Human Services
The dietary services supervisor and caseworker supervisor positions at the ACC are going to be abolished, on page 108 of the tentative 2026 budget. I assume this is because these positions have been downgraded so that less qualified staff, probably through a temp agency, will be doing these jobs under different titles and for less money. The last time I looked, there were 16 dietary aides, a dietary tech and a dietician working at the ACC, so there is obviously a need for somebody to supervise them. Feeding 122 residents who all have individual dietary needs is complex work and has to be done correctly. Likewise, social work is an essential service at the ACC and you know well that social workers are like gold. Why would you eliminate a social work supervisor? Social workers need and deserve skilled and supportive supervision.
The tentative budget also abolishes 4 nursing assistant trainee positions, although obviously the ACC is always in need of nursing assistants, has an almost full census, and has been trying to hire nursing staff in county positions rather than through temp agencies, according to their monthly report. This is one of those circumstances in which saving a penny will cost you a pound later, in my opinion. The residents at the ACC deserve better. I’d like to hear a justification of why these six county positions are being abolished.