INDIANAPOLIS – Staffing levels for family case managers meet 99% of the need statewide, according to the annual staffing and caseload report from the Department of Child Services (DCS), but some areas of the state face a greater need than others.
“Some of the most integral among the agency’s staff members are family case managers (FCMs). FCMs are the state’s front line against child abuse and neglect. Maintaining management caseloads for staff members is critical to ensuring the agency provides the best service possible to those in need,” DCS Director Eric Miller said in a recent report.
The agency compiles an annual report documenting its staffing needs following a series of scandals triggered by the resignation of Miller’s predecessor, Mary Bonaventura. In a scathing letter, Bonaventura claimed children would die following state funding cuts and subsequent, independent reviews found that DCS had a staffing crisis.
Legislative reform dictated that the agency “shall” meet certain goals when it came to FCMs, requiring more manageable caseloads and reducing the number of children overseen by individual staff.
DCS, the state’s third-largest agency, has 4,100 staff members. A little over 2100 of those are FCMs.
The report calls FCMs “some of the most integral” to the agency’s mission, whose “dedication helps prevent future maltreatment as families rebuild and learn to provide a safe environment for the loved ones in their care.”
Of the agency’s 19 regions, 10 meet staffing standards and an additional four have at least 90% of the staff they need. The statewide staffing level is 99%.
The report details staffing by region and county, with several areas in southern Indiana below the ideal range. Region 14, which covers Bartholomew, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson, and Shelby counties had the biggest staffing shortage, with just 74% of FCM needs met.
However, two counties in the area — Jackson and Jennings — were fully staffed. Bartholomew had just over half, 53%, while Johnson had 64% and Shelby had 70%.
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