DSHS Division of Child Support

Back in 1999, The Supported Employment in State Government (SESG) program was adopted by the Washington State Legislature, and it provided paid competitive employment opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities. Suddenly a variety of employment opportunities throughout the state were available, and Chandan Bhuta was intent on landing one of them.

“I applied for almost every single position that I saw,” said Chandan. “But there was something that I really liked about the Office Assistant position with Spokane County, she added. “I was very persistent and it paid off when I was finally offered the job.”

Now 17 years later, Chandan still enjoys going to work every day, and has no plans to change careers anytime soon.

“I really like the people that I work with,” said Chandan. “While the clientele can sometimes be difficult, it’s the people that I work with that make it all worth it.”

Because some of Chandan’s work involves customer service around child support, she has learned to deal with individuals who can be very emotional. Having been on the job for almost two decades though, Chandan has learned a thing or two about how to deal with all types of clientele.

“I asked for better training in that area,” said Chandan. “After working with a specialist, we all felt more confident and better able to handle the hostility that can be directed at us at times.”

While Chandan does spend a fair amount of time talking with clients on the phone, she also is responsible for answering emails, gathering information from the company database, and ordering supplies and publications for the office.

As a 17 year veteran employee for DSHS, Chandan has proven herself to be a valuable asset to the organization. Her longevity and consistency have stood the test of time and we wouldn’t be surprised to see Chandan continue her work with DSHS for years to come.