Mandated Reporting
The government designates certain professionals within society as mandated reporters. This means that if a person, who holds a position identified by the government, suspects that a child is being abused or neglected, they must go through the process of reporting the abuse/neglect to their local Department of Health and Human services office (“Michigan Child Abuse Laws”, 2017). This policy is relevant not only to those working within the social work field, but also to those who work closely with children, such as teachers and day care workers. Michigan’s Child Protection Law identifies citizens in the following positions as mandated reporters:
A physician, dentist, physician’s assistant, registered dental hygienist, medical
When children are hurt physically, emotionally, or sexually it is known to be child abuse. Children are known to be neglected when they are not getting the proper attention needed for children. When children are neglected or abused in any way it is the responsibility of others to report such acts to the authorities as to what they have witnessed first-hand or signs of abuse or neglect seen after the fact, these people who reports such acts are known as third parties. The proper authorities to report child abuse or neglect is called Child Protected Services also known as Child Welfare. After the abuse or neglect is reported the proper authorities will then investigate to see if the abuse or neglect is legit or fraudulent (Sedlak, 2001).
As a mandated reporter with the code of ethics we are required by law that if we know of any situation putting children in harm or danger we are to report it to the proper community authorities. When we know of an early education center who is failing to meet laws and regulations we shall report it to the proper authority's. When an agency, that is to protect children from harm, is failing we must also report them to the proper authorities.
With the increasing number of cases each day, concerns are being raised as to whether the rights of parents are being violated. It is common knowledge that there have been serious accuracy flaws resulting in the wrongful termination of many parents’ rights. However, little is being done to fix these errors and give parents their children back. Child Protective Services is the most needed yet unwanted agency in each state. While a system is necessary to intervene and protect children who are abused, there is speculation on the procedures and policies the state uses.
What is more important than planning, designing, and implementing a comprehensive school counseling program? To ensure the program is aligned with the ASCA’s National Model for School Counseling Program. How is that accomplished? By implementing a program audit during the early stages of the designing phase of the program and then annually thereafter. The program audit guides future program actions and ensures student needs are met (ASCA, 2005).
Mandated reports are a genre that is a part of numerous careers. Mandated reports are used by mandated reporters which are designate groups of professionals that are required to report cases of suspected child abuse and neglect. A mandated report has a specific way that it has to be field out because the severity of the information is a massive part in helping save an abused or neglected child from being endangered. This research analyzes the difference between the different documentations in mandating reporting and how one reports various from another. The next step is to investigate where and who the forms are turned into. I’ll be looking at the Social Worker perspective because it’s the field of study I’m going in and would potentially help me when I begin my career in children and family services. Giving the information about mandated reports would educate me on the all the factual information needed after receiving a mandate report and from the information gathered, how do they deiced whether or not it’s a serious case or not. This research would uncover every aspect from beginning to end of the entire process of when a report is submitted up until the discussion is made on what to do after reviewing the information. The report is used my any profession to report suspect child abuse or neglect at any time or place. There is a different between different careers on how the report is written depending on the person submitting it. The very last step is going in depth with analyzing the actual form and comparing and contrasting it to other forms from different states. I want to also look at, the different between the forms, depending on who is the attended audience.
Accountability….What does it mean? Well this past month e lost two soldiers who are a part of our unit and voice of our unit pass away. Accountability is important and should not be taken lightly… A soldier lost his life a couple weeks ago, due to lack of accountability, and it hurt a lot of people. For so many reasons accountability is important, for example. Knowing where your soldiers are at all times helps to know what they’re doing, and what their interest are doing so. In case something happens and someone needs t know where a soldier is accountability comes into play. Army Regulation 600-20 IAW Discipline. Why is discipline so important? Because to be accounted for is a part of disciplinary actions.
Confidentiality and trust between the client and social worker is an important part of the therapeutic process. Confidentiality is discussed frequently with the client, in trainings, and in supervisions. When a client first begins services there are multiple forms to fill out, many of which explain the agency’s confidentiality policies and provide client’s the opportunity to agree to share information with certain parties (i.e. their PCP, psychiatrist, specialty providers) or not share any information at all. Despite this focus on confidentiality there are some areas where “the rights of others take precedence over a client’s right to confidentiality” (Hepworth, Rooney, Rooney, & Gottfried, 2017, p. 76). In situations where child abuse or neglect is suspected by the social worker, the social worker will breach confidentiality in order to protect the child. In fact, “all 50 states have statutes making it mandatory for professional to report suspected or known child abuse. Moreover,
The controversial issue of whether or not Child Protective Services are doing their jobs properly, has grabbed nationwide attention. Child Protective Services is the name of a government agency in many states of the United States whose mission is to respond to reports of child abuse and neglect. Some of these cases may include physical abuse, sexual abuse, and mental abuse (Wikipedia). The child welfare system is corrupted. The parents and guardians who are accused of abuse are automatically labeled as guilty and will have to prove their innocence; instead of being innocent until proven guilty.
Participating in the Mandated Reporter Training is a helpful tool for understanding the role of a social worker as a professional if and when one learns information concerning abuse of a minor. The goal of a social worker is to improve the quality of life for all individuals and if one learns about any type of abuse-physical, sexual, emotional, and/or neglect- it is their responsibility to bring this information to the proper authorities. The training stated that, “Research has shown that when multidisciplinary protocols are followed arrest and prosecution rates increase and trauma to the child decreases” (Arizona Child Abuse Info Center).
Child Protective Services (CPS) is a government agency that is meant to protect children from abuse, neglect and/or maltreatment. The purpose of CPS is to ensure that the child is placed in a safe environment. There are a considerable amount of cases, where CPS workers were not protecting the child by not giving them an adequately safe environment to live in. Once, a child is reported of being abused or neglected, an investigation is conducted to determine whether there is substantial harm being placed on the child. Approximately, “forty percent of the three million child abuse and neglect complaints made annually to CPS … are “screened out” and never [thoroughly] investigated” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/18/ap-us-child-abuse_n_6346966.html). Not all cases investigated are declared harmful for the child, thus him or her must remain in his or her primitive home.
Child abuse in the United States is a growing epidemic. Every year the number of reported cases, and missing children go up. This is caused mostly by lack of education about the different types of child abuse, and the signs that go along with it. Communities need to provide more resources to better educate the public about the types of abuse, and the signs that go along with it. Child abuse and neglect can be lessened by more resources, more education and to reach out to others.
Child Protective Services For 30 years, advocates, program administrators, and politicians have joined forces to encourage even more reports of suspected child abuse and neglect. Their efforts have been successful, with about three million cases of suspected child abuse having been reported in 1993. Large numbers of endangered children still go unreported, but a serious problem has developed: Upon investigation, as many as 65 percent of the reports now being made are determined to be "unsubstantiated", raising serious civil liberties concerns and placing a huge burden on investigative staff. Unreported Cases Most experts agree that reports have increased over the past 30 years because professionals have become more likely to report apparently abusive and neglectful situations. But the question remains: How many more cases still go unreported?
As a Child Protective worker, my responsibilities are to assess safety (immediate), risk (future harm), abuse and maltreatment, and make a determination as to whether a child is safe or at risk of future harm and assess the need for services. The child welfare worker assigned to investigate the case failed to ensure the above. Works Cited Downs-Whitelaw, S., Moore, E., & McFadden, E. J. (2009). The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'.
Howe, D. (2010). The safety of children and the parent-worker relationship in cases of child
The media’s role in reporting child abuse is to help deter child abuse perpetrators and to inform the public. The media has the ability to make a negative or positive impact on the preception of child abuse. The publications about child abuse inform the public about different types of child abuse and neglect and incidents that happen within their community, and how to report child abuse. They serve to “sensitize, arouse public opinion on issues, influence policymakers, and call problem agencies to account” (McDevitt, p. 270, 1996).