Tompkins County Department of Social Services — Local services in City of Ithaca

It’s only a matter of time before I speak out to more college students about what’s really going on in Ithaca.

Mark my words: I’ll do everything I can to save them. I don’t care whether you value me or see me as just another client, I'm going to make sure YouTube is filled with the truth. Maybe when people start reaching out to you, reminding you of the power and agency you actually hold, it will motivate your social workers to finally do better.

Thank you for your complete lack of action and your blasé attitude towards ableism. Thank you for making it nearly impossible for me to graduate and leave this town that’s robbed me both by its residents and the so-called “social services” here.

Thank you for putting me in a homeless shelter while I was trying to graduate, instead of offering me a safe hotel. Then, to top it off, you moved me to an abusive hotel where nothing is getting fixed, and I’m being blamed for it. (For more details, see my ECONOLODGE review.) Thank you for being so quick to take my ESA cat away with Cold Blue, yet not removing the unprescribed meth or heroin from the hands of junkies?

I’m done being silenced by this broken system. The truth is coming out—one way or another.

ITHACA is USING. Ithaca is no longer, and never was, safe for college students. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if the staff here either joins the junkies or runs as far away from this God-forsaken place...

Seeing the previous reviews, I will try to add what I believe is a more objective response, having covered county services for local newspapers. Clients often forget that personnel are used to dealing with difficult, often hostile people with substance-related issues. Also, they are taken aback by how frugal their benefits may be. Were they to move to any county in any direction they would see any less of NY's famously generous benefits. The major downer is that it shares a building with the probation dept., in part because DSS recipients are mandated to be fingerprinted. So one can't be surprised if clients feel like criminals asking for help. However, one should fault the county and the state, not the staff. Anyone lucky enough to be on Medicaid when they needed, say, an appendectomy, knows that of...

They'll help but they won't help you much depending on what your need is. They don't help you if you're about to be homeless they make you wait to be completely homeless and make you verify information even though you showed them the eviction notice and whatever else like notice of petition. They need to work on policies because if that's what they got they not gonna help many struggling people. Your eligibility for homelessness depends on how homeless you are so even if your about to be straight homeless you have to be homeless homeless. They'll give you information but don't really give it all sometimes you gotta come back to find out more or call. Dss is practically useless unless you're getting food stamps or...