Seattle University researchers who posed as "secret shoppers" to test customer services at the Department of Social and Health Services gave the agency a failing grade.
Their report card, released this month, showed that DSHS treated whites and people of color differently, failed to provide basic information on programs when asked, failed to keep confidentiality and made things difficult for the disabled and those who don't speak English.
The researchers, who are of different ethnicities, visited all 54 DSHS offices around the state between July and December of 2009. ...