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Human service “customers”?

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* From a Rauner administration press release…

Governor Bruce Rauner visited with employees at the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) offices in Chicago today and discussed transformations the department is making to streamline the way it assists customers. These transformations help reduce poverty levels and transition individuals and families out of our social service systems.

Odd word choice there.

But do you know what might help those “customers” even more? Signing the stopgap human services bill that’s been sitting on his desk for weeks. That way, groups and businesses who work with those “customers” can finally get paid.

…Adding… SEIU was outside…

Unionized home care workers tried to confront Gov. Bruce Rauner on Thursday, outside a state agency they claim he is hurting.

Dozens of demonstrators booed as the governor made an unpublicized visit to the Department of Human Services office in the West Loop. The protesters were members of Service Employees International Union Healthcare Illinois, which represents 52,000 workers who have gone without a contract since last July. […]

The union said Rauner’s budget plan would cut $200 million from the state’s community care program, which helps seniors and the disabled get services at home, so they don’t have to go into nursing homes.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 1:48 pm

Comments

What continues to be disappointing is this idea that the word choices and neglect to solvable solutions lead to tweets of Rauner wearing a costume in pictures mocking the people that are being hurt every day.

The lacking by this Administration in advancing a thought continues to work, inept as if us, because the Democrats’ own messaging is far worse and not even close in its exposure.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 1:52 pm
Rich, I like to imagine that you have to backspace out some choice profanity in your commentary on these press releases or you have keep a “shadow” blog where you let it all out just to get it out of your system. I don’t know how you can keep your sanity and still remain professional in these times, but thanks.

Comment by Jon Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 1:55 pm
More back-slapping, self-congratulatory tweets about your heroics?

Comment by Juvenal Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 1:59 pm
One million “customers” might disagree with the happy talk. As well as the thousands who’ve been tossed out of work after doing their contracted jobs in good faith.

I think the words “transformation” and “streamline” are just as revealing.

They’re putting people out of business and out of work on purpose with “squeeze the beast”. They just don’t have the guts to cop to it, or show that it’s being done honestly in a transparent, rational way.

The Rauner Administration signed contracts. Those providers have performed in good faith and they’re getting busted out by the governor.

Time was, before Bankrupt Bruce and the Deadbeat Gang came to town, contracts meant something to those who called themselves “conservatives” and “Republicans.”

Now they’re just another bustout scam.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 1:59 pm
I posted this on another thread, but very appropriate here as well:

Rauner on Twitter-

“Visited employees at DHS. They’re helping ensure the state better serves our most vulnerable. Thanks for your work!”

*****

(Banned word) Hypocrite!!!

Comment by Anon221 Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:01 pm
What are the transformations?

Comment by Info Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:02 pm
Totally disconnected. Sad some politicians don’t get it. The ideas sound good. Just not connected.

Comment by State Worker Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:04 pm
That is interesting.

I hear terms like consumers, clients, participants, etc. all the time in the nonprofit world. However, I’ve only ever heard “customers” in the nonprofit sector within the social enterprise segment (i.e. programs that make money to help fund other nonprofit programs).

Social enterprise can be wonderful, but not every nonprofit program is appropriate for it. I have a feeling, however, Rauner doesn’t care about whether or not it’s appropriate and wants every nonprofit or government program to make money off of “customers.”

Comment by Chicago_Downstater Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:05 pm
I hope “These transformations help reduce poverty levels and transition individuals and families out of our social service systems.” does not mean reducing the amount of money considered to be the poverty level, so he can claim they are no longer impoverished and thus no longer need services.

Comment by LeadingInDecatur Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:07 pm
Feeding Rauner’s statement through the Raunerspeak translator you get:

DHS is doing a good job to cut the number of people eligible for services despite their actual needs.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:08 pm
Wow that sounds so good doesn’t it? You know what it means? When the new system (IES) comes on line July 25th for service coordination (case maintenance and redetermination) it does two things 1) automates functions now performed by the HSC, Human Service Caseworker. What is now in large part performed by a caseworker will be in great part automated by the computer. (changes, redeterminations, etc). 2) Many functions of the FCRC, Family Community Resource Center, ie the “Aid Office”, will be centralized in Springfield and Chicago. Thus customers will send information there to be done in sweatshop call/processing centers. Of course the FCRC will still be there and bear the brunt of discontent. The “reduce in poverty levels and transition individuals and families out of our social service systems” from “centrally cancelling” cases for the most minor of infractions. “Computer don’t care that you were only 20 seconds late”. You’re cancelled and could take weeks of back and forth to get straight. Unless of course you are very computer savvy and can scan your document into the central unit. Right….Fairmount city…..scanning documents….pshhhhh. Foodstamps, medical and cash will become such a pain to obtain, so much hassle that of course the numbers will drop, just like the TANF numbers in Illinois under Rauner dropped so much it triggered an investigation by the FEDS. You ain’t seen nothing yet. Yep, this is the play.

Could IES help? Sure you bet. Working on a 30 year old software that I CODE in pre-windows fashion stinks. But taking a caring human being out of the picture at the front lines is just not going to work like they thought. Centralization, I thought, was a “collectivist” strategy.

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:08 pm
Where I work, we receive funds because of the Illinois Department of Public Health; admittedly not quite the same thing as IDHS. Our “customers” are rape and sexual assault victims. I am sure they never wanted to HAVE to receive services from us. How do you “streamline” services to a rape victim?

Comment by Anon Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:11 pm
Call it what it is: Newspeak. See Orwell, George. Don’t kid yourself what this is all about: will to power, dominance over others. It’s insatiable. First the poor get it, then the middle-class. Unless you’re at the very, very top, they’ll come for you eventually.

Comment by Moe Berg Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:14 pm
1.4% is totally disconnected and doesn’t care about the suffering of the less fortunate because he has enough money to buy anything and go anywhere he wants.

Comment by Huh? Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:14 pm
–How do you “streamline” services to a rape victim?–

In the case of rape crisis centers under the Rauner Administration, “streamline” means “eliminate” by refusing to honor contracts.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:15 pm
–1.4% is totally disconnected…–

I disagree. He clearly is engaged in putting these providers out of business. His actions since taking office are completely consistent with that objective.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:17 pm
Actually the proper term used in DHS is “consumer” - believe it or not…

Comment by DrMark Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:18 pm
Rauner’s end game is to consolidate Illinois’ social service system by using the budget impasse to put providers out of business.

Once most of these small charitable organizations are gone, his hedge fund buddies will step in and takeover those services where they see a profit potential. While the charities have limits on their cash, the equity people seem to have none.

Once they have sufficient market dominance, the “social service industrial complex” will be complete. Unlike charities, for-profits are not restricted in their campaign contributions. The beast will have created another way to get fed!

Comment by bobo Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:21 pm
We are all customers of IDHS. What we are purchasing is a system of care for the most needy in our midst. I am paying (and willing to pay more) so that this care is provided.

Comment by uptown progressive Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:21 pm
SB2038 was sent to Rauner on 5/18/2016. He has 60 days to sit on it. The maps by the UIUC grad student will have a lot of red X’s just like IDOT’s Rest Area may by the time July 16th rolls in. I hope the budgeteers are taking this into consideration with whatever they come up with. But, truth be told, it will be too little to late. I hope Mitchell and Rose are happy for the closure of HRC in DeWitt County. They sure rolled out the support for Exelon, but I’ve seen nothing on their support of HRC.

Comment by Anon221 Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:26 pm
Transformation + streamlining = outsourcing to private, for-profit organizations - SEIU

Comment by Joe M Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:31 pm
The $200 million cuts will be accomplished by replacing face to face service with equipment, such as grab bars in the shower or a microwave oven to heat meals. Because, after doing no research, the state came to the conclusion that one, the “customers” don’t already have these things, and two, the “customers” can be independent if they do get them. Keep in mind, to qualify for CCP, the “customers” have to be ill enough to qualify for state funded institutionalization.

Comment by CCP Hostage Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:33 pm
How else would a businessman describe them? He doesn’t know any better.

Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:36 pm
“Actually the proper term used in DHS is “consumer” - believe it or not…”

Its customers. According to the DHS dictionary on the one-net. Customer, ‘A person who receives cash, medical, social services, and/or food stamp benefits under a program administered by the Department of Human Services (DHS).’

I prefer to use the word ‘client’ but there is a institutional push to move away from that word.

Comment by Should be called clients Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:38 pm
“But do you know what might help those “customers” even more? Signing the stopgap human services bill that’s been sitting on his desk for weeks. That way, groups and businesses who work with those “customers” can finally get paid.”

Thanks for the mention. But, even with signing that “jaws of life” bill, providers are only going to get 45% of what we’re owed for the services that the state contracted with us to provide.

Sure, I’d welcome that and yes, he should sign it. But how many of us think getting paid 45% of our what we’re owed, with no promise of getting the remainder, is a day to celebrate?

Comment by Mister Whipple Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:39 pm
Customer may sound like an odd choice of words, but Customer is a nice word.

Comment by A guy Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:44 pm
Guess #2: Or maybe Rauner’s transformation is Newt Gingrich’s 1980’s idea of doing away with all social programs and instead buying a laptop for all disadvantaged people so that they can empower themselves out of their situations. Of course that idea prompted one magazine to write an article entitled “The poor may not be able to afford shoes, but at least now they will be able to boot up.”

Transformation Guess #3 - the typical Republican response to funding all social programs - do away with the program and let’s give the poor and disadvantaged “tax credits instead!”

Comment by Joe M Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:48 pm
Correction, Newt Ginrich’s laptop idea was in the mid 90s, and New Yorker Magazine ran an article response to that idea, “Let them eat laptops: the poor may not be able to afford shoes, but at least now they will be able to boot up.”

Comment by Joe M Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:53 pm
== transition individuals and families out of our social service systems==

Does “transition out” just mean, “Sorry, we’re closed. Please exit the building”?

Comment by Whatever Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 2:58 pm
== transition individuals and families out of our social service systems ==

Yes, Governor, by this definition of success, their actions can only be assessed as HEROIC.

Comment by crazybleedingheart Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 3:00 pm
Whatever beat me to it.

Some quote.

Comment by crazybleedingheart Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 3:01 pm
After decades of hourly wages being calculated in one fashion, the federal Dept. of Labor reinterpreted the dynamic. Hence, the current IL Administration is implementing an Obama Administrarion ruling.

Funny, no mention of the Feds, who are the root cause of this matter, during the protests.

Comment by Thetruthhurts Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 3:09 pm
thetruthhurts…dude. He was DHS not IDES. keep up

Comment by Honeybear Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 3:56 pm
“Customer” doesn’t seem weird to me. Many federal and state-level agencies are shifting to transaction-based language to describe the people they serve.

Comment by Illinoisian Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 4:13 pm
Customer seems accurate:

https://hbr.org/2011/08/its-time-to-fire-some-of-your.html

Comment by crazybleedingheart Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 4:53 pm
Stream line is just code for outsource. If he was serious about streamlining any of the DHS and HFS he would get rid of most contractors. When it comes to eligibility and maintenance on the case, most functions have been outsourced to put a middle man into the picture. So now when a customer has an issue they have 3 different places to call and most are just a call center that can’t fix anything. then they have other places to call cause so much is outsourced. we all know that person answering is gonna tell them whatever to go to the next call. a small problem soon grows into a big issue cause the customer gets the run around and nobody knows how to fix it. really want to stream line.

1 get rid of most contractors (IHC, Maximus etc)

2 higher enough employees to actually be able to do the work (all offices are understaffed)

3 get systems that actually help the workers. Right now most systems are bought because the pol decided it was good with no input from the people using it.

4 don’t treat your employees like takers cause guess what they pay taxes to…..

This is not an exhaustive list by far but a start.

Comment by union thug Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 5:06 pm
DHS has been using “customer” for years. Since at least 2003.

Comment by Emily Booth Thursday, Jun 23, 16 @ 9:14 pm