Training in the Time of COVID

Physical barriers and PPE help keep trainees safe.

by Benita Ibarra, Training Coordinator

This Fall, the leaves aren’t the only thing changing. It seems like almost everything we do looks different than it did this time last year, and our department is no exception. We have seen changes due to the pandemic in our lobbies, hallways, and even on our faces.

One thing that hasn’t changed—indeed, it has become more apparent than ever—is how much our clients need the services we provide. In order to meet this need, we have to make sure there are enough trained staff to help the people in our county. That is one of the key responsibilities of DSS Staff Development, but of course COVID-19 affects how we approach training too. We’re making sure to create an environment that is conducive to learning, while adhering to the protocols the department has put in place to make sure staff is safe.

For example, we have reconfigured the training rooms to allow for social distancing, and placed panels between each trainee. The training room at Carmen Lane, where eligibility training is usually held, could not house all 21 trainees, so the Siskiyou training room at the WRC has been reconfigured and houses trainees as well. We utilize ZOOM in our training—a program many of our trainees were already quite familiar with in this time of COVID. It enables them to actively participate in training and ask questions, regardless of their location.

If you'd like to see some photos of our reconfigured training environment in action, click here. 

This pandemic may have affected the way training is being done, but our mission in training remains the same: to train effective and diligent employees of the Department of Social Services who will make a difference in our community, as their peers and colleagues are all doing now. No matter where we’re stationed or how we work, we are One Department, One Team.