Social Work Without Mandated Reporting: Transforming Our Practices, Organizing Our Schools & Communities
Tamia Govan
Jasmine Wali
Eleni Zimiles
Following the lead of impacted families, social workers across generations have renewed a call to re-examine and end the practice of mandated reporting to Child Protective Services. Mandated reporting, a blanket policy defined by vague definitions of neglect or abuse, is heavily impacted by racial inequities and implicit bias. Reporting often leads to family separation for symptoms of poverty. Additionally, mandated reporting policies deter families from asking for help before or during crises, for fear of family separation. Many impacted parents have called for the end of mandated reporting to ensure that essential services are safe for them to seek support, and to reduce racial disparities in reporting.
This workshop explores social work without mandated reporting, with a specific focus on school social work. Presenters discuss the ways they’ve organized on mezzo and macro levels to end or reduce mandated reporting and how you can replicate this work at your own agency or state.
Here are a few links to sites pertaining to working with and including people with lived experience in our work.
“Nothing About Us Without Us”: Tips for involving people with lived experiences of trauma in policymaking and program design: pathways-us.org/wp-content/up...
Recruiting Individuals with Lived Experience (hhs.gov): aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/fi...
Methods and Emerging Strategies to Engage People with Lived Experience | ASPE (hhs.gov): aspe.hhs.gov/reports/lived-ex...
Mandated Reporters Against Mandated Reporters email: beyondmandatedreporting@gmail.com
Instagram: @beyondreporting
Twitter: @@beyondreporting
Eleni Zimiles on LinkedIn: / elenizimiles
Jasmine Wali on LinkedIn: / jasmine-wali-8702b8182
Tamia Govan: tamiagovan@hotmail.com