About
Mitchell Hamline School of Law and Casey Family Programs developed the Certificate in Advocacy of ICWA to provide practicing attorneys, legal advocates, judges, social workers, and guardians ad litem with the opportunity to continue their education and study the legal and policy issues surrounding Native families and their involvement in the child welfare system.
Take courses sequentially over eleven weeks as part of a cohort, and after completing the requirements, earn your certificate.
The cost of this program is $250. The next cohort will begin on Jan. 13, 2024.
This program is designed to offer a platform for collaboration and learning with other professionals through interactive projects, discussions, presentations, and reading materials. Overall, the ICWA Certificate focuses on implementing ICWA into practice and addressing the trauma experienced by Native families in the child welfare system.
You can expect to learn about
- Cross-cultural engagement
- Collaborative practice in child welfare
- History and purpose of ICWA
- ICWA’s legal requirements through in-depth discussion
- Supreme court challenges to ICWA
- Current ICWA caselaw
- Cout jurisdictions and variances
- Trauma responsive practice
- Professional responsibility
- Implementing strength-based approaches in advocacy
Upon completion
You will have developed the skills necessary to engage in an ICWA case from start to finish. You’ll be equipped to approach representation and advocacy from a multi-disciplinary perspective, have better access to resources, and be confident in integrating ICWA and trauma-responsive approaches into their own individual practices. The ICWA Certificate will provide an understanding of ICWA and how the legal profession can work to decrease the disproportionate removal of native children from their families and communities.
Payment is due upon registration. Please contact Katie.Olson@mitchelhamline.edu to register a group of people or with any questions.
Registrants are expected to attend a live kick-off meeting from 7–8:30 pm Central on Jan. 13 to meet the faculty and discuss the program. Each Wednesday at 6 pm Central there will be live, virtual “office hours” where participants can ask questions, discuss course topics, and build community with each other. You should consider the office hours as a required part of this program.
The program is online and flexible to fit your professional work schedule. Courses are delivered asynchronously through our learning management system. There will be many opportunities to interact with program faculty and others in your cohort in discussions and practical hands-on exercises. You will engage in weekly, live virtual discussions.