Strategies for Engaging and Intervening with Amish Communities

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1 Objectives Strategies for Engaging and Intervening with Amish Communities 1. Increase cultural competence by learning the history, prevalence, faith, and cultures of Amish and Old Order Mennonites. 2. (Differentiate between neglect and accidents in these ) 3. Adapt child welfare practices at the micro, meso, and macro levels to effectively investigate, assess, and intervene with these Jeanette Harder, PhD Cofounder and board president, Dove s Nest Professor, Grace Abbott School of Social Work, University of Nebraska at Omaha APSAC Advanced Summit June 22, 2017 Clayton & Arlene Moderately progressive Amish family in rural New York. Clayton is a minister. They were the 1 st foster and adoptive family in their county. Typically, they have at least 6 children in their home: combination of those born to them, adopted, and fostered. One day, 3-year-old son, Matthew Anabaptist History They emerged in 1500s Protestant Reformation a small group of people argued that adults should be able to make voluntary decisions about faith. They re-baptized each other, which was a capital crime. Anabaptist means re-baptizers. They also practiced Jesus s teachings in daily life and showed allegiance to faith over the government (separation of church and state). Many Anabaptists were nicknamed Mennonites after their leader, Menno Simons. Anabaptist History Anabaptists refusal to baptize infants resulted in severe persecutions, and many were executed. These persecutions were recorded in a 1,200- page book, Martyrs Mirror. In 1693, in Switzerland and France, an Anabaptist leader, Jakob Ammann ( Amish ), sought to renew the church, including sharper separation from the world and more severe shunning of wayward members to maintain the church s witness and purity. The Amish and Mennonites came to the U.S. in the mid-1700s, and again in the late 1800s, to escape persecution and gain religious freedom. Prevalence / Location There are more than 310,000 Amish living in 31 states in the U.S. and in 3 provinces of Canada. Two-thirds of all Amish live in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. Since crop farming is their ideal way of life, they are now moving to more locations to get access to land. There are 30,000 Conservative Mennonites (and 79,000 Mennonite Church USA members). 1

2 Diversity among Plain Communities Big differences in: Modes of transportation: buggies and black bumper cars Technology: electricity, phones, computers Occupation: farming vs. cottage industries; working for Amish or non-amish employers Assimilation into society Poor and rich Clothing Homes Language (Donnermeyer & Anderson, 2013, p. 74). Diversity among Plain Communities For example: Swartzendruber Amish: Families have 15 or more children, only farm, no electricity, no upholstered furniture, drive black buggies with no windshields and no slow-moving vehicle signs. New Order Amish: Families have 4 6 children, generate their own electricity, operate small businesses, homes look like most of our homes, drive buggies with doors and windows and slow-moving vehicle signs. and many in between. Groffdale Mennonites drive buggies, while Weaverland Mennonites drive dark-colored cars. Values Nonconformity being separate from the world. They use symbolic separators like unique dress, transportation, and language to reinforce their separateness from the world. Yieldedness or Gelassenheit obedience, submission, resigned to the will of God. Nonviolence/pacifism includes not participating in the military and not seeking revenge in court or everyday life. Humility they don t wish to draw attention to themselves or to appear proud; rather they want to be humble and show they re part of a community. Emphasis on community over individuals. Also value obedience, self-denial, and acceptance. As English, we value individual choice, critical thinking, diversity, freedom, progress, technology. 2

3 Faith Church / Community Key Bible Passages: Be not conformed to this world (Romans 12:2). Instructions for women to cover their head (1 Corinthians 11). They also frequently refer to the Lord s Prayer (Matthew 6:9 13), and they take the Sermon on the Mount literally (Matthew 5 7). Affiliations Settlements Districts Families They have a lived faith. They don t debate scripture or have a prescribed theology. Verbal expression of their faith would be prideful. Loosely organized. No overarching governance. All districts and settlements within an affiliation have similar Ordnungs. Each district has its own bishop, ministers, and deacons. Men occupy all visible leadership roles, but women play significant roles in family and church/community life. Neglectful supervision. Access to machinery, construction sites, large animals (horses). Drownings, run overs, fires, buggy accidents. Older children caring for younger children. Medical neglect. Child Abuse and Neglect / Child Injuries Physical abuse. Physical punishment. Some genetic conditions may appear like abuse. Sexual abuse. Incest. Zoophilia and bestiality. Micro 1. Relationship! 2. Definition of family. 3. Home visit etiquette. 4. Communication. 5. Gender roles. 6. Boundaries. 7. Decision-making. 8. Safety planning. Parenting while Amish. Micro Level: Workers report difficulties in working with the Amish in these areas: 1. Physical discipline. 2. Supervision of children. 3. Engaging families in investigations and services. Other difficulties that have become apparent: 1. Differentiating between neglect and accidents: farm, road, house, fire. 2. Language barriers, especially in interviewing children. 3. Whom to involve with safety planning. Micro Level: Allow LOTS of extra time to build trust. Engage the whole community, especially the leaders. Be flexible with confidentiality. Talk about what we have in common. Amish Live in a way that is consistent with their faith and culture, and as independent as possible from outside influences, including the government and the media. Children are safe. Children live with their families and in their Public Child Welfare Set and enforce policies to provide quality services. Investigate alleged abuse and neglect. 3

4 Meso: 1. Making appropriate referrals. 2. Agreeing on expectations. 3. Recruiting, training, and maintaining foster and adoptive homes. Meso Level: Difficulties workers report: Making appropriate referrals and getting the Amish to participate. Amish faith takes precedence over our laws. Related to the Amish providing foster care and adoptive homes: Physical discipline. Transportation. Nutrition (especially for infants). Amish report difficulties with always feeling watched, coordinating schedules, and role uncertainty. Meso Level: 1. Utilize the Anabaptist systems of care for physical and mental health care. 2. Designate liaisons/advocates who remain consistent. 3. Formulate oral and/or written agreements with Amish 4. Let the Amish know that we need and want them to provide foster and adoptive homes. Macro: 1. Training! 2. Adjust confidentiality policies to allow for community interventions. 3. Place language and cultural interpreters in physical and mental health clinics and hospitals. 4. Provide consistency in personnel. 5. Hire workers who are former members of Plain communities (who are familiar with the culture and language). When working with the Amish, we just cannot conduct business as usual and expect similar outcomes. 1. What are ways that Amish and Old Order Mennonite children are uniquely safe? Uniquely at risk? 2. What would social services need to know or do to help keep Amish and Old Order Mennonite children safe? Training for public child welfare systems and workers is vital! 1. Cultural competence. 2. Background: Anabaptist history, prevalence of Plain communities, diversity among groups. 3. Core elements of the faith and culture of Plain 4. Recommended strategies. The Amish also need information on child protection laws and policies and the roles of child welfare workers. 4

5 Recommended Reading and Resources Byler, T. (2014). Holding Out Hope: Mental health for the Plain Morgantown, PA: Mastoff Press. Cates, J. A. (2014). Serving the Amish: A cultural guide for professionals. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. Johnson-Weiner, K. M. (2017). New York Amish: Life in the Plain communities of the Empire State (2 nd ed.). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies. Kraybill, D. B., Johnson-Weiner, K. M., & Nolt, S. M. (2013). The Amish. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press. Kraybill, D. B., Nolt, S. M., & Weaver-Zercher, D. L. (2007). Amish grace: How forgiveness transcended tragedy. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Nolt, S. M. (2011). Moving beyond stark options: Old Order Mennonite and Amish approaches to mental health. Journal of Mennonite Studies, 29, Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, Elizabethtown College. Equipping and empowering faith communities to keep children and youth safe in their homes, churches, and Jeanette Harder, PhD jharder@unomaha.edu, Jeanette@DovesNest.net,