The head of the state agency overseeing the Commonwealth’s social worker program says legislative and executive branch budgets both address workforce needs. Lesa Dennis is the commissioner of the Department for Community-Based Services. She testified before a Senate committee Tuesday. She said the current caseload average for social workers is between 31 to 35 which includes past-due cases. Dennis said efforts are focused on getting caught up.
“So, if we remove the past dues, our caseloads are averaging around the 20-21 range. So again that additional hundred social workers would go a long way in helping us reduce our caseloads and reduce our backlogs of past due referrals,” said Dennis.
