When reading these memories be prepared to laugh, to cry, to get angry, to question your beliefs about family, discipline, human sexuality, parenting, and children in general. Be prepared to have your beliefs about child protective workers challenged. Cleansing Breaths Memories of a Child Protective Worker By Clystia M. Skinner Balboa Press Copyright © 2016 Clystia M. Skinner All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-5043-5608-4 Contents Acknowledgements, ix, Dedication, xi, Preface, xiii, Chapter One, 1, Beginning as a Volunteer, 1, Very First Memory, 3, One Big John Deere Tractor, 6, A Mess of Greens, 9, Child Protective Services in Texas, 10, Chapter Two, 13, I wish I had a dollar, 13, Another Day, another Dollar, 15, Born Social Workers, 15, Social Work within Society, 16, Chapter Three, 17, The Memories, 17, A Practical Joke, 17, Mighty Max, 19, Time Management and Posting Angels, 22, Moving a Mountain, 24, Chapter Four, 26, Judicial Reviews, 26, Three Knowledgeable Judges, 27, A missed Court Date, 28, Cell Phones and Court, 30, A Court Transcript, 32, Chapter Five, 34, Criminal Court, 34, A Video used in Criminal Court in Texas, 41, Back to Court in Session, 50, Chapter Six, 55, Medical Neglect Charges, 55, Returning to the Scabies, 58, Adoptions - Intuitive Children, 63, An Emotionally-Charged Adoptive Sibling Group Placement, 66, Adoption of Newborn Babies, 73, Transporting Children, 74, Life Books, 76, Back to the Life Book, 80, Many Successful Adoptions occur from a Good Foster Placement, 83, Documentation, 84, Lost Files, 85, Anonymity of the Reporter, 87, Undisciplined means Unloved, 89, Birth Family Goal, 90, Chapter Seven, 92, Investigations, 92, Foster Home Investigation, 93, A Child Abuse Referral can be made on any Parent, 101, The First Investigation on My Own, 102, Use of Wit, Sarcasm and Laughter, 103, A Gun in the Hands of an angry Parent, 105, A Walled Fortress, Security Cameras, two Houses, two Thugs, a Yacht and a Limousine, 112, Chapter Eight, 120, A Case of Bad Parenting, 120, Facilitating Sexual Abuse Groups, 122, Resiliency, 127, Acronyms, Sexual Abuse Groups and a Purple Tator, 130, What did he say?, 132, A Presentation, 133, Direct Entry with a Merge, 135, My Time as Intake Supervisor at Statewide Intake, 139, Back to my New Job, 140, Just give me Chicken!, 143, Supervision was not for Me, 144, Chapter Nine, 146, My Time as a PRIDE Trainer in Foster Adopt Development, 146, A Wonderful Volunteer and Skilled Foster Parent, 147, Spiritual Awareness, 150, Seeing Full Colors, 152, A Local Hero, 154, Good People do bad Things, 156, Timely Consequences - Punishment, 157, Mr. GQ, 158, Most Difficult Confession, 161, The Non-offending parent, 162, Sexual Abuse Grooming, 162, Why I Specialized in Sexual Abuse, 165, Another Response to Physical Abuse, 168, Attorneys, 172, Home Studies, 174, Physical Discipline seen through a Child's Eyes, 176, My Longest Home Study, 179, Adoptive Placement of Six Siblings, 180, Adoption Subsidies, 182, Controversial Placements, 184, Controversial Adoptive Placements, 185, Chapter Ten: Soap Boxes, 187, Luggage: I do mean Suit Cases, 187, Medication, 190, School, 191, Chapter Eleven: Yearning for Zion Ranch, 193, Chapter Twelve, 203, Family Group Conferences, 203, Confidentiality, 204, Night Duty, 205, Cards for Lunch, Anyone?, 205, Lots of Workers for some Children, 208, Rolling Marbles into Retirement, 210, CHAPTER 1 Beginning as a Volunteer "How does one begin a career in Child Protective Services?" you may ask. I cannot answer that for everyone but will tell you how I became involved. I was sitting at home, while my children were attending school. I was not working and had not worked for about seven years. As I was reading the paper, I saw an article about volunteers being needed to help mentor inexperienced parents. I thought, "I am certainly not an expert parent but I could come alongside of other parents and share ideas that have worked with my family." I prayed about it, talked it over with my husband, then I called and volunteered. The agency was in Arkansas and called Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN). SCAN provided me with some of the best training of my total career. I went to work. Though I was not paid a salary, I gained lots of experience and lots of knowledge about child abuse, family dynamics and myself. During that time, I worked with two families for about one and a half years. One day the secretary for the local SCAN office called and asked, "Mrs. Skinner, would you be interested in coming to the office and answering our telephone for a few hours this afternoon?" I answered, "Yes, I am good at taking messages and I will work on the progress reports for my families at the same time." I arrived at the office immediately after lunch and began doing my paperwork. The telephone remained quiet and I finished my work qu