Understanding and Applying ICWA: Purpose, Strategies, Practice, and Resources

Back to CJI Help Topic

This Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) training is designed to provide the foundational information necessary to comply with both the letter and spirit of the ICWA. The training also provides substantive law and practice skills necessary to improve outcomes for Indian children and their families. The training covers the background leading to the ICWA requirements, the 2016 Federal Regulations, 2016 Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Guidelines, Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA), and Minnesota Tribal/State Agreement (TSA).
Learning Objectives: When attendees have finished this course, they will be able to:
 
  1. Recognize the historical, philosophical, and legal requirements of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA).
  2. Participate in ensuring positive outcomes for Indian children, their families, and tribes.
  3. Apply the letter of the law and the spirit of ICWA, MIFPA, federal regulations, and Minnesota’s Tribal/State Agreement (TSA).
Recommended Audience: All CJI team members and stakeholders in the child welfare community are encouraged to attend, including judicial officers, court administration staff, law clerks, county attorneys, social workers, attorneys for parents and children, guardians ad litem, and tribal representatives.

Cost: There is no fee for registration, materials, continuing education credits, or meals and refreshments during the training. Attendees are responsible for travel costs, including parking.

Friday, July 26, 2024
8:30 am to 4:30 pm / in-person

 Dakota County Judicial Center – Jury Assembly Room
1560 Hwy 55
Hastings, MN 55033

Course Description: This Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) training is designed to provide the foundational information necessary to comply with both the letter and spirit of the ICWA. The training also provides substantive law and practice skills necessary to improve outcomes for Indian children and their families. The training covers the background leading to the ICWA, the ICWA requirements, the 2016 Federal Regulations, 2016 Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Guidelines, Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA), and Minnesota Tribal/State Agreement (TSA).
 
The course will be led by Jessica Ryan (Attorney, Adult Representation Services & Tribal Attorney in Private Practice), and Korey Wahwassuck (Itasca County Judge, 9th Judicial District).
 
Learning Objectives: When attendees have finished this course, they will be able to:
 
1. Recognize the historical, philosophical, and legal requirements of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA).
2. Participate in ensuring positive outcomes for Indian children, their families, and tribes.
3. Apply the letter of the law and the spirit of ICWA, MIFPA, federal regulations, and Minnesota’s Tribal/State Agreement (TSA).
 
Recommended Audience: All CJI team members and partners in the child welfare community are encouraged to attend, including judicial officers, court administration staff, law clerks, county attorneys, social workers, attorneys for parents and children, guardians ad litem, and tribal representatives.
 
Registration: Please register using this registration survey by the registration deadline of Friday, July 12, 2024. Parking information will be provided to those who register for the event.

Friday, August 16, 2024
8:30 am to 4:30 pm / in-person

St. Cloud, MN 56301

Course Description: This Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) training is designed to provide the foundational information necessary to comply with both the letter and spirit of the ICWA. The training also provides substantive law and practice skills necessary to improve outcomes for Indian children and their families. The training covers the background leading to the ICWA, the ICWA requirements, the 2016 Federal Regulations, 2016 Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Guidelines, Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA), and Minnesota Tribal/State Agreement (TSA).
 
The course will be led by Jessica Ryan (Attorney, Adult Representation Services & Tribal Attorney in Private Practice), Jamie Cork (Dakota County Judge, 1st Judicial District), and Korey Wahwassuck (Itasca County Judge, 9th Judicial District).
 
Learning Objectives: When attendees have finished this course, they will be able to:
 
1. Recognize the historical, philosophical, and legal requirements of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA).
2. Participate in ensuring positive outcomes for Indian children, their families, and tribes.
3. Apply the letter of the law and the spirit of ICWA, MIFPA, federal regulations, and Minnesota’s Tribal/State Agreement (TSA).
 
Recommended Audience: All CJI team members and partners in the child welfare community are encouraged to attend, including judicial officers, court administration staff, law clerks, county attorneys, social workers, attorneys for parents and children, guardians ad litem, and tribal representatives.
 
Registration: Please register using this registration survey by Friday, August 2, 2024. Event location information and parking details will be provided to those who register for the event.
 

Summer of Fall 2025
More details to come.
 

Summer or Fall 2025
More details to come.
 

  • January 27, 2021 Virtual Training - Agenda
  • March 10, 2021 Virtual Training - Agenda
  • April 15, 2021 Virtual Training - Agenda
  • December 22, 2021 Virtual Training - Agenda
  • January 13, 2022 Virtual Training - Agenda  
  • June 10, 2022 In-person Training - Agenda 
  • October 21, 2022 In-person Training - Agenda 
  • September 15, 2023 In-person Training - Agenda
  • October 27, 2023 In-person Training - Agenda
  • February 14, 2024 Virtual Training - Agenda
  • July 26, 2024 In-person Training - Agenda
  • August 16, 2024 In-person Training - Agenda

Please select your training below for professional credit information.

Judicial officers, court administration staff, guardians ad litem, social workers, and attorneys can report this course for continuing education credit. 

For judicial officers, please complete this Continuing Judicial Education (CJE) Petition to report your participation in this training. 

For law clerks and attorneys, this course has been approved for 3.5 standard Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits and 3.0 elimination of bias CLE credits that can be reported directly to the Minnesota State Board of Continuing Legal Education using the event code 491891

For court administration staff, please record your attendance as an external training event in Cornerstone. Not sure how to do this? Check out this Quick Reference Guide

For social workers, guardians ad litem, and others, a Certificate of Attendance can be provided to you upon request, along with a copy of the agenda from this training. You can make that request directly to the Children's Justice Initiative
Judicial officers, court administration staff, guardians ad litem, social workers, and attorneys can report this course for continuing education credit. 

For judicial officers, please complete this Continuing Judicial Education (CJE) Petition to report your participation in this training. 

For law clerks and attorneys, this course has been approved for 3.5 standard Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits and 3.0 elimination of bias CLE credits that can be reported directly to the Minnesota State Board of Continuing Legal Education using the event code 458648. 

For court administration staff, please record your attendance as an external training event in Cornerstone. Not sure how to do this? Check out this Quick Reference Guide

For social workers, guardians ad litem, and others, a Certificate of Attendance can be provided to you upon request, along with a copy of the agenda from this training. You can make that request directly to the Children's Justice Initiative
Judicial officers, court administration staff, guardians ad litem, social workers, and attorneys can report this course for continuing education credit. 

For judicial officers, please complete this Continuing Judicial Education (CJE) Petition to report your participation in this training. 

For law clerks and attorneys, this course has been approved for 3.5 standard Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits and 3.0 elimination of bias CLE credits that can be reported directly to the Minnesota State Board of Continuing Legal Education using the event code 473632. 

For court administration staff, please record your attendance as an external training event in Cornerstone. Not sure how to do this? Check out this Quick Reference Guide

For social workers, guardians ad litem, and others, a Certificate of Attendance can be provided to you upon request, along with a copy of the agenda from this training. You can make that request directly to the Children's Justice Initiative
Judicial officers, court administration staff, guardians ad litem, social workers, and attorneys can report this course for continuing education credit. 

For judicial officers, please complete this Continuing Judicial Education (CJE) Petition to report your participation in this training. 

For law clerks and attorneys, this course has been approved for 3.5 standard Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits and 3.0 elimination of bias CLE credits that can be reported directly to the Minnesota State Board of Continuing Legal Education using the event code 493622

For court administration staff, please record your attendance as an external training event in Cornerstone. Not sure how to do this? Check out this Quick Reference Guide

For social workers, guardians ad litem, and others, a Certificate of Attendance can be provided to you upon request, along with a copy of the agenda from this training. You can make that request directly to the Children's Justice Initiative
Judicial officers, court administration staff, guardians ad litem, social workers, and attorneys can report this course for continuing education credit. 

For judicial officers, please complete this Continuing Judicial Education (CJE) Petition to report your participation in this training. 

For law clerks and attorneys, this course has been approved for 3.5 standard Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits and 3.0 elimination of bias CLE credits that can be reported directly to the Minnesota State Board of Continuing Legal Education using the event code 509232

For court administration staff, record your attendance as an external training in Oracle when the learning (training) module goes live in late summer 2024. A quick reference guide will be made available.

For social workers, guardians ad litem, and others, a Certificate of Attendance can be provided to you upon request, along with a copy of the agenda from this training. You can make that request directly to the Children's Justice Initiative
 
Judicial officers, court administration staff, guardians ad litem, social workers, and attorneys can report this course for continuing education credit. 

For judicial officers, please complete this Continuing Judicial Education (CJE) Petition to report your participation in this training. 

For law clerks and attorneys, this course has been approved for 3.5 standard Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits and 3.0 elimination of bias CLE credits that can be reported directly to the Minnesota State Board of Continuing Legal Education using the event code 509659

For court administration staff, record your attendance as an external training in Oracle when the learning (training) module goes live in late summer 2024. A quick reference guide will be made available.

For social workers, guardians ad litem, and others, a Certificate of Attendance can be provided to you upon request, along with a copy of the agenda from this training. You can make that request directly to the Children's Justice Initiative
 
Judicial officers, court administration staff, guardians ad litem, social workers, and attorneys can report this course for continuing education credit. 

For judicial officers, please complete this Continuing Judicial Education (CJE) Petition to report your participation in this training. 

For law clerks and attorneys, this course has been approved for 1.25 standard Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits and 1.0 elimination of bias CLE credit that can be reported directly to the Minnesota State Board of Continuing Legal Education using the event code 500405. 

For court administration staff, please record your attendance as an external training event in Cornerstone. Not sure how to do this? Check out this Quick Reference Guide

For social workers, guardians ad litem, and others, a Certificate of Attendance can be provided to you upon request, along with a copy of the agenda from this training. You can make that request directly to the Children's Justice Initiative.
Judges, court administration staff, guardians ad litem, social workers, and attorneys can report this couse for continuing education credit.

Judges, please fill out the Continuing Judicial Education (CJE) petition and email it to Human Resources.

Attorneys, the event code is 355884, and it has been approved for 2.5 standard credits.
Judicial officers, court administration staff, guardians ad litem, social workers, and attorneys can report this course for continuing education credit.

For judicial officers, please complete this Continuing Judicial Education (CJE) Petition to report your participation in this training.

For law clerks and attorneys, this course has been approved for 2.25 standard Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits that can be reported directly to the Minnesota State Board of Continuing Legal Education using the event code 429026.

For court administration staff, please record your attendance as an external training event in Cornerstone. Not sure how to do this? Check out this Quick Reference Guide.

For social workers, guardians ad litem, and others, a Certificate of Attendance can be provided to you upon request, along with a copy of the agenda from this training. You can make that request directly to the Children's Justice Initiative.  
 
Judicial officers, court administration staff, guardians ad litem, social workers, and attorneys can report this course for continuing education credit. 

For judicial officers, please complete this Continuing Judicial Education (CJE) Petition to report your participation in this training. 

For law clerks and attorneys, this course has been approved for 2.25 standard Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits that can be reported directly to the Minnesota State Board of Continuing Legal Education using the event code 433024.

For court administration staff, please record your attendance as an external training event in Cornerstone. Not sure how to do this? Check out this Quick Reference Guide

For social workers, guardians ad litem, and others, a Certificate of Attendance can be provided to you upon request, along with a copy of the agenda from this training. You can make that request directly to the Children's Justice Initiative