From: Kelly Jordal
December 14, 2023
To the Editor,
The death of 17-year-old Jordan Brooks in 2021 had a profound impact on the Oswego County community. Loved ones, friends, teachers, even those who had never met the charismatic young man were left heartbroken at such a senseless tragedy. Now, while we all continue to mourn his loss, there is some reassurance in knowing that the two people responsible for his care have faced justice.
Jordan’s death shined a light on our child welfare system. The Oswego County Department of Social Services (DSS) faced heavy scrutiny for its handling of his case. As this type of analysis can lack context or solutions or come from those unfamiliar with this system, those of us on the Child Protection Advisory Council (CPAC) of Oswego County knew we had a responsibility to the families of this community to look deeper.
CPAC was established in 2010 by the Oswego County Legislature in response to the death of 11-year-old Erin Maxwell. Our mission today remains the same as it was then, to lead a coordinated community effort aimed at improving the prevention, identification and response to child abuse and neglect in Oswego County. We focus on establishing partnerships, facilitating collaborative programs, strengthening prevention efforts, recommending policy or procedural changes and building community awareness and understanding.
Therefore, as other investigations into Jordan’s death were launched, we also met with groups of caseworkers to focus on what was needed within our system of care for vulnerable children and their families. We reviewed the in-depth report presented by The Bonadio Group, which had been contracted to examine Oswego County’s child welfare operations.
The Bonadio Group’s assessment mirrored our own after discussions with DSS frontline child welfare workers. Pandemic restrictions and social isolation were identified as contributing factors in caseworkers’ ability to access needed services for the families who were reported to the State Central Register for child maltreatment.
Significant stressors within the DSS Child Protective Unit were also reported. They included higher-than-recommended caseloads as a result of the large number of vacancies within the department. Staff were also trying to manage other work-related traumatic stress due to high-risk situations with the ongoing drug epidemic and the intense public scrutiny of child welfare professionals. The fear of “getting it wrong” led some staff to leave child welfare work altogether.
Over the last year, the Oswego County Legislature and DSS have been working together to address these findings and implement other recommendations to improve the local child welfare system.
Of primary importance is the retention, recruitment and training of caseworkers. The Legislature voted to increase wages for caseworkers and create new positions.
Community Service Workers were hired to assist with clerical responsibilities and an internal transportation unit was launched with caseworker aides to assist in getting children, youth and families to court-ordered services. New management positions were also approved to provide adequate internal oversight of operations. Caseworker recruitment efforts were maximized through job fairs, social media and New York State Civil Service’s Hiring Emergency Limited Placement (HELP) Program, which waived the civil service testing requirement for caseworkers.
Caseworkers received specialized training in assessing the health and safety of medically complex children and youth. Cases involving those children are now referred to the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT), where the most experienced and highly trained caseworkers can give more attention to the complicated needs in the family.
Our child welfare professionals care deeply about family preservation – safeguarding families amid crisis, connecting them to vital supports and addressing their immediate needs to alleviate stress and help them thrive. This is emotionally charged work and takes a highly trained and experienced workforce to adequately assess a child’s health and safety in the family dynamic.
Those who serve at DSS are devoted to its mission and care deeply about the children and families in our community. Every day, they are on the front lines of child welfare, visiting vulnerable children and families or responding to unsafe situations. They work closely with hospitals, law enforcement, schools, mental health providers, human service agencies and faith-based groups. It is through this community-based approach that families in need engage in critical supportive services.
As a group, we are inspired by the resiliency of people who overcome adversity, who seek help and support and, most importantly, maintain hope for a brighter future.
CPAC will continue to collaborate with the Oswego County Legislature to fulfill its mission of protecting our children. Together, we remain committed to ensuring that child welfare professionals have what they need to defend those most vulnerable in our community.
However, it takes all of us to protect our children. If you are concerned about a child in your family or community, reach out to the parent and offer your concern and help, if possible. If you suspect child maltreatment, call the New York State Central Register at 1-800-342-3720.
Sincerely,
Tanya VanOrnum, LMHC, NCC
Child Protection Advisory Council of Oswego County Chair
Elizabeth Herzog-McLean, LMSW
Child Protection Advisory Council of Oswego County Vice Chair
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