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Walsh County social workers take self-defense: GRAFTON (AP) - CPSSocial worker Diane Gerrard wound up with a swollen lip and broken glasseswhen she went to a home to take a child into protective custody.
Walsh County social workers take self-defense
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/artic...ate/138093.txt Aug 22, 2007 - 04:03:39 CDT GRAFTON (AP) - Social worker Diane Gerrard wound up with a swollen lip and broken glasses when she went to a home to take a child into protective custody. The physical assault in May is the first such incident Walsh County officials have seen, said the county's safety coordinator, Sharon Lipsh. "It was nothing major, but mentally, the reality of it was what really bothered me. That it can happen," said Gerrard, who has been on the job for eight years. Charges are pending against the person accused of striking her. And Gerrard and 11 other workers from the Walsh County Social Services Department have been taking self-defense classes. "(Child protective services) has got the potential to get dangerous," said Kate Kenna, the director for Northeast Human Services Center in Grand Forks. "There's nothing we're closer to than our kids. What we're doing, when you make a decision about other people, is we're treading on them. You know why you get that reaction." If social workers are worried about their safety, law enforcement officers accompany them when a child is removed from a home, or another social worker goes along during a visit, Kenna said. Social workers also can enlist the help from other members of the child's family, she said. "Our system is small enough so that we know families," Kenna said. Walsh County employs six full-time social workers, said Linda Kadlec, the county's director of social services. Gerrard's daily work focuses on child protection services, which means she makes home visits and, at times, has to remove children from homes. "You know people are angry, but you can usually talk them down and get out of the situation," Gerrard said. "That was not the case that day." More serious than the physical threat of violence are threats directed toward social workers' families, Kenna said. "I've gotten that message, 'Kate, your kids have just gotten a threatening phone call at your house,' " she said. "And you wonder, is it worth it to put your own kids, your own family in danger?" Family visits are becoming more unpredictable, Kenna said. "With meth (methamphetamine) we have to take extra precautions to make sure we are not going into an unsafe situation," she said. A court order to remove children from a home must be dispensed through local law enforcement agencies. In the May case, a law enforcement officer was not present at the time of the attack, Gerrard said. "I didn't expect to be hit," Gerrard said. "I didn't even react. I just stood there." "I am hoping (a self-defense class) will show what to do in a situation like that," Gerrard said. "I could hardly get out of bed the next morning (after the attack)," she said. "It was mentally exhausting." After taking the self-defense class, she gained back some of the confidence. "You remember not to let your guard down," Gerrard said. "And you remember things you've learned about in the past ... the little things you forget about, like staying by the doors." CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA WIRETAPPING PROGRAM.... CPS Does not protect children... It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even killed at the hands of Child Protective Services. every parent should read this .pdf from connecticut dcf watch... http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US These numbers come from The National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN) Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS *Perpetrators of Maltreatment* Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59 Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13 Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241 Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12 Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5 CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING HUNDREDS OF INNOCENT FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON... BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION... |
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