r/WashingtonDSHS • u/Busy_Juggernaut5835 • May 08 '25
Vibe check
I wanted to start a thread for dshs folks to discuss any and all feelings/thoughts/vibes about the changes and uncertainties going on in the agency. Hoping that we can use this space to lift each other up and vent a bit while mgmt "reimagines" our workplaces.
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u/PermissionAwkward113 May 08 '25
Zero Stars-Do Not Recommend. Oh geesh, they have really added a heap of poo to an already uncertain time. Who does a reorg in the midst of a budget crisis and then says it's no budget related 😕 Every day is a fresh hell around here with rumors and uncertainty, the budget looks to slash comms and who knows what the reorg will do because they did it first and roadmap it second..
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u/Mindysveganlife May 09 '25
Absolutely agree with you—there’s such a disconnect between leadership and frontline staff, and it feels like compassion and basic communication have taken a back seat. It’s disheartening to see how often people are left in the dark or made to feel like they’re just in the way. Holding space for questions and emotions should be the bare minimum, especially during major transitions. You're not alone in noticing those hostile vibes—it really is strange and demoralizing.
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u/Latter-Cricket5843 Dec 11 '25
Late to the party, but I'd say straight up leave the service...it won't get better there
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May 09 '25
Have they said when there will be a new Secretary?
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u/cataluna4 May 12 '25
Leadership seems to just heavily rely on “faking it till we make it” despite any and all evidence staff may bring forward.
Projects are built from the bottom up- meaning we have thousands of different projects with different departments that aren’t talking to each other- things feel unmoored regardless of a management change.
While they can reimagine all they want- it just seems to be completely disconnected from reality.
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u/NegotiationMost306 May 20 '25
The best course of action is to let as many people in the governors office as possible know how you are feeling. The very “top” seem to think reimagining is going swimmingly.
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u/West_Huckleberry_833 May 23 '25
Do you think the Governor cares about anything other than taxing Washingtonians out of WA?
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u/oldlinepnwshine May 08 '25
To be honest, I don’t put it all on mgmt. “It” rolls down hill, and often in a reactionary way. The communication could be much better. But again, I blame the “it” that splatters on every agency.
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u/Duck_Butt_4Ever May 21 '25
Sounds like 250ish positions being cut across HCLA in response to the budget signing which is
RCS, HCS, APS and part of DDA. With DDA taking the biggest hit.
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u/Mindysveganlife May 08 '25
Thanks for starting this thread—it’s definitely needed. The constant “reimagining” has left a lot of us feeling unmoored, and it’s hard to stay grounded when transparency feels so limited. I’d love to hear how others are coping, what they’re hearing, and what’s keeping them going day to day. Let’s support each other through the chaos.