Rep. Sean Garballey, left, at bill signing.
A bill filed after social worker Diruhi Mattian, 53, a former Arlington resident, was slain by her patient during a home visit has been signed into law.
Governor Patrick has signed legislation that aims to improve safety in the workplace. Filed by Representative Sean Garballey, Democrat of Arlington, and state Senator Sal DiDomenico, Democrat of Everett, this legislation was in response to recommendations of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Safety Task Force, which convened after the 2008 death of a social worker.
In September 2011, Thomas Belanger, 22, of North Andover, man pleaded guilty in Salem Superior Court to stabbing Mattian to death in February 2008. Belanger had a history of psychiatric issues.
In a news release, Rebekah Gewirtz, director of government relations and political action at the NASW, Mass. chapter, said:
“This law requires all programs providing direct services to clients who are operated by, licensed, certified, or funded by a department or division of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services have a workplace violence prevention and crisis response plan, which is key to keeping social workers and other workers safe in direct care settings.”
Plans must be updated at least annually for social workers, human services workers, volunteers and all other employees. In addition, programs that do not have safety training in place shall require their employees to enroll in safety training to be developed and offered by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
DiDomenico said in the release: “Many industries invest tremendous resources into workplace and worker safety. This legislation offers safety protections to employees who are on the front lines of public health, caring for and working with individuals and families who are struggling through troubling and often precarious circumstances. Social workers, human service workers and others who are dedicated to helping those in need should be afforded the same expectations of a safe and secure work environment.”
Garballey said: “I am proud to have been able to partner with the National Association of Social Workers on passing legislation that aims to protect our social workers so that they can continue to provide essential services to so many throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”
Health and Human Services Secretary John Polanowicz added, “Social worker safety has been a priority for Massachusetts and this law will further enhance our efforts to protect those who are caring for our most vulnerable populations. I thank the legislators and advocates who advanced this legislation to ensure that providers contracting with state agencies have strong workplace safety plans in place.”
Stakeholders in the task force included NASW MA, schools of social work, employers across the Commonwealth, union representatives and state departments. Over the course of two years the group met and ultimately determined it was necessary to file this legislation. These groups said:
• More than one-half of social workers in Massachusetts have been physically assaulted in a work related incident (assaults range from pushing, hitting, and choking to life-threatening attacks) [1]
• Eighty-five percent of social workers nationwide report that they have been subject to psychological aggression at some point in their careers [2]
• Thirty percent have experienced physical assault perpetrated by clients at some point in their careers [3]
The National Association of Social Workers, Massachusetts Chapter, is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the Commonwealth with over 8,300 members. The mission of the Massachusetts chapter is to advance professional social work practice and the profession and to promote human rights, social and economic justice, and unimpeded access to services to all.
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[1] Based upon a survey of 1,000 Massachusetts NASW members and review of literature.
[2] Ringstad, R. (2005) Conflict in the Workplace: Social workers as victims and perpetrators. Social Work, 50, 305-313
[3] Ringstad, R. (2005) Conflict in the Workplace: Social workers as victims and perpetrators. Social Work, 50, 305-313
This story was published Monday, March 11, 2013.
