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NASW suggests it may be time to fire DCFS director

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Illinois

* Background is here if you need it. AP…

Rep. Kathleen Willis, chairwoman of the House Adoption and Child Welfare Committee, was more blunt [about DCFS Director Marc Smith’s contempt charges].

“We’re gonna have to probably blow up this thing to get it right,” the Northlake Democrat said. “I hate to say that, but what we’re doing is not working, throwing money at it isn’t solving the problem.”

One issue she’s pursuing is an overall accounting and cost-analysis study, similar to a private consultant’s top-to-bottom review several years ago of services for the intellectual and developmentally disabled and what the state should be paying for those services.

“When they (DCFS wards) are in transition before they get permanently placed, they’re not in anybody’s books,” Willis told The Associated Press. “I put in a request for a deeper dive into … where these children are, how long they’re in various locations and what services they’re being offered.”

Under another plan, Willis would create a Child Welfare Commission to oversee DCFS and discuss its needs and problems quarterly. “I don’t want to have the General Assembly only responding when a tragedy happens, or when we see an annual report or when they come before us asking for more money.”

* I asked Kyle Hillman at the National Association of Social Workers for comment on Rep. Willis’ ideas…

While Rep. Willis is not wrong in her analysis that DCFS is broken and that reforms are long overdue, we are not sure what changes an audit or yet another group to oversee the department’s deficiencies will materialize. The issues regarding BMN youth-in-care are well documented, and the solutions are known.

The reality is that the leadership in the department doesn’t have the expertise or the willpower to get this done. Not every hire works out, just as we saw in the Department of Veterans Affairs. We are hitting that point where the best solution may be for our Governor to change directions and bring in someone else to fix this department charged with care of our state’s most vulnerable.

Or if the Governor is unwilling, the next commission the General Assembly should create is one empowered to reform the department for him.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jan 12, 22 @ 3:50 pm

Comments

I’ve observed DCFS from both the inside and outside for at least 50 years. Yes, it used to work better but never really worked as good as it should have.

Whenever DCFS has an issue, the ’solution’ is always reorganize or replace management. This has led to inconsistent results, with no Director, including Jesse, really there long enough to effect permanent change.

I’m going to repeat what I’ve suggested before … the Legislature needs to appoint a professional for a 10 year term, give them the fiscal resources required, and even cut some of the personnel and procurements rules, and turn them loose to completely overhaul the agency to use best practices. And the only way that Director can be fired is by something like a 2/3’s or 3/4’s vote of the Legislature.

Will this fix DCFS? I don’t know, but I do know what we have been doing doesn’t work.

Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Jan 12, 22 @ 4:02 pm
When was the last time an Illinois Governor’s Director was held in contempt?

Comment by Downstate Wednesday, Jan 12, 22 @ 4:09 pm
I’ve scarcely, if ever, delved into this here, frankly between all the bad and the agency issues, I felt reading more and trying to grasp from others is what I should do.

Now, now it’s beyond a point of repair with how things sit.

It’s time to move on from the Director.

Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, Jan 12, 22 @ 4:12 pm
The point of the contempt order is to force DCFS to comply with the judge’s original orders and get the child out of the psychiatric hospital when they don’t need to be there. The order itself cites DCFS closing 500 residential care beds since 2015. Who was the governor back then? I’m no expert in this field, but fire the director and call in the business consultants seems like pretty troublesome responses here.

Comment by Three Dimensional Checker Wednesday, Jan 12, 22 @ 4:30 pm
Might be time to create a partnership with DCFS and Children’s Hospitals located throughout the state. Medical professionals trained to assess and to evaluate children and caregivers may lead to better results than what is current practice.

A clinical setting, social services, and guidance are needed to improve children’s lives.

Comment by Rudy’s teeth Wednesday, Jan 12, 22 @ 4:37 pm
I mean, just take a look at the org chart:

https://www2.illinois.gov/dcfs/aboutus/director/Documents/DCFS_OrgChart.pdf

Director Mark Smith - former middle manager for a DCFS contractor
COS Jassen Strokosch - career PR flak with no Social Work degree
Executive Deputy Director - vacant
Inspector General - lawyer no one ever heard of from the director’s hometown

Vacant Leadership Positions:
Director of Permanency (Adoptions)
Deputy Director of State Central Registry (Hotline)
Deputy Chief of Staff
Deputy Director of Licensing (Day Cares)
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Ethics Officer

How the heck do you run a billion dollar agency with 3000 employees with no chief financial officer, no one at the helm of child welfare as your Deputy Director, and a Chief of staff overseeing day-to-day decision making who has a BA in Political Science?

Every credible child advocate has been chased out of that agency, and no credible person wants to join…thus the vacancies. The governor should dig deep into his own pocket to hire a Mike Shaver or someone else of that caliber and credibility to take the helm.

Comment by Jayne Adams Wednesday, Jan 12, 22 @ 4:37 pm
I agree with RNUG’s suggestion - it is worth a look in my opinion. Also want to point out that the Gov’s Office is adding no value in supporting any of the agencies operationally. This is the latest example, and one if the most heart breaking.

Comment by Lincoln Lad Wednesday, Jan 12, 22 @ 5:48 pm
Director Sullivan’s forced resignation gets more and more ridiculous each passing year.

Comment by Almost the Weekend Wednesday, Jan 12, 22 @ 5:50 pm
Jayne Adams — That is disgraceful

Comment by Soccermom Wednesday, Jan 12, 22 @ 6:20 pm
=== “I hate to say that, but what we’re doing is not working, throwing money at it isn’t solving the problem.”===

I think this understates the problem. The legislature has thrown money at DCFS and DCFS has failed to spend all of it, hence the several hundred vacant positions.

RNUG’s policy proposal is a good idea. Consistency would likely help. DCFS deserves leadership that is committed to the agency goal and not people just putting a feather in their cap to increase their ability to earn money when they return to the private sector.

Comment by Candy Dogood Wednesday, Jan 12, 22 @ 6:32 pm
In Springfield is a vacant community college campus with room for a lot of kids and care givers, only a mile or two from the state capitol building and executive mansion. You could spin up a hundred beds there easily, and have room for programming as well as on-site, live in staffing and security. Your hardest to place kids that need the extra level of care could start there. The private family home placements are going to take more than chicken feed to fund, but if you spend what it really takes, you will get those families that will open their door to fostering.

But you can’t do it on the cheap. You need to get it right.

Comment by Give Us Barabbas Wednesday, Jan 12, 22 @ 8:37 pm
It takes to long to fill positions even if people are applying. The other issue that becomes a problem is the workloads do not allow investigators and case workers to use their clinical skills when servicing families. These positions need to be filled what’s social workers who not only have the educational background but I also the licensed clinical social work licensure as you are dealing with human development , menral health and behavioral issues, families. Safety of investigators need to be addressed as we have lost two investigators in the last four years and this doesn’t even accounts for those investigators who have been assaulted, stocked, And threatened. Why is it investigators are not wearing vests like police officers do for protection of vital organs. Let’s start at that level and work to resolve some of the issues supporting the Frontline workers. At that point we might be able to keep staff where we need staff at the front lines. If you don’t have investigators or caseworkers then none of the upper management matters as they are not in the field.

Comment by Rose Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 12:36 am
== In Springfield is a vacant community college campus ==

If you are referring to the former Ursuline / SCI campus, that property has been sold and is in the reuse process.

There are State properties around, but the rehab costs may be excessive.

Comment by RNUG Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 10:15 am
Can’t run facilities without staff.

Comment by pawn Thursday, Jan 13, 22 @ 10:37 am