After losing one of their own in Huntington back in August, social workers have been more fearful on the job.

To help ease their worries, CASE West Virginia hosted a self defense class to give the workers the right tools to fight back.

Friday's defense class stemmed from the murder of 51-year-old Brenda Yeager. Yeager was attacked, sexually assaulted and murdered last month in Cabell County.

Now social workers are getting the education they need to prevent a re-occurrence.

CASE brought in fellow social worker and third-degree black belt, Janet Nelson for today's session. Nelson says she teaches her colleagues how to increase their awareness skills for insight and control in dangerous situations.

She shows them physical, yet powerful ways to avoid violence.

Organizers of Friday's self-defense class say the skills are a definite necessity for anyone doing in-home visits.

Case workers were taught techniques for de-escalation using just their mind and body.

These workers are send into the field without the use any type of weapon, including pepper spray.

Sometimes they say, even the cell phones they're using don't have signal in rural areas.

They're hoping to soon be equipped with two-way radios to maintain constant communication in case of threatening situations.