Right now, the House Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee is holding a public hearing on a bill to abolish the Department of Social and Health Services. Watch here.

Cindy Van Winkle, chair of the state rehabilitation council for the Department of Services for the Blind, said the bill would hurt blind people. “The needs of blind people and the way DSB meets those needs are unique, specialized and life-changing,” she said. “When a parent comes home from the hospital after learning their baby is blind, when someone suddenly loses their vision at the height of their career … when someone who is blind wants to work but doesn’t have the skills to prepare a meal … the services they need can be found at DSB.”

David Roberts: “I’ve received services from DSB twice in my life … without the help of that agency, I really don’t think I would have done a lot of thigns that I have done,” he said — namely, he has been able to work. He said departments within DSHS like the Department of Services for the Blind helps people make a living for themselves.

Mary Helen Shiver, member of National Federation of the Blind, also said she wouldn’t have been able to work without services from DSB. She warned against “destroying DSHS into total confusion, into four or more whatever agencies you want to create… Do not destroy what is working.”

Tags: DSHS

No more patients may be admitted to Garden Courte Alzheimer Community, a boarding home in Olympia, after the Department of Social and Health Services discovered a number of violations at the facility.

They found the home repeatedly failed to keep residents safe, unnecessarily placing some residents under physical or chemical restraint, and failed to administer medications and blood sugar checks professionally for some residents, the state found. They also did not have enough people on staff and didn’t allow some residents to do activities “consistent with their assessed interests, functional abilities, preferences and incorporated into the negotiated service agreement.” Not engaging in interesting activities can further deplete mental functions for Alzheimber’s patients, the department says.

The facility can contest the “stop placement” order. Though they may not admit more patients, residents can choose to stay there.

In other news: DSHS has created a new division to integrate substance abuse, mental health and gambling services. The department said in a statement that it was “part of a longer-range effort to create person-centered health care that can surmount traditional barriers.”

It’s a combination of the Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse and the Mental Health Division that was actually suggested by staff members at DSHS who noticed overlap of the two divisions.

For more on DSHS, check out the Q&A with Susan Dreyfus, head of the department, we recently posted.

Tags: DSHS

Jennifer Huntley, host of The Impact, sent me this about tonight’s show:

Would you pay tolls to drive state roadways if they helped fund road construction projects? Lawmakers and the Department of Transportation are looking at tolling a number of roads as a possible new transportation revenue source. We’ll get details from state lawmakers on what is being considered.

Also on the show: She’s only been on the job for a couple of weeks, but Department of Social and Health Services Secretary Susan N. Dreyfus joins us on The Impact to talk about her goals with the agency. She says DSHS needs to do a better job of partnering with foster parents, communities, and the courts. Find out what else she says and what changes she would like to make within the agency.

Don’t miss The Impact, Wednesday at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. and anytime online www.tvw.org.

Tags: DSHS, The Impact, tolling

The Department of Social and Health Services has created 30- and 60-day action plans for the Colville DSHS office, after dozens of complaints alleged illegal and shoddy activity there. DSHS says their operation engendered an “environment of mistrust” that affected how the office operated in the community.

“We are taking action immediately to improve the practice of the Colville office and reaching out to community partners to better serve the children and families in the area, ”said interim Assistant Secretary Randy Hart.

The “roadmap” is below.

Within 30 days:
1. Review the internal Children’s Administration internal report and the Office of Family and Children’s Ombudsman report and issue a detailed response by June 15, 2009.
2. Re-establish the Child Welfare Overview Committee meetings and meet on a quarterly basis with judges, Court Appointed Special Advocates, public defenders, and Kids First director, and social workers for education, with the purpose of collaboration, communication, information sharing and cross training.
3. Continue to participate in the Table of 10 meetings that include CASA, Stevens County public defender, Kids First director, assistant attorney general and court administrator. Improve child welfare services within the community by focusing on cross training and collaboration with community partners.
4. Area administrator will engage a member of the Colville medical community regarding participation as the facilitator of the north county Child Protection Team.
5. Consult with the University of Washington School of Law’s Court Improvement Training Academy on developing an agenda for a “town hall” meeting to give an overview of child welfare system to foster community meetings with stakeholders focusing on improving community relationships.
6. Area administrator to continue to meet with Stevens County CASA supervisor on a weekly basis to improve overall communication.
7. Hire an additional Social Worker III to reduce social worker caseload in Stevens County.
8. Collaborate with juvenile court personnel to define and outline the process for family reconciliation services, child in need of services, at-risk youth and providing packets to the court clerk and juvenile personnel defining this process.

And within 60 days:
1. Area administrator assigned to the Colville office on a full-time basis.
2. Conduct team building meetings for the staff in the Colville and Republic offices to improve overall staff relationships and morale.
3. Request a mediator to work with the Court Appointed Special Advocate and Division of Children and Family personnel to improve the overall working relationship.
4. Follow-up with Ombudsman Meinig to get additional input and suggestions for consultation.
5. Develop a Community Advisory Board as outlined by the Family to Family Program.
6. Recruit local providers for client services including medical, mental health, parent-child development, visitation, transportation for visitation and services.
7. Provide community partners and Children’s Administration staff with “lessons learned” training from previous fatality and critical incidents.
8. Area administrator to schedule individual meetings with other relevant community partners to solicit feedback, build relationships, develop effective communication strategies and procedures to address concerns.

Tags: DSHS

Susan Dreyfus, who Gov. Chris Gregoire announced as the new head of Department of Social and Health Services back in March, was just sworn in.

Dreyfus now takes charge of some 19,000 employees, a two-year budget of around $20 billion, and a caseload of about 2 million Washingtonians seeking medical, mental, vocational, food, child welfare, elderly, disabled, child support and substance abuse assistance, just to name a few.

Gregoire said the state faces “tougher and more challenging times than we’ve ever seen,” and that’s why she thinks Dreyfus, who has experience ranging from running a national children’s organization to a behavioral health system, is the woman for the job.

“Times like these call for courage and innovation. No longer is there room for doing things the same old way. Susan will guide DSHS in finding new and better ways to deliver our services.”

Dreyfus said she’ll get to work right away making the largest state agency more efficient and better at handling the challenges the department faces. The Governor’s office sent out an announcement saying Dreyfus has been asked to immediately identify efficiencies — or areas that can be trimmed down.

“Please be assured that none of us is alone in this walk. All of us will have to consider new and effective ways to do our work to focus where need is the greatest, work through partnerships, across systems and agencies, explore new technologies and maximize all resources available to us.”

Dreyfus said the state cannot give up hope.

TVW will air the swearing in tomorrow and I will post it here as soon as it’s available.

Tags: Dreyfus, DSHS

Jennifer Huntley, host of The Impact, just finished an interview with Roger Wilson, interim financial director for the Department of Social and Health Services. Here’s what he told her about the state’s largest agency and budget cuts:
• The agency needs to cut $115 million from its administrative budget. That’s about a fifth of that budget. DSHS will be cutting contractors first, both with letting contractors go and paying others less.
• DSHS has been meeting with the Health Care Authority regarding the Basic Health Plan. The Health Care Authority needs to cut more than 40,000 people off the plan by January 1, 2010. But anyone who is also getting benefits from DSHS will be automatically cut from Basic Health. Wilson says those people will move to Medicaid. This needs to be done by August 1 of this year.
• The agency is sending out about 120 layoff notices in the next month or two. In all, it plans to cut about 500 positions. But Wilson says that is the target right now and it could go much higher.

Also on The Impact this week: Huntley will talk with the president of Western Washington University in Bellingham and the Executive Director for the State Board of Community & Technical Colleges about how higher education institutions are proceeding with budget reductions.

Catch The Impact tonight on TVW, 7 & 10 p.m. and anytime online: www.tvw.org

Tags: DSHS, The Impact

Tags: DSHS

This just in from Gov. Chris Gregoire’s office: Susan Dreyfus is her pick for the leader of the Department of Social and Health Services, the largest state agency. She’ll start May 18 and make $163,056.

According to the release, Dreyfus is the executive VP of strategy for Rogers Behavioral Health System, Inc. She has lived in Wisconsin for 33 years. She has also worked for the National Alliance for Children and Families and Families International.

“Susan brings an outstanding record of accomplishment, particularly in the areas of child welfare and mental health services,” Gregoire said in the release. “She has the knowledge, leadership experience and vision necessary to succeed in one of the most difficult jobs in state government.”

DSHS has 19,000 employees and a budget of $10 billion a year.

The press conference will play on TVW today, but no word yet on when. Check back for details (and the video).

Tags: DSHS

On TVW right now, the House is debating House Bill 2295, the bill to “streamline” the Department of Social and Health Services.

Rep. Mike Armstrong said during debate on an amendment that he was surprised to find that DSHS is composed of nine separate departments — four of those are bigger than most state agencies. He said this bill could save money.

Rep. Eileen Cody, speaking on the bill, said it would not break the agency into smaller parts — as Armstrong’s amendment called for — but would eliminate some regional networks and reorganize the agency. She said the agency networks were designed in the 70s, when the Internet wasn’t around to simplify things.

Back to Armstrong: “What this bill does is it distinguishes Eastern Washington as separate from Western Washington … I think it’s pretty devastating to Eastern Washington.”

Back to Cody: “The current language of the bill … allows for the Department — DSHS — to decide where the regions are going to be.” She said it would not be devastating to Eastern Washington.

Rep. Jan Angel: Reading from a letter that says the timing of the bill is bad. “The reshuffling of the RSN administrative units may only add to the problem with unintended consequences.” She said the cost-saving bill could cause more problems than it solves.

Rep. Kelli Linville said yes, streamlining could affect services. But, with $8 billion to cut, that’s inevitable.
The bill passed. The House is now adjourned.

Tags: DSHS