Mother Pleads Guilty to Adopted Daughter's Death
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July 9, 2009
RICHMOND, Va. – Alfreedia Leona Gregg-Glover, Manassas, pleaded guilty this week to the death of her 13-year-old daughter, Alexis Glover. In its review of the case, the Virginia Department of Social Services said case workers made systematic mistakes and ignored reports of abuse.
Debra Riggs is the executive director of the Virginia Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. She is concerned that the case workers cited in the review might have had insufficient training, adding that anyone in Virginia can call themselves a social worker.
"Just because you practice in a like setting does not necessarily mean you should carry the title. It's almost a misrepresentation, if you will."
Social workers with proper education have the knowledge, training and expertise to prevent similar tragedies, Riggs says. Her association considers a professional social worker to be someone with a bachelor's, master's or doctor's degree in social work. The National Association of Social Workers is pushing for a law that would legally define who calls himself or herself a social worker.
Riggs says that a state law requiring a degree would protect the title of "social worker."
"We - meaning the professionals - feel very, very strongly about this. We are adamant that consumers understand we have specific training and degrees to practice what we do."
Virginia is one of only a few states that do not require social workers to be professionally licensed so they have title protection. More information is available at www.naswva.org.