Caseloads are too high, turnover is constant and morale has reached new lows, according to a March survey of workers responsible for protecting Tennessee children from abuse and neglect.
The internal Department of Children’s Services survey obtained by Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, and Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville – released to reporters Thursday – included scores of comments from 1,900 DCS workers about working conditions.
Caseworkers wrote they had unmanageable caseloads affecting their ability to adequately do their jobs and some complained their bosses focused more on internal benchmarks than taking the time needed to provide services to kids and families in crisis.
“As a whole, we do not care about safety [of] our employees or the children we serve. We only care that we close cases in a timely fashion and look good on paper,” read one comment. “We are averaging 40-50 open CPS [child protective services] investigations at a time,” read another. “Never in my life have I experienced such a harsh and negative environment which causes unnecessary psychological harm to youth and staff.”
“These folks are working in a toxic culture, asked to do the impossible and what that is doing is having an effect on our kids,” Johnson said. “We hear so often they’re encouraged to close cases before they’re ready to be closed.”