Beware of Child Welfare Services

[jusbecuz]

An investigation of child welfare services method of failure to provide due process to parents who are accused of child abuse or neglect has shown that the state has been violating federal law for years! Do not speak to an investigator unless you get the allegations and then consult with an advocate or an attorney.

http://www.staradvertiser.com/2016/10/18...deral-law/

[Chunkster]

It is a miracle that they can get anybody at all to do Child Welfare work. They are crucified when they are not severe enough with parents and something terrible happens and also crucified when they appear to be too hard on them. Caseworkers generally carry caseloads far in excess of what is optimal and work under some of the worst stress imaginable. I am generally critical of Hawaii state government agencies, but I wish the people who vilify Protective Services would also advocate for better funding for staffing, training, and supervision.

[Guest]

Being an electrical engineer or rocket scientist is a cake walk compared to the mental gymnastics required to be a successful social services case worker. Especially in a complex, multicultural environment. Yes, electrical grids go down. Rockets explode on the pad. Caseworkers make mistakes. But that is a tough job.
Very tough.

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You can't fix Samsara.

[Tink]

Yes, it is a very tough job to get a phoned in complaint to follow up on. The worker has to go to the house and investigate the claim asking usually very angry parents the needed questions to decide if it was a vengeance call, or actual abuse. With all the anger and frustration present at the time, it would be an extremely hard decision if or not that is the investigative parents normal demeanor causing the complaint in the first place. It is even more difficult to make the decision that the child would be better off in foster care, which is a disaster in itself a lot of times. An order of parent counseling is a better option if the parents can get over the hurdle of "somebody else trying to tell me how to raise my children" and see it as how they can break the abusive cycle that they know no better.

Community begins with Aloha

[shockwave rider]

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/33846...r-boy-kema

When complaints are not followed up on things like this happen, people had been reporting the father for abuse for YEARS!

[Slow Walker]

Case loads are way to high for Dept of Human Services workers. Be it child welfare,food stamp,med-quest or others if they are to serve the public correctly. Their sitting around and drinking coffee or taking naps is an old wives tale... if I may use that term. All the above services keep increasing but not the staff. Soon the loads become unworkable.



Slow Walker

[punaticbychoice]

Having seen this agency in action several times in recent years, I agree with all the preceding comments.

[jusbecuz]

I've been advocating for parents in Hawaii for 5 years. It's unbelievable the laws and policies that the agency violates. If they would follow the law, a lot of the abuse of power and caseload would not be an issue.

quote:

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Originally posted by jusbecuz

quote:

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Originally posted by Chunkster

It is a miracle that they can get anybody at all to do Child Welfare work. They are crucified when they are not severe enough with parents and something terrible happens and also crucified when they appear to be too hard on them. Caseworkers generally carry caseloads far in excess of what is optimal and work under some of the worst stress imaginable. I am generally critical of Hawaii state government agencies, but I wish the people who vilify Protective Services would also advocate for better funding for staffing, training, and supervision.

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[Natasha]

Exact same here in PA but to add insult to injury, each county plays by different rules. Jusbecuz: You'll enjoy this one. Just last week, a client of mine had CPS walk right into their home without knocking and then called the police when the father became irate with her. It wasn't until someone helped me remember that CPS is a criminal justice agency and not a mental health agency did the lunacy finally make a modicum of sense.

Natasha Ufema

[Kapoho Joe]

quote:

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Originally posted by Slow Walker

Case loads are way to high for Dept of Human Services workers. Be it child welfare,food stamp,med-quest or others if they are to serve the public correctly. Their sitting around and drinking coffee or taking naps is an old wives tale... if I may use that term. All the above services keep increasing but not the staff. Soon the loads become unworkable.



Slow Walker

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So institute a 2 child policy or start paying more taxes.