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DHS front-line staff tell Senate committee heavy caseloads, tech problems and understaffing delay services
Summary
In an informational session following the bill hearing, about 10 front-line DHS workers and contractors described heavy caseloads, safety concerns, and slow eligibility systems that they say delay care and increase staff burnout.
After the public hearing on House Bill 3224 A, the Senate Committee on Human Services heard from front-line employees and contractors who deliver services across Oregon. Ten speakers described high caseloads, staffing shortages, outdated technology and safety concerns that they said are delaying services to vulnerable Oregonians.
Case managers and investigators from child welfare, adult protective services, developmental disability programs and eligibility teams described situations in which lengthy processing times and staff turnover reduced the attention each client received. “I currently have about over 100 consumers on my caseload,” Esperanza Khamis, a bilingual case manager at Northwest Senior and Disability Services, told the committee. Michael McNeil, an Adult Protective Services investigator, said he had 103 open cases at the time he spoke and that the workload forced him to triage to imminent-risk cases.
Other speakers offered concrete examples of impacts. Dathan Warman, a Clackamas County Medicaid case manager on the statewide intake team, said delayed approvals can be life-altering: a consumer withdrew an application and moved out of state because supports could not be put in place in time. Melissa Brooks, lead adult service coordinator for Columbia Community Mental Health, said caseloads on her team range from the mid‑40s to as many as 67 for one coordinator.
Eligibility staff described slow and fragile technology that adds to processing time. “Adding a newborn in the old system took about 8 minutes. Adding a newborn in the new eligibility system often takes over an hour,” said Kelly Shepherd, a human services specialist with the Oregon Eligibility Program. Shepherd and Em Johnson, another eligibility worker in Eastern Oregon, said the workers are operating with roughly half the staffing their model requires and that system delays make it harder to complete thorough interviews and case notes.
Speakers from child welfare and permanency units said turnover and temporary- lodging demands increase workloads. Joellen Billington of child protective services said workers sometimes receive seven cases in a week despite a caseload model that plans for seven per month. Permanency worker Cece Jenkins said her unit at times operated with three permanency workers for a roster intended for eight or nine, driving individual caseloads as high as 27 children.
Family coaches and TANF case managers described similar pressures. Lonnie Bass, a family coach in Pendleton, said local caseloads have reached as high as 42 families for a single coach and that coaches in larger regions reported even higher numbers. Speakers also noted rural service gaps: Em Johnson said people in Eastern Oregon sometimes must travel long distances for basic medical care.
Multiple speakers asked for smaller caseloads, better staffing, improved technology, and recognition of the emotional toll of the work. Several urged more training and program alignment so community partners could work across systems without repeated duplicative steps. No formal actions were taken during the informational session; the committee closed the panel after hearing the testimonials and discussion.
