The Center for Development of Human Services (CDHS) was a sponsored nonprofit program of the Research Foundation of the State University of New York located at Buffalo State College. CDHS/ Research Foundation began in 1976 when a small group of

Buffalo State College The State University of New York College at Buffalo (colloquially referred to as Buffalo State College, SUNY Buffalo State, Buffalo State, or simply Buff State) is a public college in Buffalo, New York. It is part of the State University of Ne ...

faculty was successful in obtaining a $100,000

social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...

training grant to provide instruction to those employed in the field of social work. The Social Services Training Project, as it was then called, evolved into CDHS/Research Foundation, now a nationally recognized provider of human services training. CDHS/Research Foundation used to manage over 30 human services training projects representing $50 million in grant-funded activities that serve the residents of

New York State New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. stat ...

and was the largest such provider in the state. From 1999 to 2010, under the leadership of Robert Spaner, Project Director and Principal Investigator, CDHS expanded from a $16 million operation with under 100 staff to a $60 million Center with 400 staff and 40 separate projects. In April, 2010 Mr. Spaner retired. CDHS used to be headquartered in Buffalo, with satellite offices in

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...

, Albany, and

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. A large number of CDHS staff worked with state and local government agencies statewide. At of the end of 2018, The Center for Development of Human Services officially ceased all operations when the college's contract with the New York State Office of Children and Family Services expired. CDHS has largely been replaced by the Learning Engagement and Development Services office (LEADS) at SUNY Buffalo State. Through research partnerships with faculty and staff of Buffalo State College and the

University at Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 1846 ...

, local campuses included in the

State University of New York The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...

, CDHS/Research Foundation trainers and staff are provided with access to professional expertise and the most current scholarly research in the areas of education and social services. This research is used in curriculum development, training, and technical assistance provided for state and local government agencies, including the New York State Department of Children and Family Services, the New York City Administration for Children’s Services, the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, the

New York State Department of Health The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) is the department of the New York state government responsible for public health. It is headed by Health Commissioner Mary T. Bassett, who was appointed by Governor Hochul and confirmed by the S ...

, and the Erie County Department of Social Services.

Training

Training Units

CDHS includes these training units: * The New York State Child Welfare/Child Protective Services Training Institute provides training in the area of

child protection Child protection is the safeguarding of children from violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect. Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child provides for the protection of children in and out of the home. One of the ways to e ...

, training for

mandated reporter In many parts of the western world, a mandated reporter is a person who has regular contact with vulnerable people and is therefore legally required to ensure a report is made when abuse is observed or suspected. Specific details vary across jurisd ...

s in New York State, and training to keep child welfare workers informed regarding the most current legal requirements associated with child protective services, family-centered social work, and issues such as

domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...

substance abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

, and family reunification. * The Adolescent Services Training Project provides life skills training for youth

aging out Aging out is American popular culture vernacular used to describe anytime a youth leaves a formal system of care designed to provide services below a certain age level. There are a variety of applications of the phrase throughout the youth develop ...

of the child welfare system. * The Foster/Adoptive Parent Training Project offers a variety of courses for

foster care Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home (residential child care community, treatment center, etc.), or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent" or with a family mem ...

providers and those considering

adoption Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...

, including courses on

developmental disabilities Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...

and

child sexual abuse Child sexual abuse (CSA), also called child molestation, is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include engaging in sexual activities with a child (whet ...

for foster and adoptive parents. * The HIV/AIDS Training Institute provides training and educational seminars for caregivers of children living with

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

and youth considering being tested. * The New York State Public Health Insurance Training Institute trains workers who help families obtain free or low-cos
health insurance for children
as well as those who work in the areas of

Medicaid Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and pers ...

and long-term health care. * The Management Leadership Institute provides staff

professional development Professional development is learning to earn or maintain professional credentials such as academic degrees to formal coursework, attending conferences, and informal learning Informal learning is characterized "by a low degree of planning and ...

training and technical assistance to social services agencies, including the Erie County Department of Social Services and the New York City Human Resources Administration. As part of its mission of “strengthening human services through training, organizational and technical assistance, technology, and evaluation” CDHS/Research Foundation develops and delivers

culturally sensitive Cultural sensitivity, also referred to as cross-cultural sensitivity or cultural awareness, is the knowledge, awareness, and acceptance of other cultures and others' cultural identities. It is related to cultural competence (the skills needed for ...

, outcome-based training in keeping with the most current adult learning theory and federal mandates, including the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA), the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), and the Multi-Ethnic Placement Act (MEPA), as well as the most current New York State legal requirements. Training is offered in the form of both direct and virtual classroom delivery and also through seminars and conferences facilitated by CDHS/Research Foundation statewide.

External links

Center for Development of Human Services

Research Foundation of the State University of New YorkResearch Foundation of SUNY at Buffalo State CollegeState University of New YorkBuffalo State College

University at BuffaloNew York StateNew York State Office of Children and Family ServicesNew York State Office of Temporary and Disability AssistanceNew York State Department of HealthNew York City Administration for Children’s ServicesNew York City Human Resources AdministrationErie County Department of Social Services
{{DEFAULTSORT:Center For Development Of Human Services Social work organizations in the United States