DSHS announces plan to cut dozens of jobs

OLYMPIA – The state Department of Social and Health Services has said it will cut about three dozen jobs in its medical assistance units, citing a shortfall in state funding and extra work the agency took on without getting money to cover the added costs.

About 21 workers are expected to be laid off when the cuts take effect July 1, and 16 more jobs will be cut as vacancies are left unfilled.

Jim Stevenson, a spokesman for the agency, said he could not say which employees would lose their jobs, and the Washington Federation of State Employees, which represents some agency workers, had no immediate details, The Olympian reported Saturday.

In a memo to about 4,000 employees sent on Thursday, Doug Porter, assistant secretary for DSHS’ Health and Recovery Services Administration, said affected staff members will be notified quickly.

“This is the perfect storm of bad timing and circumstance on several fronts,” Porter told The Olympian, acknowledging that DSHS did not warn lawmakers that cuts might result if certain funding requests weren’t granted.

Porter said legislative negotiations late in this year’s session led to a smaller budget increase than he thought his agency would receive.

“Give me what I am asking for or don’t give me anything,” Porter told the newspaper. “But don’t give me a third or half of what I’m asking for and ask me to suck up the rest. I can’t do that anymore.”

Democratic Rep. Helen Sommers, of Seattle, who heads the House Appropriations Committee, said committee members were never told job cuts were possible.

However, Porter’s agency learned in March that it faced a likely $500,000 deficit for the two-year budget cycle that ends June 30, The Olympian said. That looming deficit led to agency clampdowns on hiring and out-of-state travel and other cuts to balance books in the current budget cycle.

Porter and staff members cited various problems that led to the job cuts, including:

“Budget increases in administrative cost allowances that fell short of what the agency requested.

“Costs that were previously absorbed to pay for a prescription-drug program that limits the use of name-brand drugs by agency clients.

“Pay raises that were granted to unionized workers but not nursing and information-technology supervisors who manage them. If supervisors do not get pay increases July 1, many will earn less than line workers, Porter said.

“Ongoing costs of consolidating many Health and Recovery Services Administration offices into a new headquarters building.