DHS seeking agencies to help with backlog of case reports

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) is asking for

proposals from qualified vendors to help resolve past due Child Protective Services (CPS) case reports. As of September 9, 2013, approximately 3,100 CPS case reports were backlogged, meaning the case is pending after 60 days. In these cases, an investigation was conducted, the children interviewed and an initial safety decision was made by CPS staff; however, the case has not been documented in the child welfare system and closed according to DHS policy. DHS is working aggressively to address the backlog using a variety of approaches, but there will likely be around 2,000 past due cases still requiring closure.

“This backlog is the direct result of the sharp growth in the number of children in our custody combined with the lag time it takes to hire, train and deploy the many new caseworker positions we began filling at the start of the calendar year,” said DHS Director Ed Lake. “Our efforts to reduce what is essentially a paperwork backlog are taking significant time and resources away from child safety, foster care and permanency planning priorities.”

Approximately 65,000 allegations of possible abuse and neglect are received each year by the DHS Abuse and Neglect Hotline. Approximately half of the reports are accepted for investigation with abuse and neglect found in around 20 percent of the cases. A significant number of children are found to be in immediate danger and must be placed in the foster care system. Many other families are offered services to remain together and the cases closed without need for further intervention. Documentation of all investigations is critical in the event any future reports are made which could indicate a pattern of problems within the family.

DHS is looking to partner with successful vendors to close all backlog cases by January 31, 2014. DHS will provide training to vendors on Oklahoma State Statutes regarding child abuse investigations, CPS policy and procedures, best practices related to child abuse investigations and documentation in the child welfare system.

Interested vendors can view the request for proposals and qualifications posted on the Office of Management and Enterprise Services Central Purchasing Division website at https://www.ok.gov/dcs/solicit/app/viewAttachment.php?attachmentID=58857.

A bidders’ conference will be held at 9 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 13 in the Sequoyah Auditorium, 2400 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City.

First DHS Joint Citizens Advisory Panel Meeting Scheduled Today

OKLAHOMA CITY --The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) Joint Citizens Advisory Panel will hold its first meeting Wednesday, August 14, at the Credit Union House, 631 East Hill Street in Oklahoma City, beginning at 10 a.m.

House Bill 3137 from 2012 established four citizen advisory panels in the areas of administration, aging issues, children and family issues, and disability issues.

They will serve to provide advice, information, findings and analysis to the Director regarding policies and practices of DHS and their impact on outcomes. The panels will study and make recommendations to the Director regarding the management and operation of DHS, and will also offer recommendations for the implementation of the Pinnacle Plan.

Each advisory panel will meet at least four times a year; the entire Joint Citizens Advisory Panel will meet at least once a year.

The Human Services Commission for the DHS was abolished by the voters of Oklahoma on Nov. 6, 2012 with the passage of State Question State Question 765.

Previously, the Commission had oversight of DHS, but the passage of SQ 765 means that the Director of DHS makes all decisions for the agency and reports directly to the Governor.

The four citizen advisory panels will report to the Director and provide advice and recommendations on Administration issues, Aging issues, Children and Family issues, and Disability issues. Each advisory panel has five members, with one member on each panel appointed by the Governor, the Speaker of the House, the Senate Pro Tempore, the Minority House Leader and the Minority Senate Leader.

Agenda:

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
JOINT CITIZENS ADVISORY PANEL MEETING
Aug. 14, 2013 10 a.m.
CREDIT UNION HOUSE
631 EAST HILL STREET
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

AGENDA
Call to Order and Roll Call

Welcome and Opening Comments – Ed Lake, Director

10:15 a.m. Legislative Intent of House Bill 3137 –Senator Greg Treat and Representative Jason Nelson

10:30 a.m. Co-Neutrals –Eileen Crummy, Kathleen Noonan, and Kevin Ryan

10:45 a.m. Open Meeting Act and Open Records Act – Jan Preslar, Attorney General’s Office

11:15 a.m. Finance and Administrative Services –Melissa Lange, Finance Division

11:45 a.m. - Lunch

12:15 p.m. Media Relations – Sheree Powell, Director, Communications and Community Relations

12:30 p.m. Services under the oversight and direction of Chief of Staff:
12:30 Diane Haser-Bennett, Director, Human Resource Management
12:40 Connie Schlittler, Director, Planning/Research/Statistics
12:50 Samantha Galloway, Coordinator, Intergovernmental Relations/Policy

1:00 p.m. Legal Services – Richard Freeman, Legal Services Division

1:15 p.m. Community Living and Support Services - Mark Jones, Chief Coordinating Officer, Community Living and Support Services

1:45 p.m. Adult and Family Services – Jim Struby, Director, Adult and Family Services

2:15 p.m. Child Welfare and the Oklahoma Pinnacle Plan – Deborah Smith, Director, Child Welfare Services

Adjournment

Go to http://www.okdhs.org/divisionsoffices/panel/default.htm for additional information and a complete list of scheduled meetings.

DHS Awards Foster Care Recruitment Contracts

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) has awarded contracts to private partnerships for the recruitment, support and retention of foster families.

To keep up with the rising number of children coming into the foster care system, DHS must have an adequate number of foster families. Following the settlement of a class action, civil rights lawsuit against the state's foster care system, DHS developed the Oklahoma Pinnacle Plan, a five year improvement plan. The process for selecting the new foster care providers met the requirements of the plan.  

Foster care contracts have been awarded to the following vendors:
 

• Angels Foster Family Network, Inc., Oklahoma City
• DCCCA/Tall Grass Family Services, Lawrence, Kansas
• St. Francis Community Services, Tulsa
• TFI Family Connections, LLC, Emporia, Kansas

Through partnerships with these agencies, DHS will provide seamless customer service through one point of contact for foster families during recruitment, assessment, training and on-going support. The agencies will help support families as they interact with DHS throughout the foster care approval process, during placement and care of children in their homes, and help provide an understanding of the child welfare system.

The contracts were awarded on Aug. 6, 2013 and are valid through June 30, 2014, with an option for renewal. All providers have the option to sub-contract with local child placing agencies in the retention and recruitment of foster families.

This was DHS' second attempt at a bidding process for private agencies to provide foster care recruitment and retention services. In April, DHS Director Ed Lake canceled the previously awarded contracts because of concerns over the prescriptive nature of the contracts, how the service areas were defined, and the process did not allow for provider input.

Although the previous bidding process was carried out faithfully in accordance with state purchasing rules, Director Lake believed the result of that effort would not fully achieve the goals DHS established and there were serious enough problems with the approach that it was better to restart the process than to continue on that path.

During this new solicitation process, DHS, in conjunction with the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) Central Purchasing, enlisted the aid of Dr. Dean Kashiwagi and his team from the Fulton School of Engineering at Arizona State University, in utilizing the Performance Information Procurement System, or PIPS, to initiate three phases of the procurement process: selection, clarification, and management by risk minimization.

In the selection phase, DHS conducted a blind evaluation to rate provider capabilities, past performance, and cost, and hosted interviews with each provider to determine their expertise. In the clarification phase, DHS worked with providers who were identified as experts in foster care to develop the project scope and identify any risks to successful completion of the project. In the management phase, contract performance will be results-driven with all parties being held accountable for their respective responsibilities.

For more information about the foster care contracts, follow this link to view the award information posted on the OMES Central Purchasing website:https://www.ok.gov/dcs/solicit/app/solicitationDetail.php?solID=692.

To learn more about how to become a foster or adoptive parent, visit the DHS Bridge Family Resource Center website at okbridgefamilies.com or call 800-376-9729.

Statement by the DHS reform working group in the House of Representatives

DHS Director announces several organizational changes

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Effective August 1, 2013, several organizational changes will take place which reflect the leadership of Director Ed Lake and goals in a new agency strategic plan. 

Ronald Baze, assistant attorney general with the Office of Attorney General Scott Pruitt, has been selected as the new General Counsel. Baze will remain an employee of the OAG while serving under contract as the head of DHS Legal Services.   He will begin his duties as general counsel August 12. 

Ed Lake
Director, OKDHS

“We are breaking new ground in pioneering this relationship between DHS and the Office of Attorney General Scott Pruitt,” said Lake.  “I believe this new legal model will be mutually beneficial to our agency and the state of Oklahoma.  DHS will now have access to all of the resources the Attorney General’s office has to offer.  I was particularly impressed with Mr. Baze’s professional experiences which combined will enable him to make a great impact on our Legal Services.”

Lake has created a new position, the Director of Communications and Community Relations, and has appointed Sheree Powell, the current Coordinator of Communications, to this role.  Powell will oversee the Offices of Communications as well as Community and Faith Engagement, and Information and Referral. In addition, she will also manage Provider Relations.

“This is a move to enhance our engagement with community partners, volunteers and contract providers,” said Lake. “I heard over and over during my listening sessions and through subsequent encounters with our partners that we need to have better communication and more cooperative relationships with them.  This has emerged as a major objective in our agency’s new strategic plan and I have asked Sheree to work with all programs agency wide to improve upon and build those relationships.

“The combination of these particular offices is a natural fit since their responsibilities are so intertwined with one another. This was also a great fit for Sheree.  In addition to being an experienced communications director, she also has an extensive background managing provider relations and building community partnerships,” Lake said. 

The current functions of Finance and some Administrative Services will be moved under a new Director of Finance and Administration.  Lake has appointed David Ligon to this position.  Ligon is currently the Interim Director and former Chief of Staff with the Department of Rehabilitative Services.  Beginning with DHS August 19, Ligon will oversee all finance functions of the agency as well as Support Services and the Office of Business Quality. 

“I am excited about adding David to our DHS team,” said Lake.  “He has a 30-year history and impressive reputation for solid financial and administrative management in state government, including 18 years as a House fiscal analyst, ending as the Deputy Director.  David brings a wealth of valuable experiences that will benefit our agency.”

Director Lake has decided to move Child Care Services under the management of Jim Struby, Director of Adult and Family Services. 

“This move will benefit both Child Care Services and the work within Adult and Family Services since the two programs overlap in many areas,” said Lake.  “I believe Jim Struby and Lesli Blazer will work well together and both of their programs will benefit from this organizational relationship.” 

Adult Protective Services is being moved to Community Living and Support Services under the management of Mark Jones.  APS will be a free-standing program joining the ranks with Aging Services, Developmental Disabilities Services, and Child Support Services. 

“This move just made sense since APS serves both people who are aging and people with developmental disabilities.  Mark Jones will bring a valuable perspective to the work in APS from his previous work with the Office of Client Advocacy and his successful litigation experience with the Homeward Bound vs. the Hissom Memorial Center lawsuit,” Lake said.

Director Lake has created another new position, Chief of Staff, and is in the process of filling that position.  The Chief of Staff’s responsibilities will include management of Human Resources and the Offices of Intergovernmental Relations and Policy, and Planning, Research and Statistics.  

A new organizational chart is currently being developed to reflect these changes and will be posted to the website in the near future.

STATEMENT on DHS Director Ed Lake Decision to Cancel Contracts for Recruitment, Retention of Bridge Resource Families

OKLAHOMA CITY – The bipartisan group of four members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives who constituted the working group on the state Department of Human Services reforms created in 2011, issued the following statement today in response to the cancelation by Oklahoma Department of Human Services Director Ed Lake of recently awarded contracts for the recruitment and retention of foster care Bridge Resource Families:

“We are in complete agreement with the decision today by Oklahoma DHS Director Ed Lake to cancel recently awarded contracts for the recruitment and retention of Bridge Resource Families.

“The reasons cited by Director Lake as the basis for his decision to cancel the contracts are the same problems we identified and shared with the agency. 

“Our biggest concerns are the arbitrary geographic boundaries which ignore the reality of what it takes to recruit a foster family and that only one vendor was selected for each geographic area. These concerns were shared by everyone we heard from concerning the results of this contracting process. 

“We realize that this move by the department will unfortunately further delay the essential step of partnering with private organizations to recruit, train and support foster families. However, we believe moving forward with the current process would yield significantly worse results over the long run compared to a delay in the short run necessary to address these significant issues. 

“This public-private partnership is the centerpiece of recent DHS reforms including the Pinnacle Plan.

“We have no concerns with any of the entities that were awarded contracts and the canceling of these contracts are not a reflection on those private agencies. We understand that every vendor who submitted a bid is a licensed child placing agency each with impressive credentials.

“We believe the action taken today by Director Lake is a bold and necessary step for the success of this public-private partnership which is vital to meeting the goals of the Pinnacle Plan. 

“We support this action and commend the employees of the Department for their extraordinary commitment to recent reforms.”

Members of the House working group on DHS:

House Majority Floor Leader Pam Peterson
Representative Jason Nelson
Representative Pat Ownbey
Representative Wade Rousselot

Read the letter sent to contractors by OKDHS Director Ed Lake

OKDHS Cancels Bridge Resource Family Contracts, Plans New Approach

OKLAHOMA CITY -- OKDHS Director Ed Lake has canceled recently awarded contracts for the recruitment and retention of foster care Bridge Resource Families due "serious problems with the approach" of the RFP. Below is the letter sent today to entities who had been awarded contracts:

I am writing to alert you that I have advised the Office of Management and Enterprise Services Central Purchasing Division of my decision to cancel the contracts which were recently awarded from the Request for Proposals for the recruitment and retention of Bridge Resource Families (830-1065).  You will receive an official notice of cancellation from OMES in the near future.

Although the RFP construction, evaluation and contract negotiation processes were carried out faithfully in accordance with state purchasing rules, I believe that the result of this effort will not fully achieve the goals we established and there are enough serious problems with the approach that it is better to restart the process than to continue on this path.  

Please know that my decision has nothing whatsoever to do with the quality of the agencies awarded contracts. Further, I clearly understand the difficulties this termination places on the agencies who have already received contracts. However, I firmly believe the downside of going forward under these conditions outweigh the benefits for both your agency and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.    

I did not undertake this decision lightly and you deserve a full explanation as to how I arrived at this point. When I was named Director of OKDHS and arrived in Oklahoma, all of the bids for this RFP had already been submitted.  I immediately began hearing complaints from the provider community that they were not consulted in this process, concerns about the harshness of the “liquidated damages” provisions, and confusion about some of the terms and conditions.  

I reviewed the RFP personally, consulted with Casey Family programs, and sought additional feedback from the provider community.  I concluded that, while the RFP was not ideal, it was an important step to help our agency meet critical goals and that together we could make it work.  

Unfortunately, by the time the bids were evaluated and contracts awarded, it was evident to me that the problems which had been created were serious enough to impede our future progress.  These are the primary concerns that have brought me to this decision: 

• The language in the RFP is too prescriptive for performance-based contracts and works against provider creativity, flexibility and capability--all of which are critical to adding value to the services.  
• The catchment (service) areas in some parts of the state were artificially defined, working against the reality of how resource homes could be recruited and supported.  
• The awarding of one contract per service area does not allow us to take maximum advantage of the universe of agencies capable of providing high quality services. 
• The process did not fully allow for partner input to the service delivery design and details.

We will begin immediately to reconstruct a new solicitation process that engages the provider community, incorporating your best thinking and most creative ideas.  Our goal is to construct a process that will better enable OKDHS and its partners to provide high quality recruitment, support and retention of resource homes that meet the needs of the children entrusted to our care.  

We will work with the providers who were awarded contracts to provide payment for service of completed placements until the actual termination date. 

I apologize for the hardships this may have created for you and sincerely hope you will continue to partner with us as we create this new system.  

Sincerely,

Ed Lake, Director
Oklahoma Department of Human Services

Statement by the DHS reform working group in the House of Representatives

UPDATED: Community Services Initiative for Oklahomans with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Approved by DHS Commission

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Human Services Commission voted 6-3 yesterday on a historic set of community service initiatives for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities supported by the agency’s Developmental Disabilities Services Division (DDSD).

During a special meeting, the Commission passed resolutions directing the two remaining state-run institutions for people with developmental disabilities, the Northern Oklahoma Resource Center in Enid (NORCE) and the Southern Oklahoma Resource Center in Pauls Valley (SORC), be closed over the next two years and the 231 residents transitioned into community homes. DDSD is currently providing services and support to more than 5,000 persons with all levels of developmental and physical disabilities to live in their own homes and communities, a proven best practice in providing care for people with disabilities. The Commission oversees DDSD.

Institutional v. Community Services FAQ

Wes Lane, Chairman
OKDHS Commission

“We realize this is an emotional decision involving change for the residents and their families as well as the employees of the facilities,” said Wes Lane, Chairman of the Human Services Commission. “We determined after studying this issue in depth for the better part of a year that this is the right decision at the right time. DDSD has spent the past 20 years developing a comprehensive community service system that provides care and support to the vast majority of people receiving services who have all levels of disabilities,” said Lane. “Community services offer more personalized care and a higher quality of life to individuals, making institutional care a thing of the past.”

Four state lawmakers said they were surprised and dismayed by the Commission’s decision to close both institutions.

The decision was surprising in that it ignored a proposal submitted by Commissioner Michael Peck to close just the Pauls Valley center and move its 123 residents to the Enid center, state Rep. John Enns, R-Enid, said.

“Ideally, we would have liked to see both stay open,” Enns said. “At the very least though, we thought the DHS commission would keep the Enid center.”

State Senator Patrick Anderson, Rep. Mike Jackson and Rep. Lisa Billy said the commissioners erred.

“I don’t support the closure of either center. I think the overall process was flawed and I was surprised by the decision,” said Jackson, R-Enid.

Both NORCE and SORC were established more than 100 years ago when that was the only option for providing care to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. SORC was opened in 1907 and originally known as the “State Training School for White Boys,” and NORCE opened in 1909 as the “Oklahoma Institute for the Feeble Minded.” At the height of institutional care in Oklahoma, both facilities housed more than 1,000 residents.

In the 1960’s, another state-run institution was added, The Hissom Memorial Center in Sand Springs. Hissom was closed in 1994 when a group of parents filed a class action lawsuit demanding the state create community service options for their children. DDSD successfully transitioned more than 400 Hissom residents, many requiring 24-hour a day nursing care, into community homes. Long-term studies on the Hissom residents show they lead healthier, more active lives. Over the past 10 years, DDSD has successfully transitioned many residents of NORCE and SORC into community homes, typically closer to their families.

Governor Mary Fallin today praised the Oklahoma Human Services Commission for its vote to complete the state’s transition from institutional care to community services for Oklahomans with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Gov. Mary Fallin

“The vast majority of Oklahomans currently receiving assistance through DDSD are doing so in communities,” Fallin said. “Community care offers more personalized planning and service delivery than institutional care. Additionally, outcomes for individuals in community settings have proven to be better than outcomes produced by institutional care. Completing the transition to community based services allows the state to focus its resources on the highest quality service options available.”

Today, SORC has 123 residents and NORCE has 108. Both facilities are in danger of losing their certification by the Department of Health if millions of dollars in capital improvements and repairs are not made to the aging facilities.

Because NORCE and SORC each operate large campuses built for much higher occupancy, both facilities have vacant and condemned buildings. These buildings, as well as the rest of the campus structures, require brick and mortar upkeep costs paid for with DHS and DDSD public funds.

These expenses divert money from direct services to individuals. Additionally, they contribute to a shortage of funds that has lead to a backlog of almost 7,000 individuals, currently on a waiting list, hoping to receive DDSD community services.

“We want to make sure that state tax dollars are used to actually help people with developmental disabilities, whether it’s through vocational training and placement, medical services or high quality staff support,” said Fallin. “Shifting our resources to community-based services will ensure that the greatest number of Oklahomans can get the highest quality of direct support, rather than spending tax dollars on the upkeep of large vacant buildings at the state’s two aging institutions.”

In studying this issue, Commissioners and the Governor have also visited homes in communities of people who once lived at one of the facilities, and have heard from parents and guardians of the residents, the public employees’ association, providers of community services, and national experts on transitioning people from institutions into community homes.

“The staff at NORCE and SORC have done a great service for the state, and they should be commended for their hard work and dedication,” Fallin said. “As the state shifts towards community based services, it’s our hope that many of these men and women continue their work in community settings.”

Lane echoed the Governor’s comments.

“We appreciate the dedication of all the staff at NORCE and SORC,” said Lane. “They have provided quality services to the residents and we hope they will continue to serve the residents as long as they are needed. As individuals move into the community, we hope many of the staff members choose to continue serving these individuals in community homes.”

In the resolutions passed today, the Commission pledged the agency’s support to families of NORCE and SORC throughout the transition process into community homes. It also directed that families and residents will not incur additional expenses as a result of their move.

“Every commission member understands the families’ concerns and we know that any change in living arrangements can be hard,” said Lane. “We emphasized today that we are committed to helping individuals and families make a smooth transition and that no one will be moved until all the necessary supports are in place. As we have seen with previous transitions of former NORCE and SORC residents, the families acknowledge their loved ones are better off and they have a much higher quality of life.”

Gov. Fallin reassured residents and families that the transition process would be done very carefully to protect the health and safety of the residents.

“We understand that for the men and women currently residing in NORCE and SORC, as well as their families, any transition or change in service can be difficult,” Fallin said. “It’s important for those individuals to realize, however, that we are transitioning them to community services that are more versatile and can offer them more personalized and flexible options as well as a higher quality of life. The state is absolutely committed to helping them make this transition go as smoothly as possible. It should also be clear to everyone that no one will transition out of institutional care until they locate, with the help of DDSD, a high quality community services option to address their individual needs and preferences. No one’s services will be cut off.”

Additional concerns for the commission are the nearly 7,000 families caring for loved ones at home who are on a waiting list for DDSD community services.  The waiting list continues to grow because of a shortage of funding for services.

“Many of these families who are waiting for services are caring for loved ones who have the same levels of need as the residents of NORCE and SORC, and these families are doing this on their own without any help from the state.” said Lane. “We could not, in good conscience, request an appropriation of $30 to $40 million state dollars to spend on capital improvements for buildings when funds are needed to help these families who are waiting and struggling. That is why we asked the Governor to create a new panel to develop a comprehensive plan for supporting people with developmental disabilities and their parents and families, and for addressing Oklahoma’s growing waiting list for home and community based services.”

DDSD will communicate with the parents and guardians of current residents shortly to provide information and begin the initial planning stages.

The DHS Human Resources staff and Office of Management and Enterprise Services Human Capital Management Division are ready and available to work with employees of NORCE and SORC.

Finally, the commission asks Governor Fallin to convene a panel of parents, professionals and state agency representatives to develop a comprehensive plan to support individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, as well as to address the state’s growing waiting list.

Fallin said she will take the commission’s advice and create a blue ribbon panel to develop future support plans for developmental disabilities services in Oklahoma.

“I accept the recommendation of the commission to create a new panel to explore comprehensive delivery of high quality services to Oklahomans with developmental disabilities,” Fallin said. “We expect recommendations of the panel to help us with this transition and to set the stage for further improvements in the future.”

This meeting also marked the first day on the job for new DHS Director Ed Lake, a former assistant commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Human Services.

“Although I am new to Oklahoma, I have already voiced my support for community services in lieu of institutional care for people with developmental disabilities,” said Lake. “I have been in contact with the Commission and the Governor’s office recently as they have worked up to making this decision and I am impressed with the amount of time they have all invested into this issue. I am reassured this was a well thought out and caring approach to a very difficult and emotional decision. I fully support the actions the Commission has taken and pledge my commitment to the families and residents for safe and smooth transitions.”

(Originally posted Nov. 1, 2012; updated Nov. 2)

Ed Lake accepts OKDHS Director Position, Governor Comments

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today applauded the selection of Edward Lake as the new director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS).  The DHS Commission announced Lake’s selection at a board meeting on Wednesday.

“I applaud the selection of Edward Lake as the next director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services,” Fallin said. “With experience at nearly every level of the Tennessee Department of Human Services, Ed understands the challenges of managing an agency that interacts with the public at many levels.  He has proven himself an effective leader who was able to work with the agency and external stakeholder to improve the quality of services delivered to clients. 

“The ongoing reforms at the Department of Human Services, including the implementation of the Pinnacle Plan, will help improve the delivery of child welfare services in Oklahoma.  I’m confident Ed Lake can provide the leadership at DHS to help us ensure the state is providing adequate protection and care to vulnerable Oklahoma children.”

Governor Fallin met in person on Wednesday with Lake.

“As voters consider a state question that would put the governor in charge of selecting the DHS director, I felt it important to meet in person with Ed Lake,” Fallin said. “I came away from that meeting impressed by his quality and character and feel he’s a great choice to lead DHS.”

The governor said if State Question 765 is approved by voters in November, she has no plans to replace Lake as DHS director.

Governor Fallin thanked Secretary of Finance Preston Doerflinger, who had served as interim director of DHS since March.

“I appreciate Preston Doerflinger’s willingness to take on the challenge of serving as interim-director at DHS,” Fallin said. “Preston has been instrumental in my administration’s effort to deliver on the promise of more efficient and effective state government. During his time as interim-director at DHS, he provided leadership at the agency to implement reforms and improvements to move the agency forward.”

Doerflinger will resume his duties as director of the Office of State Finance.

Ed Lake Bio

Edward Lake, from Hendersonville, Tenn., has experience working at almost every level of the Tennessee DHS from 1973 until retiring in 2011. He served as a child welfare caseworker, a food stamp office supervisor, and as both a county and regional director in social services. He served as deputy commissioner of the agency from 1992 until 1996, as assistant commissioner from 1996 through 2003 when he was again named as deputy commissioner until his retirement in 2011. 

Responsible for the day-to-day operations of TDHS, Lake managed the department’s more than 5,000 employees in all 95 counties of the state. The state agency administered programs including Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Programs (SNAP); Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF); Medicaid; adult protective services; child care licensing; vocational rehabilitation, disability determination services; child support; appeals and hearings; as well as several federal community services programs.

Lake has extensive experience with organizational change and oversaw comprehensive restructuring of the agency. He worked to improve client services and build external support of the department’s efforts by working closely with advisory groups of advocates, legal aid staff, and other key external stakeholder groups.

During Lake’s tenure at TDHS, he was among key contributors to the development of the agency’s child welfare caseworker training academy and received a community service agency award for improving the department’s and the community’s child abuse services following a nationally publicized child abuse death. He also provided leadership for the design and implementation of sweeping child care licensing reforms in state statute and policy, including a statewide rated child care licensing system.

Lake led the department’s implementation of the first TANF program and chaired the Governor’s Task Force on Families First (TANF program) to develop comprehensive changes to the program. He provided leadership during the state’s emergency responses to Hurricane Katrina and developed an innovative method for providing immediate financial assistance to relocating victims through the use of “pre-loaded” electronic benefits cards.

Lake holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from East Tennessee University and a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.