Tye Wolfe

Review of Tompkins County Department of ...

Seeing the previous reviews, I will try to add wha...

Seeing the previous reviews, I will try to add what I believe is a more objective response, having covered county services for local newspapers. Clients often forget that personnel are used to dealing with difficult, often hostile people with substance-related issues. Also, they are taken aback by how frugal their benefits may be. Were they to move to any county in any direction they would see any less of NY's famously generous benefits. The major downer is that it shares a building with the probation dept., in part because DSS recipients are mandated to be fingerprinted. So one can't be surprised if clients feel like criminals asking for help. However, one should fault the county and the state, not the staff. Anyone lucky enough to be on Medicaid when they needed, say, an appendectomy, knows that of which I speak.