The lines of responsibility for Sara Gwin have been blurred over the past few years.

As an experienced benefit eligibility worker for the state of Oregon, she has long taken pride in coming up with ideas for the hands-on training required by the hundreds of employees who process applications for benefits administered by the state like cash payments, medical assistance or food stamps. But she often has had to step up for that teaching role without additional pay.

The state struggles to consistently employ workers like Gwin in lead positions, with its human services department only having funding for about 28% of the lead workers it needs, according to the agency. The result is that it’s harder to provide real-life experience to workers seeking to aid vulnerable Oregonians and avoid errors

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