HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2101        FILED ON: 1/17/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1963

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Sean Garballey

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act promoting health through workplace safety for social workers.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

1/17/2013

Aaron Michlewitz

3rd Suffolk

 

Jason M. Lewis

Fifth Middlesex

 

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

1/30/2013

Lori A. Ehrlich

8th Essex

1/30/2013

William N. Brownsberger

Second Suffolk and Middlesex

1/29/2013

Stephen L. DiNatale

3rd Worcester

1/30/2013

Thomas J. Calter

12th Plymouth

2/1/2013

Carolyn C. Dykema

8th Middlesex

2/1/2013

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

1/30/2013

Jay R. Kaufman

15th Middlesex

1/30/2013

Ellen Story

3rd Hampshire

1/31/2013

Timothy J. Toomey, Jr.

26th Middlesex

 

Ruth B. Balser

12th Middlesex

 

Nick Collins

4th Suffolk

 

John J. Lawn, Jr.

10th Middlesex

 

James R. Miceli

19th Middlesex

 

Sarah K. Peake

4th Barnstable

1/31/2013

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

 

Jeffrey N. Roy

10th Norfolk

 

Tom Sannicandro

7th Middlesex

 

Patricia D. Jehlen

Second Middlesex

 

James Arciero

2nd Middlesex

 

Benjamin Swan

11th Hampden

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2101        FILED ON: 1/17/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1963

By Mr. Garballey of Arlington, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1963) of Sean Garballey and others relative to promoting workplace safety for social workers.  Public Health.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 4254 OF 2011-2012.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

_______________

 

An Act promoting health through workplace safety for social workers.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 6A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 16S the following section:- 

Section 16T. The executive office of health and human services shall by regulation require that programs providing direct services to clients and operated by or licensed, certified, or funded by a department or division of the executive office of health and human services establish a workplace violence prevention and crisis response plan for social workers, human services workers, volunteers, and all other employees.

Programs shall assess and annually review factors that may put social workers, human services  workers, volunteers, and all other employees at risk of workplace violence. Factors shall include, but need not be limited to working outside normal business hours; working alone; working with people in crisis; and working with people with known histories of violent behavior.

Based on the assessment and subsequent annual review, the program shall: (a) establish a system  for centrally recording all incidents of workplace violence or threats of workplace violence against social workers, human services workers, volunteers, and all other employees; (b) prepare a written violence prevention and crisis response plan that includes measures the program intends to take to respond to any incident of workplace violence against social workers, human services workers, volunteers and all other employees; (c) provide each employee with a copy of the violence prevention and crisis response plan; (d) implement training to educate social workers, human services workers, volunteers, and all other employees about workplace violence and ways to reduce risks; and (e) develop and maintain a violence prevention and response team to monitor ongoing compliance with the violence prevention and crisis response plan and to assist any social workers, human services workers, volunteers, and all other employees victimized by or threatened with workplace violence.