VA suicide hotline misses one third of calls

[adaher]

Official: One-third of calls to VA suicide hotline roll over

And it’s not due to lack of funding, but entitlement issues with government workers:

WASHINGTON - More than one-third of calls to a suicide hotline for troubled veterans are not being answered by front-line staffers because of poor work habits and other problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to the hotline’s former director.

Some hotline workers handle fewer than five calls per day and leave before their shifts end, even as crisis calls have increased sharply in recent years, said Greg Hughes, the former director of the VA’s Veterans Crisis Line. Hughes said in an internal email that some crisis line staffers “spend very little time on the phone or engaged in assigned productive activity.” Coverage at the crisis line suffers “because we have staff who routinely request to leave early,” he said.

[Crazyhorse]

according to the hotline’s former director

“That place is nothing but a bunch of lazy slackers, playing fusbol all day and growing weed in their cubicles while crisis calls sit on hold. I should know, I was their boss.”

If true this sucks, but it sounds like the remedy was a new director which is what they have.

[adaher]

I’m not sure it matters, since federal workers don’t just get fired for failing to do their jobs. Directors should be able to fire people for poor performance. Period.

[joyfool]

I’m in Texas and I’ve called the suicide hotline only twice. The first time, the “counselor” was seriously inept and almost downright rude. The second time, years apart, it rang and rang endlessly with nary an answer. I would not recommend anyone to ever use it in a crisis.

[Crazyhorse]

@adaher

I’m not sure it matters, since federal workers don’t just get fired for failing to do their jobs. Directors should be able to fire people for poor performance. Period.

In more predictable government fashion they opened a new call center in Atlanta. Maybe they are still a bunch of slackers but there are more of them to go around now.

I don’t know federal regulations but it seems to me a call center director would have the discretion to set a minimum available time for workers to be at the phone taking calls and follow some disciplinary path leading to firing their asses or transferring them if they don’t.

Depending on the director they may also have something like leadership ability wherein they actually find ways to motivate the employees to do their jobs without the need for force, but I know that would be asking a lot.

[BigT]

There’s no reason that firing should be the only tool at someone’s disposal to deal with employees not doing their job. There’s also no inherent reason that a government agency can’t actually fire people if they get enough infractions. Just because they have to document reasons, try other disciplinary measures, and have them checked shouldn’t mean no firings.

[adaher]

DOing your job poorly isn’t an infraction. Breaking rules is an infraction. I’m not sure why you even need to have managers or directors if they can’t analyze the effectiveness of their employees and take action based on that data, such as give out merit raises(also something that doesn’t happen in government service) or fire people who suck at their job.

[even_sven]

Uh, federal workers can be be fired for poor performance.

[Velocity]

@joyfool

I’m in Texas and I’ve called the suicide hotline only twice. The first time, the “counselor” was seriously inept and almost downright rude. The second time, years apart, it rang and rang endlessly with nary an answer. I would not recommend anyone to ever use it in a crisis.

WTF, do these hotline workers not realize that the callers are **on the verge of ending their lives. **:mad:

[adaher]

@even_sven

Uh, federal workers can be be fired for poor performance.

Like faster than light space travel, it’s a nice theory:

Here’s Why It’s All But Impossible To Fire A Fed

But impossible in practice.

[Drunky_Smurf]

@even_sven

Uh, federal workers can be be fired for poor performance.

From that particular position, yes. Then they are moved to a new position.

I know a guy who works federal and told me of a guy who was using a government credit card for personal purchases. Nothing too big but like computer monitors and stuff. Nothing large enough to draw a flag but he was allowed a certain amount, that below that, he didn’t have to ask his higher-ups to use the card.

My guy said he got busted for it once and was reprimanded. He got busted for it again and then moved to a new position that did not require him having a card. So see? Problem solved. Last heard years later he was still there.

I mean whats worse? Leaving early once a week every other week or outright theft from you employer? And I don’t mean taking a stapler home but spending hundreds of dollars every couple of months for a couple of years before you get caught?

[adaher]

According to the article they are asking to leave early. Why is such leave being granted? But it does seem that the employees are complying with the rules. They just aren’t showing much concern for veterans.

[octopus]

@adaher

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/one-third-of-va-suicide-hotline-calls-unanswered-ex-director-says/

And it’s not due to lack of funding, but entitlement issues with government workers:

People expect government workers to be productive?

[adaher]

Here’s the thing. Government has been perfectly willing to waive some normal protections for jobs that actually matter, like the military and police. Well, everything the VA does matters, so it might be time to consider governing the VA as if it was a military institution.

“Five calls! Five calls! Are you freakin’ kidding me! My grandmother answers more calls than that before you even wake up in the morning, you sorry excuse for a phone rep! You can mop the floors for the rest of the day until you get some motivation!”

[joyfool]

@Velocity

WTF, do these hotline workers not realize that the callers are **on the verge of ending their lives. **:mad:

I wish I knew. Those times happened at some of the worst parts of my depression, and to say the very least, that didn’t help. I’m sure they must do some good, or otherwise they wouldn’t stay in ‘business.’ However, I personally think they’re a very unfunny joke and I feel terribly sorry for anyone who feels forced to try and use them.

[Ruken]

Firing is hard. What if the jobs are eliminated? Are the people reassigned? Because if not, put out an RFP and I’ll point some folks at it.

[Monty]

Yes, federal civilian workers can be fired for poor performance. The key is the supervisor must be competent and keep accurate and complete documentation regarding the subordinate worker’s poor performance. And it’s not just “fired from the position”; it’s fired from federal civil service.

[Ruken]

@Monty

Yes, federal civilian workers can be fired for poor performance. The key is the supervisor must be competent and keep accurate and complete documentation regarding the subordinate worker’s poor performance. And it’s not just “fired from the position”; it’s fired from federal civil service.

And even if that manager does everything correctly, it still takes nearly a year and I don’t know how many man-hours, at a cost to you and me, from people who were ostensibly hired to spend time on something else. It doesn’t have to be that way

[aruvqan]

Pity I couldn’t do this as a ‘telecommute’ position, I bet there are a bunch of us out here that would [virtually] leap at the opportunity to get the training and work from home at this … and honestly, I don’t see a reason it couldn’t be done from home [hell, I had a roomie that worked for Psychic Readers Network taking calls at home, she could do one heck of a cold read on a total stranger!]

[not_what_you_d_expect]

@adaher

Here’s the thing. Government has been perfectly willing to waive some normal protections for jobs that actually matter, like the military and police. Well, everything the VA does matters, so it might be time to consider governing the VA as if it was a military institution.

“Five calls! Five calls! Are you freakin’ kidding me! My grandmother answers more calls than that before you even wake up in the morning, you sorry excuse for a phone rep! You can mop the floors for the rest of the day until you get some motivation!”

Someone who works on a suicide hotline is not a phone rep.

Talking someone out of suicide shouldn’t have a fucking daily call quota.