DHW moving 19 jobs to Boise

COEUR d’ALENE — The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare will move 19 “non-customer-facing child support positions” from its office at 1120 W. Ironwood Drive in Coeur d’Alene to a statewide child support service center near Boise “for increased efficiency, quality control and cost savings,” DHW spokesman Chris Smith said Thursday.

He said the transition will not impact customer service or assistance with child support here. Other DHW programs in Coeur d’Alene will remain here, their hours will remain the same, and staffing levels for face-to-face customer service will not change, Smith said.

“Offices located at 1120 and 1250 Ironwood Drive and 2195 Ironwood Court will continue to serve local residents with the same levels of staffing and hours of operation,” Smith said.

DHW’s spaces in Coeur d’Alene are overcrowded, he said. The savings will come by not having to expand the department’s footprint in a rapidly rising rental market in Coeur d’Alene, he said. Otherwise, “other services that require face-to-face contact with customers would be impacted.”

Smith said DHW staff were informed of the decision earlier this week. The transition will take two to three months.

The 19 employees can move with the jobs to the Boise area, he said. They were notified well ahead of the move “to give them time to make critical decisions about relocation and find different employment if they choose not to relocate,” said Smith. DHW’s human resources department will work with them to help them find new employment if desired, he added.