LISTEN to part of CSW and SEIU 721 Executive Board Treasurer David Green’s speech to the board.
Social workers do not have adequate time for best practice social work, to visit children and parents more than once a month, to speak with neighbors and teachers and other family members, to engage with each child and get to know each child.
“It takes a significant amount of time to practice good social work. The only way to provide social workers with that time is to hire more social workers.” – Jessi Gonzalez, CSW Belvedere.
SEIU 721 members asked the Board of Supervisors to give Philip Browning the authority to hire 1400 social workers. There are 250 social workers currently budgeted for so they can begin the hiring process immediately in order to hire as many social workers as possible as soon as possible. Today DCFS remains tragically understaffed and only 22% of 7000 employees performing direct service social work for a population of over 32,000 children. The commitment has always been to ensuring child safety. If the priority of DCFS and the County is to provide child safety, then social workers need the time to spend with each child.