Lenexa ? Matt Zenner was never convinced. His social worker wife said not to worry about her frequent visits to clients’ homes, but he wouldn’t bite.

“It just never sat well with me,” he said.

His worst fears were confirmed Aug. 17, when Teri Zenner was stabbed to death while visiting a 17-year-old client, Andrew Ellmaker, at his home. Ellmaker has been charged with Zenner’s death.

Zenner’s slaying validated her husband’s concerns and those of many of the 320,000 licensed social workers nationwide who frequently venture into the homes of clients in hopes of getting lives back on track.

Battling grief

Now, Matt Zenner is battling his grief by fighting for more protection for social workers. He wants them equipped with pagers that can call 911 and have global-positioning satellite capabilities, wants to ensure case workers have clients’ criminal records, and wants to see mental health facilities reopened so there’s adequate room for patients who should be hospitalized.

“There’s no one that should have to go through this,” said the widower, a 27-year-old railroad worker and father of a 9-year-old girl from a previous relationship. “You’re taking people that are going and trying to help people and they’re not protected.”

Little information has been compiled on violence against social workers, though Zenner certainly was not alone. Last month in Madison, Wis., a man was charged with trying to stab to death a social worker. An Akron, Ohio, man was sentenced to 16 years in prison earlier this year for raping and kidnapping a social worker visiting his home.

A 1999 University of Michigan study of 1,600 social workers found 3.3 percent of participants had been physically assaulted by a client, 22.8 percent had been threatened with physical assault, and 49.3 percent had been verbally abused. One in four social workers — 24.6 percent — said they had a colleague who was assaulted by a client.

“Those are not minor figures,” said Siri Jayaratne, the primary author of the study. “It’s a pretty scary thing.”

A Johnson County Sheriff's deputy escorts Andrew Ellmaker, 17, of Overland Park, into Johnson County courtroom. He is charged with murdering social worker Teri Lea Zenner. Since the slaying, Zenner's widower has embarked on a mission to gain more protections for social workers.

On-the-job training

Social work schools address the dangers graduates may face, but most training comes on the job. At Johnson County Mental Health Center, where Zenner had worked for five years, new hires go through a two-day training and an annual one-day refresher, mainly on how to deal with aggressive clients, according to David Wiebe, the center’s executive director.

Social workers nationwide receive similar instruction, but it’s not always enough.

Madelyn Harvey-Elliott’s nerves get tangled on home visits now. It’s been less than three months since an agitated mother closed her fist and punched her near her right eye.

“I had no warning,” said the 52-year-old Dayton, Ohio, social worker, who has a small scar from the attack. “I’ve never been fearful before, but I’m fearful now.”

Teri Zenner was never afraid either.

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“All the fears came from me,” said Matt Zenner, who was married on May 22.

‘Serious problems’

What happened to the 26-year-old social worker that Tuesday afternoon remains cloudy. Her husband lost touch with her after she went to Ellmaker’s suburban home; he called her dozens of times and grew scared.

He pulled into his driveway that afternoon and was greeted by detectives.

“Is it Teri?” he asked.

They said, “Yes.”

“Just tell me she’s not dead,” he said.

But she was.

Teri Zenner was stabbed multiple times and died of a wound that penetrated her heart, said Paul Morrison, Johnson County district attorney.

Police and prosecutors are waiting for trial to offer more details on the case, and they could be gruesome. “He mutilated her,” said Matt Zenner.

Ellmaker has been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated battery. His mental fitness to stand trial is being evaluated.

“This young man has serious problems,” said defense attorney Joe Dioszeghy.

Meanwhile, Matt Zenner is working with administrators at Johnson County Mental Health Center and setting up meetings with lawmakers, including Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Kan.

No red flags

Zenner has not called for a freeze on social workers’ home visits; he knows how important they are. But he says social workers must be better shielded from harm.

“Society has changed,” he said, “but protection for social workers hasn’t.”

Zenner believes part of the problem is a lack of available beds for mental health patients who need hospitalization. Wiebe estimates Kansas has about 350 beds available, down from around 5,000 in the 1950s.

Wiebe said Teri Zenner followed all protocol in her final client visit and there were no red flags to indicate potential violence. The defendant has a prior conviction for carrying a concealed knife, though Johnson County Mental Health Center does not routinely get background checks of patients.

It’s not uncommon for social workers to make a home visit with a colleague or even a police officer if a client is believed to be dangerous, but neither Zenner nor colleagues saw reason to fear Ellmaker. They relied on their own assessment of him — as many social service agencies do — which rates patients based on impulse control and any history of violent or aggressive behavior.

Wiebe admits it’s a “very imperfect” science.

“We’re not very good about our ability to predict violent behavior,” he said.