To: Phil Serna, Board of Supervisor, Patrick Kennedy, Board of Supervisor, Susan Peterson, Board of Supervisor, Sue Frost, Board of Supervisor, and Don Nottoli, Board of Supervisor

SIGN HERE: Service Delivery Redesign is Flawed

Its time for the Sacramento Board of Supervisors to hear about it!

Why is this important?

From the beginning UPE warned DHA that its plans for the Service Delivery Redesign were flawed. We expressed concern that there would be too many phone calls and that the lobbies would be too crowded. We pointed out that a shift to phones diminished the quality of service clients receive, particularly those who speak a different language. We noted the stress the ‘Service Center’ environment places on workers and the resulting negative effects on clients. At no point was DHA willing to change their plans.
Now after the failure of SDR Phase I, DHA implemented SDR Phase II. All of UPE’s fears have come true as clients are waiting longer on the phone and in the lobbies. The flawed computer system causes workers to report having to complete the same task for the same client day after day. Workers see clients regularly whose cases discontinued despite them turning in the proper paper work. Why? Because the system is so backed up that no one processed the task in time to renew the benefits. There are so many phone calls and so many people in the lobbies that the majority of tasks are now completed on overtime.
The system is unsustainable. It’s hurting clients and its hurting workers. DHA’s Executive Management is unwilling to see the truth and address the deep problems with SDR. The only choice is to take the matter to their bosses, the Board of Supervisors. We hope that by bringing these matters to their attention they will hold DHA accountable and help workers return to providing quality service to their clients.