Caseload Report
August 2016
Thisreport is responsive to lineitem 4800-1100of chapter46of theactsof 2015whichstates:
“…providedfurther,thatthedepartmentshallreportmonthlyto the jointcommittee onchildren, familiesand personswithdisabilitiesand thehouseand senatecommittees onwaysand meansthecurrent averagecaseload forsocialworkersand howmanyworkersmayneedtobehired togettoa15to 1caseload ratioforeveryworker.”
Thislegislativelanguageasks theDepartmenttoreport onthecurrentaveragecaseloadsforsocialworkers ineachmonthandthe numberof socialworkersneededtoachieve a15to1 caseload ratio.Data fromMayandJuneof2016 are nowavailable.
1.CurrentAverageCaseload
Thestatewideaverageweighted caseload forsocialworkers in May of2016was22.45 to1.Thestatewideaverageweighted caseload forsocialworkers inJuneof2016 was22.33to1.
2.NumberofSocialWorkersNeeded to Achieve a15to1 caseload ratio
ToachievetheDepartment’s goalof having nomorethan 15 familiesassignedperongoingworker,with no more than10children in placement and nomore than28children overall,theDepartment will need toattain a statewideaverageweighted caseloadof18.0:1.[An averageof18weightedcases =15familiesassigned(approximately)].Thisnumber issetbySupplementalAgreement QofCollectiveBargaining Agreementbetweenthe Commonwealthand SEIULocal509whichwasratifiedbytheLegislature and Governor asChapter359oftheActs of2014.
In May,theDepartmentwouldhaveneeded 486.7additionalsocialworkersto achieve aweightedcaseload averageof18to1.
In June,theDepartmentwouldhaveneeded 477.8additionalsocialworkersto achieve aweightedcaseload averageof18to1.
Additionalsupervisory andmanagementstaffwould berequiredto supportthesepositions.Pleasealsonotethatthesenumbersassume astaticcaseloadand donotaccountforany impactnewpolicy andpracticebeing implementedcould have oncaseloads.