Family & Protective Services Caucus
. . . . . . . . . TSEU Organizer contact: Myko Gedutis

• Name
  
• Division of FPS (aps, cps, ccl, rccl)
  
• Program (ex: aps-in home; cps-investigations)
  
• City
  
• Caseload

If you don’t carry a caseload:

• Has your workload decreased, increased or stayed the same in the last year?
  
• What are caseloads in your unit?
  
• How many staff do you provide administrative or casework support to?

Any additional comments (reminder: Don’t send confidential information)

(SUMMER 2010) - TOP STORY
High turnover and caseloads continue to plague DFPS
* The FPS Caucus needs YOUR input! (SEE LEFT COLUMN)

. . . Rising caseloads and constant staff turnover are both directly related to each other and are the biggest hurdles to improving services for FPS clients. The emphasis on the quality of our work has mostly been replaced with an emphasis on “getting it done” and closing cases. This dangerous trend means less time is being spent with the vulnerable Texans we serve, and important details may be missed as we rush to the next visit or to work on the next case.
. . . The problems aren’t new, and the solutions are not very complicated. There needs to be enough staff to do the work of the agency so the workload will be manageable, and staff need to be paid enough to be able to afford to continue working with the agency long enough to gain valuable experience on the job. Turnover can’t be addressed successfully without addressing caseloads, and vice versa. A case in point: In 2005, a $5,000 stipend for CPS Investigators was passed by the legislature as an attempt to lower turnover. Five years later, turnover in CPS Investigations is still out of control. While more staff have been added to CPS investigations over the years, it hasn’t been enough to keep pace with Texas’ growing population. Drowning in 50 feet of water, and drowning in 50 feet of water with $5,000 in your pocket produce the same result. The recently announced investigation of CPS by the Federal Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division could also bring to light the immediate need for more front line staff in the agency.

What TSEU members are saying:
. . . This is why TSEU members have been fighting for case-load standards, more staff, better pay and affordable health care; and why we need to continue pushing decision makers to support quality state services and to support state employees.
. . . The latest excuse legislators will use for not addressing the crisis in FPS will be the budget deficit
. . . We need to make the union stronger by involving more of our coworkers and by working to elect leaders that know shortcuts won’t work.

Download a PDF with information detailing the number and types of cases that should be carried by employees in DPFS according to the Caseload Standards Advisory Committee. (see right column)

RECENT FPS-RELATED NEWS AND OTHER INFORMATION

(SUMMER 2010)
Dept. of Labor subpoenas FPS

. . . On Friday, July 11th, DFPS notified staff in CPS Investigations that the agency received an administrative subpoena from the US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. As a result, DFPS is required to identify and preserve any information relating to the hours worked (particularly unscheduled hours worked) by the following specific categories of CPS caseworkers for the time period June 1, 2008 to the present: CPS Investigator II - V; and CPS Senior Investigator.
. . . While the Department of Labor investigation is developing, it will hopefully bring to light the crisis that has been felt on the frontlines of the agency. High caseloads, pressure to close cases, and mandatory weekend work make a hard job even more difficult. These fundamental problems all stem from the agency being understaffed. Other factors, such as shuffling positions, constantly increasing documentation requirements and shrinking time requirements have also contributed to the crisis in DFPS.
. . . Whether or not the Department of Labor action prompts changes in the policies and practices at DFPS, we will still have to push state leaders to support quality state services. Nearly all the ideas for addressing the predicted $18 Billion budget hole involve cutting services for clients and compensation for employees. The crisis currently being felt on the frontlines of DFPS shows that there is no fat to cut, and the belt has already been tightened too much.

Download a PDF of this story along with portions from Chapter 6 of the HHSC policy related to this issue. (see right column)

(SUMMER 2010)
Organizing stories

Longview: Seven new members join TSEU
TSEU member Sonya Ross encouraged her co-workers to come by the break room and sign-up for the Union during an information table in June. Once a new member signed-up they immediately went to ask another co-worker to join producing a chain reaction of sign-ups. It was a classic example of how effective our movement can be when members reach out to their fellow co-workers. Like all DFPS workers, the new members are deeply concerned about the budget/benefits cuts and excessive caseloads.

Big Bend area: 90% union - Eight out of nine FPS employees in Alpine, Van Horn, Presidio and Marfa are now TSEU members, and most of the members have also joined COPE!

San Antonio: Picnic at Pickwell Building
On May 19th, 2010 San Antonio TSEU activists held a hot dog lunch at the Pickwell building. DFPS and DADS employees came to eat and get information about joining TSEU. The event went from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm. 8 new members signed up at the event and 2 TSEU members joined Cope. TSEU members Sonia Samples, Ana Perez-Ingram, and Vanessa Griffin helped with the event. The TSEU hot dog lunch at Pickwell is a bi-annual event held every May and October.

Houston: Youth Services Center/Chimney Rock
Long time TSEU member Patricia Smith signed up 4 of her coworkers in one day. After reviewing the chart for her office, which showed who was a member, and who wasn’t, she quickly got to asking and encouraging her coworkers to get involved.