Today, we’re talking about two phrases that live on post-it notes on my desk: “Plan for the worst, hope for the best” and “proper preparation prevents poor performance.” Sitting down to think through what could happen in the worst-case scenario in your district or state is part of making sure that your team is ready to help when your constituents need you the most.

And — for casework managers looking to help a talented caseworker grow — leading a crisis planning exercise can also be a great professional development experience.

To help, we have a new Case Note with tips on planning for worst-case scenarios around safeguarding constituent information, and a quick roundup of casework-related news.

I am always here for questions, comments, suggestions, or just to chat about casework. Please feel free to reach out by replying to this email, or shoot me a note at anne@popvox.org.

Anne Meeker
Deputy Director
POPVOX Foundation

NEW: Addressing Casework Vulnerabilities

Constituents place enormous trust in Members and caseworkers when they disclose sensitive information. To honor that trust and keep constituents safe, casework teams must plan for keeping constituent information safe from malicious actors — especially with the increasing prevalence of AI tools that allow criminals to easily impersonate constituents, staff, and Members.

Our new Case Note provides some tips for thinking through how to keep constituent information safe through worst-case scenarios.

Casework in the News

Why these articles? We always try to highlight innovative casework practices, including how casework teams pitch local and national media outlets on casework-related stories. If we’ve missed a cool story your team landed, send it our way!

Congratulations on 3,000 cases, team Lawler!

Congrats to the Lawler [R, NY] team on closing 3,000 cases since the beginning of the 118th Congress.

Rescue in Haiti

Reps. Cory Mills [R, FL] and Lisa McClain [R, MI] helped a group of Americans stranded in Haiti evacuate the country.

Drama in the State Up North

Reps. Shri Thanedar [D, MI] and Rashida Tlaib [D, MI] have been exchanging words over their offices’ relative prioritization of casework, including Thanedar’s use of the frank to purchase several billboards advertising his team’s services. (go Buckeyes)

News You Can Use

No hearings this week or next

Hang in there on those busy recess schedules!

Roundup of free tax filing options

The Taxpayer Advocate Service released a list of options available to taxpayers to file their taxes at no cost, including VITA clinics, the new Direct File pilot, FreeFile, MilTax, and more.

Efforts to change USCIS certified translation requirements

Several Members are seeking to change USCIS’ requirement that Congressional offices submit certified translations on behalf of non-English speaking constituents.

Some numbers from SSA Commissioner O’Malley’s testimony

SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley testified before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee last week on the financial state of the agency. Key takeaways include…

The agency’s headcount is at a 27-year low
Constituents wait an average of 39 minutes on hold when calling the 1-800 number
No states are currently at or above target times for disability determinations

VA OIG finds that a scheduling error contributed to a VA patient’s death

The VA’s rollout of a new Electronic Health Record (EHR) system through Oracle-Cerner has been plagued by difficulties across multiple pilot sites. A new report from VA OIG finds that a scheduling error at the Columbus location was a factor in a veteran’s death.

VHA will reduce headcount at underutilized locations in FY25

The VHA announced it will not hire to replace some departing workers at certain medical center locations, aiming to by 10,000 jobs.

New numbers on successful PSLF program tweaks

Adjustments to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program as well as a limited-time waiver have brought the number of approved PSLF applications up from 7,000 between 2007 and 2021 to 871,000 in total. 380,000 borrowers are also on track to complete the program in the next two years.

FAFSA applications reach record lows after tech glitches

5.7 million students have applied for financial aid through FAFSA, compared to the usual 17 million by this point in the cycle. Advocates worry that glitches and a late rollout to the simplified form have turned students off from applying.

Managing vicarious trauma in gov service

Short essay on the impact of managing moral injury and vicarious trauma in public service. We’ve noted in the past how these concepts are deeply relevant to casework.

Newsletter: Protecting Constituents