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Reporting Elder Abuse. What You Need to Know.

12/16/2014

“Every year an estimated 5 million, or 1 in 10, older Americans are victims of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation. And experts believe that for every reported case of elder abuse or neglect, as many as 23.5 cases go unreported.” (AoA/ACL WEAAD, 2014)

Elder and vulnerable adult abuse, neglect and exploitation are behaviors committed against an elder or vulnerable adult who is unable to protect himself or herself due to a mental or physical impairment or due to advanced age.

Abuse is harm or threatened harm to an adult's health or welfare caused by another person.
Neglect is the inability or failure of the adult, or an individual responsible for the care of the elder or vulnerable adult, to provide adequate food, shelter, clothing, medical care, etc.
Exploitation is the misuse of an adult's funds, property or personal dignity by another person.

The perpetrators are often trusted family, friends, neighbors or caregivers. This can occur in the person's home, in the home of another person or in licensed settings such as adult foster care, homes for the aged or nursing homes.

If you suspect elder or vulnerable adult abuse, neglect or exploitation has occurred in

A private residence,
An unlicensed setting such as an assisted living facility,
An adult foster care home,
A home for the aged, or
A nursing home where the suspected perpetrator is not an employee of the facility or the resident is on leave from the nursing home

Please notify the Department of Human Services (DHS) Adult Protective Services www.michigan.gov/dhs

http://www.michigan.gov/som/0,1607,7-192-29941_30590-46053--,00.html

Statewide 24-Hour Hotline: 1-855-444-3911

Help lines/ Hotlines

Elder Abuse/ Domestic Community

1-800-99 NO ABUSE or 1-800-996-6228

Bureau of Health Services Abuse Hotline: 1-800-882-6006

NASW Resources
Aging/Gerontology Work Group
Join with Michigan leaders in gerontology for our monthly work group meeting. If you are interesting in networking, learning about current best practices, sharing case studies, or presenting then this group is perfect for you! The group meets the first Friday of each month from 1-3pm at the NASW-Michigan office in Lansing (no meeting in January). Call in options always available! If you would like to get added to the group listserv please email Duane Breijak at dbreijak@nasw-michigan.org.

NASW Credentials
The field of gerontology recognizes that older adults have distinct characteristics that can be differentiated from earlier stages of adulthood. Social work practice with older adults encompasses a broad range of functions. Whether working in micro or macro settings, the primary goal of the social worker is to address the specific challenges of the aging process by promoting independence, autonomy, and dignity in later life. Social workers in gerontology must be knowledgeable about unique legislation, policies and social programs that affect older adults. In addition, they must be knowledgeable about the aging process and the issues older adult and their caregivers face, adept at accessing resources for clients, and strong advocates who champion their rights

The SW-G credential represents bachelor’s level experience and excellence for social workers specializing in gerontology. Bachelors’ level social workers specializing in gerontology possess knowledge and skills necessary for serving older adults including: assessment of older adult needs and functional capacity, expertise regarding physical and mental health issues, case and care management, long-term care, elder abuse, quality of life issues, service planning and advance care planning are eligible to apply.
The CSW-G credential represents master’s level clinical expertise and excellence for social workers specializing in gerontology. Masters level clinical social workers specializing in gerontology possess a variety of knowledge and skills necessary for working with older adults including: assessment of older adult needs and functional capacity and expertise regarding physical and mental health issues, case and care management, long-term care, elder abuse, quality of life issues, service planning and advance care planning, clinical practice, and administration
The ASW-G credential represents master’s level expertise for social workers specializing in gerontology. Masters level social workers specializing in gerontology possess knowledge and skill in the areas of: assessment of older adult needs, functional capacity, expertise regarding physical and mental health issues, case and care management, long-term care, elder abuse, quality of life issues, and advance care planning, are eligible to apply.

Find more information about gerontology credentials at www.socialworkers.org/credentials.

2014 Practice Perspective: Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation
In recent years, the problems of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation have garnered increasing attention within the United States. This publication describes the nature, incidence, and risks of elder mistreatment; highlights recent federal elder justice initiatives; and provides strategies, tools, and resources to help social workers address elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation

http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/practice_tools/elder_abuse_neglect_and_exploitation.asp

1000 Experts Campaign
NASW is looking for members who are experts in the area of elder abuse, geriatric social work, and in caregiving to take part in the 1000 Experts Campaign. Our listings helps journalists, policymakers, and others quickly find the names of social work researchers, authors, educators and practice leaders with expertise on critical social issues. If you want to make suggestions for who or what is included in the 1,000 Experts initiative, please send comments to media@naswdc.org.

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NASW- Michigan Returning to Cuba in the Fall of 2015.

12/15/2014

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NASW- Michigan Returning to Cuba in the Fall of 2015.

NASW-Michigan in collaboration with the Eco Cuba Network is pleased to announce another trip to Cuba is in the works! This trip will take place Oct 31-Nov 8, 2015 and is available for 40 CECs!!! In the fall of 2013, 12 Michigan NASW members as well as some of their friends and partners ventured on our first trip and universally gave the experience glowing feedback. Some of the evaluation comments which best describe the experience include:

This was a tremendous program-it was highly stimulating professionally. Cuba’s integrated health/mental health system is an inspirational model for the world.

This experience was structured as a mobile conference where the participants went to the agencies and communities of the presenters. This provided knowledge of the bio-psycho-social context that went beyond any other conference which I have attended. In every way this trip was an extraordinary opportunity for cultural and social work understanding.

I am excited to again be leading this group and returning to Cuba for the fourth time! Each time I return to Cuba I am newly invigorated by the communitarian spirit and the commitments to health and education that give the Cuban people a remarkable quality of life despite living with the consequences of a US embargo for the past half century.

For more information about the trip and how to register go to the Eco Cuba website:

http://www.ecocubanetwork.net/socialwelfare2015/

I am also happy to talk to you about the trip. Contact me at mziefert@emich.edu

Marjorie Ziefert, LMSW, ACSW

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Methods of Reforming the Child Welfare System-The MSA and Exemplary Casework

12/9/2014

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Emilia Gutierrez is a MSW candidate at the University of Michigan School of Social Work

The University of Michigan School of Social Work has many field placements that serve children in a variety of ways. Whether it’s the Family Assessment Clinic, Catholic Social Services, or the University of Michigan Child Protection Team, these sites work diligently to provide top-notch services to vulnerable children. Along with delivering excellent care, agencies that serve children are charged with the responsibility to follow numerous mandates, laws, and regulations. One of the biggest reports that these agencies make themselves aware of is the Modified Settlement Agreement.

In 2006, the advocacy group Children’s Rights filed a class action lawsuit against the Governor of Michigan and the Director of Human Services in an effort to reform the broken foster care system in Michigan. The complaint claimed that children in the foster care system were being neglected and abused while in state custody and that they were not receiving adequate health care. They also alleged that children were languishing in care, lacking permanency plans, and experiencing frequent changes in placements. In 2011, after two periods of being unable to meet the requirements initially set by the lawsuit, the parties went back to court and agreed on a Modified Settlement Agreement (MSA). The Department of Human Services is still under the MSA. This agreement sets requirements for things like timely access to medical and mental health care, the development and reassessment of permanency plans, worker-child visits, foster home licensing, and caseloads limits for workers. It also includes standards regarding sibling groups staying together while in foster care, overseeing the use of psychotropic medication in foster care, and a commitment to the continuity of education of children in care.

Dr. Joseph Ryan is a researcher and professor at the School of Social Work. His work focuses on the outcomes of families and children involved with the child welfare system and at least one other social service system. I interviewed Dr. Ryan to gain an expert’s perspective on the MSA and its implications for the field. He understands the difficult and complex nature of child welfare positions, and says that the easiest thing to do is to identify when someone is not doing what they need to do. “The question is, once you’ve identified the problems, what do you do next,” says Dr. Ryan. He highlighted three main approaches to reform the system. One way is to do become a frontline DHS worker and do high quality casework. Another avenue is to use research and data to determine best practices and then disseminate them. The third avenue, which the MSA falls under, is to sue the responsible entities such as State of Michigan Department of Human Services via children’s advocacy groups. Dr. Ryan stated that the MSA may be effective at getting the state and workers to meet certain measures of performance, but he’s not so sure that it equates to better outcomes for children in the system. “There is really no evidence to support that meeting specific benchmarks changes the lives of kids or the quality of the casework they’re receiving.” He also pointed out that certain best practice standards were set over twenty years ago at a time when the world of child welfare looked very different.

Dr. Ryan suggests that in order to make improvements to the system, we must first identify the problem by collecting and evaluating state data. Other states have established independent research centers that utilize important data and monitor issues of safety, permanency, and follow how kids move through the system. The formation of a child welfare evaluation and research center in Michigan could build a strong foundation for evidence-based reform.

In addition to having the opportunity to interview Dr. Ryan, I was lucky enough to hear from another expert in the field of child welfare, Kate Thorton. Kate is an LLMSW foster care and licensing supervisor at Catholic Social Services in Washtenaw County. Having done child welfare work for a number of years in a variety of states, Kate has very unique and useful insight into the field. She has seen positive effects of the MSA, some of which she believes are the reduced caseload counts for workers, increased visitation among parents, children, foster parents, and workers.

When asked what habits make an excellent child welfare caseworker, Kate had a few essential pieces of advice. “As a direct worker, the best thing you can do is to take care of the kids you’re working with. You need to make sure that their needs are met, as well taking care of the foster families too. When the foster parents are being taken care of, the kids will be moved around to new homes much less.” Kate also stated that when a worker provides high-quality service, the right people notice those efforts. “Once you establish yourself as an exceptional worker, bigger roles will be offered to you and it is in those positions that you can continue to make changes on a bigger scale.”

Regardless of the method that reform is accomplished through, whether it is via phenomenal casework, critical research, or legal advocacy, it is clear that this is challenging work. Becoming familiar with the Modified Settlement Agreement reports can provide a glimpse of the successes and challenges that are present in the child welfare system. While reading the reports, try questioning the possible reasons for certain outcomes and keep in mind issues such as safety net budget cuts and political powers at be. In addition to staying up to date on data reports, interviewing professionals in your network about their perspective related to the child welfare system can be another beneficial learning exercise. Here at the University of Michigan we have the unique privilege of being surrounded by so much knowledge, wisdom, and research. With this privilege comes the responsibility of challenging ourselves to try to better understand the immensely critical field of child welfare.

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Legislative Education & Advocacy Day - A Student Perspective

12/5/2014

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Wayne State University students and faculty at LEAD 2014

I had never heard of Legislative Education and Advocacy Day and with my extremely heavy schedule this semester, it was not on my radar. However, Kate as I call her, with whom I am co-president of the social work Umbrella student organization, spoke of the event with stars in her eyes. That was the beginning of my curiosity. As other leadership members also hailed the conference I felt myself being sucked into the vortex of expectation. When I heard that our registration fee would be covered that sealed the deal.

As the overarching social student organization we tried to research and arrange a bus for group transport of any students interested in traveling to Lansing together. Due to pricing we then decide to spread the word for carpooling. As the driver, I took on three fellow students. We met in front of the Thompson Home in the dark of 6:45 am. The first two arrived on time but the third became stuck in traffic and after a half hour wait we told her that it would be best if she simply met us there in Lansing. We arrived at the quite large glass paneled Center at 9:10, so we did not miss too much and didn’t have to fight the crowds to sign in and find a seat. To the right of the conference hall entrance Trevor and a few other workers smiled and hawked NASW goods to those hungry to take home souvenirs. The free coffee against the walls inside was more than welcome after the long early morning drive. I took my black.

As we reached our seats Duane Breijak of the National Association of Social Workers - Michigan, Trevor’s supervisor, was giving the agenda for the day and how best to get the most of our time attending the conference. By 9:30 he took his leave and three speakers, Rep. Theresa Abed – MSW, Rep. Marcia Hovey Wright –MSW, and Stephanie Chang – MSW along with a moderator were seated on the stage to share their insights and visions of how social workers can affect policy for the good of their communities and clients. Come 10:45 the two ladies I came with and I went to hear FBI Victim Specialist – Carmen Kucinich present on Modern Day Slavery: Human Trafficking. She limited her topic to child pornography and prostitution in our local region since Human Trafficking in general could not be covered sufficiently in the hour and a half breakout session. Her presentation was riveting as she unraveled the circumstances that lead many young girls and some boys sell themselves beneath the coercion of either a street pimp or even a relative.

During the lunch break we took time to meet a few students from other schools and some from our own university whom we still had not met or not seen in a while. Once the meal finished we headed down to another packed breakout room for the Ferguson issue. Unlike the Human Trafficking presentation this was more a public forum where people were allowed to express their opinions on what went wrong in Ferguson, how we have Ferguson type tragedies right here in Michigan and what should we do about these incidents. Viewpoints came from people of many colors and I imagine socio-economic backgrounds. Some spoke with outrage that the police can get away with such inhuman behavior. Others spoke with trembling tears in their voices as they asked aloud, “Why can’t we just love each other and try to get along?” To be honest, I was looking forward to some sort of presentation and not a town hall meeting but I was touched by the sincerity and anguish expressed by my fellow students and soon to be social worker colleagues. Afterward we went back to the main conference room to hear Jay Kaplan speak on LGBT policy and the work of the ACLU to bring equality. Many of us from WSU social work clan sat at adjoining tables. At the conclusion of Mr. Kaplan’s talk Duane Breijak returned to hand out prizes and point us towards the Capital building for a LEAD Day group photo. Afterward it was grey, chilly and the skies promised rain as we walked along the river back to my car beneath the Lansing Center. The trip proved to be an interesting journey and rare chance to bond and dream of healing those vulnerable populations needing our caring dedicated efforts to change the world, policy and inspire hope.

Eric Wilkins is a MSW Candidate at Wayne State University's School of Social Work.

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Reporting Elder Abuse. What You Need to Know.

NASW- Michigan Returning to Cuba in the Fall of 2015.

Methods of Reforming the Child Welfare System-The MSA and Exemplary Casework

Legislative Education & Advocacy Day - A Student Perspective

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