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State Demands that OCS Change Grievance ProcessAlaskans say it is too difficult to resolve child protective issuesALASKA - An arm of the Alaska Legislature is recommending a complete overhaul of the state’s Office of Children’s Services grievance process after years of complaints from Alaskans who say it’s becoming too difficult to resolve child protective issues. In a 90-plus-page report released Monday, the Alaska Legislature is mandating that the state's Office of Children's Services change the way it handles complaints. “We found that the regulations that guided the grievance process were fatally flawed from the base of the regulations,” said Linda Lord-Jenkins, the state’s ombudsman. The report says the grievance or complaint procedure needs to be changed because it's too difficult and inefficient. Under the state's current procedure, a person who files a complaint with OCS has two options: He or she can either choose to go before an OCS panel or have a hearing before the Office of Administrative Hearings. State investigators say the process frequently fails and there is no way of tracking the process on an agency-wide basis. “Mistakes are going to get made, there is no perfect system, but the people who try and carry it out, their responsibility is to protect Alaskan children... [they] need to understand that they have a viable process backing them up,” she said. Investigators say a new system needs to be put in place. Travis Erickson, with OCS, says it's a problem he's well aware of. “Many of us who've been processing grievances over the years know that this is overdue, it’s time to improve the process,” said Erickson. He says a high turnover rate and heavy caseloads are part of the problem. “There are usually too many cases and not enough workers, kind of standard for us, so the grievance process is within these layers,” he said. OCS officials say it plans to begin drafting new regulations beginning in July. |
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Anonymous said on Monday, Jun 18 at 9:43 PM
well what is wrong with the system is the lack of compassion for families in turmoil...in the old days if a neighbor had problems the men would show up on the weekend to help the father/husband and the women would help the mother/wife...small squirmishes that they being young was not their fault...times were hard...we face that again... but this time we turn in our neighbor...then judge how they are not perfect like we are..lol.. So may be we need to start from scratch like they say...throw out the old rule book and start networking with these computers and get some actions done...teach the young families...don't crucify them for God sakes...
94035625Disgusting said on Monday, Jun 18 at 11:23 PM
First of all, most of those complaints are unfounded to begin with and serve as a social work version of a filibuster to delay protection and necessary help for children. I fail to see the problem.
94038843Patzone said on Tuesday, Jun 19 at 8:41 AM
I agree with disgusting, most complaints are unfounded and are made from parents who refuse to change their behavior, and use the complaints to focus on trying to go after the system rather then deal with their issues that brought them to OCS involvement. Remember OCS does not go around looking for children, the reports come in to them
94071203Patzone said on Tuesday, Jun 19 at 8:43 AM
anonymous, you make no sense at all
94071426and... said on Tuesday, Jun 19 at 8:49 AM
its disgusting who makes no sense...but that comment was not entered was it? slanting the news again?
94071986Anonymous said on Tuesday, Jun 19 at 9:08 AM
The Ombudsman's Office needs to do the investigations of complaints themselves. What they do now, is bug the already overloaded social workers for documentation and expect the social workers to do the investigating of complaints for them. All The Ombudsman Office does is make annoying phone calls to the social workers. The Ombudsman's office needs to come to The OCS Office and look up the documentation themselves. The parents attorneys, GALs, Tribe attorneys all come to OCS and request documentation and an office worker provides the discovery, The Ombudsman's office needs to do more then make a phone call and expect everyone to do their work for them!
94074154Rider said on Wednesday, Jun 20 at 9:00 PM
I don't understand Anonymous...so the Ombudsman's Office (which I guess I don't understand what they do exactly anyone, but I think it is investigating) is supposed to investigate without ever talking to anyone or requesting documents? Maybe part of the reason the system fails is that people are only relying on what an office worker can give them when they show up in person? Um, I really must not get it, because it would seem that there would be a file to send when someone asks for it and if there isn't or the file is lacking, questions should be asked.
94210574Anonymous said on Tuesday, Aug 28 at 8:25 PM
I have several complaints. One that stands out is in Wasilla there is a worker at the OCS office whom had sexual relations with a parent whose child was in OCS custody and she turned the office into a complete bias towards the mother of the child. The woman worker no longer works there but when it was brought to the attention of another case worker from an outside witness he was dismissed. The mother found out about the relationship and also learned (after she relinquished her rights to the child ) that outside relatives on the mothers side of the family were purposily derailed. Messages were not taken nor given and her case was grosely mismanaged by this woman, to include disappearing paperwork and leaking inside information and advice to the father of the child. I am deeply disturbed and I feel the mother of the child was harmed by her actions. She learned about this after the woman left the employment. What if anything can this woman do about her situation? File a grievance? WTF
100180481Anonymous said on Tuesday, Aug 28 at 8:43 PM
The grievance process is flawed. First, if anyone files and is a parent, they are judged, discriminated, discerned and thought to be "going after the system instead of focusing on the issues" ,The workers at OCS can say and do anything they want, Report false information. Once they form an opinion (taken sides), the parent stands little to no chance for opportunity to change. OCS workers are ethically not suppossed to do , but do anyway. The sadest part to this is that the workers opinions are running the cases and not the actions of the parents. The workers power thrust their position and intimidate many parents. The whole OCS system needs to be revamped to include new ways to handle parents with drug problems. I have seen one woman in recovery who was truely a good mother lose her child because it took more than a year to get the addiction under control. More patience is needed and guidance. I see families forced to seperate or else... I have seen so much ill will towards parents.
100181466Karin Covey said on Tuesday, Nov 27 at 2:19 PM
God help them all. Their intentions are good...I try to remember Christ's words, "Father forgive them, they know not what they do."
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