Home visitation for social workers in child welfare is a stressful, high-stakes situation for both the worker and family. Virtual reality (VR) has been used in professional training to learn complex skills prior to on-the-job performance. Using the Virtual Home Simulation (VHS), this study sought to answer the following question: Can expert consensus be established in identifying possible risks and protective factors commonly observed during a child welfare home visit? A convenience sample of 33 participants was identified from a single child welfare jurisdiction through organizational validation, such as the agency's trainers and supervisors. Participants were further validated through a series of descriptive questions regarding the experience and perceived competence reported by the individual. A weighted method found that participants reached a "strong" level of agreement on decisions of risk and "substantial" agreement levels on decisions of protection. This element is crucial in providing meaningful feedback to less experienced or newer participants interested in developing these skills. Pre and post comfort levels were found to be statistically significant (p = 0.007). Findings from the 16 somatic symptoms of the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) resulted in all mean scores falling between none and slight prevalence. Additionally, 79% of participants indicated they would recommend VHS as an effective learning tool. This study shows it is possible to establish expert consensus using a VR-based training method to assist social workers in learning to perform in the complex and volatile situations often encountered when visiting a home for child welfare reasons. Future studies of the effectiveness of VHS, particularly in comparison with current learning methods, may show if investments in this cutting-edge technology will lead to training that reliably produces highly skilled social workers. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]