Barbara Shelly: Corrosion of state services is alarming

Kansas’ child protection system is under fire on a number of fronts, so it came as no surprise when news services reported recently that Michael Myers, director of prevention and protection services, was leaving the Department for Children and Families.

What struck me as curious was that he was there at all.

Myers came to the agency in 2011 without the usual background in child protection, social work or state government. His job experience was in property development and construction management in Topeka.

He landed a position as chief of operations in the department’s Kansas City region and quickly moved up to regional director. DCF Secretary Phyllis Gilmore named Myers as one of her top aides last December.

He was in charge of the division responsible for protecting at-risk children. It’s a complex, high-stakes job, requiring knowledge of family dynamics, law enforcement, courts, foster care and adoption procedures. Myers’ background in the field seemed somewhat thin.

But that is the case with many of the people in key positions in Kansas government right now.

“Many of the people hired into top positions are people who have no experience in their field,” said Rebecca Proctor, executive director of the Kansas Organization of State Employees. “We’re seeing inexperienced managers with no knowledge of processes and no respect for the people with experience who actually do the work.”

Because of that, low pay and other factors, “people leave state service regularly,” Proctor said.

That’s especially the case in DCF, which is seeing an acute shortage of social workers in child protection.

More of the initial abuse and neglect investigations are being handed to “special investigators,” a job classification with minimal education and experience requirements. But that practice accelerates the departure of social workers, Proctor said. They fear the consequences of signing off on the recommendations of inexperienced staffers when a child’s safety may be on the line.

Of all the demolition that Sam Brownback has imposed on Kansas during his time as governor – the busted budget, the disastrous tax cuts, his wars on schools and courts – this under-the-radar corrosion of state government and services ranks among the most alarming and long-lasting aspects.

This story was originally published December 17, 2015 at 6:02 PM with the headline "Barbara Shelly: Corrosion of state services is alarming."