Child Abuse-Neglect Victims Guidance

[barkley]

MODERATOR PLEASE READ EMAIL I SENT TO YOU-YOU MUST STOP THIS INFORMATION FROM BEING DISEMINATED.

to the op-you have taked to a lawyer and feel safe about what you are disclosing??? the point is-you are endangering the children and families in your caseload by posting this information. it could be effectivly used to overturn a child's protective placement!

i implore you to cease and desist posting or diseminating this information immediatly!

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Did they teach you anything about ethics when you became a GAL? You may want to go back over that.

1) You are talking about juveniles
2) You are talking about juveniles in distress
3) These are ongoing cases subject to confidentiality
Do I really need to go on?

 

[snoopy]

Did they teach you anything about ethics when you became a GAL? You may want to go back over that.

1) You are talking about juveniles
2) You are talking about juveniles in distress
3) These are ongoing cases subject to confidentiality
Do I really need to go on?

Apparently so.

Thats pretty much it in a nutshell though MM. Seriously, why not talk to your superior about this issue since the subject matter is such a serious (and personal) one? How would you feel if someone DID actually find the family like you've challenged them to do?

 

[Miss Jasmine]

MM, read Unit 5 of this link. Pay special attention to the chart on page 34.
http://www.brevardclerk.us/ctadmin/guardian_ad_litem/ISE - Chapter 2.pdf

 

[nuke]

First Question:

Question:Is it in the best interest of the child?

Answer:Ummmm NO!

Solution: Don't share the information.

Seems easy enough.

 

[janette]

Isn't it about the perception of confidentiality. No matter if someone related to your cases reads here. There maybe someone who is in the system or has family in the system and reads your posts. They'll start wondering who their GAL is talking too, and how public they are making their situations. They don't have to know much just the county to file a complaint about breaches in confidentiality. It doesn't matter even who was putting the information in a public forum it will reflect badly on the GAL system and maybe hurt a completely unrelated case to the ones you are working.

I'm very careful what I say in forums if the subject matter is something related to my job. We are told repeatedly that whatever we say can be taken as a statement by the company and I wouldn't take the risk of losing my job to be able to vent in a public place.

 

[Deb in IA]

marlasmom, I understand your frustration, but really, in cases like these, it is best to not discuss ANY details -- ages, number of children, number of visits, etc.

Asking a very general question, such as, "Why does DCS put so much emphasis on reunification in all cases?" is better.

 

[sammy66]

Just my luck to finally post and it's to such a volatile thread
anyway, I'm not adopting.

 

[RitaZ.]

Isn't it about the perception of confidentiality. No matter if someone related to your cases reads here. There maybe someone who is in the system or has family in the system and reads your posts. They'll start wondering who their GAL is talking too, and how public they are making their situations. They don't have to know much just the county to file a complaint about breaches in confidentiality. It doesn't matter even who was putting the information in a public forum it will reflect badly on the GAL system and maybe hurt a completely unrelated case to the ones you are working.

MM, I agree with Janette.

 

[chrissyk]

Why is DCF so bent on reunification? Gee, I don't know...maybe it's because the Mondale Act made it allowable for anonymous reporting to DCF hotlines, so any freak with a grudge against someone else can call up, make a false report, and put the parents on the defensive! Seriously, be careful who you tick off...have a neighbor who doesn't like you? Look out, because they could drop a dime to the anonymous hotline, make up all kinds of allegations, and put you and your kids in "the system". You'll be forced to defend yourself while social workers and GAL's "investigate" your situation...even if you've done NOTHING wrong.

There ARE kids who are abused and neglected out there, but there are also plenty of people who have to deal with CPS "services" because of a false, anonymous revenge call to the CPS hotline. If CPS weren't "bent" on reunification, they'd probably sever many, many parental rights in cases where parents are falsely accused! IMHO they have to err on the side of reunification because there is no real, enforcable penalty for anonymous false reporting. BTW, this issue is why I will NEVER adopt though CPS. Anonymous reporting would have to become a thing of the past for me to even consider such a thing.

 

[Lessa of Pern]

to those who think MM is violating ethics...

if the names and some of the details are changed, there is no ethical violation.

my local paper has a program every Christmas where they seek donations for families in need. they get the details form the various social service agencies. and then they publish them in a newspaper with significant circulation. all they do to hide identities is change the names and a few minor details.

lawyers tell "war stories" to educate other lawyers. they'll use "hypotheticals" based on real cases, with the names changed. client confidentiality is not breached.

marlasmom, given the hostile environment you're experiencing on this board by the ignorant...perhaps it would be better to refrain from posting the details of cases. in the law we say that the appearance of impropriety should be avoided, even if what you're doing is not an impropriety.

 

[Snoopymom]

Why is DCF so bent on reunification? Gee, I don't know...maybe it's because the Mondale Act made it allowable for anonymous reporting to DCF hotlines, so any freak with a grudge against someone else can call up, make a false report, and put the parents on the defensive! Seriously, be careful who you tick off...have a neighbor who doesn't like you? Look out, because they could drop a dime to the anonymous hotline, make up all kinds of allegations, and put you and your kids in "the system". You'll be forced to defend yourself while social workers and GAL's "investigate" your situation...even if you've done NOTHING wrong.

There ARE kids who are abused and neglected out there, but there are also plenty of people who have to deal with CPS "services" because of a false, anonymous revenge call to the CPS hotline. If CPS weren't "bent" on reunification, they'd probably sever many, many parental rights in cases where parents are falsely accused! IMHO they have to err on the side of reunification because there is no real, enforcable penalty for anonymous false reporting. BTW, this issue is why I will NEVER adopt though CPS. Anonymous reporting would have to become a thing of the past for me to even consider such a thing.

Do you have experience with a false allegation? If you don't, please please please don't frighten others into doubting whether they should call CPS with suspicions, or discourage anyone from adopting a foster child.

My foster-to-adopt son is safe now from abuse and neglect due to an anonymous angel. I probably have more complaints about the system than anyone in the world, but the way they conduct their investigations is not one of them.

 

[Deb in IA]

my local paper has a program every Christmas where they seek donations for families in need. they get the details form the various social service agencies. and then they publish them in a newspaper with significant circulation. all they do to hide identities is change the names and a few minor details.

The information that marlasmom is talking about is a bit more sensitive and personal than a list of donors to charitable organizations.

And lawyers talking to other lawyers (and doctors talking to other doctors, for that matter) is NOT the same as broadcasting the information to at least 79,000 subscribers, with no controls or limitations as to where the info is further redistributed from here.

 

[barkley]

to those who think MM is violating ethics...

if the names and some of the details are changed, there is no ethical violation.

my local paper has a program every Christmas where they seek donations for families in need. they get the details form the various social service agencies. and then they publish them in a newspaper with significant circulation. all they do to hide identities is change the names and a few minor details.

lawyers tell "war stories" to educate other lawyers. they'll use "hypotheticals" based on real cases, with the names changed. client confidentiality is not breached.

marlasmom, given the hostile environment you're experiencing on this board by the ignorant...perhaps it would be better to refrain from posting the details of cases. in the law we say that the appearance of impropriety should be avoided, even if what you're doing is not an impropriety.

point #1-those holiday stories in the newpapers are done with the permission of the clients. they have completed an application for the program and signed an extreemly limited realese of information for both the agencies involved and the newspapers. in fact, some holiday gifting programs (spec. "giving trees" that have paper ornaments with a child's name and the toy they are "wishing for") use ficticious names because of client confidentiality laws.

point #2-the op has (in this thread or others on this board) identified her own first name, the agency and location of the agency she works for, and specific details regarding children and families in the juvinile court system. she has openly posted that she has discussed specific cases with her own family members (even going so far as to arrange financial donations from her family members to these clients). this is not appropriate or legal. beyond breeching client confidentiality, she has compromised the integrity of the cases from a legal standpoint. individuals within a specific family court case are not privey to each other's information-this is done to ensure that the allegations are clearly and completed investigated, that all facts are in place so that a fair and legal assessment of the situation can be made. by posting the information she has thus far and evidentary trail could be deemed contaminated and inadmissable. would anyone like to see a child that was validly removed from a dangerous situation returned due to a "technicality"?

point #3-the op has posted her own personal (not professional) opinions, "feelings" and desires about these cases, aknowledging that she knows that a judge weighs the reports of her findings, and how this can be used to influence a court decision . personal biases are a tremendous basis for overturning a valid child protective order-it could in fact call into question and overturn all cases the op has come into contact with.

point #4-lawyers and other professionals who share "war stories" with their peers in an educational setting is hardly comparable to an individual disclosing information in a public internet site accessable to the public at large.

i believe that those of us who have called into question her postings on this thread (as others have done in previous threads she has posted) are concerned with "the best interest of the child". several of us are hardly "ignorant' regarding this-we are current or former child and family services professionals who are well aware of the the moral, ethical and legal implications of the situation. one poster provided the specific legal guidelines as a reference material for the op.

i do believe the op is violating ethics and as she challenged us to do in one of her posts i have contacted the appropriate agencies involved.

 

[Deb in IA]

ITA, barkley.

 

[marlasmom]

Barkely - I have not divulged the name of the agency I work for nor have I discussed specific cases. If you know my first name you have done a lot of searching. Congratulations. Yes, my sister gave one of my custodians some money. My sister does not know the name nor location of the custodian. I discussed the gift with my supervisor before giving it. I think you are searching for a cause celebre and you think you have found it. Don't you have anything better to do than issue pompous diatribes about something you obviously know nothing about. Do you honestly think you could search out one of my clients based on the vague and modified information I gave. I merely said that one of my custodians was doing a marvelous job with some children and that one of my young mothers was living in a horrible situation. Do you have the remotest idea of how many 16 year old mothers there are in Florida? I also said that RUMOR had it that one of my young mothers could be pregnant again. Was I talking about the same mother? NO! Could anyone trace her? I sincerely doubt it.

It seems to me that you could be doing something much more productive than chasing me around. Perhaps you could make a contribution to some children yourself! If you are hell-bent on creating damage, more power to you. You must live a very sad life - or no life at all. Apparently you got nowhere with the mods so now you are searching for another venue. I spent the morning visiting clients and I am exhausted. You obviously spent the morning trying to cause trouble. Which one of us do you think contributes more to society?

 

[chrissyk]

Do you have experience with a false allegation? If you don't, please please please don't frighten others into doubting whether they should call CPS with suspicions, or discourage anyone from adopting a foster child.

My foster-to-adopt son is safe now from abuse and neglect due to an anonymous angel. I probably have more complaints about the system than anyone in the world, but the way they conduct their investigations is not one of them.

I have had to take care to protect myself and my family because a mentally ill person threatened to make false allegations against us to CPS when we didn't even have children yet. We have gone so far as to find an attorney to deal with this situation should it arise once we do have children. We have gone to the police also to make a record of the threats. We have seen a total of 3 attornies over this, and we may end up paying a 5K retainer to the attorney that we chose when we have a child just so we know that we will be able to call on the attorney in a heartbeat should this occur.

I will NEVER support anonymous reporting. If the call is legit (as it obviously was in the case of your fos/adopt son), then the person has nothing to fear by giving their info. Anonymous reporting allows too many people to make "revenge" calls, and clogs up the system for the kids who truly do need help.

Also, I am stating that **I** will never adopt through CPS because of what I have learned while educating myself about anonymous false reporting. Other people have to do what they're comfortable with. For me, CPS adoption is completely out until anonymous reporting is no longer an issue.

 

[barkley]

Barkely - I have not divulged the name of the agency I work for nor have I discussed specific cases. If you know my first name you have done a lot of searching. Congratulations. Yes, my sister gave one of my custodians some money. My sister does not know the name nor location of the custodian. I discussed the gift with my supervisor before giving it. I think you are searching for a cause celebre and you think you have found it. Don't you have anything better to do than issue pompous diatribes about something you obviously know nothing about. Do you honestly think you could search out one of my clients based on the vague and modified information I gave. I merely said that one of my custodians was doing a marvelous job with some children and that one of my young mothers was living in a horrible situation. Do you have the remotest idea of how many 16 year old mothers there are in Florida? I also said that RUMOR had it that one of my young mothers could be pregnant again. Was I talking about the same mother? NO! Could anyone trace her? I sincerely doubt it.

It seems to me that you could be doing something much more productive than chasing me around. Perhaps you could make a contribution to some children yourself! If you are hell-bent on creating damage, more power to you. You must live a very sad life - or no life at all. Apparently you got nowhere with the mods so now you are searching for another venue. I spent the morning visiting clients and I am exhausted. You obviously spent the morning trying to cause trouble. Which one of us do you think contributes more to society?

to be brief-i am a "mandated reporter" regarding child welfare and while i am not aware of current minor pregnancy statistics in florida i have over a multi decade career in children and family services encountered well into the thousands-that is not the point. it is my lawful duty to report any and all infractions of the welfare and institutions code. i will not address the insults that you have made against me personaly-i have made no personal insults against you and have kept this on a strictly professional level.

i stand by what i have done and i will leave this issue to the florida juvinile judicial athorities for appropriate disposition.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Barkely - I have not divulged the name of the agency I work for nor have I discussed specific cases. If you know my first name you have done a lot of searching. Congratulations. Yes, my sister gave one of my custodians some money. My sister does not know the name nor location of the custodian. I discussed the gift with my supervisor before giving it. I think you are searching for a cause celebre and you think you have found it. Don't you have anything better to do than issue pompous diatribes about something you obviously know nothing about. Do you honestly think you could search out one of my clients based on the vague and modified information I gave. I merely said that one of my custodians was doing a marvelous job with some children and that one of my young mothers was living in a horrible situation. Do you have the remotest idea of how many 16 year old mothers there are in Florida? I also said that RUMOR had it that one of my young mothers could be pregnant again. Was I talking about the same mother? NO! Could anyone trace her? I sincerely doubt it.

It seems to me that you could be doing something much more productive than chasing me around. Perhaps you could make a contribution to some children yourself! If you are hell-bent on creating damage, more power to you. You must live a very sad life - or no life at all. Apparently you got nowhere with the mods so now you are searching for another venue. I spent the morning visiting clients and I am exhausted. You obviously spent the morning trying to cause trouble. Which one of us do you think contributes more to society?

MM, you do have your location listed on your profile. And the fact of the matter is that you could have ASKED your question without ANY information.

 

[marlasmom]

You are right Miss Jasmine - however I was replying to someone who said the guardian let things slide after beginning the case and if he/she had stayed around she or he would have seen the situation differently. I was merely explaining that we are mandated to see the children once a month and that while I see one case only once a month, I see another much more frequently. I truly believe that I have not breached confidentiality of any of the people I see but if Barkley wants to think so, so be it. On reflection I will never discuss anything here again.

Crissyk - one of the things they warn us about is false reporting. Once I get a case it has been thoroughly investigated. Actually my own daughter years ago was a victim of false reporting and it was agony so I fully understand. My grandson has a red mark on his forehead - it is an accumulation of blood vessels and has faded to nothing as he has grown, but it is still visible if he is emotional. When he was a little over a year old my daughter took him to a supermarket. He had a little bruise on his cheek from walking under my dining room table. The cashier asked about it - my daughter, tired from a long day as a nurse, gave a short answer - "that's a birthmark and that's a bruise." The clerk took her name from her check and reported her. We got a letter late Friday afternoon. We had just read of some parents in the New York Times who lost their kids for a period of several months due to false reporting. There was nothing to do over the weekend except worry.

On Monday she took my grandson to his pediatrician who wrote a letter saying he had cared for Matt since birth and there were absolutely no signs of abuse. We took him to the DCF office in New Hampshire where we had to wait for 3 hours. The floor was so filthy we couldn't put him down, but he wiggled and squirmed for 3 hours because he wanted to get free. We had to undress him so the social worker could see there were no other signs that he had been mistreated. They wrote up the incident as "unfounded" but told my dd it would stay on her record for 3 years. HUH!!!! It was just a case of an overzealous person who was looking for something that wasn't there.

However, I don't think that adopting a child through DCF would cause you any more or less problems than adopting a child from another source. Yes I have cases now because someone reported abuse or neglect. However they were investigated before I got them and the allegations proved to be true. One kid could have died had not a neighbor intervened. (TMI for you Barkley?) Actually, from what I understand, most calls are not acted on because the intake people find them to be false.

Phony reports of abuse are too horrible to even think about. Some women use this as a means of "getting" perhaps a divorcing husband who wants custody or even just a visitation schedule. So vicious. I'm sorry about your family member, but I don't think she'll get anywhere. Let me know if I can help.