Bill Overview
Title: Protecting Social Workers and Health Professionals from Workplace Violence Act
Description: This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to states, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations for providing safety measures to social workers, health workers, and human services professionals who perform services in high-risk and potentially dangerous situations.
Sponsors: Sen. Sinema, Kyrsten [D-AZ]
Target Audience
Population: Social workers, health workers, and human services professionals globally
Estimated Size: 13000000
- The bill focuses on protecting social workers and health professionals. These individuals are the primary target population.
- Social workers and health professionals often work in high-risk environments, dealing with clients who may be in crisis or have a history of violent behavior.
- The bill mentions providing safety measures, which implies that it is addressing a need for enhanced security or training to manage violent situations in the workplace.
Reasoning
- The budget constraints suggest that not all individuals in the target population will be equally affected. It is likely that those working in the highest risk environments will be prioritized.
- Given the budget, some lower-impact segments might not see significant changes in their environment immediately. This would include people who work in lower-risk areas or those who already have some safety measures in place.
- The Cantril wellbeing score range is from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating better wellbeing. It's plausible to assume that adequate safety measures might improve their work environment, and hence, boost these scores.
- This policy targets professionals in high-risk jobs, so the differences in impact will create a variance in perceived wellbeing changes across different roles and locations.
Simulated Interviews
Social Worker (New York, NY)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy will finally address some longstanding safety concerns we have in our daily work environment. I hope it will significantly reduce violence against us.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
Nurse (Chicago, IL)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- While I understand budgets are tight, increased security or de-escalation training would really improve our wellbeing.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Psychiatrist (Austin, TX)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I doubt the allocation will prioritize hospitals like ours where the risk is relatively lower.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 40 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Finally, hope for more protective gear and maybe even security personnel.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Family Counselor (Des Moines, IA)
Age: 57 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm happy the government is taking these steps, but it likely won't affect my practice much.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Home Health Aid (Seattle, WA)
Age: 62 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I often feel unsafe during home visits. Improved protective measures would give me confidence to continue working past retirement.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
School Social Worker (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 24 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Improving security at schools will definitely make a difference for us and the students we serve.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Public Health Nurse (Miami, FL)
Age: 36 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We have been relatively safe, but any added measures would provide some peace of mind.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Substance Abuse Counselor (Boston, MA)
Age: 45 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Security measures might help, but training for handling these situations could be crucial.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Crisis Intervention Specialist (Detroit, MI)
Age: 31 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy can't come soon enough; the risks have been evident for years.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $250000000 (Low: $200000000, High: $300000000)
Year 2: $250000000 (Low: $200000000, High: $300000000)
Year 3: $250000000 (Low: $200000000, High: $300000000)
Year 5: $250000000 (Low: $200000000, High: $300000000)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Consideration of how this act impacts the operational budgets of state and tribal organizations.
- Assessment of whether federal grants will cover all costs or if supplemental state/local funding is needed.
- Potential long-term savings from improved safety and reduced workplace injuries.