WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY | Social workers still waiting for changes to make job safer

Social workers still waiting for changes to make job safer

By Janelle MacDonald - bio | email
Posted by Charles Gazaway - email

FRANKFORT, KY (WAVE) – Kentucky’s social workers say the state is not following through on its promises to make their job safer. They want to see changes before someone else is hurt on the job. Wednesday, they took their case before lawmakers.

“I can tell you that I am here speaking on behalf of many other social workers,” said Patricia Pregliasco, a Jefferson County social worker who said her colleagues are scared and fear repercussions. “Those of who are here have been cautioned about even coming here to speak for our safety.”

But that fear is outweighed by the fear they have every day.

While on the job, Pregliasco said social workers have walked in on drug deals, threatened by angry clients and been inside homes where weapons were openly displayed.

The death in 2006 of fellow social worker Boni Frederick was supposed to have been the reason to change that. Frederick was ambushed, stabbed and bludgeoned while on the job. Now her daughter wants to know what happened to the changes lawmakers promised in the 2007 bill named after her.

“Must another social worker suffer the same fate for us to relearn the lesson?” she asked lawmakers on the Joint Health and Welfare Committee.

Instead, social workers say there are still no safe places for meetings in rural areas and staffing levels are dangerously low. Barb Cowan, a Kenton County social worker, told the committee it is not just workers who are suffering.

“There were eight child fatalities within six months on that team because of excessive case loads and staff shortages,” said Cowan.
  
The Boni Bill authorized state officials to hire more workers and make security improvements. However, critics say only $2 million of the $6 million promised to do so actually materialized. Officials with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services have not yet responded to Wednesday's testimony.

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