National Association of Social Workers

States Make Progress in Promoting Safety

Chapters Work to Support Legislation, Policies and Procedures

 “We can’t help people unless we’re safe.”

By Paul R. Pace, News Staff

Illustration: John Michael Yanson

Violence against a social worker once again made national headlines in May when uniformed social worker and U.S. Navy Cmdr. Charles Keith Springle was killed by gunfire along with four colleagues at a mental health clinic in Baghdad, Iraq (see related story in this issue).

A 44-year-old Army sergeant who was ordered to undergo counseling has been charged with five counts of murder in relation to the killings. The tragedy is the latest example of how important it is for social workers to get special training and resources to protect them while performing their jobs. In recent years, several social workers and social work aides have lost their lives while on duty.

Keeping social workers safe is an ongoing challenge. Social workers continue to help the profession and aid the workforce by conducting studies and advocating for policies and laws that train and protect their colleagues from being victims of violence.

NASW has been a strong advocate for social work safety legislation at the federal level. Most recently, the association urged members to contact their representatives in Washington, D.C., to cosponsor the Teri Zenner Social Work Safety Act (H.R. 1490), which was reintroduced this year. It seeks to establish a grant program to assist in the provision of safety measures to protect social workers and other professionals who work with at-risk populations. It is named after Zenner, who was stabbed and killed during a routine, in-home visit with a client of the Johnson County Mental Health Center in Kansas in 2004.

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From July 2009 NASW News. © 2009 National Association of Social Workers. All Rights Reserved. NASW News articles may be copied for personal use, but proper notice of copyright and credit to the NASW News must appear on all copies made. This permission does not apply to reproduction for advertising, promotion, resale, or other commercial purposes.