Children the focus of many approved interim studies

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL — Ninety-three separate interim studies were requested by state representatives this year. House Speaker Jeff Hickman approved eighty-three studies this week. Sixty-one separate studies are available to be scheduled between August 5 and November 12 because twenty-two of the approved studies were combined with similar studies. Ten requests were not approved. 

One-third of the approved studies will address issues related to children. Studies of the repeal of the Common Core State Standards earlier this year and the potential benefits of medical marijuana for children are among the 28 studies approved that concern children. Below is a list of these interim studies:

Related to adoption and foster care: 

• 14-047 requested by Rep. Ann Coody was combined with 14-054 seeks to explore “Reuniting foster children with biological families and other possible solutions in seeking their optimal welfare” including “the best possible solution in finding a permanent home environment for foster children.” 

• 14-048 requested by Rep. Ann Coody will study “the necessity of an additional background check for certified educators who work in DHS before- and after-school programs.” Assigned to the Common Education Committee. 

• 14-054 requested by Reps. Sean Roberts and Wade Rousselot will consider reforms to the state’s adoption laws. Assigned to the Human Services Committee.

Related to child trafficking and sexual abuse:

• 14-014 requested by Rep. Lee Denney will examine Erin’s Law, a “Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Education” program. Assigned to the Human Services Committee. 

• 14-055 requested by Rep. Sean Roberts will study child trafficking by studying “ways to combat the crime of human trafficking and identifying services available to victims.” Assigned to the Public Safety Committee.

Related to Common Core and academic standards:

• 14-049 requested by Rep. Ann Coody will consider the question, “After Common Core – what next? A study of the possible solutions in developing and implementing rigorous educational standards for Oklahoma’s students.” Assigned to the House Common Education Committee. 

• 14-059 requested by Rep. Ann Coody was combined with 14-049 and will explore the “impact of HB3399 on Oklahoma’s schools and steps which should be taken to mitigate the concerns of Oklahoma’s schools, administrators, teachers and students.  Costs and process for writing new standards.” 

• 14-064 requested by Rep. David Brumbaugh was combined with 14-049 and seeks to study “Common Ed testing.” 

• 14-076 requested by Rep. Jadine Nollan will study “The Transferability of High School Credits between Schools and its Effects on Student Graduation. The study would examine the standards and procedures for which public high schools accept transfer credits, as many transfer students fail to graduate on time due to insufficient credits.  A review of the different graduation credit requirements by school district should be included in the study.” Assigned to the Common Education Committee. 

• 14-092 requested by Reps. Joe Dorman, Donnie Condit, Curtis McDaniel and Dustin Roberts was combined with 14-049 and seeks to study “Education Standards, Assessments and Testing” including “Developing Age-appropriate Oklahoma Standards, Reviewing Standards Associated with Common Core, NCLB, and other Programs; What is Necessary to keep NCLB Waiver.”

Related to student testing: 

• 14-025 requested by Rep. Leslie Osborn was combined with 14-049 will study state and federal student testing policies. Specific issues to be reviewed include: “duplicative testing, testing alignment status, costs, use of tests to evaluate teacher effectiveness, testing special ed students, test results as a true criterion result, possible other testing options to meet career & academic guidelines, testing vendors and accountability on the product.” 

• 14-068 requested by Rep. Ann Coody will study “Proper Transition from K-12 to Higher Education / Career Technology” including “End of Instruction Exams” and “Alabama’s Experiment with ACT Aspire.” Assigned to the Higher Education Committee. 

• 14-070 requested by Rep. Jadine Nollan will study the “Implications of High-Stakes Testing for Students with Learning Disabilities. The study would address the most significant risks posed by high-stakes for students with learning disabilities, as well as the barriers to success on high-stakes testing for students with learning disabilities.” Assigned to the Common Education Committee.

Related to education funding:

• 14-004 requested by Rep. Dan Fisher will study “Funding for schools that find themselves surrounded by federal property and thus have their tax base greatly reduced and suffer from reduced operating funds to no fault of their own. We would like to add the 12 districts / schools that are affected by this issue at a later date.” Assigned to the Appropriations and Budget Committee. 

• 14-067 requested by Rep. Ann Coody will study the “State Funding Formula Weights for Special Education. What state/federal legal hurdles stand in the way of necessary data collection? How would Oklahoma update its school funding formula for special education weighting?” Assigned to the Appropriations and Budget Committee. 

• 14-089 requested by Reps. Joe Dorman, Donnie Condit, Curtis McDaniel and Dustin Roberts was combined with 14-004 and seeks to study “Education Funding for Per Pupil Spending and Adequate Resources for Classrooms.” 

Related to schools:

• 14-016 requested by Rep. Lee Denney will explore the future of K8 school districts. Assigned to the Common Education Committee. 

• 14-069 requested by Rep. Ann Coody will study the “Effectiveness of Oklahoma’s Public Charter Schools” and “What effective strategies are taking place in Oklahoma’s public charter schools that can be replicated in the k-12 setting?” Assigned to the Common Education Committee.

Related to student support: 

• 14-071 requested by Rep. Emily Virgin will study “Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and CareerTech.” Assigned to the Higher Education Committee.

Related to teachers:

• 14-046 requested by Rep. Ann Coody will explore preparing teachers and prospective teachers to recognize symptoms of dyslexia in students including the “role of higher education teacher preparation programs and professional development.” Assigned to the Common Education Committee.

Related to health:

• 14-043 requested by Rep. Dan Kirby will consider the “benefits of Athletic trainer required at youth sporting events in Oklahoma.” Assigned to the Public Health Committee. 

• 14-063 requested by Rep. Jon Echols will study “Allowing medical trials in the state of Oklahoma for the use of non-intoxicating CBD Oil for severe seizure disorders in children.” Assigned to the Public Health Committee.  

• 14-085 requested by Rep. Todd Thomsen was combined with 14-063 and seeks to study “Medical Marijuana for Children. The study would take a narrow look at the medical use of marijuana in childhood disorder; seizures, etc. Included would be experts in the field, parents, law enforcement, and pediatricians.”  

• 14-091 requested by Rep. Joe Dorman was combined with 14-063 and seeks to study “Medical Treatments for Children with Seizures & Regulation of Experimental Medicines.”

Related to Marriage and Families:

• 14-012 requested by Rep. Jeannie McDaniel was combined with 14-023. Rep. McDaniel seeks to “examine the cost and benefit to the state and its citizens concerning the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative.”  

• 14-023 requested by Reps. Mark McCullough, Lee Denney, Jason Nelson and Jadine Nollan will examine “Effective Interventions for the Potential Negative Impacts on Learning in Children from Single Parent, Divorced and Dysfunctional Homes.” Combined with 14-012 and assigned to the Human Services Committee.

Related to juvenile justice: 

• 14-065 requested by Rep. Todd Thomsen will study “Juvenile offender rehabilitation programs and incarceration options with low recidivism rates. The goal is to take a long term view of where we are currently in dealing with Juvenile offenders and evaluate effective options to be considered for the future.” 

• 14-075 requested by Reps. Seneca Scott and Kevin Matthews was combined with 14-065 and will explore “Ongoing data collection in Juvenile Justice and effective use of research and evaluation findings.” The study will “Gather and analyze data to document system problems and identify potential solutions based on available research regarding what may and may not work to reduce Disproportionate Minority Contact.” 

A study of “Educational Benefits of a Broad Education Focus” requested by Rep. Todd Thomsen was one of the ten requests not approved. The request described the study as, “an in-depth look at all programs including extra-curricular activities and elective classes such as music, art, sports that strengthen the education of a child.  Is the current direction of education promoting these important components of education?  What can be done to improve these aspects in the focus of education.  To include art educators, music educator, coaches.” 

Each approved interim study was assigned to a standing committee. The chairpersons of the committees to which studies were assigned will work with the requesting members to schedule hearings for each interim study. Questions about specific interim studies should be directed to the members requesting the study.  

Link to list of all approved studies: http://www.okhouse.gov/Committees/ShowInterimStudies.aspx

Link to related story: 2014 House Interim Studies Announced

Bill to protect foster parents signed by Fallin

Senate Bill 1793 by Sen. A.J. Griffin, R-Guthrie, and Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City, allows the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth to provide training programs regarding child abuse and multi-disciplinary teams that were previously administered by the Child Abuse Training and Coordination Council, which was abolished by HB 1467 in 2013. Engrossed SB 1793 allows the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth to provide training programs regarding child abuse and multi-disciplinary teams that were previously administered by the Child Abuse Training and Coordination Council.

SB 1793 also gives the Office of Juvenile System Oversight within the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth the responsibility to investigate allegations that a DHS employee retaliated against a foster parent for filing a grievance or making a complaint against the Department. The Office of Client Advocacy within DHS will retain responsibility for investigating allegations of retaliation made by relative kinship foster parents against the Department.

Link to legislation: http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=SB1793

Ownbey, Nelson Bill Would Aid Foster Care Parents



OKLAHOMA CITY – Helping foster parents will help children in Oklahoma, said state Rep. Pat Ownbey today about a new bill to create a foster parent mediation program.



“After conducting a study where we talked to foster parents about their experience in the child welfare system, it became clear that foster parents need a third party to help them resolve conflicts that occasionally arise between child welfare workers and foster parents,” said Ownbey, R-Ardmore. “DHS on the whole does an excellent job of partnering with foster parents, but the current system provides little recourse for foster parents when a conflict does arise, because there is not a mediator to help resolve conflicts. My proposal is to designate a third party to mediate these conflicts.”



House Bill 2588 would create procedures for mediating and addressing grievances by foster care parents that would be overseen by the Oklahoma Commission of Children and Youth Office of Juvenile System Oversight.



The legislation would give foster parents the right “without fear or reprisal” to present grievances with respect to providing foster care services.



“Foster care parents came to us with a real problem that will improve their ability to help children and encourage more foster care parents to join the child welfare system,” Ownbey said.

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.

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

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

New Measure Would Encourage Donations to Support Orphan Care

OKLAHOMA CITY – A measure focused on helping orphaned children has passed out of the House of Representatives.

House Bill 1919, by Speaker of the House T.W. Shannon, would allow for Oklahomans to deduct contributions to churches if those funds are used by the church for the care of orphaned children. 

“Ensuring proper care for Oklahoma’s orphans is important,” said Speaker Shannon, R-Lawton. “These children face tough situations not having a true home environment for safety, security and sustenance. Oklahomans should be motivated to help our faith-based institutions take care of these children so that they can live in a loving, secure environment. I believe this new deduction will do just that, so churches all over the state will have more financial options available to care for these children.”

Under the proposed legislation, a single person could deduct up to $2,500 in donations a year and married persons filing jointly up to $5,000. The proposed deduction would take effect Jan. 1, 2014.

HB 1919 will now move to the state Senate for further consideration.

OKDHS hits first major reform milestone

Oklahoma Capitol—The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) has fulfilled a New Year’s resolution, so to speak—ensuring no more children under the age of two spend the night in a shelter. The “resolution” is the first major goal in the Oklahoma Pinnacle Plan, ensuring by Dec. 31, 2012 that all children under the age of two-years-old will be placed in family-like settings.

Deborah Smith

“This was a very important goal for our state to achieve not only for the Pinnacle Plan--it’s the right thing to do for young children,” said Deborah Smith, Director of OKDHS Child Welfare Services. “I am very proud of our child welfare staff. Achieving this goal has taken a lot of teamwork and I commend everyone for their efforts.”

“OKDHS cannot do this work alone and we would like to thank all Oklahomans who have stepped up recently to become foster parents,” said Smith. “We would also like to thank all of our private partners and the faith community for helping recruit, train and support foster families.”

Since July 1, 930 new foster parents have been recruited statewide.

Exceptions to the “under two” rule are allowed for medically fragile children requiring 24-hour supervision, large sibling groups of four or more, and teen moms with infants. Overnight is defined as “being present at midnight.” If a child should enter an emergency shelter after midnight, they would not be counted in this measure until the following night. This allows staff to put the children to bed and not move them around during the night hours.

The Pinnacle Plan is a five-year improvement plan created by OKDHS and key stakeholders for the improvement of the state’s foster care system. The plan includes numerous initiatives divided into seven major categories called “Pinnacle Points.”

“Pinnacle Point 1” refers to expanding the number of foster homes available and reducing the use of shelters statewide, particularly for young children. OKDHS committed to ensuring that children are cared for in family-like settings and outlined timelines to meet these goals.

Often, children are brought to shelters after removal from their homes to receive medical treatment, assess their needs, and to provide a safe shelter while a family member or a foster home is being located. The goal was to ensure these young children were placed in a home as quickly as possible without spending the night in the shelter.

The next major timeline the agency has committed to in the Pinnacle Plan is June 30, 2013. By that date, OKDHS must ensure no child under the age of six-years-old spends the night in a shelter, and the agency must have recruited 2,000 new foster families--500 more than had been previously recruited.

Other goals OKDHS has already achieved in the Pinnacle Plan include: increasing the reimbursement rates for foster parents, increasing salaries for child welfare workers, and restructuring the Child Welfare Division.

For those interested in becoming a foster or adoptive parent, please contact the Bridge Family Resource Center at www.okbridgefamilies.com or call 1-800-376-9729. Those interested in a career as a Child Welfare Specialist should go to the OKDHS website and look under “Careers.”

OKDHS Fall Lecture Series Examines Health of Children in Foster Care

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL-- Children in foster care often have higher rates of disease than their peers, and as a group they experience poorer health and social outcomes as adults. Can these outcomes be changed?

That is a question that will be discussed as the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) Fall Lecture Series continues. “Fostering Hope: Making a Difference in Foster Care” will be presented Tuesday, October 9, from Noon to 1 p.m. at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City.

Dr. Deb Shropshire is a pediatrician with OU Children’s Physicians in Oklahoma City, and also serves as the medical director for foster care for OKDHS. She assists case workers; works on projects related to foster health issues and provides training on the health of foster kids.

Additionally, Dr. Shropshire provides medical care to children at the Pauline Mayer foster shelter as well as OU’s “Fostering Hope” clinic. She likes to engage her audience in the story of foster kids, and encourages others to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.

The Practice and Policy Lecture Series has been developed to provide thought-provoking presentations on Oklahoma's emerging policy issues, trends and best practices. The series is sponsored by the OKDHS Office of Planning, Research and Statistics and the University of Oklahoma Center for Public Management with the goal of providing the best educational opportunities available in a forum that offers participants an opportunity to question, share and learn.

All lectures are free and open to the public. For more information contact the Office of Planning, Research and Statistics at (405) 521-3552. View the complete lecture series lineup at: Practice and Policy Lecture Series website Practice and Policy Lecture Series website (Link opens in new window).

OKDHS Chair Wes Lane discusses progress on reform

Eyewitness News 5 co-anchor Jessica Schambach visited recently with new OKDHS Chairman Wes Lane about pending reforms at the Department. Here is a link to the video of that interview. 

Former foster youth works on Capitol Hill

Link to full story

Nelson Statement on Approval of the Pinnacle Plan

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Jason Nelson (R-Oklahoma City) released the following statement regarding the approval today of the Pinnacle Plan by Children’s Rights, a New York-based advocacy group that sued the Oklahoma Department of Human Services in 2008 to in an effort to bring about agency reforms. The Pinnacle Plan is a set of DHS reforms approved by the Oklahoma Legislature this year.

"Approval of the Pinnacle Plan will be remembered as the moment the status quo started changing for the better in Oklahoma's child welfare system. The Pinnacle Plan represents the most comprehensive and aggressive reform of our state's child welfare system in this agency's history. It's clear to anyone who reviews the plan that this is not an attempt at a political quick-fix. This is a complex, long-term solution that will make a meaningful, transformational difference for Oklahoma's at-risk children. Oklahoma now stands above other states facing similar child welfare challenges due to the unwavering support of our major stakeholders, including the Legislature, the governor, the agency and all others. The public should have confidence in the plan and high expectations for the results it can bring if all stakeholders continue working together to ensure the plan's full implementation. Children in state custody will be much safer and see far better outcomes under this historic plan."

Lowry of Children's Rights Compliments Pinnacle Plan

(New York, NY) — Today three independent, court-appointed child welfare experts approved the latest version of the Pinnacle Plan, developed by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS), resulting from the January 2012 settlement of the class action lawsuit brought by Children’s Rights, a national nonprofit advocacy organization, and Frederic Dorwart Lawyers in Tulsa. Marcia Robinson Lowry, executive director of Children’s Rights, issued the following statement:

“The settlement has produced a wide-ranging, comprehensive plan that commits DHS both to necessary reforms in the state’s foster care system and to the best ways of implementing those reforms. The strength and specificity of the plan demonstrates the wisdom of having independent child welfare experts overseeing the process of remedying the problems identified in the lawsuit. The resulting roadmap, created by DHS and guided by these experts, inevitably will transform Oklahoma’s foster care system into one that consistently benefits and protects those children whose lives depend on it. Given the considerable impact this will have on Oklahoma’s abused and neglected children, it is gratifying to see the settlement agreement begin to come to fruition.”

Fallin Statement on Approval of DHS Pinnacle Plan

OKLAHOMA CITY – Gov. Mary Fallin today released the following statement after the Department of Human Services (DHS) received endorsement today from child welfare experts on the Pinnacle Plan, an improvement plan for the state’s child welfare system: 

“The approval of the Pinnacle Plan is a big step forward for the state and for DHS as it works to strengthen child welfare services. My thanks go out to DHS employees and the co-neutrals for their hard work and cooperation, as well as Oklahoma legislators for making the necessary financial commitment to support these important reforms. Moving forward, DHS will continue to have my support and assistance as it works to implement the Pinnacle Plan. The success of these reforms is critical to ensuring the state can provide adequate protection and care to vulnerable Oklahoma children.”

DHS Officials Comment on Approval of the Child Welfare Pinnacle Plan

Oklahoma City—The Oklahoma Department of Human Services received endorsement today from outside child welfare experts on a bold improvement plan for its child welfare system.

The plan, referred to as the “Oklahoma Pinnacle Plan” is part of a settlement agreement reached in January 2012 in the D.G. vs. Yarbrough class action, civil rights lawsuit. OKDHS agreed in the settlement to make targeted performance improvements related to the way it cares for children in foster care. As part of the settlement agreement, three out-of-state child welfare experts (referred to as co-neutrals) were selected to oversee the state’s improvements. 

“We are pleased to have received endorsement of this plan which outlines very ambitious goals for the agency to achieve over the next five years,” said Preston Doerflinger, Interim Director of OKDHS. “OKDHS is committed to the vulnerable children of this state and to the successful implementation of this plan.”

The plan was first submitted on Mar. 30 to the co-neutrals and since that time the monitors have worked with OKDHS officials and plaintiffs to refine the plan and ensure the initiatives outlined will achieve needed improvements in the state’s foster care system.

“To demonstrate our commitment, we have already implemented some of the initiatives in the plan such as the first of several increases to reimbursements for foster parents and salaries for child welfare specialists,” said Doerflinger. “We have also been working with the co-neutrals on performance targets and baselines which will measure our successful implementation of this plan as we move forward.”

“This is an exciting time for all of us who work in child welfare,” said Deborah Smith, Director of OKDHS Child Welfare Services. “The Pinnacle Plan’s name reflects our goals--to reach the highest point possible in our child welfare program. This plan is the result of a lot of hard work and collaboration by people who are very committed to improving our system that protects abused and neglected children."

"This is an exciting time of great reform at DHS," said Wes Lane, Chairman of the Oklahoma Commission for Human Services. "Rarely before in state history have we seen so many people all pulling the same wagon in the same direction. To our legislators, our Attorney General, our Governor and to the many DHS staff who have worked tirelessly with the Co-Neutrals to put this plan together - the Human Services Commission says a hearty thank you! With this continued unity of purpose, we will be successful and our children the better for it."

Historic Child Welfare Reform Plan Approved by Co-Neutrals

Statement of the Co-Neutrals, Eileen Crummy, Kathleen Noonan and Kevin Ryan On Approval of the Oklahoma Pinnacle Plan July 25, 2012

On January 4, 2012, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS), jointly with the Governor’s Office and the Oklahoma Commission for Human Services, reached an agreement with the Plaintiffs in the federal class action litigation DG vs. Yarbrough, Case No. 08-CV-074. The settlement agreement charged Oklahoma to develop a plan to reform, strengthen and improve the Oklahoma child welfare system to better serve the State’s children and families. Over the past seven months, OKDHS, with the assistance of state leaders, advocates and other stakeholders developed the Pinnacle Plan, a five year roadmap of significant commitments, beginning with State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2013, to address the 15 performance areas identified in the parties’ settlement agreement approved by the court. The State and the Plaintiffs chose and approved the three of us to serve as “Co-Neutrals” under the agreement, vesting in us the authority to approve or reject the Plan prior to its implementation, and then monitor its implementation.


Following extensive consultation with the parties, we approve the Pinnacle Plan, which is attached in its final form and is now binding pursuant to the terms of the settlement agreement. We do so because the Pinnacle Plan articulates a bold new vision for the improvement of the Oklahoma child welfare system, including:

1. A commitment to work with families and children as partners, and provide services to help strengthen families and ensure children’s safety, permanency and well-being;
   
2. A newly integrated system for screening, investigating and reporting allegations of child maltreatment in out of home care;
   
3. The elimination of shelter care for young children and steep reductions in the use of shelter care for older youth;
   
4. The end of primary and secondary casework assignments, which had at times led to confusion and diluted accountability;
   
5. Ambitious commitments to grow more family settings for children in out of home placement, including resource homes and treatment foster homes;
   
6. The establishment of a new, integrated Child Welfare Division within DHS with responsibility for children’s safety, permanency and wellbeing;
   
7. Reasonable workloads for staff so that they can devote themselves properly to the needs of vulnerable children and families.
   

This is a thoughtful and ambitious plan; very hard work is yet ahead to build the system OKDHS describes. Success will require the continued leadership and support of all three branches of government in the best interests of Oklahoma’s children. It will not be easy – change of this magnitude will take time. Focus, investment, transparency and perseverance will be essential to reach the goals identified in this Pinnacle Plan. As Co-Neutrals, we intend to report fairly and openly over the next five years on the State’s progress in making the Pinnacle Plan a reality for the children and families of Oklahoma.

As contemplated by the parties’ original agreement, we now turn our attention to working with the parties to identify the specific performance targets and baselines that will mark Oklahoma’s progress in the implementation of the Pinnacle Plan, which we expect to finalize by no later than December 2012. 


Link to the Pinnacle Plan

Nelson Comments on Foster Parent Rate, Child Welfare Worker Pay Increases

The Oklahoma Department of Human Services announced today it is increasing reimbursement rates for foster families and pay for child welfare workers over the next five years. The increases are part of the Pinnacle Plan for improving child welfare services. 

State Rep. Jason Nelson, R-Oklahoma City, supports the increases in reimbursement rates and worker pay.

"We ask for a tremendous amount of sacrifice from foster parents and, frankly, from the workers on the front-line. They certainly deserve the increase. But great foster parents and great child welfare workers will tell you that money alone won’t lead to the improvements in the Department that are still desperately needed. Changing the culture at DHS is the kind of key reform needed that money can’t buy.

"I will continue to work with Governor Fallin, the Department and others to make sure real improvements happen at DHS - particularly on the worker side. I have visited recently with Interim Director Preston Doerflinger and Commission Chairman Wes Lane about the need to professionalize the frontline workforce so we can attract enough quality applicants to these key positions. We also need to better train and support workers and link worker promotions and pay to demonstrated skill levels. These types of improvements in personnel policy will, in turn, improve the experience and outcomes for children in state custody and for the foster parents who open their hearts and homes to the these children.

“Our child welfare system will never be any better than the workers on the front-line and the foster families that open their homes. It’s great to see these changes, and others, finally moving forward but it’s important to remember that it will take time to see the full positive results from these reforms and that no single action is enough.”

Since October, Nelson has served as chairman of a working group in the House of Representatives tasked with performing a thorough review of the Department of Human Services. The working group made several sweeping recommendations during the 2012 Legislative Session that were passed and signed by Governor Fallin. 

One of the recommendations by the working group resulted in State Question 765 being submitted to voters this November. SQ 765, if approved by the voters, would abolish the constitutional DHS commission.  

Governor Fallin's Foster Care PSA

Child Advocacy Group Praises DHS Reform Efforts

Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy Executive Director Linda Terrell expressed support last week for a slate of DHS reforms passed by the Legislature during the 2012 session. 

“The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy fought hard to demand bold reforms at DHS to fix the broken child welfare system this legislative session and Oklahoma lawmakers delivered,” Terrell said. "The reforms that passed the Legislature send a strong message: It's unacceptable for a system created to protect children to fail in that mission, and it's time for change.”