Mandatory Reporting: Understanding Responsibilities and Supporting Clients
Switchboard is pleased to announce an upcoming webinar open to all refugee service providers, whether working at state agencies, resettlement agencies or affiliates, or other organizations. Please circulate this announcement widely among your colleagues!
Webinar Overview
Many refugee service providers are mandated reporters—they’re required to report when they know or reasonably believe that a child or vulnerable adult has been abused, neglected, exploited, or abandoned. Yet some service providers may feel uncomfortable or confused about the reporting process. This webinar will cover the basics of mandatory reporting, including what is considered a reportable situation, to whom service providers should report, and what crucial information to include in a report. Case scenarios will allow participants to explore the difficulties of balancing and managing client trust, confidentiality, and relationships, while upholding their responsibilities. We’ll also discuss best practices to support clients throughout the reporting and investigation process.
Note: This training will not address specific state laws and responsibilities regarding mandatory reporting, but it will provide context and help clarify the process. Though mandatory reporting laws are not limited to children, this session will primarily focus on child abuse and neglect.
What will I learn?
After participating in this event, you will be able to:
📋 Describe key principles of mandatory reporting and reportable situations such as abuse and neglect of children and vulnerable adults
👤 Identify who may be a mandatory reporter and possible steps of the reporting process
🌍 Integrate special considerations for working across cultures with newcomers in the mandatory reporting context
🛡️ Apply client-centered and trauma-informed principles to maintain client confidentiality and trust while upholding mandatory reporting responsibilities
About this webinar
Cost: Free
Length: 90 Minutes
Level: Introductory
Please use a time zone converter to determine your local time for this webinar.
Who will benefit from this webinar?
• Client-facing staff and supervisors who support them
• Staff who may become mandatory reporters or who are involved in conversations or program planning about newcomer clients
Webinar Speaker
Maya Wahman, MSW, LSW, Training Officer, Switchboard
Maya is a social worker licensed in New Jersey with a lifelong commitment to working with refugees and immigrants. She brings to Switchboard nearly a decade of experience in resettlement and immigrant services, including direct case management, mental health counseling, school and education support, program management, and state government policy and administration. Maya previously served as the Refugee Health and Wellness Specialist in the New Jersey Office of New Americans. Maya holds a Master of Social Work from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Arts in History with certificates in Near Eastern Studies and Creative Writing from Princeton University. She speaks English, Hebrew, and Spanish fluently and has basic proficiency in Arabic.