On May 17, 2023, UPE met with the County regarding the above policy.
The Department wanted to meet to codify existing expectations and requirements for code of conduct in relation to attendance/accountability, practice standards, and duties for all Social Workers at the Centralized Placement Support Unit (CPSU).
UPE picked apart the document bullet by bullet, asking questions such as when the Social Worker is going to be late and/or absent, why do they need to call both the Worker of the Day and the Supervisor, especially if the Social Worker is not feeling well. Could the Social Worker not just call the Supervisor and have them disseminate the information accordingly? Per the Department, due to the uniqueness of the program setup, they would prefer both be contacted. We also asked why both a field sheet and a calendar stating the Social Worker's whereabouts were necessary; it seems redundant. There was language throughout that we requested to have changed and some changes to which the document was organized for better continuity. The Department heard us and said they would take it back to discuss all requests brought forward. There was language presented regarding medication; the handling/dispensing of it, to which UPE requested a separate policy be drafted per an agreement made with the Department last year. We will get that information to the Department and reconvene a meeting on this policy soon.
Thank you to the participants for your advocacy
Sarah Singleton and Robert Shorter