Among the recommendations were: significantly lower caseloads for social workers, multi-disciplinary teams, more mental health services, intensive community based services for families and no managed care in child welfare. It called for more support for foster parents, medical and mental health services and the training of DSS investigators in forensic investigations. These were successfully placed on the legislative shelf beside the previous Special Commission on Foster Cares recommendations.
In 2007 the legislature and administration find themselves faced with a renewed outcry about the problems at DSS. In 2006 a Governor?s Panel said that DSS needed multi-disciplinary teams to help with complicated medically involved cases (that seems to have been said before) a replacement of the nurses laid off in 1994 with no in house medical expertise. And most shockingly it found that DSS did not have enough social workers in the western region to handle the number of cases. (as an aside, the situation in western Massachusetts has deteriorated since the Panel report was issued).
Well, something had to be done. Legislative hearings followed. Professionals testified, children some now adults testified almost all called for more money for services, professional level caseloads (Child Welfare League of America Standards), more time for them to do their job. Multi-disciplinary teams (not consultants) were again called for.
As a result of these hearings H4191 came into existence. It creates a new Department of Children and Families and establishes new Secretariat of Child Welfare. There is a new board on Child Abuse Prevention. To be fair it does extend the time frame of investigations to 15 working days. This timeline change has been requested for over 10 years.
There is no funding increase to lower dangerously high caseloads. This issue, danger and call for reform started in 1987. Still as I write 45% of DSS social workers are over what should be the maximum of 18 families. And 79% are over the maximum demanded in 1993 by a second Commission on Foster Care.
Instead of support and time to do the job, instead of more in home services for families and support for foster parents we get a name change. And we get increased blame on social workers.
If nothing else the legislature is consistent.
First, the “end of life/pull the plug” hearings would no longer be impounded. THAT is a good thing. In my view, the secrecy/impoundment of these proceedings does not protect children and families but rather hides the sloppiness and inequities in care and protection/juvenile proceedings. They should ALL be open unless a hearing is held to impound something really sensitive, the same as is done in the Probate and Family Courts.
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Additionally, the requirement to actually support families looks a bit stronger. Not much, mind you.
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There is no definition of the “reasonable efforts” or any requirement to really provide help to families in either the current statutes [G.L.c.119 and G.L.c.210) since all that is said is that DSS may provide services if it is so inclined in a managed care, mean-spirited, anti-birth parent sort of environment.
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Social workers are not well supported, either, and the case loads are too high. And in fact, my understanding is case workers must get “permission” to offer any services at all from consultants placed at their offices from so-called lead agencies these days.
Go to:
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http://www.openmass….
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You should read this, the whole thing. You really should, all of you.
I have been an independent child advocate for five years and have seen firsthand the abuse portrayed against family and children under the so called protection clause.
BULL….. First and foremost anyone who votes for this should be drummed out of office.
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Second we need a system that really addresses the issue that families face today.
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DID YOU KNOW DSS does not provide food shelter or medical assistance to any families?
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The one and only service they provide is case management!
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DSS does and will demand task of parents who work, making them miss work, when they lose their job DSS, SWOOPS in and takes the children…..and WHY because we actually profit from placing children in Foster care. YES WE MAKE MONEY!
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Other issues we are facing are we have only one fair hearing officer for the entire state of MA, Yes one officer. Basically you can never dispute the findings of DSS!
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Stop all the stupid 51A’s, make someone with a brain actually screen these reports in, we do not need to be chasing many of the cases that are open.
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When you talk to Area Program Managers they will say but we do not know this family!
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Excuse me since when was it the right to have DSS involved in your life due to someone else?s opinion.
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Judges need to stand up to DSS or be drummed out of a job when most 72 hour removal hearing take five days to two weeks, we never have any proof most times.
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It goes like this well the injury is CONSISTANT without and proof it is CONCLUSIVE. Which means hell if you fall off a bridge your injury could be consist with being hit however falling off the bridge actually caused all kinds of marks none of which are a result conclusive to abuse!
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Plainly if you are not legally convicted in a court of law of hurting your child how can a ?supported? case result in termination of your parental rights??.it happens every day behind closed doors.
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This has nothing to do with care and protection of children do not be fooled million dollars are funneled into the so called ?cottage industries? that have surrounded DSS making millions for all these non profits while very little is offered in way of actual help to families!
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Don?t get me stated about the adoption end of things?..ask how many children are returned to DSS when they do not make it in the families who most of the time have no clue of the actual background of the children!
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In Massachusetts we average 100 actual cases of abuse a year everything else is BS making the system look like it is so positive, when in reality the only positive thing is many are making money!
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Myself and others have called Salvatore F. DiMasi Office only to get no response. He holds hearing without any testimony from those who work on the side of paretns and chldren.
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Never mind more children are abused in Foster care than with biological parents!
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SHHH… we don’t want you to know that! Does DiMasi think we are all stupid!
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see many DSS failures on Worcester Voice
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Changing the name will not save our children and we wonder why MA is the only state losing population,
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Call me with any questions I will answer them 978-466-6823 Mary T. Jean
“The one and only service they provide is case management!”
Oddly enough that is the only “service” that most case workers are NOT allowed to perform unless they hold a professional license at the LSW level. Even then, they are only allowed by law to provide Case Management of a non-clinical nature. Case workers that hold an LCSW can perform Case Management duties that invlove SOME clinical aspects of case management, but still their Scope of Practice contains very specific limitations and language.
I think we are all pretty well aware of what levels of licensure most case workers at the Department of Social Services in this state hold, and as such it is pretty clear they are in many cases, practicing outside the rules and regulations of their Scope of Practice licensing requirements.
I have not had the chance to finish reading the entire report, but on the face of it I see many “proposed changes” that have are already written into the laws. Another glaring ommission was the lack of any parent member appoinment to the new Board. An obvious course of action would be to actually make the Dept. adhere to those laws already on the books and be held accountable when they do not.
Deborah, how about you read it and tell us? Yes, I could read it, but I wouldn’t understand it. I’m willing to accept your interpretation.
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I have read through it once. I am not ready to do a written review, though I am working on one. I will post it when I am ready – a 68 page piece of legislation that impacts MANY statutes is not a quick read and review, as I also have to get my own deadline-driven work done.
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Also, as an attorney, I would specially welcome input from social work and psychology professionals. This legislation will impact both fields, in addition to the law of child welfare, in my opinion.
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Also, as to the impact on the education of foster chldren, and compiance with the Mckenny-Vento act.
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”