Over the past month, UPE members have been sharing concerns about the recent CalWORKs intake Service Center rollout, and we have been compiling a list of issues to discuss with the Department. On May 16, 2023, UPE and representatives from the 005 and 008 governing boards met with DHA management to discuss these concerns.
While going through the lengthy list, we were pleased with most of the responses that we received, as management had been aware of them and had already made changes to ensure that the issues did not continue. In addition, they were willing to look into the issues they were unaware of to see what could be done, and we are confident that they will be fixed.
What was made clear was the utilization of help desk tickets. The help desk tickets allow the Department to track the issues and identify how common and often the issues are occurring. The tickets also gave management the opportunity to make the necessary changes sooner than later.
Going forward, it will be very important for our members to continue to put in those help desk tickets so the issues are addressed in real-time.
UPE also discussed the upcoming rotation plan. The Department is finalizing the plan, but the next 90-day rotation is expected to begin July 17, 2023. Staff should be notified of their rotation assignment in mid-June. The staffing numbers in the next rotation will be adjusted based on the new HSS training class and the increased needs identified with the current rotation.
UPE will meet again in the coming months and will provide further updates.
Thank you to our members Jennifer Avalo, Monica Stephens, Erin Crocker, Nichole Gorman, James Starr, Patrick Hunter, and Brenda Rhea for their continued advocacy on this matter.