Articles from prior issues of The Advocate

November/December, 1995

Letter to Larry DeVantier

Larry DeVantier
NADE President
537 West Allen
Springfield, IL 62704

Dear Larry:

During his presentation at the national NADE conference last week, Chuck Jones referred to a project currently in progress to accelerate the creation of the DCM position. Chuck stated that the NCDDD had been invited to participate in the workgroup and had declined. He suggested that NADE members may wish to inquire of NCDDD about its reasons for not participating. Without awaiting your inquiry, NCDDD wishes to provide the following explanation.

When the DCM concept was originally announced, nearly all those who commented were concerned that the position would not be viable in view of the breadth and depth of expertise required to effectively perform the tasks of both Disability Examiner and Claims Representative. SSA responded by saying that development of a system of "enablers" (including RDS, a simplified decision methodology, third party participation, and partnership with the medical community) would make the DCM position viable and that implementation would be delayed pending development of these enablers. In the meantime, a teaming relationship between CRs and DEs would be used as an interim step toward the DCM. NCDDD endorsed the teaming concept as a very sensible approach. Our thinking was that definition of and preparation for DCM implementation must follow rather than precede successful development of the enablers.

While we endorsed the interim approach, NCDDD also expressed concern that SSA might attempt to forge ahead with the DCM concept prematurely (that is, without developing the enablers) and that this could lead to disruption in program operations and a consequent deterioration in public service. Such deterioration is easily envisioned if federal employees were asked to add case development and adjudication to their existing tasks without proper training and support and without the enablers in place. But as late as September 6, we heard Chuck Jones say at a presentation in Kansas City that teaming would constitute an interim path toward DCM and that while on that path an idea superior to the DCM concept might be discovered.

We were disappointed to learn, in mid September, that DCM acceleration was under active consideration at SSA. If improvement in public service had been the reason for abandoning the transition plan in favor of DCM acceleration, then NCDDD could have played an active role. However, none of the factors that made the DCM concept problematic in the summer of 1994 have changed much in the fall of 1995. There is simply no reason to be more optimistic about the success of the DCM (without the enablers) now than there was 18 months ago.

During our consideration of how best to participate in DCM acceleration, NCDDD attention was alerted to the possibility that the proposal was largely the result of a desire of organized labor to upgrade some CR positions to grade 12. Since this would be a poor reason to replace the transition plan with DCM acceleration, NCDDD chose not to participate out of concern that such participation might later be construed as endorsement.

There was also a very pragmatic obstacle with the timing of the DCM acceleration project. We first heard about the project in mid September, we learned that union bargaining would begin in early November, and we were informed on relatively short notice that the project would involve a four to six week detail in central office. Finding a DDS administrator who could devote that much time on short notice was a serious problem.

Because of the improbability that public service would improve, NCDDD does not endorse DCM acceleration. We believe that the proper course is to first develop the enablers so as to prepare a foundation for success of the DCM. We do want to continue to offer whatever support we can to the development of the enablers, but in the meantime, we feel that NCDDD participation in the current acceleration project would not be appropriate.

I hope that the above effectively conveys NCDDD thinking. I have included a copy of this letter to Donna Hilton for consideration of including it in a future copy of the Advocate.

Sincerely,

Douglas Willman, NCDDD President Elect

cc: Chuck Jones