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Cook County health director outlines reorganization to bolster supervision and retention
Summary
Cook County Public Health and Human Services Director Grace presented a draft reorganization that would remove two long‑vacant supervisor posts, create manager roles and lead-worker positions, and hold a 0.333 FTE in Children and Family Services vacant pending state child-welfare workload changes; job descriptions will be returned for vote next week.
The Cook County Public Health and Human Services Board heard a detailed proposal July 21 from Director Grace to reorganize the department’s social‑services structure to improve oversight, staff support and retention.
Grace said the plan removes two long‑vacant supervisor positions in social services, creates two manager roles including a fiscal/administrative manager, and adds non‑supervisory "lead worker" roles to provide on‑the‑job training and work direction without formal supervisory authority. "The goals of reorganizing PHHS are to first and foremost support a positive work environment within the departments, while continuing to meet our obligations to the State and the community," Grace said.
Why it matters: Grace said the reorganization is intended to formalize backup for the director, clarify second‑in‑command responsibilities and recognize leadership duties tied to external representation. She told the board the model was developed with consultant Megan Mose, HR consultant DDA and staff input and stressed the materials are drafts. "This isn't something that I just kind of came up with overnight," Grace said, describing an iterative process of staff meetings and supervisor discussions.
Key details: the proposal would: - Remove two long‑vacant supervisor positions in social services and hold a 0.333 FTE in Children and Family Services vacant in the 2027 budget while the county assesses workload changes tied to recent state child‑welfare legislation. - Create manager positions (including a fiscal and administrative manager) with responsibilities for policy, budget and external leadership. - Introduce lead‑worker roles that would provide work direction and training but would not have formal supervisory authority.
Board response and next steps: Administrator Tremble expressed support for the model as meeting staff and community needs. Commissioners asked about pay grading and fiscal impacts; Grace said grading will be determined through the HR consultant and that managers would likely be graded higher than supervisors, but final grades are not yet set. Grace said job descriptions for lead workers and the social‑services manager are in development and are expected to be brought to the board for vote at the general meeting next Tuesday, with other position descriptions rolled out over the following six to nine months.
The board did not take a final vote on the reorganization on July 21; Grace said she will provide updated, watermarked draft materials with the minutes and return with job descriptions for board consideration.
