INSIDE OKDHS - IN THE NEWS, JANUARY 2015

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Mark: Hello, Everybody. I'm Mark Beutler with the Office of Communications. Thanks for joining us. Let's take a look at what's happening in the news. It's a new year with many new things happening at the Department of Human Services. January marks the beginning of a new collaboration between DHS and KSWO-TV Channel 7 in the Lawton area that will hopefully lead to many kids connecting to their forever families. "A Child Who Hopes" is a video series that will air as part of the Channel 7 news broadcast on the first Tuesday of every month to introduce children and sibling groups waiting for adoption in the southwest area of the state. The profiles offer viewers the opportunity to get to know these wonderful kids and let the kids speak for themselves. The wider exposure can reach folks who may have never seriously thought about adopting before. Tulsa's Channel 8 has had great success with the same kind of video series. The weekly "Waiting Child" program was developed back in 1980 and has resulted in over 4,000 adoptions since then. DHS is working to develop more media relationships across the state to introduce individual kids and raise awareness about adoption. Adoption Field Administrator, Deborah Goodman explains the goals for media partnership. For a closer look at adoption check out this month's feature story available now on the Infonet. 

Deborah Goodman: We're just majorly grateful that now we will experience the same... at least putting forth who those kids are on both sides of the state. It's our goal to expand to other areas within the state so at least we... I would like to see us have the four quadrants of the state covered where we're always showcasing children who are waiting and bring it to Oklahoma families' attention the need for both foster families - families who will foster families - and families who will become adoptive families. 

Mark: Deborah shares the extensive, year-round efforts to encourage, approve and prepare families to adopt. Child Support Services is also making advancements in the new year with added convenience for users. Mobile SMART pay is the newest option added to the Child Support online system. This allows users to access their accounts and make payments without a traditional computer -  further reducing parents' barriers to payment. According to a November 2014 Forbes report, in 2015 "mobile-optimization will become more important than ever." The report adds that, "We will see many businesses finally incorporating mobile into all areas of their digital marketing." Numerous reports in 2014 saw mobile devices making up 30% of Internet traffic and 15% of all internet sales. The enhancements can be viewed at the Child Support Services SMART pay website, ok.smartchildsupport.com. 

As CSS opens doors to ease of use, Aging Services is beginning a new collaboration to do the same. With the award of a $225,000, 12-month planning grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Aging Services is making the first step in creating a "No Wrong Door" system in Oklahoma. The system will help individuals and their caregivers find the right services, at the right time, in the right setting regardless of which agency the individual approaches. The project will improve the capacity to serve persons of all ages, abilities, and income levels; streamline eligibility determinations for individuals eligible for public long-term care services and supports; and increase access to lower-cost, community-based alternatives to help individuals reside in their community and preserve financial resources. Leaders from DHS Aging Services and Developmental Disabilities Services will work with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, the Department of Rehabilitation Services and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and the Governor's Office to develop a three-year plan for creating a fully-operational "No Wrong Door" system. 

Aging Services is also accepting entries for the 2015 Senior Poetry Contest. The popular event is held in conjunction with the Oklahoma Conference on Aging. Contestants are encouraged to submit works that reflect this year's conference theme, "Celebrate. Discover. Embrace." Contestants must be current residents of Oklahoma and must have been at least 60 years old when writing the poem. Hundreds of entries pour in every year from across the state proving that talent and creativity have no age limit. The winners will be invited to read their poems at an awards luncheon during the 40th Annual Oklahoma Conference on Aging, May 5th and 6th this year in Norman. 

No Audio: Aging Services (405-521-2281) and Senior Info-Line (1-800-211-2116)

Further details are available from Aging Services or from the Senior Info-line. The submission deadline is January 15. 

The beginning of a new year is also a good time to look back at the previous year's work to gain a big picture view of what was accomplished. DHS has released the fiscal year 2014 Annual Report to show legislators and the public how the needs of Oklahomans have grown and how they've been met. The theme for this year was "Momentum" building on last year's "State of Change." It's made available to the public, and a limited number of copies were printed, with the majority of those being presented to the state legislature and the Governor's office. It is available in its entirety at the DHS website, as well as several companion videos with individuals who were featured in the Annual Report. The videos tell personal stories that illustrate the human side of the work we do here at DHS. Each division contributed their statistics and information for the year, and the overall design was created by the team at DHS Design Services, with principal photography by Caroline Miller, and video work done by OU Video and Media Services and DHS videographer Mike Chambers. 

While the Annual Report focuses on the year in review for DHS, a lot of us may be setting new personal goals for health and wellbeing for 2015. A good place to start is the OK Health Wellness Program, available to all state government employees. It's a resource for free one-on-one health coaching, stress management, and nutrition and fitness support. For more information visit the website on your screen.

No Audio: OK Health Wellness Program - okhealth.ebd.ok.gov 
 
Another excellent way to make your health a priority is by utilizing the Employee Assistance Program. Six, cost-free, confidential visits are available to you this year. Professional help is available for emotional, financial, legal, substance dependency issues and a whole lot more. Human Resources Management is happy to share more information about the EAP with you, or you can call the Integris Corporate Assistance helpline at 1-800-677-2729 which is available 24 hours, 7 days a week. 

Mark your calendar for January 13th for the first Practice and Policy lecture of 2015. Dr. Robert W. Block, a professor in Community and Pediatric Medicine, will discuss the economic impacts in early childhood. Held at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City, the Practice and Policy lecture series offers the perspective of experts in a forum where participants can share and learn about a wide range of topics. The lectures are free and open to the public. 

No Audio: Practice and Policy Lecture Series link on okdhs.org, located in the lower-left of the page.

Click on the link on the okdhs.org homepage to register to attend and view upcoming events. 

Finally, we would like to offer a huge thank you to all of the DHS staff and community volunteers who purchased, gathered, organized, transported and delivered holiday gifts for over 10,000 kids in foster care across the state last month. The Office of Community and Faith Engagement, along with OK Foster Wishes, compiled and distributed the wish lists. Then, with the help of dedicated volunteers, they sorted, prepared and loaded the gifts from generous, caring community members. The hundreds of hours of work resulted in a happier holiday for so many deserving kids. Thank you for watching, and we'll see you next time.