Although not explicitly stated, any information provided by the parents or child should be written down accurately, and appropriate medical and nursing care should be provided.
Healthcare consideration: Behavioral health providers must be familiar with and follow the policies and procedures of their employing organizations as they deal with suspected child abuse. Such policies and procedures will help guide them as they act in the best interests of the child. These policies and procedures must coincide with New York State laws governing how to deal with suspected child abuse. If they do not, the social worker is obligated to follow the law. If the social worker does not report cases of abuse, then they are subject to subsequent prosecution for neglect or omission of duty. Summary for Mandatory Reporters, 2019). This means that a mandated reporter fulfilling their professional role who has a reasonable suspicion of abuse must report such concerns. However, if the mandated reporter is off duty and suspects child abuse when not acting in a professional capacity—for example, they witness abuse in a grocery store—the mandated reporter is not mandated by law to report that abuse but still has a moral obligation to do so (New York State, Office of Children and Family Services, 2019; Office of Children and Family Services, Summary for Mandatory Reporters, 2019). of different social groups, stereotypical beliefs about different social groups, cultural conditioning, and national history of discrimination and oppression. Biases may impact the professional’s decision making and interactions with the children and families they serve. It is therefore critical that the provider recognize and understand their own biases in order to reduce their potential impact on decisions to ensure equity and fairness in their professional interactions and behavior. points, including reporting, investigating, substantiation, foster care placement, exit, and treatment (New York State Office of Children and Family Services, 2022). This overrepresentation persists despite research finding that families of color are no more likely
Reporting child abuse in New York State New York State recognizes healthcare providers as mandated reporters of child abuse and maltreatment. This means that they are required to report suspected child abuse and maltreatment “when presented with a reasonable cause to suspect child abuse or maltreatment in a situation where a child, parent, or other person legally responsible for the child is before the mandated reporter when the mandated reporter is acting in his or her official or professional capacity” (New York State, Office of Children and Family Services, 2019; Office of Children and Family Services,
Understanding and reducing implicit and explicit bias in reporting All individuals have bias, which is defined as a judgement, feeling, or opinion against a person, place, or thing, especially one that is preconceived or unreasoned. An implicit bias is one that is present but the individual is not aware of it since it is not consciously recognized.
Explicit bias is a personal judgment that the individual is consciously aware of (American Psychological Association, n.d.b). Individual biases are often deeply ingrained due to a longstanding history of unequal treatment The impact of bias in child welfare New York State and national research has shown that children and families of color are overrepresented in the child welfare system. Data indicates that children of color are three times more likely than White children to receive child welfare services at all decision
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