Social worker safety

The death of a South Texas social worker last week has sparked renewed interest in promoting safety among social workers, who deal with work related violence, including physical assault, verbal assault, harassment and the threat of assault from the people they are investigating.

The family of Sally Blackwell, the social worker who was killed, said she had received threats in her position as a program director who oversaw case workers, according to The New York Times.

A survey released last week by the National Association of Social Workers found that 55 percent of 5,000 licensed social workers said they faced safety issues on the job. Another survey found that 19 percent had been victims of violence on the job and 63 percent had been threatened.

The NASW asserts that agencies should develop safety plans to protect social workers. The plan should include:* how to recognize signs of agitation
* what to do at first signs of agitation
* code words and phrases to signal for help without increasing the client’s agitation
* format for ongoing assessment of a client’s level of dangerousness
* format for intervention including: when and how to attempt de-escalation; when and how to use non-violent self defense; when and how to call security and police; when and how to evacuate building