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The Panic Button for Social Workers and Therapists Who Work Where Danger Is Unpredictable
Social workers, therapists, and local government employees face threats most workforces never see: volatile clients, isolated home visits, underfunded facilities with no security infrastructure. Silent Beacon is a wearable panic button for employees in high-risk roles that connects them directly to 911, shares real-time GPS location, and sends instant alerts to supervisors with a single press.
"90% of our work is out in the community, doing home visits... It has the capability with the push of a button to call 911 and it can be pretty discreet... That makes a big difference in how safe our team feels."
Traci P., LPC
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The Workplace Violence Problem Facing Social Workers
44% of social workers have experienced personal safety incidents on the job. And for therapists, the danger extends behind closed office doors.1 In January 2026, Florida therapist Rebecca White, 44, was stabbed to death by a former client who entered her office and interrupted a session – the client then fled and took his own life. It’s not an isolated case. From the murder of Kansas-based social worker Teri Zenner during a routine home visit to rising assault rates across the profession, the threat is real and growing.2
Where does this danger stem from?
- Unpredictable Clients: Many present with mental health challenges, substance abuse issues, or histories of violence.3
- Isolated Work Settings: Social workers conduct home visits alone without backup, and therapists meet clients one-on-one in private offices with no security presence and limited escape routes. In both cases, help is often far away when things escalate.
- Underfunded Facilities: Many agencies lack basic security measures like surveillance or controlled entry points.
- Environmental Hazards: Poorly maintained or unfamiliar environments create risks beyond interpersonal violence.
These risks don’t just threaten physical safety, they drive burnout, turnover, and a growing crisis in workforce retention. A panic button for social workers and therapists isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.
“The Silent Beacon 2.0 has significantly enhanced our security protocols in the field, providing our staff with peace of mind in their day-to-day work.”
How a Wearable Panic Button for Employees Changes Everything
When your staff works in unpredictable environments like client homes, community facilities, and unsecured offices, they need more than a policy manual. They need a panic button security alarm system that travels with them.
Silent Beacon is designed to function as a discreet, wearable safety tool that gives frontline professionals instant access to help:
- Accelerated Emergency Response: One press connects staff to 911, a 24/7 monitoring center, or your internal safety team. No delays, no apps to unlock.
- Real-Time GPS Location Sharing: Every alert includes the user’s exact GPS coordinates, so responders and supervisors know precisely where help is needed.
- Customizable Dispatch: Configure each device based on the employee’s role, risk level, and field assignment. A panic button for therapists conducting in-home sessions can be set up differently than one for a caseworker visiting a group home.
Silent Beacon: Built for High-Risk Fieldwork
Silent Beacon’s enterprise safety platform combines a wearable panic button, instant GPS alerts, and mass communication tools into one system purpose-built for organizations that send employees into high-risk, unpredictable environments.
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Direct 911 Calling or Monitoring Center Access
One press connects your staff to 911 or a professional 24/7 monitoring center. No fumbling for a phone, no unlocking a screen, no delays, just immediate access to help when it matters most.
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Two-Way Communication Through the Panic Button
Speak and listen directly through the Bluetooth-enabled panic button in real time. No secondary device needed. Your staff stays hands-free and focused on getting to safety.
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Wearable and Discreet Design
Compact, lightweight, and built to go unnoticed. Silent Beacon clips on and pairs with your smartphone, giving social workers, therapists, and caseworkers a lifeline that travels with them from the office to the field.
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Intuitive Safety App
Manage alerts, track emergency contacts, and share GPS locations from one centralized hub. Available on iOS and Android with a simple interface your team can learn in minutes.
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Five Discreet Alert Modes
From Silent Mode for high-risk client encounters to Check-In Mode that pings your GPS location to confirm you're safe, every mode is customizable to match the scenarios your field staff faces daily.
OSHA Compliance and Workplace Violence Prevention
OSHA requires employers to provide a safe working environment, but for high-risk professions like social work and therapy, general guidelines aren’t enough. Equipping field staff with a wearable panic button for employees goes beyond compliance: it provides the immediate, proactive protection they need to do their jobs safely.
The cost of inaction goes beyond safety incidents. Replacing a single social worker costs between $54,000 and $70,000, and when experienced staff leave, their caseload expertise, client relationships, and community connections leave with them. Organizations that invest in tangible safety tools see the return where it counts: staff who feel protected stay longer and serve clients more effectively.
Organizations Already Protecting Their Field Staff With Silent Beacon
Beacon Spotlight: Mental Health Cooperative (MHC)
Beacon Spotlight: Association for Individual Development (AID)
Beacon Spotlight: Family SkillBuilders
Supporting Those Who Support Our Communities
Social workers, therapists, and local government employees uphold the fabric of our communities. Their commitment is extraordinary, but it should never come at the cost of their safety.
Implementing a panic button security alarm system like Silent Beacon demonstrates a real commitment to employee wellbeing, and it empowers your staff to continue serving their communities with confidence, knowing help is always one press away.
The Panic Button Built for the Workers Who Need It Most
Your staff goes where the work takes them. Now their safety goes with them.
Tell us about your organization and we’ll build a demo around your team.
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Resources:
- The Role of Social Workers and Their Impact on Society. Keuka College. (2024, August 23). https://onlinedegrees.keuka.edu/blog/role-social-workers-and-their-impact-society
- The Social Worker Role and Impact on the Community. Florida State University. (n.d.). https://onlinemsw.fsu.edu/blog/social-worker-role
- C Rowett, U. of C. A. of C. (n.d.). Violence in Social Work – A Research Study of Violence in the Context of Local Authority Social Work. NCJRS Virtual Library. https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/violence-social-work-research-study-violence-context-local
- National Association of Social Workers. (n.d.). Protecting Social Workers and Health Professionals from Workplace Violence Act (S. 4412/H.R. 8492) https://www.socialworkers.org/Advocacy/Policy-Issues/Social-Worker-Safety
- Dodd, J. (2023, July 6). Social Worker Teri Zenner Was Murdered Doing Her Dream Job: “She Just Wanted to Help Others.” https://people.com/teri-zenner-social-worker-murdered-widower-honors-memory-7557328
- Saturno, S. (n.d.). Violent Crime and Social Worker Safety. Social Work Today. https://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/exc_032511.shtml
- Clayton, J. (2024, April 22). Are You Part of The 99.3% of The Social Workers Who Will Experience Violence on The Job?: Preferra Policyholder. Preferra Policyholder | Exclusively for Policyholders. https://policyholder.preferrainsurance.com/are-you-part-of-the-99-3-of-the-social-workers-who-will-experience-violence-on-the-job/
- Social Work Burnout (And What Your Human Services Agency Can Do About It). Social Work Burnout (and What Your Human Services Agency Can Do About It). (n.d.). https://info.teamnorthwoods.com/social-work-burnout
- UH News. (2023, June 22). The Burnout Epidemic: High Turnover in Child Welfare. University of Hawaiʻi System News. https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2023/06/22/high-turnover-in-child-welfare/
- Abner, G., & Hur, H. (2023, January 31). What Keeps Public Employees in Their Jobs? It’s Not Just Pay. Government Executive. https://www.govexec.com/management/2023/01/what-keeps-public-employees-their-jobs-its-not-just-pay/381709/
- GTV Admin. (2024, March 13). The Risk of Violence. The FAMCare Blog. https://blog.famcare.net/the-risk-of-violence
- Lushin, V., Katz, C. C., Julien-Chinn, F. J., & Lalayants, M. (2023). A burdened workforce: Exploring Burnout, job satisfaction and turnover among child welfare caseworkers in the era of covid-19. Children and Youth Services Review, 148, 106910. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106910
- Social Work Burnout (And What Your Human Services Agency Can Do About It). Social Work Burnout (and What Your Human Services Agency Can Do About It). https://info.teamnorthwoods.com/social-work-burnout
- A Better Balance, Economic Policy Institute, & National Employment Law Project. (2024, May 8). How local governments can improve workplace standards for frontline workers during COVID-19 and beyond. National Employment Law Project. https://www.nelp.org/insights-research/local-governments-can-improve-workplace-standards-frontline-workers-covid-19-beyond/
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (n.d.). OSHA Worker Rights and Protections. https://www.osha.gov/workers