DHHS decision to close Calais office prompts outcry

The decision by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to close its office in Calais on November 1 has prompted an outcry from both the employees and area residents, who cite the difficulties that will be faced by both staff and clients in traveling to the regional office in Machias and the obstacles that are posed by DHHS online or phone services, particularly for the elderly population in the area. They also question why the state agency has not tried to find another solution in its cost-saving move.
"It's obscene," says Kathy Demmons, who has been working for DHHS for 32 years. She says the notification on July 29 to the 13 staff members at the Calais office that they would be reassigned to the Machias office was a surprise to all of the employees, even though it must have been planned for some time. "There's no consideration for the clientele or work staff. They don't care. Bottom line: You're moving to Machias."
Demmons points out, "Calais serves more walk-ins than Machias or Ellsworth because we do offer such a high level of customer service, we're accessible, and we treat people like human beings." According to information obtained by Rep. Joyce Maker of Calais, the daily average number of visits at the Calais DHHS office, at 21.99, is higher than the daily averages at the Ellsworth, Farmington, Fort Kent and Machias DHHS offices.
DHHS has been switching to a statewide processing system, with clients calling in to a customer service center. However, Demmons observes, "They can wait an hour or more because of the high volume of calls." Noting that people can run out of minutes on their cell phones when waiting, she says the call-in system "is not feasible for some." DHHS also is providing an online option for service, but she says it's often "not functioning properly or people have trouble establishing an account." Also, some clients are required to have face-to-face interviews and will have to travel to Machias or Houlton.
Rep. Maker notes that with the county having an aging population and little public transportation, it's difficult for people to get to Machias. "They need to talk to people in person," she says. "We're losing the person-to-person contact. When a person, especially our elderly, need help, they would like to have a person they can go in and talk to." She adds, "In rural areas, we need offices so that people can stop by. Other than that, I don't know how people are going to get services."
Demmons maintains that DHHS's new service center approach "keeps people at bay. No customer service, no regard for the clientele at all." With the transition to the customer service center system "we told them [DHHS officials] that customer service is going to be out the window." Of the service at the Calais office, she says, "We treat clients with respect and dignity."
Among the services offered at the Calais office are the determination of eligibility for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and MaineCare. There are also ASPIRE staff and an adult protective worker at the office.
"Elderly people, when they get services, feel more reassured when they come to an office and can see a person -- just that reassurance to have a live body go over the paperwork with them," says Demmons. She also notes that the Calais office does not have any lengthy lines. "I don't think we've had anyone wait 20 minutes."
With little public transportation in the county and the elderly not always having a reliable way to get places, Demmons says, "The transportation issue is huge." Peggy Bayliss, who started with her daughter Sarah a petition drive to oppose the closure, agrees with her. Commenting that about 40% of the county's population is either elderly or disabled, she points out that many people do not have vehicles or easy access to transportation to get to Machias. Bayliss notes that travel on Route 191 is dangerous both in the winter, with ice and snow, and all year long, with the risk of hitting wild animals. Because of the difficulties that will be faced by those who use the DHHS services in getting to Machias, she says the closure will end up "putting a strain on other agencies. Small nonprofits will feel the pinch, too."
While agreeing that many of the DHHS services can be handled online or by phone, Bayliss notes that others require paperwork or must be done in person. Also, many of the elderly, and "a lot of parents," do not have access to computers, she says.
Under the agency's plan, the 13 workers at the Calais office "will be ripped from our usual routine" and relocated to Machias, says Demmons. Having been in the Machias office, she says, "It's a beehive with their staff." With the Calais staff "crammed in there," she asks, "What kind of work environment is that?" She adds, "This job is a beast. There's so much to know and so much to do and work to process."
Demmons had previously worked at the DHHS office in Machias for nine months, from February through November in 1984, before transitioning over to the Calais office. She says the Route 191 road "is a cow path, it's a frost heave, truck traffic."
Demmons has a leased vehicle that allows only a limited number of miles, but now she will have to travel an hour and a half each day to work and back. Another worker at the Calais office has been there 27 years and provides childcare for her grandchildren, so she also will have difficulty commuting to Machias.

Other options explored
A statement released by Samantha Edwards, the DHHS manager of media relations, notes that the department regularly reviews leases as they come up for renewal. The Calais building lease ends on October 31, and the current building space on South Street, next to the Calais District Court building, costs approximately $100,000 per year.
While the lease cost is cited by DHHS as the apparent reason for the decision, Maker notes that she has been approached by businesses willing to lease space to DHHS for considerably less. Demmons asks if the agency checked to see if there are any other viable locations in Calais. Noting that DHHS will have to maintain some space in Calais for the limited services it plans to offer following the closure, she asks, "How do they plan to handle 5,000 walk-ins [annually] two days a week?"
In her statement, Edwards says, "DHHS will continue to have a presence in the area; we will have staff from the Office of Aging and Disability along with CDC public health nurses maintaining an itinerant site. Eligibility staff from the Office for Family Independence will make regularly scheduled, weekly trips to conduct face to face meetings in the Calais area; this will be similar to the pilot program adopted in Dover‑Foxcroft. Additionally, individuals will be able to access services online, via phone or walk‑in at our Machias regional office."
While DHHS officials say that they will maintain an itinerant site in Calais with some staff making weekly trips there, Bayliss wonders, if the agency is paying for another site in Calais, why DHHS doesn't just keep its staff and services in Calais.
Maker notes that DHHS has set a precedent for reversing its decisions, since the agency had announced earlier this year that it would be closing its office in Fort Kent but following protests decided instead to find a new site in the town. As with the Calais office decision, DHHS had cited high rent costs, at $106,000 a year, as the reason for the initial decision to close the Fort Kent office.
"This doesn't make sense," says Maker of the DHHS decision, while Demmons comments, "There's nothing good that can come out of this."
In a release, Senator David Burns of Whiting commented, "The Washington County legislative delegation is very aware that it is important for citizens to have access to necessary services that are delivered through DHHS. We want to make sure those services are not interrupted because of this decision. We also appreciate the loyalty and good work of the DHHS employees and want to avoid any unnecessary burdens placed upon them. We also understand the need for the administration to run our agencies as efficiently and effectively as possible for the benefit of all our citizens and taxpayers. We desire to work with the administration to that end."
Maker and Burns have asked for a meeting between DHHS Commissioner Mary Mayhew and the Washington County legislative delegation so they can hear what the administration's plan is for delivering services as well as learn the details about the reassignment of DHHS employees. They were hoping to hear back from the state agency this week.
As of August 8, Bayliss had collected 200 signatures in her petition drive, and she and her daughter were planning to get the petitions into stores this past week. Bayliss notes that anyone who would like to help circulate petitions can contact her at 669-4499.