Office of Children's Services caseworker transfers to Wrangell

For the first time in more than a decade, Wrangell has a state child protection services caseworker.

Jennifer Ridgeway was the Office of Children's Services worker in Petersburg from October 2021 until February, when she transferred to Wrangell.

She first visited Wrangell from Tennessee in July 2018 to officiate and attend her daughter's wedding, according to a release from the state. She had no plans to move but loved the area and moved to Wrangell that fall.

"Southeast Alaska offers so much to explore and learn about and a quiet, rural lifestyle. I am thrilled to be in Wrangell and Southeast Alaska and to help others in difficult times with the goal of strengthening families," Ridgeway said in a prepared statement from the state.

She got a job at the borough September 2018 to April 2019, and then at Alaska Crossings from May 2019 to October 2021 before being hired at the Office of Children's Services as a protective services specialist in Petersburg.

Ridgeway previously worked in Knoxville, Tennessee, with a college scholarship and mentorship program that helps students navigate the transition to college. She has been a family certified mediator for 20 years. She also worked for 4-H and was a court-appointed advocate in Knox County, working with the juvenile court.

"I've always been an advocate for those who need assistance, to help them navigate difficulties in their lives," she said in the state's prepared statement.

The borough and Wrangell schools have been working for years to convince the state to restore the children's services caseworker in town, offering two years ago that the borough would split the cost of the position with the state. Though legislators approved that cost-sharing plan in 2020, Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed the state funding.

The Legislature succeeded last year in restoring money to the budget, with the borough again agreeing to pick up half the employee costs and donate a small office in the Public Safety Building.

The school district has been particularly vocal about the necessity for local assistance for students who need emotional counseling and assistance at home. Before the office reopened in Wrangell, the schools needed to call Petersburg or the state's 1-800 number to request assistance for troubled students.

According to the state job description, an OCS caseworker's assignments include investigating reports of child abuse or neglect, preparing plans for intervention by soliciting the cooperation of the family and others, gathering information about family dynamics, developing plans to ensure child safety while helping parents address what may be lacking in the household, and placing children out of the home with a relative or licensed foster home only when necessary.

A specialist provides ongoing services to families, writes and submits reports to the court, works closely with tribal/community partners, frequently contacts parents and caregivers of children in custody and makes referrals to other service providers and agencies, according to the job description.

The job puts caseworkers in conflict situations, taking a toll on employees, according to the Department of Health and Social Services budget submission to the Legislature this year. "The agency is experiencing a turnover rate of 59.4% among case-carrying staff and a rate of 44% among all staff."

The department reported, "Many existing staff indicate their top reasons for leaving are workload, lack of competitive salaries, personal safety, and the difficult and traumatic work."

(For non-emergency situations or questions, the public can call Ridgeway at 907-874-3789, but if people need to report child abuse they should call the intake desk at 800-478-4444 because a report has to go through a more formal process, she said Monday.)