Vermont task force urges training, grants and system supports to improve social worker safety

Lynn Greer Stanley, executive director of the National Association of Social Workers’ Vermont chapter, told the House Committee on Human Services that a task force formed under Act 115 found service gaps, workforce shortages and client transitions raise risks to social service providers and to the people they serve.

The task force, Stanley said, recommended a combination of tailored training, systemic supports and targeted grant funding to protect workers and reduce burnout. “We contend that these issues must be addressed concurrently as this is a circular problem. Lack of services and resources contribute to increased violence, and increased violence contributes to the lack of social service providers,” Stanley said.

The presentation summarized state and national data the task force used to frame the recommendations. Stanley said 2023 data showed 9.7% of Vermonters live below the poverty line and that, as of the report, over 75,000 Vermonters face hunger, including more than 16,000 children. The task force’s materials also cited a summer 2024 homelessness rate reported in the presentation and research from the Cohen Veterans Network documenting insurance coverage as a barrier to mental-health access.

The group highlighted workplace violence findings from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) research and specialty studies: Stanley cited an OSHA survey finding that a substantial share of social workers had experienced client assault or witnessed workplace violence, and a child-protective-services study finding frequent nonphysical violence such as yelling and property damage. The presentation argued that safety concerns undermine service quality and staff retention and that moments of client transition — for example, the week after a child removal or when a client leaves residential treatment — show higher incidence of violent incidents.

Recommendations the group presented to the committee included: - Expanded, setting-specific training (de‑escalation, safety protocols and population-specific instruction) for new and continuing staff and for supervisors; - Including volunteers and support staff in training; - Interagency coordination around client transitions and scheduled check-ins for high‑risk periods; and - Grants to help smaller organizations conduct needs assessments, pay for training and improve safety infrastructure (for example, panic buttons or better communications systems where appropriate).

During committee questioning, members asked whether the Agency of Human Services would distribute any future grants. Stanley said the task force and presenters were “still in communication” about grant distribution and that the Agency of Human Services had been discussed as a likely distributor but that details remained “in the works.” Committee members said they would follow up with the Department for Children and Families (DCF) and other agencies to check on existing supports and contract resources for counseling and staff assistance.

The committee did not take a formal vote on the task force recommendations during the session. Members assigned follow-up items, including requests for confirmation of which state offices have received the task force report and for an update from DCF on the status of employee mental‑health supports and on the department’s home‑health discharge reporting required in statute.