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DSS experiences skyrocketing caseloads
By Francesca Olsen
Hudson-Catskill Newspapers
The county Human Services Committee meeting Monday had some surprise guests, and some surprising figures.
County Department of Social Services Commissioner Paul Mossman gave the committee new caseload information: as of September 2009, 15,000 people, including children, are served in some way by DSS programs, about 24 percent of the county’s population.
Eleven percent of county residents, or 7,276 people, are served by DSS for medical assistance. Last year, the department served 6,553 people for medical assistance.
Mossman said the number of individuals served by DSS has gone up significantly since last year. “The numbers...have increased at least 18 percent on the individual count from the previous year,” he told the Register-Star.
Lisa Dugan, a peer advocate at the Independent Living Center (ILC) of the Hudson Valley, addressed the committee on the county Department of Social Services’ policies regarding e-mail, and what this means for people with disabilities. Dugan, who uses a wheelchair, sends e-mail as her primary means of communication.
In the process of advocating for a client, Dugan was told by DSS that e-mail was not used as a means of communication with clients. On the invitation of Supervisor Billy Hughes, D-Hudson4, Dugan told the committee that e-mail should be an accepted means of communication for people who may not otherwise be able to communicate — and that she was surprised to see that DSS had no Web site, and knew of plenty of other social service departments across the state who did use e-mail.
“DSS does have a policy that is a little antiquated,” said Hughes. He met with Mossman to address the issue; Mossman showed him a “work in progress” site. Hughes said that just from first glance, he could tell the site would be hard to navigate for persons with disabilities.
Supervisor Doug McGivney, D-Kinderhook, is not a member of the committee but was there to support Dugan. “The exact issue that got us both upset was the fact that DSS does not use either the web or e-mail to communicate with people...DSS is probably the only county in the whole state that does not use e-mail or have a web page for completion of forms and correspondence.”
“The most important fact that came out of that is (Mossman) acknowledged that these things were important and it was a mistake for the department not to grant that to Lisa (Dugan),” Hughes said.
The issue has resulted in a collaborative effort with ILC and DSS. ILC will assist DSS with forming a new policy for communication, and a new ADA policy.
A subcommittee of the Human Services Committee was formed, consisting of Hughes and Supervisor Ed Cross, D-Hudson2, to work along with the ILC. “In that process, I’m hoping we will then broaden ourselves out to making e-mail accessible to everyone,” Hughes said. “I know that’s a long range goal. It will make the agency a lot more accessible for people so they don’t have to come in and sit through the lobby for hours on end.”
“We need to work on the ability to establish some parameters so people are able to use the technology...so people can use e-mail as a means of corresponding with the department,” Mossman told the Register-Star. He said that e-mail communication will be used between DSS and any disabled person who needs it in the future, but that the agency isn’t ready to fully incorporate it into the way they communicate with the public.
“Realistically, I would bet most of your people, or a high percentage, have some type of disability,” Dugan said. She added that DSS lacks an ADA policy, even though the Americans with Disabilities Act is almost 20 years old.
“I think this whole incident made them realize we’re still in the dark as far as DSS and e-mail access,” Hughes said. “We’re going to work diligently on how to address that.”
“Simple things (DSS) requires people to come in for could be done online. They say they don’t have time to do it, but you can make your own judgment,” McGivney said.
“I don’t intend to vote for another position for DSS until they get a working web page and mechanisms for dealing with e-mail...the county pays for e-mail, for practically everybody in that building, and yet the public is unable to deal with them on e-mail.”
“I’m very pleased with the outcome of yesterday’s meeting,” Dugan told the Register-Star on Tuesday. “I’m cautiously optimistic. At least the ‘door of opportunity’ is open to affect change...only time will tell what the real outcome will be.”
“I’m a little more excited about this, being someone with a disability,” he continued (Hughes is legally blind). “People may put something in place because it feels good or looks good to them...sometimes, a person with a disability is not easily recognizable.”
***
To reach reporter Francesca Olsen call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail folsen@registerstar.com.
County Department of Social Services Commissioner Paul Mossman gave the committee new caseload information: as of September 2009, 15,000 people, including children, are served in some way by DSS programs, about 24 percent of the county’s population.
Eleven percent of county residents, or 7,276 people, are served by DSS for medical assistance. Last year, the department served 6,553 people for medical assistance.
Mossman said the number of individuals served by DSS has gone up significantly since last year. “The numbers...have increased at least 18 percent on the individual count from the previous year,” he told the Register-Star.
Lisa Dugan, a peer advocate at the Independent Living Center (ILC) of the Hudson Valley, addressed the committee on the county Department of Social Services’ policies regarding e-mail, and what this means for people with disabilities. Dugan, who uses a wheelchair, sends e-mail as her primary means of communication.
In the process of advocating for a client, Dugan was told by DSS that e-mail was not used as a means of communication with clients. On the invitation of Supervisor Billy Hughes, D-Hudson4, Dugan told the committee that e-mail should be an accepted means of communication for people who may not otherwise be able to communicate — and that she was surprised to see that DSS had no Web site, and knew of plenty of other social service departments across the state who did use e-mail.
“DSS does have a policy that is a little antiquated,” said Hughes. He met with Mossman to address the issue; Mossman showed him a “work in progress” site. Hughes said that just from first glance, he could tell the site would be hard to navigate for persons with disabilities.
Supervisor Doug McGivney, D-Kinderhook, is not a member of the committee but was there to support Dugan. “The exact issue that got us both upset was the fact that DSS does not use either the web or e-mail to communicate with people...DSS is probably the only county in the whole state that does not use e-mail or have a web page for completion of forms and correspondence.”
“The most important fact that came out of that is (Mossman) acknowledged that these things were important and it was a mistake for the department not to grant that to Lisa (Dugan),” Hughes said.
The issue has resulted in a collaborative effort with ILC and DSS. ILC will assist DSS with forming a new policy for communication, and a new ADA policy.
A subcommittee of the Human Services Committee was formed, consisting of Hughes and Supervisor Ed Cross, D-Hudson2, to work along with the ILC. “In that process, I’m hoping we will then broaden ourselves out to making e-mail accessible to everyone,” Hughes said. “I know that’s a long range goal. It will make the agency a lot more accessible for people so they don’t have to come in and sit through the lobby for hours on end.”
“We need to work on the ability to establish some parameters so people are able to use the technology...so people can use e-mail as a means of corresponding with the department,” Mossman told the Register-Star. He said that e-mail communication will be used between DSS and any disabled person who needs it in the future, but that the agency isn’t ready to fully incorporate it into the way they communicate with the public.
“Realistically, I would bet most of your people, or a high percentage, have some type of disability,” Dugan said. She added that DSS lacks an ADA policy, even though the Americans with Disabilities Act is almost 20 years old.
“I think this whole incident made them realize we’re still in the dark as far as DSS and e-mail access,” Hughes said. “We’re going to work diligently on how to address that.”
“Simple things (DSS) requires people to come in for could be done online. They say they don’t have time to do it, but you can make your own judgment,” McGivney said.
“I don’t intend to vote for another position for DSS until they get a working web page and mechanisms for dealing with e-mail...the county pays for e-mail, for practically everybody in that building, and yet the public is unable to deal with them on e-mail.”
“I’m very pleased with the outcome of yesterday’s meeting,” Dugan told the Register-Star on Tuesday. “I’m cautiously optimistic. At least the ‘door of opportunity’ is open to affect change...only time will tell what the real outcome will be.”
“I’m a little more excited about this, being someone with a disability,” he continued (Hughes is legally blind). “People may put something in place because it feels good or looks good to them...sometimes, a person with a disability is not easily recognizable.”
***
To reach reporter Francesca Olsen call 518-828-1616, ext. 2272, or e-mail folsen@registerstar.com.
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