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JULY 1998

WA social workers to make effort to inform parents of legal rights

By the Associated Press and YVN  

OLYMPIA (7-19-98)--Social workers who investigate reports of child abuse or neglect will try harder to inform parents and others of their legal rights, a top agency official says.

 

In Sunnyside, locals have complained social workers are more likely to go after professional "mainstream" parents than they are those of minorities.

 

When social workers thus break out their note pads and pound on front doors, those affected rarely speak up for fear of losing reputations they've worked hard to build and maintain. Even if the rap is bogus and politically motivated.

 

In recent instances, upper-middle class, non-minority foster parents, a politician, and a school teacher were taken to task by DSHS agents.

 

"They're ready as hell to come after us, said one white foster parent. But I can look across the road at a Hispanic family. They don't even feed their kids. Their kids beg for food at my house. We've had to chase them away from our garbage cans. Their parents drink, and spend their money in taverns. But they're minorities. DSHS in this town wouldn't think of bothering them," she said.

 

The "new" DSHS policy might make things a little rougher for

overzealous or unfair social workers statewide. Responding to citizen complaints, some of which stemmed from the Wenatchee child sex-ring case, the state currently is working on updating written information to be given to parents, said Rosalyn Oreskovich, an assistant secretary of the Dept. of Social and Health Service.

 

The information will better inform parents and others of their "client rights" when they are targets of a child abuse or neglect investigation.

 

In a July 2 letter to Vickie Wallen, the state ombudsman for children and families, Oreskovich said her agency hopes to complete the work by year's end (Wallen can be reached at 206-439-3870).

 

The work will include creation of a "clients rights" poster to hang in the department's waiting rooms, telling parents and others "how to work through (the department) complaint process." The poster also will provide the phone number of Wallen's agency should clients not get satisfaction at DSHS.

 

The effort to better inform parents of their rights found impetus in widespread criticism of the department over its handling of allegations of widespread sexual abuse of children in Wenatchee three years ago.

 

The department's behavior spawned several lawsuits alleging civil rights and other violations filed by people investigated and accused of child molestation.

 

Adding to the pressure was Wallen, who last winter told state legislators that social services workers usually fail to tell unhappy parents and others that they have the right to take their complaints about the department's actions or behavior up the chain of command.

 

She said her staff was told by a 20-year police veteran with investigative skills that even he "was stumped" when he tried to pursue a complaint at DSHS.

 

"People who complain rarely go beyond a supervisor" before becoming discouraged, she told lawmakers.

 

Wallen said recently she was pleased at the development. "It shows that they (DSHS) are taking what we have to say seriously.'

 

Oreskovich--the DSHS asst. secretary--did not return telephone calls. Those interested in giving her a buzz can do so at 360-902-7820.

 

Sen. Jeanine Long, R-Mill Creek, a sometimes DSHS critic, said she was glad the department was taking the action.

 

"It's long overdue. I can only imagine how difficult it is for people to navigate and deal with that department," she said.