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Department of Social and Health Services Client Survey 2002

The 2002 DSHS client survey showed improvement on almost every measure of client satisfaction. In three areas – quality, helpfulness, and timeliness of assistance – the improvement over 2001 survey results was great enough to be statistically significant. In both years, the client surveys found high levels of overall satisfaction and some areas of concern.

The agency-wide client survey provides an opportunity to listen to the agency's clients and to incorporate client feedback into the strategic planning process. A very high proportion of selected clients completed the survey: the cooperation rate was 93% and the completion rate was 65%. Key findings follow:

Goal: DSHS Services Are of High Quality
The survey found that overall client satisfaction rates were higher than the previous year. Almost all (more than nine out of ten) DSHS clients said that DSHS services had helped them. Almost nine out of ten thought that DSHS and the programs they utilized do good work. Eight out of ten clients said they were satisfied with services.

• Programs Help Clients. 94% said program services have helped them (up from 87% in 2001)
• Agency Quality. 88% agreed that thinking of all programs together, DSHS does good work (up from 79% in 2001)
• Quality of Services. 87% felt that their program does good work (up from 77% in 2001)
• Program Satisfaction. 80% indicated they were satisfied with program services

Goal: People Are Treated With Courtesy and Respect
Most clients were satisfied with staff courtesy and respect; nearly nine out of ten clients responded positively to questions about staff attributes.

• Courtesy and Respect. 89% reported that they were treated with courtesy and
• Listening to Clients. 88% said staff listened to what they had to say
• Understanding Client Needs. 84% felt that staff understood their needs

Goal: DSHS Services Are Easy to Access and Timely
Clients were quite satisfied with the physical location and operating hours of DSHS facilities; almost nine out of ten gave positive responses. They were less positive about the timeliness and ease of obtaining services; about seven out of ten clients gave positive responses.

• Location. 88% reported it was easy to get to their program
• Convenient Hours. 88% felt their program was open at times that were good for them
• Timeliness of Service. 77% said they got their services as quickly as they needed (up from 67% in 2001)
• Timely Phone Response. 70% said program staff returned their calls within 24 hours
• Ease of Access to Services. 69% felt it was easy to get services from their program

Goal: Information About Services is Clear and Available
Some clients had difficulty obtaining information about DSHS programs. About eight out of ten clients reported that information from DSHS was available and clear.

• Clarity of Information. 83% related that program staff explained things clearly
• Knowledge of Available Services. 78% knew what program services there were for them and their family
• Availability of Information. 79% indicated it was easy to get the facts they needed about services

Goal: DSHS Clients Live as Independently as Possible
Not all clients felt they were involved in choices about services. More than three out of four clients indicated that they participated in planning and choosing services.

• Participation in Choices. 78% felt that they were involved in making choices about services
• Participation in Planning. 77% said that they helped make plans and goals about their services

Goal: DSHS Coordinates Service Delivery
There appears to be room for improvement in the area of service coordination. About seven out of ten clients indicated that DSHS ensures that services are coordinated. Slightly more than half said that one person from DSHS assists with all programs.

• Agency Coordination of Services. 69% agreed DSHS makes sure all their services work well together
• Staff Coordination of Services. 55% indicated that someone from DSHS helps them with services from all of their DSHS programs

Differences between Groups
Responses tended to be more positive if the client used only one DSHS program, was Hispanic, was a child, was not involved with mandatory Child and Family services, or was represented by a parent, guardian or significant other.

Additional Comments
The survey included open-ended questions asking what clients liked about DSHS, and eliciting suggestions for improvement and other comments.

• Positive Feedback. More than 400 respondents made positive comments about how DSHS had helped them. Over 300 commented favorably on DSHS staff. Almost 200 made positive mention of specific programs.
• Needs for Improvement. Nearly 150 comments mentioned problems with DSHS business processes like paperwork, waiting times, efficiency and coordination of services. Eighty-one comments addressed difficulties in getting information, and 67 spoke of problems reaching staff through phone, voicemail and email.

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Modified: Thursday August 16 2007

For more ways to get in touch with the Department of Social and Health Services, go to the DSHS Contact Information Web page. Technical Site Comments: DSHS Webmaster. Copyright 2004 Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.