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

Legislation Would Empower Parents in Crisis

OKLAHOMA CITY – Legislation unveiled today would empower parents who are in crisis to find a home for their children without the involvement of the Department of Human Services, according to the bill’s author.

House Bill 2536, by state Rep. Jason Nelson, would create a legal power of attorney for parents to use when placing their children with a host family. The legislation also modifies existing child placing licensure laws to ensure that the laws don’t frustrate or prohibit the work of private groups and host families who are caring for the child of a parent in crisis.

“Many people may see this as a radical concept and it is unfortunate that we live in a day when such a common-sense approach comes across as radical,” said Nelson, R-Oklahoma City. “The assumptions that underpin this approach are that parents love their children and are capable of making major decisions on behalf of their children even in the midst of a family crisis.”

Even as reforms and additional resources are put in place at DHS the number of children coming into state custody continues at an alarming and unsustainable pace, Nelson said.

In 2009, a research report that examined Oklahoma’s foster care system recommended that the state seek partnerships with the faith community in meeting the need for foster homes. The Count Me In 4 Kids collaborative is ready to take this a step further by working with the faith community to help families in crisis get back on their feet and avoid the circumstances that lead to DHS involvement.

“Many of us from the Count Me In 4 Kids collaborative are excited to be here today as our state moves forward in helping many more compassionate and caring Oklahomans step up to love and nurture some of our most vulnerable children,” Lynn Institute President Karen Waddell said. “We are committed to bringing the Safe Families model to Oklahoma out of our shared belief that every child deserves to have a safe place to call home and celebrate this next important step.

“Over the past year, it’s been amazing to watch over 50 organizations set aside their individual agendas, instead working collaboratively to find a way to reduce the number of children in foster care.  We are on mission together and over the coming months we’ll be creating even more ways for Oklahomans to stand up and say, count me in for our state’s children. The answer to the problem lies in all of us working together.”

Nelson said he is confident in the ability of Count Me In 4 Kids to help with child welfare challenges in Oklahoma.

“I have confidence in this effort because of the dedicated and seasoned coalition, Count Me In 4 Kids, that is taking on this challenge,” Nelson said. “And I’ve heard from many churches and church leaders that they want to help meet the needs of vulnerable families. This effort brings a proven approach to our state that facilitates this partnership with private nonprofits and the faith community. That’s why I’m excited to run House Bill 2536 that opens the door in our state to this effort.”

DHS Director Ed Lake said he supports the legislation.

“We are delighted that these efforts are being made to prepare the way for Safe Families to come to Oklahoma,” Lake said. “This has proven to be an effective model in 25 other states offering options to people in crisis before the state has to become involved.  We appreciate all efforts that help vulnerable Oklahoma families work through challenges and ensure children are safe and well cared for in the process.  Government agencies cannot do this work alone which is why we welcome the support of communities, faith groups, and organizations whose goals are to better the lives of the children in this state.” 

For more information on Count Me In 4 Kids and ultimately Safe Families, visit www.CountMeIn4Kids.org.

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.

OKDHS Response to 1st Co-Neutral Commentary

Statement from OKDHS -- The Oklahoma Department of Human Services appreciates the Co-Neutrals’ recognition of the progress our agency has made during the first year of implementing the Pinnacle Plan. This includes the reorganization of Child Welfare Services to achieve sustained progress, greater accountability and transparency, as well as more effective and efficient communication and performance. The new management team assembled within Child Welfare Services ensures new and current workers will have the necessary leadership and supervisory guidance to carry out their child welfare responsibilities. 

Co-Neutral Commentary One, Issued October 24, 2013

Another main point of progress was the integration of the Office of Client Advocacy and Child Protective Services investigation protocols, standards and reporting systems. This change will provide us with consistent child abuse and neglect data in both family homes and settings where children are placed in congregate care such as group homes and residential treatment facilities. 

We believe we have in fact made a lot of progress in just one year’s time. This is not a sprint, it is a marathon. We acknowledge that we have not yet met every target, however, we are totally committed to making the necessary improvements to our system that everyone wants. We fully expect to meet the Pinnacle Plan goals over the next four years. 

DHS greatly appreciates the Governor’s and the Legislature’s strong support of our work and in securing $57 million in additional funding to assist DHS in meeting our obligations under the settlement agreement. 

We wholeheartedly agree with the co-neutrals this is an iterative process to establish baselines and targets for DHS to report progress with Pinnacle Plan initiatives. This will be an ongoing process for some metrics due to the realization that further clarification is needed about the data which could not have been predicted when the Metrics Plan was agreed upon. For example, the public reporting requires DHS to post data each month prior to the co-neutral’s validation process. The validation process may result in additional changes in previously reported data, future targets and measures. Both parties are continuously working on the data and what the data means. 

Ongoing review of the data may often result in revised measurements. Another example of a changing data set is the foster home recruitment goal. DHS, in good faith, recruited and approved in excess of the target number of foster homes as defined in the baselines and metrics both parties agreed to previously. Only after further reflection on the data did the issue of how long the approved homes would be open without children being placed become a factor in determining the counting of such homes towards the target. 

“[T]he Co-Neutrals will judge good faith from the activities and decisions of the state, and not just its intention to do better or improve,” and “will not draw any conclusions with regard to DHS’ good faith efforts until their next report to be released in the first half of 2014.” -- From the Co-Neutral Commentary

Obviously, DHS needs a sufficient number of active foster homes to care for the children coming into state care. To recruit homes that are never used would be a waste of resources. 

DHS committed in the Pinnacle Plan to build a pool of homes and create a matching process whereby children would be placed with the best foster home and avoid multiple moves. To have a successful matching process, DHS will need a wide variety of homes across the state in which to place children together with their siblings, in their home communities and in their same schools. In a statewide system such as this, it stands to reason that some of the homes may not have children placed in them for a period of time. 

We understand further discussion of the metrics in this data set is warranted in light of these circumstances and additional consideration given to the goal of a statewide matching process. We are committed to continuing our work with the co-neutrals to further refine data collections and definitions, and to ensure accuracy and consistency in our data reporting. We appreciate the expertise and the guidance offered by the co-neutrals as we work together to develop the measurements of our progress.

The seven performance categories measured:

• Maltreatment (abuse and neglect) of children in the state’s legal custody; 

• Development of foster homes and therapeutic treatment foster homes (TFCs); 

• Regular and consistent visitation of caseworkers with children in the state’s legal custody; 

• Reduction in the number of children in shelters; 

• Placement stability, reducing the number of moves a child experiences while in the state’s legal custody; 

• Child permanency, primarily through reunification, adoption or permanent guardianship; and, 

• Manageable caseloads for child welfare staff. 

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.

Respite Voucher Program Discussed at Developmental Disabilities Waiting List Meeting

  DDSD Respite Voucher Program Presentation at Waiting List Meeting - Jun 6, 2013, 3-58 PM

Link to the Respite Voucher Program page on the OKDHS website

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

Committee studying child abuse, neglect deaths issue report

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Special Review Committee studying child abuse and neglect deaths of Oklahoma children released its report today which includes both praise and criticism regarding the performance of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services and many other entities responsible for the protection of children, and also disputes previous claims made by legislators against OKDHS.

In a 38-page report containing 50 findings and 37 recommendations which took 16 months to develop, the Committee found there were many individuals, agencies, and situations which were both ‘part of the problems and part of the solutions.’

Fallin Appoints Members to Blue Ribbon Panel to Address Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Waiting List

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today appointed the members of a Blue Ribbon Panel for Developmental Disabilities. Fallin created the panel by executive order, and announced its formation last month at the Governor's Conference on Developmental Disabilities in Norman.

There are almost 60,000 men, women and children with intellectual disabilities in Oklahoma. Currently, the state has a waiting list of over 7,000 people requesting services from the state’s Developmental Disabilities Service Division (DDSD).

The new panel will develop a comprehensive plan to support individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families, starting with recommendations to address the state’s growing waiting list for DDSD services. It will also research and analyze best practices for the comprehensive delivery of high quality services. 

“Our goal as a state is to be a resource that allows men, women and children with intellectual disabilities the ability to realize their full potential, to live their own lives, and to do so as independently as possible,” said Fallin. “This new panel is composed of people with personal and professional experiences that can help us to pursue this goal and improve services.”

Panel members include:

James Nicholson of Oklahoma City. Nicholson is retired from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, where he served for more than four decades. He served most recently as the Director of DDSD.  He will serve as chairman of the panel. 

Ann Trudgeon of Oklahoma City. Trudgeon is the executive director of the Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Council (ODDC). She has been with the ODDC since 1989. She will serve as an ex officio member on the Blue Ribbon panel.     

State Representative Jason Nelson of Oklahoma City. Nelson was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representative in 2009 and represents District 87. He currently serves as the chairman on the A&B Human Services committee. Nelson is also on the conference committee on human services and human services committee. 

State Senator Greg Treat of Oklahoma City. Treat was elected to the Oklahoma Senate in 2011 and represents District 47. He currently serves as the vice chairman on the health and human services appropriations subcommittee.  

Wanda Felty of Norman. Felty is the community leadership and advocacy coordinator for the Oklahoma LEND (Leadership Education for Health Care Professionals Caring for Children with Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities). She is also on the board of directors at the Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Council to which she was appointed by Governor Fallin in August 2012 and she has a daughter with an intellectual disability.

Rene’ Daman of Edmond. Daman is the director of the Oklahoma Autism Network at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She has been with the Department of Rehabilitation Science since 1999. She has provided training and technical assistance for providers who support children with autism and their families in early intervention, educational, and community settings.

Michael Upthegrove of Norman. Upthegrove is an adult with an intellectual disability. He previously served on the Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Council from 2001 to 2009.

Deanna Banta of Shawnee. Banta is an adult with an intellectual disability and is president of Oklahoma People First, a non – profit self advocacy group that promotes equality for people with developmental disabilities.

Robin Arter of Duncan. Arter is the executive director of Duncan Group Homes, a nonprofit agency that provides assistance for people with intellectual disabilities. She is on the Governor’s Advisory Committee at the Oklahoma Office of Disability Concerns. 

Nancy Ward of Oklahoma City. Ward is co – chair of the Oklahoma Self Advocacy Network (OKSAN), which seeks to strengthen the self-advocacy movement in Oklahoma and to increase the inclusion and independence of people with disabilities. She is an adult with an intellectual disability.  

Deborah Decker of Norman. Decker is a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a parent of a child with an intellectual disability. She is the current president of the Sulphur Springs Special Needs Retreat and a parent leader at AutismOKC.org, a support network for parents with children with special needs.  

Fallin Creates Blue Ribbon Panel on Developmental Disabilities (March 5, 2013)

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 Gets Final Approval of Pinnacle Plan

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) has received final approval from outside child welfare experts on its improvement plan for the state's foster care system.

The plan, referred to as the “Oklahoma Pinnacle Plan” is part of a settlement agreement reached in January 2012 in a federal, 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. 

The plan was first submitted to the co-neutrals on March 30, 2012 and was subsequently endorsed on July 25, 2012. Since the plan was endorsed, Child Welfare Services (CWS) staff have been diligently implementing the initiatives outlined in the plan. Quarterly reports are posted on the agency website for public review. The last step of the approval process was to finalize the baselines, targets, and measures for the 15 performance areas. This final approval lays the foundation for the monthly required public reporting.

"OKDHS was challenged to improve its child welfare program and is committed to this plan," says Deborah G. Smith, Director, OKDHS Child Welfare Services. "We appreciate the support of Oklahomans, especially the foster parents who are caring for these precious children. Even more important than the plan though, we care about every child in our foster care system and know they deserve our very best. They are not just numbers or cases to us. They are the future of our state."

House Passes Antipoverty, Marriage Measure

OKLAHOMA CITY – A measure drafted to fight poverty and promote marriage in Oklahoma passed a full vote of the House of Representatives today.

House Bill 1908, authored by House Speaker T.W. Shannon, will set aside dollars to create a statewide public service campaign promoting marriage as a tool to fight poverty and decrease the likelihood of child poverty. 

Oklahoma receives a total of $145 million in federal TANF funds. The public service campaign could be created and run using less than one percent of those federal funds.

“Strong families are our best hope for winning the war against generational poverty,” said Speaker Shannon, R-Lawton. “If we can promote the value and benefits of seatbelts and quitting smoking, we should also promote the societal benefits of marriage.”

According to the Heritage Foundation, marriage reduces the chances of child poverty by 80 percent. This is an important statistic, as the country has spent over $16 trillion in taxpayers’ money on poverty-related programs since the 1960s “War on Poverty” started. Today, 80 different welfare programs spend almost $1 trillion annually on poverty-related issues. 

HB 1908 now advances to the state Senate for consideration.

Fallin Creates Blue Ribbon Panel on Developmental Disabilities

Governor Mary Fallin today signed an executive order authorizing the creation of a new Blue Ribbon Panel for Developmental Disabilities. The announcement came today during the Governor's Conference on Developmental Disabilities in Norman, Oklahoma.

The new panel will develop a comprehensive plan to: support individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, address the state’s growing waiting list of thousands of individuals hoping to receive services from the state’s Developmental Disabilities Service Division, and research and analyze best practices for the comprehensive delivery of high quality services. The panel will also act in an advisory capacity to the governor on all issues related to providing community services for individuals with developmental disabilities.  

“There are nearly 60,000 men, women and children with developmental disabilities in Oklahoma,” Fallin said. “While the state is providing high quality services to many of these individuals, we are still experiencing a waiting list of over 7,000 people. This panel will help the state reduce that waiting list while improving the quality of the services it offers.”  

Click here to read a copy of the executive order. 

House Working Group to Address Home Visitation Programs

OKLAHOMA CITY – To better service Oklahoma families in need, House Speaker T.W. Shannon has asked Representatives Mark McCullough and Jason Nelson to form a bi-partisan working group to examine the state’s Home Visitation Programs.

“The first order of government is to protect our citizens,” said Speaker Shannon, R-Lawton. “We must ensure the safety of our children and do what we can to help strengthen the family unit. Strong families build a strong nation.”

Programs like the Children First Home Visitation Program currently visit the homes of at-risk families to evaluate living conditions of children.  Recently, Rep. McCullough, R-Sapulpa, and other House members have voiced concerns over the decline in families being serviced and the effectiveness of the program over the past decade.

“It’s time to see what modern standards we can implement and how we can best serve and protect children in at-risk homes,” Rep. McCullough said. “I fear we are wasting funds on an old system that does not address modern issues.  Our tax dollars should go towards home visitation methods that truly protect our vulnerable young Oklahomans.” 

Members will look at each state visitation program over the next year and consult with affected constituents and local and national experts.

“We will concentrate on efficiency, effectiveness and possible alternatives,” said Rep. Nelson, R-Oklahoma City.  “It’s time we take a serious look at how we can help strengthen families so Oklahoma children in need can have a better future.”

Working group members will be announced within the next several weeks.

Rep. McCullough will not pursue passage of House Bill 1063 this session to allow the working group to study the issue and develop recommendations. HB1063 would have suspended all home visitation programs and required an audit of the effectiveness of each program. 

‘Food Stamp’ Program Modification Passes Committee

OKLAHOMA CITY – A House committee voted this week in favor of a bill that would disqualify those convicted of a drug felony from receiving “food stamps.”

“State lawmakers voted in 1997 to allow convicted drug felons to receive food stamps, and this legislation would reverse that decision,” said state Rep. Sean Roberts, R-Hominy. “This will not only ensure that tax dollars are not going to criminals but that our law is the same as those of our neighbors – Arkansas, Texas and Missouri – all of whom do not allow drug felons to receive food stamps.”

The federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996 contains a provision disqualifying individuals who have been convicted of a felony involving a controlled substance from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program benefits, but also allows states to opt out of the provision. 

In 1997, Oklahoma lawmakers enacted House Bill 2170, which allowed convicted drug felons to qualify.

House Bill 2014, by Roberts, reverses the decision. Individuals applying for benefits must state at the time of application or reapplication whether they or anyone in their household has been convicted of a drug-related crime.

“I wasn’t here in 1997 when that decision was made, but I can tell you that my constituents do not approve,” said Roberts. “We are going to undo this mistake and restrict the food stamp program to appropriate recipients.”

House Bill 2170 was approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives Human Services Committee by a vote of 6-2. It now advances to the House Calendar Committee.

House Approves DHS Reform Requiring Family Impact Statements

OKLAHOMA CITY – Legislation to give lawmakers more information about proposed Oklahoma Department of Human Services rules has been approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

House Bill 2219, by state Rep. Tom Newell, would require a family impact statement tied to every proposed rule prior to or within 15 days after the date of publication of the notice of proposed rule adoption.

“Rules, if lawmakers approve them, have the effect of law,” said Newell, R-Seminole. “Lawmakers need to oversee the rule-making process and DHS rules effect a lot of people in Oklahoma.”

Newell said the family impact statements would inform lawmakers about how a rule would impact the status of marriage and parenting and if it helped a family to function better or substituted a government activity in place of parenting.

“We want to know the long-term effects of the proposed rule on the intuition of the family,” said Newell. “For example, a proposed rule might only apply to single parents but might actually encourage an individual to forgo a traditional family structure. This legislation helps us make an informed decision.”