.

ITU and Media Production staff collaborated to design and deliver several new interactive, selfpaced, web-based trainings for child care providers offered through the Early Childhood Education and Training Program (ECETP). These trainings, which see hundreds of thousands of enrollments annually, included Building on the Foundations of Health and Safety, Information and Resources to Promote a Successful Child Care Program,Child Care Resources for LE Providers, and What is Legally Exempt Child Care?.

6.2.11 Department of Child Welfare Training

July 2022–June 2023

Casework Documentation

Most notable during this reporting period was the creation of materials for three 2-day Special Topic trainings on FASP and Progress Notes for Supervisors requested by a LDSS in the lower Hudson Valley. Materials included an outline, PowerPoint slides, Participant Workbook, a level 2 assessment, and a robust set of supplemental materials. This training will be offered in the third quarter of 2023.

Project staff trained 1368 participants on the FASP and Progress Notes this year and completed 147.5 training days.

Child Forensic Interviewing

PDP partnered with the Zero Abuse Project (ZAP) to provide fifteen in-person and five virtual five-day child forensic interviewing trainings, eighteen advanced special topic trainings and six webinars throughout the year.

Most notable during this period was the transition back to in-person offerings. This included securing locations for 15 trainings; coordinating the shipping of trainer and participant materials; monitoring registration, including screening for prerequisite completion; coordinating and onboarding actors; and processing post training paperwork.

Working with Alcohol and Substance Affected Families

PDP scheduled a classroom pilot of Helping People Change: Techniques for Motivating & Engaging Child Welfare Clients & Their Families classroom training during the fourth quarter of 2022 after waiting two years. Pilot feedback was incorporated in the first quarter of 2023.

PDP developed curriculum for Substance Use and Family Dynamics (Webex) and submitted materials to OCFS for review in the second quarter of 2023.

Project staff trained 1130 participants on topics including: Substance Use and Family Dynamics; Opioid Use and Family Dynamics; Adolescent Substance Use; Co-Occurring Disorders; Overview of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder; Opiates and Child Welfare; Helping People Change; and Working with Alcohol and Substance Affected Families.

Statewide Youth Services Training

PDP collaborated with the OCFS Division of Youth Development and Partnerships and OCFS Regional Office staff to plan, develop, and deliver four Regional Youth Event and Speak Outs. 447 youth and adult partners attended the Youth Events across the state. Youth participants were provided with the opportunity to share their thoughts and recommendations with a panel of state and local representatives. During the Speak Out portion, youth identified areas that they felt would improve the child welfare system. This included, but was not limited to, educating, and strengthening foster parents’ knowledge and skills on current and emerging needs of older youth, lack of urgency, sibling visits, contact with case workers and agency staff and positive reaction to the care of congregate care facilities.

Project staff trained 2,529 youth services staff and foster parents this year and completed 147.5 training days. Course topics including Transition Planning, Trauma-Informed Healing Centered Engagement, Preparing Youth for Employment, and Promoting Resilience: Foster Youth Empowerment provide skill development opportunities to aid in the process of successfully transitioning youth from care to self-sufficiency in adulthood.

July 2021–June 2022

Casework Documentation

Project staff converted the Family Assessment and Service Plan (FASP) with Foster Care classroom materials for Webex delivery. This course was approved by OCFS in the fourth quarter of 2021 and PDP began virtual offerings in the first quarter of 2022.

There were two 2-day Special Topics FASP training offerings conducted for Close to Home Programs during the third quarter of 2021. Materials included an outline, annotated leader’s guides, PowerPoint slides, a program specific case scenario, and modified level 2 assessment.

There were four half-day Special Topics training offerings of Case Composition and Person List conducted for a Western NY LDSS during the second quarter of 2022. Materials developed included an outline, PowerPoint, modified level 2, and Participant Workbook.

Project staff trained 2204 participants on the FASP and Progress Notes this year and completed 188 training days.

Child Forensic Interviewing

PDP partnered with the Zero Abuse Project (ZAP) to provide twenty five-day virtual child forensic interviewing trainings, eighteen advanced special topic trainings and six webinars throughout the year. Most notable during this period was the roll out of new content in the two advanced issues courses.

Working with Alcohol and Substance Affected Families

PDP finished the work of converting WASAF to a Webex platform in the third quarter. The first virtual offerings were conducted in the fourth quarter.

During this period, OCFS requested that PDP convert the Substance Use and Family Dynamics course to a virtual offering. A first draft submission was submitted to OCFS for approval.

Project staff trained 1164 participants on topics including: Substance Use and Family Dynamics; Opioid Use and Family Dynamics; Adolescent Substance Use; Co-Occurring Disorders; Overview of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder; Opiates and Child Welfare; Helping People Change; and Working with Alcohol and Substance Affected Families.

Statewide Youth Services Training

Project staff trained 2,430 youth services staff and foster parents this year and completed 148.5 training days. Course topics provide skill development opportunities to aid in the process of successfully transitioning youth from care to self-sufficiency in adulthood.

Project staff and project consultants developed material for several new 1-hour Webex courses this year: Trauma-Informed Healing Centered Engagement (HCE); Regulating Emotions; Networking and Mapping Resources; Relational Strategies to Build Trust and Connection-Correction (Disarm FearBased Behaviors); Adult Connections and Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA). Project staff and project consultants developed material for a new computer-based training (CBT) titled Exploring Higher Education Funding Available to Youth.

6.2.12 Department of Media Production

July 2022–June 2023

Media launched the Understanding and Supporting Children with Special Needs eLearning in April of 2023. This course, designed for the legally exempt child care provider population, provides an overview of the range of disabilities children can experience and, when needed, resources families can turn to for additional support. It also shares strategies for creating inclusive environments and working with children with special needs. In May of 2023, Media released Documentation and Record Keeping for Enrolled Legally Exempt Providers and Programs. This course explains what business records enrolled legally exempt providers or programs must keep by regulation or as best practice. It also offers tips for organizing written or electronic records and developing a system for keeping everything up to date.

Media also produced a series of videos to help OCFS celebrate Early Childhood Educator and Child Care Provider Appreciation week. These videos show child care providers working with children of all ages and are available for viewing on social media, NYS Department of Motor Vehicle Offices, and Thruway rest stops.

To support the need for informing child care providers of the data transfer of ECETP training completions to the OCFS Child Care Facility Systems (CCFS), Media produced Updating ECETP Profile videos (two English; two Spanish) and Tip Sheets (one English and one Spanish). These resources help child care providers update their ECETP account profiles with their program’s license, registration, or enrollment ID. This allows for a behind-the-scenes data transfer of completed training between ECETP and CCFS (the data collection and tracking system used by OCFS).

PDP created a public service campaign for Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Card users. The goal of the campaign was to prevent skimming scams when using cards at retailers. Media created scripts, storyboards, and recorded videos of EBT machines. The final PSAs were released in both English and Spanish.

The Media team developed a public service campaign for OTDA, Promoting a Career in Human Services, to attract people to human service jobs. Representing each region in NY, the team traveled to record interviews with regional and local professionals.

Another OTDA training initiative, LGBTQ+ Cultural Awareness, led by Phil Burse of In Our Own Voices was recorded with studio participants engaging in conversations and receiving information on supporting the physical, mental, spiritual, political, cultural, and economic survival and growth of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people of color.

OTDA hosted the well-attended NYWFIA conference in 2022. The Media team provided support by capturing live photos for later use by the agency.

Media worked closely with the Public Service Workshops Program (PSWP) on the Equal Employment Opportunity and Workplace Discrimination Prevention (EEO-WDP) video. This product includes an on- camera in-studio narration with case studies and visual prompts. The final product is part of a training requirement for NYS Employees.

July 2021–June 2022

Media Production continued to add new courses for child care providers to the eLearning catalog on the Early Childhood Education and Training Program (ECETP) website. Topics include Information and Resources to Promote a Successful Program, What is Legally Exempt Child Care?, Building on the Foundation of Health and Safety, and Lead: The Hidden Danger in Drinking Water. Also added is The Identifying and Responding to Anaphylaxis which is a key piece to the Office of Children and Family Services, non-patient specific auto injector initiative. The goal of the initiative is to spread allergy awareness to all child care providers and families. Research shows that children may experience their first allergic reaction in a program. By taking the training, providers gain information on common allergies, signs of a reaction, and how to react using a non-patientspecific auto-injector. NYS Child care providers who complete the training are eligible to receive this life-saving device for the program.

New virtual class training courses included Committee on Preschool Education (CPSE) and Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP), Do You Know Why? The Importance of Understanding Allergies and Supporting Children with Special Needs through Inclusive Child Care (English and Spanish), led by a PDP trainer with the assistance of an organizer, are delivered to child care providers in the evening and on weekends and use video elements and various interactions.

Media Production also collaborated with the NYS Council on Children and Families to produce their Kindergarten Summit. This studio production described the importance of preparing children for their transition to kindergarten and how that can have a lasting impact on them and their families.

The NY State Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) program through the NYS Department of Health worked with Media to develop infant and toddler videos for use in their Master Cadre training program for child care providers.

The Media team continued to support the New York State Leadership Institute’s need for virtual training from the PDP Studio. Since they couldn’t be together in person, this gave the presenters and participants an interactive, broadcast-quality training experience to promote engagement.

The Media team joined forces with talent from the Public Service Workshops Program (PSWP) to create the video Using Webex Training. This product helps NYS trainers see how to use the Webex platform in training to keep participants engaged.

For the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), the Media team produced a public service campaign on the importance of getting the COVID-19 vaccine for individuals experiencing homelessness The final products are available in English and Spanish.

Providing Services to Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, and Non-binary People Experiencing Homelessness required a full TV studio production. In this product, a PDP trainer explains the purpose of the Administrative Directive, which is to guide social services districts, emergency shelter operators, and emergency shelter staff in providing culturally competent assistance and services to people experiencing homelessness in a manner consistent with federal, state, and local laws.

Media staff narrated and created video products to support the New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) for OTDA to help inform how this economic relief supports low- and moderate-income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability.

The OTDA Commissioner Daniel Tietz visited the PDP Studio and recorded a welcome message for new OTDA employees as part of onboarding.

6.2.13 Homeless Services Training Resource System

July 2022–June 2023

PDP’s Homeless Services Training Resource System entered its fourth year, in 2022, providing highly effective and well-received training for staff of emergency shelters and supportive housing programs, as well as for staff of social services districts and other governmental entities who are serving homeless adults and families, or those at risk of homelessness. Despite losing one of its two full-time project staff in October, the project maintained similar productivity levels as in previous years with the use of consultant trainers and it brought back its foundational in-person two-day New Worker Institute.

July 2021–June 2022

Through this project, the Professional Development Program (PDP) offers training for staff of emergency shelters and supportive housing programs, as well as for staff of social services districts and other governmental entities who are serving homeless adults and families, or those at risk of homelessness. With the successful move to deliver this project’s training remotely in 2020–21, PDP’s Homeless Services Training Resource System rose to new levels in reaching the shelter worker audience. In 2021–22 PDP continued adding courses for remote delivery such as live online or asynchronous recorded sequences which allowed individuals, whose work schedules and travel restrictions might otherwise prevent them from attending an onsite offering, to attend courses virtually!

6.2.14Information Systems and Programming (ISP)

July 2022–June 2023

Information Systems and Programming (ISP) team worked with PDP’s Medical Administration Training (MAT) staff to completely redesign the MAT scholarship system. This project took many months to design and develop and is now part of PDP’s Training Portal platform. System capabilities include reviewing/issuing awards, generating automated notifications, and full reporting features. Thanks to ISP’s efforts MAT launched smoothly on January 2, 2023

ISP continued assisting with the high priority CCFS project for OCFS during this period. Including the development of several modules which connected to CCFS webservices and provided logic to match existing users while updating ECETP user profiles. This included several development sprints to launch new major features including the real-time transfer of all ECETP course completion certificates to CCFS, resulting in over 250,000 course certificates successfully transferred in 2023 to date. Realtime data transfer was a PDP first. ISP developers implemented a solution using Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ). This was a very involved solution typically used for financial transactions and ecommerce. Since launching this real-time transfer PDP developers enhanced the registration process to track user CCFS IDs preserving user profile history and developers continue to monitor the real-time data exchanges.

Several on premise servers have been replaced during this period. eLearning courses and several PDP Learning Management Systems were moved to Microsoft’s Azure cloud and PDP began using the cloud provider “Bitmovin” to stream video for several PDP websites. ISP’s DevOps environment has also been migrated to Microsoft’s Azure cloud and the development team has begun learning and utilizing Microsoft’s latest version of .NET Core.

ISP developers assisted with the sponsor’s initiative requiring PDP to verify ECETP user information with CCFS to enable the sponsor the ability to mail a medical device to specific authorized Childcare Providers. ISP worked with numerous stakeholders to develop an eLearning course that trained Day Care Professionals to administer and request the devices, providing lifesaving medical devices to thousands of providers throughout New York State.