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Joyce Pusch, an eligibility worker for the Department of Human Services, sits in her Roseburg office recently. Numerous files occupy her desk, which has three more boxes of files underneath it. The files represent Douglas County families needing social services.
So you know ...
To apply for social services from the Oregon Department of Human Services, visit its office at 1937 W. Harvard Ave., Roseburg. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Applicants should bring picture identification and verification of income for the past 30 days in order to expedite the application process.
For more information, call DHS's Self-Sufficiency Office at 440-3301.
Applicants should bring picture identification and verification of income for the past 30 days in order to expedite the application process.
For more information, call DHS's Self-Sufficiency Office at 440-3301.
Joyce Pusch used to have two spare drawers in her filing cabinet at her Oregon Department of Human Services office in Roseburg.
But in the past few years, the eligibility worker's caseload has grown so quickly her filing cabinet is filled to the brim with folders of information on families needing help.
And another three boxes full of folders have piled up under her desk.
Pusch, who has worked for the state-funded social service agency for a decade, shared the anecdote in a recent interview to illustrate how the need for social services has soared since 2006 in Douglas County.
Pusch and Jenny Boyle, the self-sufficiency program manager at the Harvard Avenue office, say the uptick is an indicator of the county's sagging economy.
From October 2006 to October of this year, the number of families applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called the Food Stamp Program, has shot up from 8,388 families to 12,097 families, a 44 percent increase.
Families applying for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, previously known as welfare, has risen too in the same time period — from 669 to 857 families, a 28 percent spike.
“Usually they've been laid off due to a plant closure or a lack of work,” Pusch said of the newcomers.
Pusch and Boyle said the economic downturn has changed the demographics of those who show up at DHS's door as well.
“There's more people that have never been on assistance or that it's been a long time since they've been on assistance,” Pusch said.
She's also been seeing more two-parent households, “moms and dads and kids and single adults with degrees,” she said. “I mean, they have degrees and they can't get work.”
Boyle said eligibility workers also have noticed more homeowners among those who seek the department's help. “A lot of them are struggling to keep their mortgages,” she said. “They're worried they're going to lose their homes.”
“It's real hard for them to come in and a lot of them wait,” sometimes maxing out their credit cards before they turn to DHS for help, Pusch added.
As many of the new faces at DHS are receiving unemployment, they don't qualify for TANF. So, mainly they are seeking help through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, or for help with paying medical bills, because they and their children have lost their medical insurance, Pusch said.
As the ranks of the needy have swelled, those needing help have sometimes had to wait up to two weeks to get appointments to receive services, Boyle said.
In response, DHS recently revamped how it does its job, slashing that wait time, Boyle said. “Most often they'll be seen within 30 minutes ... although not always,” she said.
The biggest change has been how workers help people who walk through the door for the first time. In the past, eligibility workers spent the majority of their day helping people who had made appointments.
Now, all workers have to be available to help people who just walk into the office. “If you're here and at work, you have to be available to see a client coming in the door,” Boyle said.
Another major change meant to address the greater need is in the works. The local office is in the process of hiring 15 more staff members — eight eligibility workers, six clerical support staff and an operations manager to supervise the new staff members.
“It will really give us some relief,” Boyle said, while noting the new staff members won't be trained until June, so those who go to the office will not see an influx of new eligibility workers right away.
The office, and other offices statewide, are working on other ways to improve service to clients, from implementing electronic appointment scheduling to streamlining how eligibility workers keep track of cases.
Like others outside the DHS office, DHS staff members are starting to see glimmers of a slightly rosier economy on the horizon.
This month, only 28 additional families applied for SNAP over last month — the lowest increase Boyle has seen in awhile, she said. The number of families applying for TANF actually dropped by 21 from the previous month.
“I was excited,” Boyle said. She added, however, it's unclear if the number of families seeking help has dropped because they've found work or because they've moved out of the area in search of greener employment pastures.
Pusch is even more cautious about what the future holds. “Next month it could make a flip-flop,” she said.
Meeting residents' immediate needs is what she focuses on. And although she realizes it may be hard for those who have lost a job to seek help from DHS, she encourages them to try.
“If they're having a hard time and struggling, we may be able to supplement them,” Pusch said. “They are the people we're here for. If they're having a hard time, then we can help them get over the bump.”
• You can reach reporter Kathy Korengel at 957-4218 or by e-mail at kkorengel@nrtoday.com.
But in the past few years, the eligibility worker's caseload has grown so quickly her filing cabinet is filled to the brim with folders of information on families needing help.
And another three boxes full of folders have piled up under her desk.
Pusch, who has worked for the state-funded social service agency for a decade, shared the anecdote in a recent interview to illustrate how the need for social services has soared since 2006 in Douglas County.
Pusch and Jenny Boyle, the self-sufficiency program manager at the Harvard Avenue office, say the uptick is an indicator of the county's sagging economy.
From October 2006 to October of this year, the number of families applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called the Food Stamp Program, has shot up from 8,388 families to 12,097 families, a 44 percent increase.
Families applying for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, previously known as welfare, has risen too in the same time period — from 669 to 857 families, a 28 percent spike.
“Usually they've been laid off due to a plant closure or a lack of work,” Pusch said of the newcomers.
Pusch and Boyle said the economic downturn has changed the demographics of those who show up at DHS's door as well.
“There's more people that have never been on assistance or that it's been a long time since they've been on assistance,” Pusch said.
She's also been seeing more two-parent households, “moms and dads and kids and single adults with degrees,” she said. “I mean, they have degrees and they can't get work.”
Boyle said eligibility workers also have noticed more homeowners among those who seek the department's help. “A lot of them are struggling to keep their mortgages,” she said. “They're worried they're going to lose their homes.”
“It's real hard for them to come in and a lot of them wait,” sometimes maxing out their credit cards before they turn to DHS for help, Pusch added.
As many of the new faces at DHS are receiving unemployment, they don't qualify for TANF. So, mainly they are seeking help through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, or for help with paying medical bills, because they and their children have lost their medical insurance, Pusch said.
As the ranks of the needy have swelled, those needing help have sometimes had to wait up to two weeks to get appointments to receive services, Boyle said.
In response, DHS recently revamped how it does its job, slashing that wait time, Boyle said. “Most often they'll be seen within 30 minutes ... although not always,” she said.
The biggest change has been how workers help people who walk through the door for the first time. In the past, eligibility workers spent the majority of their day helping people who had made appointments.
Now, all workers have to be available to help people who just walk into the office. “If you're here and at work, you have to be available to see a client coming in the door,” Boyle said.
Another major change meant to address the greater need is in the works. The local office is in the process of hiring 15 more staff members — eight eligibility workers, six clerical support staff and an operations manager to supervise the new staff members.
“It will really give us some relief,” Boyle said, while noting the new staff members won't be trained until June, so those who go to the office will not see an influx of new eligibility workers right away.
The office, and other offices statewide, are working on other ways to improve service to clients, from implementing electronic appointment scheduling to streamlining how eligibility workers keep track of cases.
Like others outside the DHS office, DHS staff members are starting to see glimmers of a slightly rosier economy on the horizon.
This month, only 28 additional families applied for SNAP over last month — the lowest increase Boyle has seen in awhile, she said. The number of families applying for TANF actually dropped by 21 from the previous month.
“I was excited,” Boyle said. She added, however, it's unclear if the number of families seeking help has dropped because they've found work or because they've moved out of the area in search of greener employment pastures.
Pusch is even more cautious about what the future holds. “Next month it could make a flip-flop,” she said.
Meeting residents' immediate needs is what she focuses on. And although she realizes it may be hard for those who have lost a job to seek help from DHS, she encourages them to try.
“If they're having a hard time and struggling, we may be able to supplement them,” Pusch said. “They are the people we're here for. If they're having a hard time, then we can help them get over the bump.”
• You can reach reporter Kathy Korengel at 957-4218 or by e-mail at kkorengel@nrtoday.com.
