I write tonight discouraged. Don't get me wrong, I've been discouraged for some time, but it has reached a point ....
The "Powers that Be" have RUINED HHSC. They have ruined what used to be a good agency that did good things. We were the last resort for those desperate and in need, and we were there to help.
The "Snowball" effect of the work is full speed ahead. When you couple the change in policy to do ALL interviews by phone (thereby cutting out the opportunities some clients used to have to sit and wait all day, hoping to take someone's place if they missed an appointment) AND the mass exodus of good tenured employees- everything has spun out of control. Lead times are awful. By the time we get to interview a client, they are already pissed COMPLETELY off that it has taken so long to get an interview. Couple that with the fact that because they are being interviewed by phone, they most ASSUREDLY will have a delay in processing their case because they aren't there in person to give you necessary information. So they are pended. When they DO finally get their mail (after 2-3 days) then that leaves them with about 7 days to get their information together. When they turn the info in, it is the client's expectation that their case be completed IMMEDIATELY. However, how does one do that when they are interviewing all day long? It's lose lose. Workers are overwhelmed to the point that there are numerous employees across the state who are suffering real medical problems due to stress. Clients are going without necessary services- their kids are going without Medicaid. Their households are going without adequate food. Bill money is used to buy groceries, meaning that NOW, the bills are behind. It's never ending.
Everyone in my office is seeking other employment. Before long, the only workers the office will have will be temps who were inadequately trained.
Through all this, you have Albert Hawkins giving lip service to our "stable workforce". What? GIVE ME A BREAK. IT'S ANYTHING *BUT* STABLE.
Hawkins and Co. and still talking about rolling TIERS out to other areas. Yes, please- let's add to the already growing problems with TIERS and put MORE clients in that convoluted system.
On top of all this- TPTB are still expecting the local offices to schedule clients timely (within 20 days) and finish the cases timely. There. Are. Not. Enough. Workers. In. The. Local. Offices. To. Accomplish. This. Why does no one see this? Or better yet, "Those in charge" just don't care. Period. They don't. But, the staff in local offices who are dealing with an ever increasing workload (an impossible workload) and increasingly irate clients ARE supposed to care? Why? No one else does.
I've said all along I wasn't one to jump ship. I was going to stick it out. I felt like I owed it to my clients, and my coworkers to stick it out. I don't feel that way anymore. No one does.
Do you Yahoo!?
Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail.
11 comments:
The powers that be don't know everything going on because the supervisors and pm's are told to pad things. For instance, lead time. Mine might really be 14 days, but the way my sup looks at it is, if end of the month is clear. that is a spot for someone. Same for cut off.
I agree, it is getting very frustrating, medical problems, etc. This place is going to hell in a handbasket. I hate this agency now, I used to love what I do, but not anymore.
Bless you soul and everybody that is left there at HHSC. It is utterly ridiculous to go from the best in the nation to the worst.
Good Luck to all of you.
Does anyone have any examples of actual lead times from aound the state? We need to get that point out.
I hope that you get involved in somebody's campaign between now and the election. The only way to feel any kind of optimism is to look at the next session and see how to try to make changes. In every part of the state there are good people running who are committed to making changes. You can visit any candidates web site and find out when they are blockwalking or phone banking. Put a sign in your yard. I swear taking some type of concrete action feels better than doing nothing.
lead time is currently 28 days where I am
which county?
I feel your pain. I watched the powers that be take a good program like CHIP and ruin it. The IE contract is not working and never will. The expect employees to task in 3 week that takes months to learn. They really need to get their head out of their butts and think.
Our office in region 1 is handling our own case load plus part of Lubbock's caseload and is also receiving recerts from Houston a couple of times a week.
The moral is bad. In the rural areas jobs are not easy to come by and several staff are on the low end of tenure (7 to 9 years) so no jsap jobs either. It is really disheartening to work these long hours and difficult caseloads when there is no job at the end of it.
My sister wrote this to me (she is a new temporary worker in Region 7. Pretty sad when a brand new worker is taking on a full case load plus more than normal in a weeks time of being at the office.)
All I can tell her is to not give up but she is already wanting to cry.
"I can't handle this job. I can't keep up & it's still, for the most part, confusing. I have cases that are past due because I have interviews & pending to get through. And then I have over 50 medicaid recerts for November that I can't even get to, not to mention the people calling and leaving messages, I can't even call them back. Our work days, are now being scheduled because we're so far out on lead time. I can't do this..."
If tenured workers are having a rough time, I know the temps are. It's like they're being thrown to the wolves.
It is disgusting what is happening at HHSC. I have left and once youare gone, you still feel guilt for leaving, but you feel the weight lift from your shoulders. I feel better after being gone 2 weeks, that I have in a long time. You guys have got to seriously think about a sick out or walk out, if it takes that.
The Powers That Be, have no idea, really what you are going through. They are business people, not compassionate people. It's all about the almighty dollar and who of their friends is going to get it. Or the millions of them.
Good Luck. I would say Hang in there, but I didn't. Couldn't anymore.
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