FEATURE STORY - JARI ASKINS - JUNE 2015

[MUSIC PLAYS]

Jari Askins: The role that I'm serving right now as the Special Adviser to the Governor is specific to the Pinnacle Plan within the Child Welfare Division here at DHS.

As everyone within DHS knows, the Pinnacle Plan is Oklahoma's response to the class action lawsuit several years ago brought against the foster care system within the state of Oklahoma. The Legislature and the Governor passed the Pinnacle Plan as initiatives that they would like to see as the ideal changes in the foster care system as part of the response to the Compromise and Settlement Agreement.

When I first came, I know there was a lot of confusion about what I was really here to do.
 As Dir. Lake and I had our initial conversations two months before I came over here I tried to assure the individuals that I am working with that I'm not here to become a Cabinet Secretary. I'm not here to become Director of a state agency. I've already done that. I'm not here to become the Director of the Child Welfare Division. There are capable people already filling those roles.

But, because of my background as a legislator, because of my background as judge-- even though it was a number of years ago-- because of my connections in those fields, and the fact that when I am dealing with issues in state government and dealing with problems I tend to look at solving problems through those eyes, from that framework. Because Child Welfare and the foster care system, and certainly the efforts in the Pinnacle Plan relate to all of those stakeholders, I have connections in those groups. So, perhaps I can interface with some of those--with the courts. I can work with District Attorneys. If we have obstacles that are hindering our ability to achieve some of our goals faster, maybe I can help solve some of those problems, be a troubleshooter, if you would.

Perhaps some of the experiences that I've had as an Executive Director of a state agency, even though it was a different agency, allows me an opportunity to look from the outside in to see if there are other administrative avenues that we could take to problem solving.

Ed Lake: We had begun to make a little progress. Going was slow, but Jari brings such a wealth of experience herself and knowledge in this field, but also the credibility she has. She knows everybody. Everybody knows Jari, and so many people respect and admire her that we think this is just a real win-win for the department. 

Jari Askins: April was my first month, and that was kind of like a microcosm because my first day, the first month I got here Commentary Four came out the Co-Neutrals had a visit that month. It was so impressive to see the organization of the Executive Team of the Child Welfare Division, how often they meet on a regular basis--not to be meeting, but to check their measurements, to see how their communication is going, to see if they're hitting the points that need to be made and the changes that need to occur, to see if the core strategies that they're focused on are not just being followed by themselves, but is the communication working to get down to the frontline workers, not just to the District Directors, but how are the Supervisors and the Caseworkers themselves getting the information? 

So, I've been extremely impressed with how--intentional is a word I hear often--and how intentional the Executive Team has been to make sure that they are doing all they can by leading and by making sure that the core strategies are lead from the top, that everyone knows that these are policies are important, and that changes are going to occur, and that these are goals that must be met. I feel very comfortable with the leadership that's in place. We just need more help in accomplishing those goals.

Ed Lalke: That's a nice thing to hear from someone else's perspective about the Leadership Team because that's the way that I feel too. We've had quite a few changes, new blood coming in. Jami Ledoux in particular has stepped up as Interim Director. The team is really energetic and creative and are working really hard to help us succeed with the plan. It's a real pleasure to work with them.

Jari Askins: We have committed that this is--we are pretty far into this Pinnacle Plan, and we need to be able to have an idea as to what the State of Oklahoma is going to be looking at as we come closer to the end of the review time before this Compromise and Settlement Agreement goes back in front of the court. I know that there is a lot of work to be done before the court reviews the progress that has been made by the State of Oklahoma. I know that it's important to the Governor's office. I know it's important to the Legislature. I know it's important to the leadership here at DHS and to the Child Welfare Division and those that have worked so hard on it that we continue to work on what's necessary for the court to find as best as possible that this lawsuit not continue as most lawsuits do when the State of Oklahoma has been sued whether it's been Corrections in the past, the Juvenile System years ago.

So, we want to keep pushing and pushing so that we can show that Oklahoma does not want that former trend to continue in the future. 

Ed Lake: Unequivocally where we won't be falling short is with our good faith efforts, at least the way that we understand good faith efforts, that we have pulled out all the stops. We've done everything we can to try to succeed with the Pinnacle Plan. 

Jari Askins: Efforts really went extremely hard with the private entities who are recruiting foster homes. Those efforts were extremely successful in November--December. They seemed to have slid off a little bit in the spring. We hope that that will pick up in the summer. We have seen those private providers--at our urging--we believe, work a little bit harder. We told them that it is significant. We've got to have them. 

DHS has entered into a contract with the Oklahoma Association of Youth Services hoping that they who are located in their communities will have a better idea of families in their own communities and be able to help join that foster family recruitment effort. But, I've also seen DHS and Child Welfare look specifically at what they can do to support those foster families, and I've also seen a significant effort to figure out how to provide services to families at the front end. I think there will be an initiative that comes forth this summer under the 4E waiver that will be able to provide some preventative services to try to help provide resources that will perhaps eliminate the need or reduce the need of removing children and placing them in state care.

My years in elected service, the 12 years across the street as State Representative and my four years as Lieutenant Governor, one of the things I've always known is that those who have chosen to be state employees rarely...well, I can't think of anyone I've met who did it because they thought they were going to get rich doing it. Those who have worked in the field of Human Services are always doing it because of a belief that they can help other people who cannot help themselves. And so, the opportunity really for me to come back in this particular role was somewhat of an opportunity to be able to say how much I appreciated that effort. People have done this for a long, long time, make careers out of it. I've seen the Department work extremely hard right now in trying to recruit more people to help reduce a backlog, reduce a workload that has made it very difficult for people to be Child Welfare Workers. Child Protective Services is a difficult field. It's emotionally draining. So, being able to be here I hope is an opportunity to be encouraging to those people that I hope I've been a support for while I have been in my role and an opportunity to say that we don't quit, and we don't quit on our state employees, and that we don't quit on our children.