On March 9, TSEU members in DFPS came from across Texas to the Capitol for a DAY OF ACTION. Our goal was to call on legislators to take immediate action on the recent federal court ruling which would force Texas to establish caseload standards within DFPS. Members visited with or dropped off information at dozens of legislative offices, and gave the perspective from the frontlines of our agency. The voice of frontline FPS employees is critical, given the details that the Federal Court ruling revealed about agency practices, and the message agency administrators are currently communicating to legislators!
TSEU is calling on state leaders to establish reasonable caseload standards in all DFPS units, drop the state’s appeal of Judge Jack’s ruling, and swiftly begin working to implement the court-ordered reforms of the agency.
“DFPS’s Deception” – Caseload numbers manipulated to appear lower!
The Ruling from Judge Jack revealed that DFPS fudged official caseload numbers to bring down averages. By including workers on medical and maternity leave, secondary workers, workers in training and employees only assigned one case, DFPS lowers caseload averages. Even worse, the agency makes workers up out of thin air and calls them “fictive workers.” These “fictive workers” are created out of overtime hours worked by flesh and blood employees. For every 40 hours of overtime worked by human workers during a week, a fictive worker is born. The fictive worker is then added into the number of workers to bring down caseload numbers, which are then reported to the public and legislators.
Right now, agency administrators are still using these manipulated numbers to make the case that recent internal changes are working, and that caseload standards are unnecessary. Elected officials need to be educated about actual caseload levels.
For press coverage of the TSEU / DFPS Day of Action, click on the links below
http://www.texasstandard.org/stories/state-workers-ask-cps-to-withdraw-their-appeal-to-reform-the-foster-care-system/
http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2016/03/cps-workers-urge-texas-leaders-to-drop-appeal-of-federal-judges-ruling-on-foster-care.html/
http://www.houstonpress.com/news/cps-workers-call-for-state-to-drop-appeal-of-foster-care-reform-8232325
http://www.texastribune.org/2016/03/09/texas-caseworkers-call-foster-care-reforms
TAKE ACTION:
- Ask your coworkers to get off the sidelines and get involved by joining TSEU! The voice of FPS employees needs to be louder and stronger so we can win real improvements in our agency. download a TSEU membership form and sign up a co-worker today!
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- We need to show lawmakers what the real caseload numbers are! Please send the following information to caseloads@cwa-tseu.org
or fill out our ONLINE form
Name;
Job Title;
Division ( APS CCL CPS RCCL)
Program (Investigations, Facilities, etc.)
Number of cases/ facilities currently on your caseload (Include # of Children if CVS)
If you don’t carry a caseload, how many individuals do you supervise, provide administrative assistance or case work assistance to
TSEU will continue to provide this information to decision makers as an accurate alternative to the official caseload numbers that include workers that are out of work and “fictive workers”.
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