In a dissenting opinion, which agreed the social workers should not be charged for child abuse but still could be prosecuted as public officers, Justice Victoria Gerrard Chaney wrote, "Allowing a social worker to evade liability for falsifying a public document would incentivize social workers to put their own interests in avoiding liability for their misdeeds above the purpose of the state's child welfare statutory scheme, which is child safety. In January, the 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled that a lower courtshould have granted a defense motion to dismiss the case against the social workers. It is as much an indictment of the way things run at the DCFS, and the former caseworkers, as well as the agency, must live with the knowledge that Gabriels death could have been prevented. We have got you covered in that regard. However, on January 23, 2020, the panel refused to reconsider this ruling. A Los Angeles County superior court judge on Thursday dismissed a case against four social workers charged in the death of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez. LA County District Attorney Jackie Lacey continues to stand by the charges. They also may need a license; specific requirements vary by state. "I see mistakes as an opportunity to fix and learn from or turn them into something better. The petitioners' actions here prevented the system from working in whatever way it might have had they done their jobs honestly, and offers no incentive for either DCFS or individual social workers to work to reform and repair the parts of the system that may fail the children it is intended to protect.". | Learn more about Stephanie Rodriguez's work . Following the caretakers' convictions, four social workers in the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (Stefanie Rodriguez, 34, and Patricia Clement, 69, and two supervisors, Kevin Bom, 40, and Gregory Merritt, 64,) were also charged in connection with Gabriel's child abuse and death. Dr. Rodriguez earned her Doctorate in Education in addition to her Masters of Social Work and Bachelor of Science degrees. Stefanie Stephenson is a primary care provider established in Spokane, Washington and her medical specialization is Student In An Organized Health Care Education/training Program. Suite 102. Stephanie joined the Alliance in 2015. She added a dissenting opinion arguing that they could be prosecuted as public officers. A woman sits at home on does therapy session on her laptop with a female social worker who is taking notes: www.socialworkers.org: 750 First Street, NE Suite 800 Washington, DC 20002 About NASW The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world. Have you been looking for a home in a quiet location, where there would be room for a large family, and. Women's Health may earn commission from the links on this page, but we only feature products we believe in. But warmer storms could cause problems, previously denied a motion by defense attorneys to dismiss the charges, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Im visiting all 600 L.A. spots on the National Register. "We respect the courts decision," a DCFS statement said. Mount Sinai Health System Location 150 E 42nd St Fl 2, New York City, New York, 10017, United States Description Read More Stefanie Rodriguez, 35; Patricia Clement, 69; and their respective supervisors, Kevin Bom, 41; and Gregory Merritt, 64, were charged in 2016 with one felony count each of child abuse and. ", A photo of Gabriel Fernandez is shown in the Netflix documentary series "The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. Key social work organizations, such as the NASW and AWSB, have begun noting the proliferation of social media usage in education and . 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Little Gabriel Fernandez died at the hand of his mother and stepdad, Gregory Merritt was a social worker involved in Gabriel's case, Netflix's The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez explores tragic reason behind his death. Both these caseworkers minimized evidence, to the extent that they did not document Gabriels deteriorating health conditions at home. A judge on Wednesday dismissed charges against four social workers accused of missing red flags and failing to protect an 8-year-old Los Angeles area boy who was killed by his mother and her boyfriend after years of torture and mistreatment. They're not facing new charges, instead the district attorney's office will not object to a motion to dismiss the charges against them, the Antelope Valley Press reported. $5,272 came from other types of compensation . Resiliency Express LCSW PC. Check social media profiles, photos and videos, resumes and CV, arrest records, places of employment, business records, public records, related names and publications . LA prosecutors did not immediately give up, asking the Appeals court to re-hear or modify its opinion in case of the social workers. Call or Email Joe Rodriguez now - (914) 618-5733 Qualifications School: Columbia University School of Social Work Year Graduated: 1996 License and State: 069525. $522/sqft. Our episodes cover a wide range of technologiesfrom telehealth and apps to text messaging, social media and even video games. Hi I'm Stephanie! Social workers typically need a bachelor's or master's degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. The case made against the four social workers never made it to trial. I'm a creative that's passionate about digital content, social media, and communication, with over 5 years of experience. The role of social media in social work education is slowly expanding as social media infiltrates more of our daily lives. The British Association of Social Workers (BASW), in its social media policy, acknowledges that online technology brings opportunities for networking, communication and inclusive practice, while . Rodriguez assured the teacher she would investigate, but matters got worse for Gabriel in November 2012. Here are 10 you cant miss, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, Opinion: No, California doesnt have a population crisis, Environmentalists sue to overturn San Diego County climate plan, Jaguars, narcos, illegal loggers: One mans battle to save a Guatemalan jungle and Maya ruins, LAPD should stop handling many non-emergency calls, police union says, Brothers who crashed a wedding reception are convicted of beating the groom to death, Column: Trump tormentor, whiteboard wizard its the brand that matters in California Senate race. Stefanie Rodriguez's lawyer states that there were three subsequent supervisors, two subsequent social workers, one subsequent emergency response worker, two other mental health professionals, and two law enforcement officers all of whom are mandatory reporters as well. Following the caretakers' convictions, four social workers in the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (Stefanie Rodriguez, 34, and Patricia Clement, 69, and two. Following graduation Stephanie worked for seven years as a Children and Family Services, Social Worker, with Childrens Administration (now known as DCYF). A complaint for an arrest warrant filed on March 28 charges social workers Stefanie Rodriguez, 30, and Patricia Clement, 65, and their respective supervisors, Kevin Bom, 36, and Gregory. Los trabajadores sociales Stefanie Rodrguez y Patricia Clement, as como sus supervisores, Kevin Bom y Gregory Merritt, fueron acusados de un delito grave de abuso infantil y un delito grave de. "We conclude that the petitioners never had the requisite duty to control the abusers and did not have care or custody of Gabriel for purposes of Penal Code section 273a, subdivision (a). $49,663. The dismissal was expected after an appellate panel ruled in January that the social workers cannot be prosecuted in Gabriel's death because they did not have custody of Gabriel and could not have controlled the abusers' actions, according to the Los Angeles Times. But prosecutors also saw culpability in the hands of state workers who were entrusted with protecting Gabriel. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. The Netflix docu-series "The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez" goes in depth on the horrific and ultimately fatal abuse endured by 8-year-old Gabriel at the hands of his own family as well as the system that appears to have failed the boy. Naturally, you might be wondering about where the social workers are now, currently. Social workers Stefanie Rodriguez and Patricia Clement, as well as their supervisors, Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt, were each charged with one felony count of child abuse and one felony. In January 2020, however, a California appeals court dismissed all charges against the four social workers, with a three-justice panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal issuing an opinion telling the lower court to drop the case. Ve el perfil completo en LinkedIn y descubre los contactos y empleos de Stephanie en empresas similares. Of this total $30,591 was received Jilted lover tries to slice neck open in court after being jailed for strangling his ex-partner's three-year-old son. Jenny Molloy, co-author of Hackney Child, matron in ITV's Bring Back Borstal, patron of BASW England. Minyvonne Burkeis a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. May 21, 2022 . Pearl Fernandez was sentenced to life in prison in 2018 and Aguirre received the death penalty. Thus, they went after employees of the DCFS, who could have intervened and moved Gabriel to a safer environment, perhaps saving his life, but failed to handle this childs tragic case adeptly. In 2017, social workers Stefanie Rodriguez, Patricia Clement, and supervisors Kevin Bom and Gregory Merritt, were charged with child abuse and falsifying public records. The thing she loves most about working at the Alliance, is connecting with caregivers. "Those of us who were working the case seem to have done what we could have done," Merritt toldthe filmmakers while leaving a hearing in the final episode of the docu-series "In my opinion, no crime was committed and I did not commit a crime.". Email Stefanie Cavazos. We provide compassionate care and exceptional service for all patients. Of this total $30,591 was received as a salary, $2,687 was received as overtime pay, $11,113 was received as benefits and $5,272 came from other types of compensation . Naturally, the social workers were in a tough spot, since everyone believed that heads had to roll for what happened to Gabriel, and it was their heads on the line. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The four social workers, two of them supervisors, faced a legal fight related to the Gabriel Fernandez case, but it appears to have reached a conclusion. In Standard 1.01, the Code acknowledges there are times when the social worker's responsibility to society at large, or a specific legal obligation of the social worker, may . Merritt, one of the . Patricia Clement took over after an incident with a BB gun. 2 ac lot. boy who was killed by his mother and her boyfriend. Although Clement and Bom had declined to comment at the time, Patricias perspective becomes clearer in the docuseries when she breaks down upon being investigated by the DAs office and says that she had nothing to do with the death of Gabriel Fernandez. An arrest warrant filed March 28 identifies the four Los Angeles social workers as Stefanie Rodriguez, 30, Patricia Clement, 65, Kevin Bom, 36, and Gregory Merritt, 60. I started in West Sussex as a student in 2009 and worked my way up to Practice Manager. 12, No. Check social media profiles, places of employment, resumes and CV, work history, photos and videos, arrest records, news, business records and publications . Netflixs The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez is not just a look at the horrific abuse that Gabriel faced at home, which eventually led to his death. According to the NASW Code of Ethics (1999), dual relationships occur "when social workers relate to clients in more than one relationship, whether professional, social, or business" (p. 9). Both Pearl Fernandez and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, wereconvicted on a count of first-degree murder with Aguirre sentenced to death after jurors found Gabriel was viciously beaten to death in 2013after enduring horrendousabuse from his supposed caretakers. $11,113 was received as benefits and Read More: Where Was Gabriels Siblings Now? Business . As per the latest developments, that unfurled on February 21, 2020, the prosecutors are dropping charges against the four social workers involved in the Gabriel Fernandez case. How we can kind of force more transparency, that part is ongoing. The appellate ruling said the social workers"never had the requisite duty to control the abusersand did not have care or custody of Gabriel.". Los Angeles County social workers Stefanie Rodriguez, 35,Patricia Clement, 69, and supervisors Kevin Bom, 41, and Gregory Merritt, 64, wereeach been charged with one felony count of child abuse and one felony count of falsifying public records in connection with the May 2013 death of Gabriel Fernandez. Brian Knappenberger, the director of the docu-series, said the convictions of Pearl and Aguirre provided some closure in the case but the systemic issues that led to Gabriel's death are still present. While his mother Pearl, and stepfather Isauro, are to blame and have received justified sentences, the prosecutors also decided that the social workers on Gabriels case deserved punishment. Moreover, following an internal investigation, the four of them were fired from their jobs. 2055. . Fernandez's death sparked a barrage of criticism of thecountyDepartment of Children and Family Services and served as a warning to child protective workers everywhere who might ignore signsof child abuse. They alleged the officials failed to take appropriate steps to protect the boy. Search 9 Tuusula media & bloggers to find the best media or blogging profressional for your project. Although there may be consequences to social workers who fail to fulfill their duties, the appellate opinion read, the consequences do not include criminal liability for child abuse.. average Los Angeles County Previously a senior social work practitioner in the Family Support and Protection service. as a salary, $2,687 was received as overtime pay, According to Greg Merritt, a former DCFS Supervisor and one of the defendants in this case, the social workers that he was overseeing were dealing with an average of 30 cases at a time, and that number often got as high as 38. Most recently this includes exploring the beautiful Northwest on her ebike. 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