WROC Report Card on DSHS: TANF and Workfirst caseworkers still have room for improvement

topic : poverty | Welfare Rights Olympia

Olympia, WA -- 6/22/05 -- Since 1999, WROC has been grading DSHS on customer service and the WorkFirst Program. Olympia WROC members delivered this years grades to Region 6 Administrator, Cindy Mund, on Wednesday, June 22, 2005. We were surprised that the entire management team for the region was also present.

"While this year's grades show an improvement in customer service, some disturbing trends emerged," said Kara Anderson, the WROC volunteer who analyzed the data at the Olympia WROC office. This year, overall customer service rated a B- compared to a C+ in the last report card. Folks receiving GAU or SSI seemed happier on the whole then parents receiving TANF. Also report cards tended to be either all As and Bs or all Ds and Fs. Why are some people receiving A and B service, while others are receiving D and F treatment?

We suggested that one answer may be caseworker inequity. "We tend to get calls about the same five caseworkers in an office over and over again," said Monica Peabody, organizer at the Olympia WROC office. "We never hear about the majority of caseworkers because they are doing their job well." Out of hundreds of caseworkers in offices throughout our area, twenty-three were nominated for certificates of appreciation. WROC members asked administrators what they plan to do about caseworkers who repeatedly withhold pertinent information about benefits, treat people badly and sometimes terminate, sanction or withhold their benefits illegally.

Another disturbing discovery is that the very people who need help the most seem to have the hardest time getting it. The report card asked the question, "Have you ever felt discriminated against based on race, disability, religion, gender or age?" The majority of respondents in Thurston, Lewis, Mason, Grays Harbor, Cowlitz and Clark counties chose disability. "I got talked to slowly and deliberately and if I'm with someone, they talk to them." Jonathon, Kelso

The second most common complaint of discrimination was social status, even though it wasn't listed as an option. "Everybody seems to be discriminated against because we need help." Recipient, Olympia. Franchesca Denise Pearson said she felt like she was discriminated against because she was a single, low-wage working mother. "Why should I be made to feel that what I do is not good enough?"

The lowest grades in the TANF/WorkFirst section of the report card were received for questions pertaining to poverty reduction. Monica Edwards spoke about her success with the Customized Job Skills Training, a program which is now defunded. She said the Workfirst program has taught her only how to misrepresent herself on her resume and the treatment she received from her caseworker has been horrible. Sandra Smith added that she has had to leave the WorkFirst office because of the anxiety she felt witnessing this caseworkers treatment of other recipients.

We suggested one possible reason for the failure of WorkFirst to move families out of poverty could be that caseworkers are not supporting parents in getting the education and training they need to get a better job. Franchesca talked about how she was discouraged from pursuing higher education towards a career that was above minimum wage. Mike Masten, Administrator for the Vancouver CSO, suggested that perhaps she was unaware that she was a WorkFirst participant. Franchesca clarified that she was told she couldn't get TANF if she went to school.

WROC members demanded improvement in caseworker inequity, caseworker discrimination and legal implementation of the rules and policies around education and training. They asked to meet with the management team again in 6 months to get a report on what steps they have they have taken to meet our demands. WROC plans to continue using the Report Card as an outreach and organizing tool and to allow low-income parents to voice their concerns and suggest areas for improvement.