leave that situation. She could do this by just exiting the home or office, or she could indicate that she has a call she has to make outside of the home or office and then leave the situation. A worker could also indicate that she forgot some needed paperwork and leave to retrieve it. Most important, if a worker feels that she is in an unsafe situation, she should leave that environment.
Workers often do much of their work in the community and in the privacy of individuals’ homes.
It is important that a worker always be aware of who is in a home at all times. Oftentimes living situations change, so it is good practice for a worker to always ask who is in the home at the time of each visit.
When entering a home, a worker should consider asking for a tour of the residence to assess for any environmental hazards within the home. This is also a good time to identify the layout of the residence and to note the exits of the residence.
When working with clients in the office setting, a worker should always be aware of her building’s emergency response plan of action. There are times that workers are in the office during times other than usual business hours. A worker should keep in mind that she should not be in an office building alone with a client. For some workers, they may be providing evening services to better accommodate clients’ schedules. The worker should ensure that another colleague is in the building until the conclusion of that session, when possible. If a worker has a client who she knows is agitated or has a history of violence, the worker should consider interacting with that individ-ual in a room designated for this. This room should be centrally located, so that if the worker were to need assistance, other people would be available and aware of the situation. The worker should also inform the security team, her supervisor, or another coworker of where she will be and about the potential danger, possibly asking someone to check in period-ically. This room would also be void of any items that could be potential weapons or pose a threat to the client or worker.
Social workers often find themselves in situa-tions where they are driving to see a client or have a client in the vehicle with them. Before leaving for any appointments, a worker should always ensure that she has enough gas in her vehicle for the trip, which will eliminate a stop either with a client or possibly in a neighborhood the worker is unfamiliar with. When driving in the community, it is important for a worker to know her route and to plan to stay on
as many main roads as possible, which can be complicated by working in a rural area. This is important so that if something were to happen, a worker can call for help and be able to describe her exact location. Remaining on main roads also allows for more people to be around and present in the area, which could be beneficial if something were to happen and the worker needed assistance of any sort. If a worker is traveling with a client in her car, she should always insist that the individual wear his or her seatbelt. This is not only a safety precaution and the law, but also a natural restraint if the client were to become agitated and want to lunge at the worker for any reason. As with all working environ-ments, the worker should also ensure to put away any objects, such as pens, paperclips, or other items, that could be used as weapons, because“usually the violence is not premeditated, and the weapon is frequently an object found in the immediate sur-rounds,” according to Trainin-Blank, when incidents of violence do occur.iMany workers also suggest keeping an item of distraction in their vehicle.jThis could be a magazine, a snack, or anything else that could be given to a client if he appears agitated during the ride. The object of distraction could assist the client in refocusing his attention on the object and hopefully divert his attention from the agitating stimuli.
It is important that workers also take precautions when parking their vehicles. When leaving the vehicle, workers should put away any items of value. This could mean disassembling a geographic positioning system (GPS) device or stowing items such as a purse or other electronic devices. Individuals should always park in a well-lit area, close to the entrance of their destination. A driver should also avoid parking behind or near any large vehicles or structures, as these pose as natural ambush points, because of the limited visi-bility that they create.kIt is also important that workers keep in mind the dangers of parking in a driveway or alley. If a situation were to arise and the worker needed to leave the location quickly, having to back out of a driveway or an alley can be difficult and slow the worker’s exiting time. Parking in a driveway or alley also leaves it possible for someone to block the worker’s car in with his own vehicle, creating a safety concern for the worker if she is not able to leave quickly. A parking spot should always be chosen in terms of the ability to drive directly out of it, and quickly. This is true even if it means the worker must walk a little bit further to the destination.
(continued)
C
ASEE
XHIBIT2.2 (continued)
Mental rehearsal is another technique used by professionals in all fields and can be beneficial for social workers to practice as well. Mental rehearsal is the skill of picturing oneself in a situation, without actually being there. E. Scott Geller notes that“the more vividly individuals can imagine themselves per-forming desired behaviors, the greater the beneficial impact of this technique on actual performance.”lIt is wise for workers to utilize mental rehearsal to visual-ize themselves in undesirable situations. For example, a worker could picture herself being locked in a home with an angry client and how she would escape from that situation. By mentally taking oneself through that circumstance and imagining what one would do in that situation, the body and mind are more likely to respond favorably, rather than to freeze, if that situa-tion were to ever occur. Consequently, the worker would be more prepared to respond to that unsafe scenario by having practiced the response during the mental rehearsal.
Social workers are often faced with individuals who are angry, agitated, hostile, or in a state of cri-sis. It is important to be familiar and comfortable with basic de-escalation techniques. A worker should always remain calm and self-assured in situations. Although a worker may feel intimidated or tense, it is important not to present in this man-ner, so as to help alleviate some of the distressing emotions being experienced by the client. Workers should also remain respectful in all interactions.
When angry or agitated, clients will often lash out at a worker or become verbally abusive. A worker can empathize with and validate how the client is feeling, but should remain respectful and calm in that dia-logue at all times. During the times when clients are escalating or angry, it is important that the worker constantly be assessing the situation for her own safety and that of others and make the decision to leave if necessary.
As workers continue to serve society’s most vulnerable individuals, agencies can assist in pre-paring them to do so by addressing the importance and prevalence of danger in the working environ-ment. As a reactive measure, some agencies are beginning to establish safety committees to address insituations of violence that have already occurred and in hopes of preventing other workers from being placed in these situations. Agencies should also consider creating and implementing policies and procedures related to safety in the workplace.
Workers should also be encouraged to trust their judgment and to ask for assistance when necessary.
When workers have experienced violence of any sort, it is important that this is immediately addressed by the agency, and assistance should be provided if legal protection or action needs to be taken on the worker’s behalf.
Whether social workers are brand new to the field or have been serving others for years, safety is an important topic to keep at the forefront of their practice and should be revisited often by workers and agencies. Workers should take the time to familiarize themselves with the safety policies and procedures of their agency and to ask about safety precautions and measures. They should also take the time to prepare themselves with self-defense courses and mental rehearsal exercises. Workers can also carry items such as personal panic alarms or pepper spray, if permitted. Most important, work-ers should always trust their instincts and act accordingly in every situation.
aNational Association of Social Workers, NASW Communications,
“Effort Honoring the Memory of Teri Zenner,” Endorsed by the National Association of Social Workers, 2005, http://www.naswdc .org/pressroom.
bNational Association of Social Workers, Guidelines for Social Worker Safety in the Workplace, Washington, DC: Author, 2013.
cB. Trainin-Blank,“Safety First: Paying Heed to and Preventing Professional Risks,” The New Social Worker Online, Summer, 2005, http://www.socialworker.com.
dIbid.
eNational Association of Social Workers,“Effort Honoring the Memory of Teri Zenner.”
fM. Valencia,“Giving Voice to Slain Social Worker,” The Boston Globe, Feb. 8, 2012, http://articles.boston.com.
gC. Vendel,“Social Worker Escapes Attacker during Northland Home Visit,” The Kansas City Star, Dec. 2011, http://www .kansascity.com.
hF. Chandler, Personal Safety Issues for Social Workers (Madison, WI: National Association of Social Workers Wisconsin Chapter Home Study Program, 2012).
iB. Trainin-Blank,“Safety First: Paying Heed to and Preventing Professional Risks.”
jF. Chandler, Personal Safety Issues for Social Workers.
kIbid.
lE. S. Geller,“Beyond Safety Accountability: How to Increase Personal Responsibility,” 1998, http://www.safetyperformance.com/
PreventingInjurywithMentalImagery.pdf.
Source: This exhibit was written by Rachel Dunn, MSW, LCSW, Assistant Professor for the School of Social Work, George Williams College of Aurora University.