IN THE NEWS, AUGUST 2014

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Mark Beutler
Office of Communications

Mark Beutler: Hello everybody, I'm Mark Beutler from the Office of Communications and it's time once again to find out what's happening in the news. 

This month has special significance to Child Support Services and all of us here at DHS. By a Proclamation signed by the Governor, August is Child Support Awareness Month.  In part, the proclamation says: "Child Support Services is dedicated to serving all Oklahoma communities as a trusted partner. Child Support Services demonstrates this dedication by working together with Oklahoma businesses, employers, and civic and community organizations." 

"All Oklahomans are encouraged to recognize those who have an impact on the collection of child support, including parents, employers, state workers, and other advocates for their dedication to developing future generations of Oklahomans." 

This past fiscal year, Oklahoma Child Support Services collected a record $362 million from non-custodial parents and is ranked number one in the nation for statewide paternity establishment. 

DHS employees will soon have more opportunities to find out about the conversion to the bi-weekly payroll system. That change will take place next summer, in July 2015, so employees have plenty of time to prepare. 

The Human Resource Management Division has been busy for several months now, touring the state in a series of information sessions. More of those sessions are scheduled for the Tulsa area on September 15th and 16th. That information is on your screen now, and is also available on the InfoNet home page. 

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Tulsa County
September 15, 2014
Skyline East Building
6128 E. 38th Street, Tulsa
5th Floor Conference Room
1:00pm - 2:30pm
2:45pm - 4:15pm

September 16, 2014
Houston Building
444 South Houston, Tulsa
3rd Floor Conference Room
8:30am - 10:00am
10:15am - 11:45am
1:00pm - 2:30pm

Payroll Manager James Cole will provide overview information, and Chris Moss from Credit Union One will be on-hand to discuss personal finances and ways they can help ease the transition. HRMD's Rick Combs will also provide support information about financial services that are available through the Employee Assistance Program. 

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Canadian County 
Rescheduled: October 8
Highway 66 Office
8:30 - 10:00am
Rogers Street Office
10:30am - 12:00pm

A Canadian County session was rescheduled from August until October the 8th. HRMD says they will schedule additional Oklahoma City-area trainings later in the fall, and also may add additional county visits as well. Now please continue to monitor this webcast and the InfoNet for future updates. 

Last month we told you about the closing of the Roger Mills County DHS office. Well, they are open again. The new office is at 480 East Broadway in Cheyenne and is open once a week on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Customers who need services outside of those times should continue to visit the DHS office in Beckham County. 

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"The Mentally Challenged Offender: Critical Issues in Correctional Mental Health and Planning for Successful Reentry." Henry Dlugacz - Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, New York Medical College

After a summer break, the Practice and Policy Lecture Series is back for the fall, with the first lecture scheduled for Tuesday, August 26 from noon until 1 p.m. at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City. The topic is about folks who have been incarcerated, and the mental health challenges some of them face as they re-enter society. 

All lectures are free and open to DHS employees as well as the public. If you cannot attend in person, each lecture is uploaded on video to the InfoNet for your convenience. 

Coming up September 9th, the Office of Community and Faith Engagement will be kicking off the annual State Charitable Campaign at the state Capitol Complex in Oklahoma City. Throughout the year, partner agencies across the state help carry out the DHS mission. Your contributions through the State Charitable Campaign help them and help DHS provide for our state's most vulnerable citizens. Director Ed Lake encourages 100% participation from all DHS employees, so any amount you may give would be greatly appreciated. Look for more information soon on ways you can help. 

There were a lot of shorts and flip-flops in Norman last month during the annual Independent Living Teen Conference. It was held on the OU campus, and brought kids from across the state in DHS custody or out-of-home tribal custody. 

The conference gave the teens some valuable information on life skills and the transition to adult life. A series of motivational speakers, workshops and recreational activities were held, and our own Caroline Miller captured these great photos. 

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Finally today, just walking into a DHS office can sometimes be an overwhelming effort for some of our clients. So it is very important to put a friendly face and attitude out there to make everyone feel welcome. Whether you're greeting the public or interacting with your co-workers, the "Putting You First" campaign is a way of recognizing DHS employees for their excellence. "FIRST" stands for Friendly, Informed, Respectful, Supportive and Timely. 

The nominations come from here within the agency, and our own dedicated friends and colleagues are recognized. Go to the front page of the InfoNet under the "Customer Service" tab to nominate your own outstanding co-workers. 

Thanks for watching, and we'll see you next time.