The Welfare Department

Rozalind Stamos, Director of the Intake of the Lincoln County Welfare Department prepared to confront the group leaders of her section $$ Alan Short and Susan Evans. She had about reached the end of her rope over the conflict between the two groups. Alan and Susan each supervised six intake workers involved in a pilot project to provide direct service to applications for welfare, as well as reduce the payout to recipients.

The state welfare department had approved a one$-$year trial of "Roz's brainchild". She had hand$-$picked the twelve most productive, enthusiastic, and personable caseworkers, and the two best group leaders, for the experiment. Caseworkers were to work with each applicant to determine the type and duration of assistance necessary for the client to become self$-$supporting; to help secure the indicated services $($training$,$ child support, housing etc.$)$; to provide personal support; and to negotiate a pre$-$determined termination date. As an experienced social worker, Roz was confident the program would help teach the truly needy necessary survival skills, provide temporary financial help, and eventually reduce the amount of aid actually paid to welfare recipients.

Roz thought she had done everything $\text{'}$by the book'. Alan and Susan helped select their caseworkers. Everyone pitched in during the move to the new facilities, laughing and joking with each other as they determined the arrangement of desks, dividers, telephones, etc. The caseworkers, clerks, and the receptionists brought in champagne and snacks in celebration of the new venture. It all seemed like one big happy family $$ then.

Now, six weeks later, caseworkers from one group are not speaking to those of the other, Alan and Susan no longer lunch together, and Roz cannot remember the last time anyone laughed. Simon, the receptionist, has just left Roz's office. There are $15$ people waiting in the Intake lobby, and not one caseworker will answer his calls. He reported that three workers from each group were out of the office on home visits, but the other six refused to take new cases. The workers in Alan's group told him to assign all new cases to Susan's group until the caseloads were more even, and Susan's people told her they would not see anyone until Alan's people did. He did not know what to do$,$ and was almost shaking from frustration.