Budget cuts may leave social workers vulnerable to violence

DIXON, Ky. — Sandy Travis still agonizes over the violent death of her mother, social service worker Boni Frederick, who was ambushed, stabbed and bludgeoned three years ago after taking an infant for what was to be a final home visit.

But Travis also is outraged that budget cuts have severely undercut the highly-touted “Boni Bill’’ that lawmakers passed in 2007 meant to upgrade safety for social workers.

“They’ve never followed through,’’ Travis said of officials who backed the Boni Bill, named after the 67-year-old slain worker. “I think they need to be reminded that this is serious — this is dangerous.”

The Boni Bill authorized a one-time expenditure of $6 million to hire more workers, assess security of local social service offices and make security improvements.

But lawmakers allocated only $2 million of that, forcing the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to fund the rest from its existing budget, even as it was dealing with a series of funding cuts forced by the state’s growing shortfall.

State social service workers share Travis’ outrage and, backed by a new union — the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees — plan to take their concerns about safety to a legislative committee in Frankfort Wednesday.

The workers increasingly are worried about their safety as they work with clients, some of whom are hostile, threatening, mentally ill or impaired by drugs and alcohol, said Susan Barkulis, AFSCME’s organizing director.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20091018/NEWS01/910180315/Budget+cuts+may+leave+social+workers+vulnerable+to+violence

They're supposed to take a law enforcement officer with them when they suspect danger.


Social services is messy and not a science. What usually happens when things go wrong is that money is thrown at the problem "for training" or "more staff" while the reality is that the extra money goes for fat cat administrators who travel to conferences, elegantly lunch, and order fancy office supplies.


The problem is that in hiring people, it is not easy to measure common sense, real life experience, street smarts, and gut instincts (trusting your gut feelings). So more often the hiring is on paper credentials, looks, personality, and not-making-waves.