In a strongly worded letter to DCFS Director Trish Ploehn, SEIU 721 leadership asked the department to consider social workers’ recommendations to ensure redeployment of social workers currently serving back end functions and special units to emergency response units is smooth and successful.
You can download and read the full letter regarding redeployment here.
SEIU 721 Social Services Director Michael Green writes:
“Local 721 is well aware of the crisis in Emergency Response (ER); these units have a backlog of 6,900 referrals that are over 30 days old (Over 30s), amounting to 15,200 children that are languishing in the system. It is the Union’s position that the Department’s own actions have largely created this crisis.
“During the summer of 2009, the Department put every CSW with any proximity to a child death case on desk duty, effectively removing over 50 CSWs from service. While these CSWs spent months on desk duty, the number of referrals grew, with insufficient staff to respond effectively. Alongside this counterproductive practice, the Department and individual offices continue to institute policies and procedures – some official, some unofficial – that unnecessarily increase the time and work that go into closing each referral. These actions have seriously contributed to the backlog of Over 30s in ER.”
Green concludes by reiterating that a smooth and thoughtful process will lead to the highest success rate and best ensure the safety of children in the child welfare system:
“Overwhelmingly, CSWs across the Department recognize that the redeployment effort is necessary. What workers do not accept is the Department’s handling of the redeployment thus far. The policy has been imposed from the top, and instead of heeding the workers’ request for transparency and clear communication, the Department sent out a series of missives that confused the situation and left workers feeling disrespected.”