Policy

Staff and Caregiver Training Policy

Refuge House, Inc.
Last updated: July 24, 2026 · Source: policies-procedures/Policy/Staff and Caregiver Training Policy.md

REFUGE HOUSE, INC.

Policy Information Details
POLICY NAME Staff and Caregiver Training Policy
POLICY NUMBER FC-16
ORIGINATED December 2025
APPROVED BY Board of Directors
APPROVED ON 5/22/2026
EFFECTIVE DATE 5/22/2026
LAST UPDATED 5/15/2026
REVISION DATE 7/13/26 (pending approval)
LAST APPROVED 5/22/2026
SECTION FC-16
PRIMARY DOMAIN Training
ADJACENT DOMAINS Foster Care; HR/Personnel
DATE(S) OF REVISION 12.09.2025.1
## APPLICABLE T3C PACKAGES: ## APPLICABLE T3C ADD-ON SERVICES:
☒ T3C Basic Foster Family Home ☒ Transition Support Services for Youth & Young Adults
☒ Substance Use Support Services ☒ Kinship Caregiver Support Services
☒ Short-Term Assessment ☒ Pregnant & Parenting Youth or Young Adult
☒ Mental & Behavioral Health
☐ Sexual Aggression/Sex Offender
☐ Complex Medical Needs or Medically Fragile
☐ Human Trafficking Victim/Survivor
☒ Intellectual or Developmental Disability (IDD)/Autism Spectrum Disorder
☒ T3C Treatment Foster Family Care

PURPOSE

To establish comprehensive training requirements for all personnel involved in T3C service delivery, ensuring consistent competency across staff, foster family caregivers, and contracted treatment team members. This policy centralizes training standards to support quality service delivery, regulatory compliance, and effective implementation of Refuge House's Evidence-informed Treatment Model (TBRI®).

POLICY STATEMENT

Refuge House is committed to ensuring all individuals involved in caring for children possess the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for trauma-informed, effective service delivery. Training is not merely a compliance requirement but a foundational element of quality care that directly impacts child outcomes.

All training at Refuge House integrates Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) principles, ensuring a consistent therapeutic approach across all caregiving contexts. Training requirements are tailored to the specific responsibilities and populations served by each role and Service Package.

SCOPE

This policy applies to:

Agency Staff:

Foster Family Home Caregivers:

Contracted Treatment Team Members:

Kinship Caregivers:

PROVISIONS

1. TRAINING PHILOSOPHY

Refuge House training is grounded in the following principles:

1.1 TBRI® Integration

All training incorporates Trust-Based Relational Intervention® principles:

1.2 Trauma-Informed Approach

Training delivery and content acknowledge:

1.3 Competency-Based Learning

Training focuses on demonstrated competency, not merely attendance:

2. STAFF TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

2.1 Pre-Employment/Orientation Training

All new staff must complete within 30 days of hire:

Training Component Hours Requirement Source
Agency Orientation 2 Refuge House Policy
T3C System Overview 2 T3C Blueprint
TBRI® Foundations 4 T3C Blueprint (Treatment Model)
Human Trafficking Prevention 2-3 T3C Blueprint p.18-19
Policies and Procedures Review 2 TAC §749.931
Documentation and Radius Training 2 Refuge House Policy
TOTAL MINIMUM 14-15

2.2 Position-Specific Training

Executive Leadership (Program Director, Treatment Director):

Case Managers:

Clinical Staff:

2.3 Annual Staff Training

All staff must complete 20 hours minimum annually, including:

3. FOSTER FAMILY CAREGIVER TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

3.1 Pre-Service Training

Prospective foster parents must complete 35 hours minimum before verification (TAC §749.863, §749.885):

Training Component Hours Requirement Source
RH 101 Orientation 2 Refuge House Policy
Pre-Service Curriculum 12 TAC §749.863, §749.885
SAMA (Behavioral Management) 16 Refuge House Policy
CPR/First Aid 2 TAC §749.911(1)
Psychotropic Medications 2 TAC §749.911
Transportation Safety 2 Refuge House Policy
Medical Consent 1 DFPS Requirement
TOTAL 37

Additional Pre-Service Requirements:

3.2 T3C Transition Training (Current Foster Parents)

Existing verified foster parents transitioning to T3C credentialing must complete 16 hours:

Module Hours Content
T3C Orientation & Vision 2 T3C transformation; what changes
TBRI® as Treatment Model 4 TBRI principles with T3C application
Human Trafficking Prevention 2 DFPS curriculum (if not current)
Service Planning & Documentation 4 Foster parent participation; outcome tracking
Enhanced Family Connections 2 Family engagement expectations
Add-On Services Integration 2 Kinship, Transition, Pregnant/Parenting overview

3.3 Annual Caregiver Training

Verified foster parents must complete 30 hours minimum annually (TAC §749.930):

Training Category Hours Requirement Source
TBRI® Application/Refresher 4 T3C Blueprint
Behavior Management (SAMA refresher) 8 Refuge House Policy
Trauma-Informed Care 2 TAC §749.911
Cultural Competency 2 TAC §749.911
Normalcy/Prudent Parenting 2 TAC §749.911(13)
Child Development 2 TAC §749.911(2)
CPR/First Aid (maintain certification) 2 TAC §749.911(1)
Electives/Package-Specific 8 Various
TOTAL 30

4. PACKAGE-SPECIFIC TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

4.1 T3C Basic Foster Family Home

Standard pre-service and annual training as outlined in Sections 2-3.

4.2 Mental & Behavioral Health Support Services

Staff and caregivers serving this population must complete additional training:

Training Component Hours Audience
Mental & Behavioral Health package-specific training (therapeutic parenting, crisis de-escalation, safety/medication storage, treatment-team participation) 4 Staff and Caregivers
Crisis intervention, trauma & attachment, behavioral support, and mental health first aid concepts Covered within standard pre-service curriculum (no additional hours) Staff and Caregivers

4.3 IDD/Autism Spectrum Disorder Support Services

Staff and caregivers serving this population must complete additional training:

Training Component Hours Audience
IDD/Autism package-specific training (autism characteristics, communication/AAC, sensory-friendly environment, behavior support, medical-care coordination) 4 Staff and Caregivers
Additional IDD/Autism competencies Covered within standard pre-service curriculum (no additional hours) Staff and Caregivers

4.4 Substance Use Support Services

Staff and caregivers serving this population must complete additional training:

Training Component Hours Audience
Substance Abuse Awareness 4 Staff and Caregivers
Understanding Addiction as Disease Included Staff and Caregivers
Non-Punitive, Recovery-Supportive Approach Included Staff and Caregivers
Recognizing Signs of Use/Relapse Included Staff and Caregivers
MAT Understanding (if applicable) Included Staff and Caregivers

Annual Refresher: 2 hours substance use topics

4.5 Short-Term Assessment Support Services

Staff and caregivers serving this population must complete additional training:

Training Component Hours Audience
Short-Term Assessment Training 4 Staff and Caregivers
Observation and Documentation Included Caregivers
Supporting Assessment Processes Included Caregivers
Transition Management Included Caregivers

4.6 T3C Treatment Foster Family Care

CRITICAL: Per TAC §749.863(c), caregivers must complete 20 hours additional specialized training:

Training Component Hours Audience
Managing High-Acuity Behaviors 4 Caregivers
Implementing Intensive Behavior Support Plans 4 Caregivers
Advanced Crisis Intervention/De-escalation 4 Caregivers
Supporting Concentrated Therapeutic Treatment 4 Caregivers
Recognizing Psychiatric Emergencies 2 Caregivers
Treatment Team Participation 2 Caregivers
TOTAL 20

Annual Requirement: 8 hours specialized Treatment Foster Care training

Staff Training: Treatment Directors and Case Managers serving TFFC must complete comparable clinical training on intensive service delivery.

5. CONTRACTED TREATMENT TEAM MEMBER REQUIREMENTS

5.1 Verification of Qualifications

Before engaging contracted treatment team members, Refuge House verifies:

5.2 Orientation Requirements

All contracted treatment team members must receive orientation including:

Component Method Timeline
Refuge House mission and values Written materials Before service delivery
TBRI® Treatment Model overview Written materials or brief training Before service delivery
T3C Service Package requirements Written materials Before service delivery
Documentation and communication expectations Meeting with Case Manager Before service delivery
Reporting requirements Written materials Before service delivery

5.3 Provider-Specific Requirements

Licensed Therapists (Contracted):

Behavioral Support Specialists/Mentors:

Nursing Staff (Contracted):

5.4 Ongoing Coordination

Contracted treatment team members receive:

6. KINSHIP CAREGIVER TRAINING

6.1 Modified Training Approach

Recognizing kinship caregivers' existing relationships with children, training is adapted while maintaining safety standards:

Training Component Hours Timeline
Kinship-Specific Orientation 2 Within 14 days of placement
Safety and Emergency Procedures 2 Within 14 days of placement
Trauma-Informed Parenting Basics 4 Within 30 days
TBRI® Foundations (modified) 4 Within 60 days
Human Trafficking Prevention 2 Within 90 days
CPR/First Aid 2 Within 90 days
TOTAL PRE-VERIFICATION 16

Kinship RCC training gates: verified kinship caregivers complete the two-hour DFPS Trauma-Informed Care Training within 60 days of the placement of the first child in their home (DFPS 24-Hr RCC §5510) — see Section 11.3 — and, like all direct-care caregivers, complete the DFPS Provider Portal registration and Caregiver Training Hub child-sexual-abuse course before providing direct care and annually thereafter (DFPS 24-Hr RCC §5600) — see Section 11.1.

6.2 Ongoing Kinship Training

7. HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION TRAINING

Cross-Reference: TR-HT-01 Universal Human Trafficking Prevention Training Policy

7.1 Universal Requirement

ALL staff, caregivers, and contracted treatment team members must complete Human Trafficking Prevention Training:

Audience Initial Training Refresher
Staff Within 30 days of hire Every 2 years
Foster Caregivers Pre-service Every 2 years
Contracted Providers Before service delivery Every 2 years
Kinship Caregivers Within 90 days Every 2 years

7.2 Training Delivery

Refuge House maintains certified trainers per DFPS Train-the-Trainer model. See TR-HT-01 and TR-HT-01.1 for complete requirements.

8. TRAINING DOCUMENTATION AND COMPLIANCE

8.1 Documentation Requirements

All training must be documented including:

8.2 Record Maintenance

Training records maintained in:

8.3 Compliance Monitoring

Training Coordinator monitors:

8.4 Non-Compliance Response

9. QUALITY ASSURANCE

9.1 Training Effectiveness

Training effectiveness assessed through:

9.2 Continuous Improvement

Training program improvements informed by:

10. 2INgage Network Training Requirements

SSCC-2INGAGE — addition start (provider-specific; remove this block if the 2INgage contract ends)

For the 2INgage network: on an annual basis, all Refuge House personnel acknowledge being informed of the most current agency Disaster and Emergency Response Preparedness Plan (DERPP), including updates, and foster parents receive information regarding Texas Health Steps. (2INgage Provider Manual Rev. 1.2026 §10, p.46) Caregivers serving children with a sexual-behavior history complete Child Sexual Aggression (CSA) training. (2INgage Provider Manual Rev. 1.2026 §2, p.13)

SSCC-2INGAGE — addition end

SSCC-EMPOWER — addition start (provider-specific; remove this block if the EMPOWER contract ends)

For the EMPOWER network, all Refuge House personnel annually acknowledge being informed of the most current agency DERPP (including updates), and foster parents receive Texas Health Steps information (EMPOWER Provider Manual Rev. 1.2026 §10, p.45).

SSCC-EMPOWER — addition end

SSCC-OCOK — addition start (provider-specific; remove this block if the OCOK contract ends)

For the OCOK network, personnel and caregivers are trained on and/or acknowledge the agency DERPP during pre-service and annually thereafter, and each foster/adoptive home develops its own DERPP (OCOK Network Management Operations Manual Rev. 7-1-2025 §4.06, p.69).

SSCC-OCOK — addition end

SSCC-STFRANCIS — addition start (provider-specific; based on the publicly-sourced July-2020 SFCS manual — confirm against the current SFCS manual; remove this block if the SFCS contract ends)

For the SFCS network, required training includes Emergency Behavior Intervention (8 hours pre-service), and foster parents receive Texas Health Steps information (SFCS Placement Provider Manual, July 2020 §1.8, p.13).

SSCC-STFRANCIS — addition end

11. DFPS CAREGIVER TRAINING GATES (DFPS 24-Hr RCC FY26)

11.1 DFPS Sexual Abuse Caregiver Training (RCC §5600)

Refuge House registers every individual who provides direct care to children in DFPS conservatorship as a Caregiver in the DFPS Provider Portal before the required DFPS caregiver training can be completed. Each Caregiver must complete the required DFPS caregiver training on child sexual abuse in the Caregiver Training Hub before providing direct care to children in DFPS conservatorship, and annually thereafter. (DFPS 24-Hr RCC §5600) Completion of this training is a placement gate: no caregiver — foster parent, kinship caregiver, respite caregiver, foster-home employee, or agency employee providing direct care — provides direct care before the initial course is complete, and annual recompletion is tracked by anniversary date. Completion certificates are retained per Section 8 (Training Documentation and Compliance).

11.2 Pre-Service Trauma-Informed Care Quantum (RCC §5510)

Each Caregiver and employee, including Case Managers, who provides direct care must complete a minimum of eight hours of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) training before being the only Caregiver responsible for a child in care. The eight hours must include at least one of the DFPS-approved Trauma-Informed Care trainings, a component on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and training and resources related to prevention and management of secondary traumatic stress (compassion fatigue). (DFPS 24-Hr RCC §5510)

Reconciliation with the Section 3.1 pre-service table: the eight TIC hours sit inside the existing 37-hour pre-service block, not on top of it. The DFPS-approved TIC training, the ACEs component, and the secondary-traumatic-stress component are scheduled as identified elements of the pre-service sequence; the remaining TIC hours are drawn from the trauma-informed content of the 12-hour Pre-Service Curriculum (TBRI®-based attachment, trauma, and connection modules), counted only where the training record documents the content as Trauma-Informed Care. Where an individual's documented TIC hours within the existing block fall short of eight, supplemental TIC hours are assigned before that individual serves as the sole caregiver — which may raise that individual's pre-service total above 37 hours rather than re-labeling non-TIC content. The sole-caregiver gate applies equally to agency employees who provide direct care, including Case Managers.

11.3 Kinship Trauma-Informed Care (RCC §5510)

Verified Kinship Caregivers complete the two-hour DFPS Trauma-Informed Care Training within 60 days of the placement of the first child in their home (available at https://www.dfps.texas.gov/training/trauma_informed_care/). The two-hour DFPS course counts toward the 4-hour Trauma-Informed Parenting Basics component in Section 6.1. Verified Kinship Caregivers are not required by the RCC to complete the additional six hours of TIC training unless required by Refuge House (DFPS 24-Hr RCC §5510); Refuge House's kinship training expectations in Section 6 continue to apply.

11.4 Annual TIC Refresher and Documentation (RCC §§5520, 5530)

The annual two-hour Trauma-Informed Care refresher required by DFPS 24-Hr RCC §5520 is satisfied through the Trauma-Informed Care component of the annual caregiver training in Section 3.3 and applies equally to employees, including Case Managers, who provide direct care. Caregivers and employees keep certifications of completed TIC training in their records per Section 8 (DFPS 24-Hr RCC §5530).

DEFINITIONS

REFERENCES

SSCC alignment (FY-26): 2INgage Provider Manual Rev. 1.2026 — §10 (p.46 DERPP/THSteps); §2 (p.13 CSA). Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC coverage tracker (temporary-reference/fy26-sscc-joint-monitoring/sscc-alignment/).

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — EMPOWER: EMPOWER Provider Manual Rev. 1.2026 — §10 (p.45 DERPP/THSteps). Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — OCOK: OCOK Network Management Operations Manual Rev. 7-1-2025 — §4.06 (p.69 DERPP annual training). Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — 4Kids: 4Kids4Families Joint Operations Manual (Dec 2025) / Subcontractor Agreement — reviewed; aligned (4Kids items here are casework/Minimum-Standards-level), no additional provider-specific provisions required in this document. Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — Belong: Belong Stage I & II Provider Manual (Aug 2025) / Provider Services Agreement — reviewed; aligned, no additional provider-specific provisions required in this document. Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

SSCC alignment (FY-26) — SFCS: SFCS Placement Provider Manual (July 2020, publicly-sourced — currency unconfirmed) / 2019 Affiliate Provider Agreement — Manual §1.8 (EBI 8-hr pre-service; Texas Health Steps info). Confirm against the current SFCS provider manual. Cross-reference: FC-CQI-01 Continuous Quality Improvement Policy; FY-26 SSCC variance matrix.

RELATED POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

FORMS/ATTACHMENTS

Package-Specific Training Checklists:

This policy document establishes the governing principles for Staff and Caregiver Training. The corresponding procedure document (FC-16.1) operationalizes these principles by providing specific implementation details (who, when, where, and how). While policies require Board approval and remain relatively stable, procedures may be updated by the Executive Director to adapt to regulatory changes, technological advancements, or operational improvements without requiring Board approval, provided such changes maintain alignment with the policy's intent.

© 2026 Refuge House, Inc. · This is a controlled document. Always refer to the current version.