Interview of Janet Watkins, MSW Division of Child and Family Services

Larissa HagmanHeritage University student

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Mission Statement: “The Department of Social and Health Services will improve the safety and health of individuals, families, and communities by providing leadership and establishing and participating in partnerships.”

Values:

“Excellence in service, Respect, Collaboration and partnership, Diversity and Accountability”

Wh

o is Ja

net W

atkin

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• Janet got her BSW form Weber State University and her MSW form Walla Walla University.

• Janet Watkins has worked for DSHS child division in the state of Washington for 5 years, and in Utah for 5

• Before Janet worked with DSHS she worked in the Domestic Violence (DV) department.

WHAT DOES A DAY IN JANET'S SHOES LOOK LIKE?

If Janet does not have any new cases she is in the office working on old cases. If Janet gets into her office, and receives new referrals, she has between 24 and 72 hours to contact the family. When she goes out to the home or school she auto records with recorder, if any marks she takes pictures, if the house is dirty she will also take pictures of the house, and tell the family to to clean it up and she will be back to check on it. If there is any high risk concern after the risk intake, she then will get family preservation put in place. If this is an emergency children can be placed into protective custody. If there is an emergency Janet will have a meeting in her office within 24 hrs. to discuss servers that are needed for the family.

• Intensive family preservation• Family preservation

• This agency will help family get resources they are in need of

• Family reconciliation• The law stats that “the family is the fundamental resource of

American life which should be nurtured and remain intact in absence of compelling evidence to the contrary.”

• Meaning that the goal is to help the family stay together and to make this happen there are programs to help parents that have at risk children or children that are in need of services.

• When a parent has a at risk youth they can ask for a community multi-disciplinary. This team helps resolve conflicts and become involved in counseling, this team is a support system for both parents and youth.

• When counseling , and living with relatives seems to fail then the parents can request that the youth be placed outside the home. The parents would then contact Child in Need of Services (CHINS)

» Washington state law defines a child in need of these services when, they are beyond the control of the parents, (such as endangering the health safety, or welfare of others or themselves.

» If this youth has been reported to law enforcement as being gone for 24 hours with out permission.

» Has showed a serious substance abuse problem» Or has exhibited behaviors that create a serious risk

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• Family unification• Once the family has given in paper work for example

housing then they contact Janet and she can write a letter to the housing and they can get the family moved in quicker, housing has some apartments that a just for CPS clients

WHAT DOES JANET LIKE MOST ABOUT HER JOB? AND WHAT DOES SHE LIKE LEAST ABOUT

HER JOB?Likes Dislikes

She can make own schedule

Office politics

Fast passed gossip

She's not always sitting at a desk

Jealousy when someone get promoted

flexibility Clicks that form

She can get up and go when needed

• If Janet could snap her fingers and change one thing about her department she would change the number of social workers that currently work for DSHS. She would add more social workers so case load would be less

• She said that right now in our area the average case load is around 20, but in other areas the average case load is 30-50 cases

• A workable load is 12 cases.

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WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT.

Parents being over whelmed, lack of programs, lack of education and knowledge on ways to deal with stress and ways to do discipline their children.

Cycle of violence is a big part of child abuse and neglect.

Wh

at is th

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• Being able to work with a family with an open mind, and try to help the family get services needed. Basically getting to know the family and what their needs are, and figure out how to help that family meet their needs

WHAT DOES JANET THINK FUTURE SOCIAL WORKERS NEED TO

KNOW ABOUT CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT?

When asked what she though future social workers needed to know about child abuse and neglect Janet stated that “ they need to know if they can work in this type of field. they need to know that we have to work with people in all types of situation.” We will see people who have burnt, or sexual abused their daughter. “ our agency is not about removing children, its about keeping children safe in their environment.”