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Council Grills Human Services Director Over Decision to Cut Domestic Violence Division

City Hall, Politics   February 9, 2011 at 7:11 pm Erica C. Barnett

Just got back from city hall, where city council members interrogated Human Services Department director Dannette Smith (appointed by Mayor Mike McGinn last June) over her plans to reorganize HSD, eliminating the division director who oversaw the city’s domestic violence and sexual assault prevention programs (a story PubliCola broke in January).

At times, it would have been hard for an outsider dropping in on the meeting to divine that Smith was talking about actual victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The people involved got lost in a thicket of jargon: “Integrative approach,” “silos,” “data integrity,” “cross-pollination,” and “product delivery” were just a few of the bureaucratic terms Smith came back to repeatedly to describe the reorganization. Domestic violence and sexual assault prevention would, as Smith put it this afternoon, be “weave[d] and integrate[d]” into all aspects of the two new divisions, including family support centers, immigrant and refugee services, school-based programs, and early childhood programs.

But, basically, the change boils down to a new organizational chart that eliminates three divisions (Youth Development & Achievement, Early Learning & Family Support, and Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Prevention) and replaces them with two (Youth and Family Empowerment and Community Support and Self-Sufficiency) while consolidating a lot of bureaucratic work and data management under HSD’s deputy director.

Domestic violence prevention is now relegated to a subsection of HSD’s organizational structure, under Community Support and Self-Sufficiency.

“This [old] organizational chart has not allowed me as the director to be able to do policy work and strategic planning and strategic thinking, so part of what I’ve done is flip-flop the organization [to give] the deputy director … responsibility for the day-to-day operations,” Smith said.

The council aimed some unusually pointed questions at Smith, most asking whether it was possible—with domestic violence and sexual assault prevention formally “bur[ied] in layers of bureaucracy and layers of management in between,” as Jean Godden put it—to keep those programs front and center at HSD.

“In the past, we have had a domestic violence director who reports directly to department director,” Richard Conlin said, wielding his own version of the org chart making it clear that DV is now at the bottom of the department’s structure (see below). “Now there is no director, there’s no manager and the staff is reporting to a division director who’s reporting to the deputy director. …I’m concerned about the fact that we have lost that ability [to integrate domestic violence services with other HSD divisions] now, because that management’s gone. How are we going to get that back?”

Jean Godden piled on: “As budget chair, I definitely appreciate your efforts to streamline the department. … But then I put on my woman’s advocacy hat, and I do definitely have some grave concerns about the deemphasis” on domestic violence.

Smith said the changes actually give HSD more flexibility to work DV services into other areas of the department, such as immigrant outreach, on-site community service centers, and communities of color. “We’ve been very stagnant. We have not been as fluid as we need to be. … Many communities have informal networks that we could use as a way to strengthen  families and how they operate [and be] accessible and responsive to cultural, racial, and ethnic differences.” Smith said her reorganization would allow more flexible contracts with private human service providers, allowing a child welfare organization, for example, to intervene when a mother is being abused.

It’s worth noting, however, that the city only provides about 20 percent of the funding to the groups Smith is talking about, making it difficult for a city department to determine their direction and programs.

Council members confronted Smith with tough questions about her initial, somewhat careless remarks about cutting the domestic violence division. “We have had such a good domestic violence program that’s been recognized across the country,” Godden said. “Is there a way that we can communicate to the community … that we do still care desperately about this? If it doesn’t look like you have a decent program, than you really don’t have a decent program.”

Tim Burgess, a panelist at a recent HSD domestic violence division-sponsored forum on prostituted and exploited children, noted that serious domestic violence crimes like felony assaults increased nine percent in Seattle in 2010, adding: “As you know, these are primarily women who are victims of domestic violence, and if we are not standing with them they’re even at greater risk. We don’t want any signal that goes out that we’re not paying attention as much as we have in the past.”

Smith acknowledged that she had “had some learning and some ‘aha’ moments” while explaining the changes to community members and the press. “If my communication in any way suggested that I’m not listening or paying attention to the conversations that are being had with me by either council members or the community, that’s not true. I continue to be an avid listener,” Smith said. “I’m learning about Seattle and I’m learning about the community and how that communication could be done in a different way.” Smith came to Seattle earlier this year from Fairburn, Georgia.

The immigrant and refugee community was out in force in favor of the reorganization at this afternoon’s meeting, while advocates for abused and assaulted women were notably absent.

King County Coalition on Domestic Violence director Merril Cousin said her group made a conscious decision not to testify. “We didn’t testify because we understood this to be an informational briefing,” not a public hearing, Cousin said. “I think there is still concern about the fact that it’s not clear where the commitment to domestic violence and sexual assault is institutionalized” in the restructured department.

As for the big turnout among the immigrant and refugee community, there was some speculation about the politics behind it, which effectively pitted immigrant and refugee organizations against (largely white-run) traditional women’s domestic violence advocacy groups. Alluding to the apparently organized barrage of testimony from immigrant and refugee advocacy groups, council member Nick Licata quipped after the hearing: “I’m sure they all just happened to be downtown this afternoon!”—alluding to speculation that Smith had asked the groups to turn out and testify.

Maria Batayola, program chair for the Filipino Community of Seattle who turned out to support the reorg, told me after the meeting that “It wouldn’t surprise me if [Smith] told people this was up at the council” and asked them to turn out in support.


  • fount

    “’I’m sure they all just happened to be downtown this afternoon!’—alluding to speculation that Smith had asked the groups to turn out and testify.”

    Just like all those tunnel bosters just happened to be at the council’s Monday meeting…but we didn’t hear Licata mocking them.

  • Curlove

    Erica, this is not reporting, this is biased activism without any substantive reasons. Maybe you could provide some reasons why domestic violence services should not be more integrated into other services. Seems like a good idea to me but you apparently are the expert.

  • Anonymous

    Fount – I think Licata was mocking Smith, not those who testified. Curlove, I don’t believe that Erica was biased in her reporting at all.

    The programs they are trying to integrate DV into are not those that DV is usually integrated with – try these instead: mental health, substance abuse, public health, temporary housing, etc.

  • KVE

    using words like “relegate” show bias… erica is exaggerating here to make this issue larger than it actually is. she also fails to point out that no money will be cut from DV with the exception of that which is devoted to the old division director’s salary. The DV division is all contracts to community agencies (no direct service) and the contract specialists will all retain their jobs… how is this controversial? I’d much prefer a director get the axe than line staff.

  • interested community member

    I guess the days of equity and open community processes are a joke now. Maybe the reporter and “people’s activist” Nick Licata should listen to the public testimony – they might have learned that we were not all immigrant and refugee organizations. I was in the audience and know that there were African American, Asian American, Latino-American, and Asian and East African immigrants and refugees. It’s interesting that Licata and Merril Cousin discounted the public comments because she and her “mostly white leaders” of domestic violence advocacy groups weren’t testifying. I thought that was the purpose of public city council meetings…. Or is it that you already met behind closed doors so that isn’t “political”. Isn’t that why you have public meetings? Maybe the reporter can investigate and report on who the councilmembers met with behind closed doors. Who drew the new organizational chart for Conlin? What about the questions? The ones that are getting the money? And since when is 5 speakers a barrage? When they don’t look like you?
    The speakers were not speaking out against domestic violence and sexual assault support…There were speakers who, by the way represented many communities – immigrants, African American, and Asian American (Maria Batayola, program chair for the Filipino Community of Seattle) — who are concerned about domestic violence and sexual assault and exploitation in their own communities and want to find ways to deal with those problems in ways that address their cultural and community needs. Is it pitting people against each other because we have our own voice? I guess the voices at meeting are being discounted because they supported the new director. I was there because I attended one of a number of open meetings Dannette Smith held with agencies and other community groups. Many of us were excited to hear about the changes and to be invited to provide input. We haven’t been included like this before the new director started and that’s why you saw so many people show up – and we weren’t all just one group or community. I guess we are all grouped together as immigrants and refugees by the reporter and Licata. Maybe the decisions have been made behind closed doors with select people – in the way that apparently Nick Licata and his colleagues are used to.

  • cedartree

    I attended the meeting yesterday and share Erica’s observations. Ms. Smith’s actions speak louder than her words. Ms. Smith has stripped the DV and sexual assault division of its current status and buried it three layers deep – next to utility payments and jobs for seniors. How does this enhance the Department’s ability to provide better services? This is a simple question and in spite being asked in many different ways, Ms. Smith cannot give a coherent reply. She speaks of product lines and tenacles and, frankly, this type of speaking sounds silly. This new org chart (thank you CM Conlin) does not integrate DV and sexual assualt services into the department; moving boxes around does not accomplish integration. Setting the expectation that DV will be integerated with housing, elder services, early learning and youth development and holding directors accoutable does. Has this happened yet? Thank goodness for our smart City Council members. I think they see this for what it is and called it out pretty clearly yesterday. Lastly, as pointed out by CM Godden, the DV Division has been reduced from 6.0 FTE to 5.0 FTE – this is a direct cut to a successful program and is the most potent indication that Ms. Smith does not, in spite of her rhetoric, value domestic violence and sexual assualt services in this community – and this flys in the face of the effort made by prior Mayors and current and former council members to keep this issue in the forefront. That FTE is now going to another administrative position, according to the org chart. Ms. Smith has created a new admin position which she called something like data integrity manager. The bottom line is a diminished DV and sexual assault capacity and an enhanced number of managers in the director’s office. Let’s call it what it is.

  • realist

    Perhaps Ms. Smith has determined that the director of the Domestic Violence Prevention Office is just a pain to work with.

  • Hope

    Nag nag nag….

  • fount

    Can we talk in reality rather than hyperbole? Can we talk in substance rather than symbolism?

    Can we stop using words like “bury” and “relegate,” and be upset that a manager used — God forbid — manager-speak?

    I have no idea if this is the right thing to do. But neither do any of the hyperbolic commenters relying on a “perception is reality” mentality.

    This is a contracts management shop. You could easily argue that but cutting out the division director, they pulled the contract managers closer to the chief.

  • spotcheck

    Erica, your writing (can’t call it “journalism”) reminds me of pieces in my college newspaper: earnest but fundamentally uninformed, fitting facts and quotations to support a prejudiced and preconceived point of view. But maybe I’m too old to understand what a “blog” is because I just see this as screed.

    Do you ever stop to examine your own biases? You (and Nick Licata) dismissed and demeaned articulate, impassioned advocates for communities that have been traditionally overlooked and underserved by mainstream agencies—who happen to be immigrants, refugees and people of color. (“There was some speculation that politics were behind it.”) They are grappling with myriad challenges, including domestic violence and sexual assault and yet they don’t feel well served in the current system. Dig a little deeper (i.e., leave downtown and go into southeast Seattle, the ID) and you will likely tap into feelings of marginalization, alienation, disillusionment. Why are their sentiments, this testimony any less believable, heartfelt, compelling? I would ask the same question to City Council members and their staff.

    I too was at yesterday’s meeting but have a completely different take, and you do your reading public a disservice by letting your bias drive your conclusions

  • jefe

    Yes, perhaps that is true.

  • hector

    Good job Erica, I appreciate you calling it what it is. And further, your first paragraph is a completely accurate depiction of how Smith “communicates,”
    through double-speak and jargon that sadly seems to be the new way Directors try to confuse issues by not being straight-forward

  • hector

    Good job Erica, I appreciate you calling it what it is. And further, your first paragraph is a completely accurate depiction of how Smith “communicates,”
    through double-speak and jargon that sadly seems to be the new way Directors try to confuse issues by not being straight-forward

  • alma kern

    Why is it that when people of color testify at the Council meetings, their testimonies are deemed to be politically motivated or that the were told to testify by someone else? Don’t the city councilmembers know that we, the immigrants and refugees have brains of our own and can be articulate in speaking of our communities’ needs? But when white people testify, they are perceived as being “empowered”, well-organized, and exercising their freedom of speech? When will the City Council members ever understand or ever value us, the immigrants and refugees of Seattle, who contribute as much to the greatness of this city as any other resident?

  • ColCitRes

    Seems like what Director Smith is doing is walking Seattle’s progressive talk, by affecting a transfer of empowerment to directly to groups who are claiming to have never been as engaged or consulted with as effectively before. No one would begrudge any new director from reorganizing, just as no one would begrudge raised eyebrows over what this reorg implies. This is a situation where everyone is right to be concerned, which just means were paying attention. That’s a good thing. Personally I’m hopeful this reorg will act as a lifeline to community organizations, (especially 503C’s which have been dropping like flies) who are otherwise compelled to compete to the death for resources.

  • Williams

    Why was the rationale behind creating the current Domestic Violence Divison with a staff of only 4 employees never questioned and scrutinized to this extent? Rather than comparing the current org chart to the proposed org chart in the way it’s illustrated in this article, it would be useful to compare the current Domestic Violence Division org chart to other org chart divisions in the Human Services Department. Other division directors serve equally vulnerable populations and are responsible for far more staff, larger and more complex budgets and a myriad of coordination responsibilities.

    The proposed reorganization makes sense. Violence, abuse and neglect are issues for every division and for our collaborative partner organizations and programs. The reorganization will encourage every division to develop pro-active and holistic strategies while retaining dedicated Domestic Violence staff and Domestic Violence focused funding. It’s really a win win proposal that puts people first.

  • Williams

    Why was the rationale behind creating the current Domestic Violence Divison with a staff of only 4 employees never questioned and scrutinized to this extent? Rather than comparing the current org chart to the proposed org chart in the way it’s illustrated in this article, it would be useful to compare the current Domestic Violence Division org chart to other org chart divisions in the Human Services Department. Other division directors serve equally vulnerable populations and are responsible for far more staff, larger and more complex budgets and a myriad of coordination responsibilities.

    The proposed reorganization makes sense. Violence, abuse and neglect are issues for every division and for our collaborative partner organizations and programs. The reorganization will encourage every division to develop pro-active and holistic strategies while retaining dedicated Domestic Violence staff and Domestic Violence focused funding. It’s really a win win proposal that puts people first.

  • julie

    Erica is very perceptive and her insights are accurate. One of the issues not mentioned is that this re-alignment ws enacted, with the director of dv eliminated, before a feasible management structure was put in place. And this does affet DV. And it will affect future funding and the real issue is how this impacts the survivors/victims that the City is supposed to help. Folks forget that, the essence of the mission…But this Mayor has not shown support for DV or advocacy for issues affecting women.

  • Maria

    Erica,
    A couple of clarifications — first: I testified as an individual who served as founding board co-chair of the API Women and Family Safety Center, and not as a representative of the Filipino Community of Seattle nor the APIWFSC. Second: You misquoted me. You asked me if the City contacted us to show up at the Council committee meeting. I shook my head and said I don’t know anything about that and did not say much more. My interest in coming to the committee is to support the re-org to bring more voices to the table and strengthen services to DV victims by providing more integrated support services. I am afraid your misquote distracted from the issue.
    Maria (Batayola)