ANNE M. CASE STUDY

In the Anne M case, the worker, upon finding no prior ACS involvement, continued to investigate previous reports of domestic violence in this home by requesting (and finding) two previous Domestic Incident Reports at the Police department, therefore indicating good investigative skills. This worker draws up a detailed safety plan with this mother and demonstrates persistence in following up with emphasis on the children’s safety.
Domestic violence is a significant part of the Anne M case and an intricate part of Child Protective practice in general. Although an Elevated Risk Conference was held, documentation did not include whether a Domestic Violence Clinical Consultant was present, nor any other participants. Difficult steps this mother had successfully enacted in order to protect herself and her children are not emphasized in the case record. Questions such as: who recommended the supervised visits with the father, had he hit the children before, was the father referred to a Batterer’s Intervention program, and could the children have therapy before visiting their father, and then visits upon the recommendation of a therapist, are not asked or answered. This area of casework practice is a rich and multifaceted subject for graduate level analysis. .