Leaked Internal Email from The Counseling Center (TCC) Sparks Uproar
SCDN has obtained an internal email from the COO of TCC to the Purchasing Manager. The email was intended as a private conversation between two colleagues with a good working relationship, not a public statement.
Among the materials, we will share are remarks from an employee concerned about the email, the email itself, and a statement from the COO who sent it, Aaron Wagner.
1. The Complaint
In the past month or so, TCC’s infrastructure appears to be crumbling. This is important information for both potential clients and the community. TCC has laid off staff to the point of an unreasonable staff-to-client ratio. Certain departments have been placed on a hiring freeze.
Just this week, they announced budget cuts, suspended spending/purchasing abilities to even those at the senior director level, discontinued evening transportation, and are no longer transporting clients to NA/AA meetings/support groups.
The staff has not been provided an explanation for any of these drastic changes or when/if the business will return to normal. TCC also announced that vocational programs would cease until further notice. Staff are left without answers and are extremely concerned with client care and job security.
This is all said with consideration to TCC’s recent purchases of Mitchellace and the Rosemount Motel, along with building new facilities in Lawrence County and Jackson County. Things are not adding up, and people need their concerns addressed.
2. The Leaked Email
The following is an email sent from the COO of TCC to the business resource manager. It was accidentally forwarded to the majority of the company. The staff seems infuriated about it. (** to protect names***)
“**** – I am counting on you to immediately implement supply order controls for all departments. Effective Monday at 8am I do not want anyone in the entire company buying anything without you approving it first. Not even a cup of coffee. The only exemptions would be **, **, **, and **. Think about how you do that and implement that pronto please. Work on the process and the communication.
Do you kill all credit cards, do you call all vendors to stop accounts, do you put a hold on all orders – yes and many more things for sure. I want it to be impossible for an RSS coordinator to buy a bar of soap without you knowing first. I want it to be impossible for ** to schedule a credit counselor training session without you approving and knowing first.
I want it to be impossible for us to buy groceries at Kroger or fuel for vans without you knowing first. The last two will require you to work with ** very closely – he may have to sit on top of the fueling and grocery processes for a few weeks honestly – I bet we are feeding transitional clients and don’t even know it.
Please think about this hard over today and tomorrow and prep your draft for me to review and approve so ** can send it out Monday before the business day even starts. You’ve got this.”
3. The Response from Aaron Wagner
Upon asking for a comment about the entire complaint as well as the email itself, Mr. Wagner responded very quickly.
His first priority was to offer some context about the email. “We have been preparing a new Purchasing Manager for full-time duties. During the last 18 months, the Department Directors have had to oversee purchases and expenses. The team has done a great job of pulling together to handle the extra weight. Those Department Directors are now free to focus on their main obligations and forward the accounting duties to Purchasing Manager.”
He added, “The email that was sent to my direct report was intended as a capstone to our recent conversations regarding his new role and was written to reinvigorate his focus as he resumed his new assignment after returning from a week away. The comment about feeding clients was not made to indicate that we shouldn’t or don’t feed clients but rather that we may be failing to control food purchases for individuals who are either entering full independence or actually fully independent.”
In most businesses, there is a comptroller or financial manager. It is not uncommon for department heads to get approval from them for departmental expenditures.
Wagner went on to address some of the key complaints listed by the staff member. It was important to him that four matters of contention were addressed.
First, Wagner said that no mass layoffs had taken place. “We have not nor do we have any current plans for large-scale layoffs. I do believe we have recently eliminated a few positions as a result of restructuring and process improvement.”
In response to the claim that their expansion of services may be a source of money woes, he told us, “I acknowledged that TCC has had to undertake aggressive renovations at the Rosemount location in an effort to secure safe and high-quality housing for our clients. We remain committed to providing the best possible services and resources for our clients. In doing so, we have to remain focused on controlling costs in a responsible manner. That was the entire premise of the note (email) to the newly positioned purchasing manager.”
Second, he was very vocal about the reported cutting of vocational services. He was adamant that every vocational service is open and running as usual. In his statement, Wagner acknowledged that one vocational course was canceled this week. He firmly stated that there are “no plans to make any long-term changes in vocational development or placement.
Third, Wagner discussed the transportation claim. TCC operates a fleet of 40 vehicles. It is good financial stewardship to closely monitor the costs of transportation and maintenance of that fleet. There are times when an outside vendor can help with transportation, so making sure to weigh those options is a good idea.
Finally, the provider-to-client ratio is established by the state. Wagner maintains that their current ratio exceeds the state’s requirement.
4. The Wrap Up
We have given you all the information. The complaints, the leaked email, and the explanation from not just a TCC mouthpiece but the actual person who wrote the email.
There has been an ongoing dialogue between TCC and SCDN for several years. When we challenge them, they respond respectfully and openly.
Now you have all the information, you can make your own conclusions.
When the public brings issues like this to us, we will continue to shine the light and get answers. You can reach out to us at any time. Our team is here to dig in and find answers and perhaps even facilitate constructive resolutions.
