State orders social worker Denise Lynn Bailey to pay $12K in costs

August 11, 2012

On May 17, 2012, the Wisconsin Marriage & Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board issued an Order Fixing Costs to clinical social worker Denise Lynn Bailey, ordering her to pay $12,556.45 for the costs of the Board’s disciplinary proceedings against her.

On December 15, 2011, the Board suspended Bailey for 30 days. Bailey was employed at that time as a social worker by the Bayfield County Department of Human Services (DHS). Among DHS’ responsibilities is the investigation of allegations of child abuse.

In November 2008, a friend of Bailey’s (“T.L.”) contacted her to advise that he thought his daughter (“D.L.”) had run away. She later learned that T.L. had been arrested and charged with sexual assault of a child (against D.L.). Bailey was found to have accessed confidential information about D.L. and assisted T.L.’s mother with obtaining bail money for D.L. from her co-workers though she was well aware that the case (of child abuse) would be investigated by her employer.

Being that she was friends with the D.L. family, she should have known that her conduct therefore constituted a dual relationship with the D.L. family.

Source: Final Decision and Order with Explanation of Variance in the Matter of the Disciplinary Proceedings Against Denise Lynn Bailey, CSW, Order 0001283, Case #09 SOC 26, Wisconsin Marriage & Family Therapy, Professional Counseling, and Social Work Examining Board.