In the News: March 2012

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Mark Beutler: Hello everybody, I'm Mark Beutler from the Office of Communications. 
Once again, it's time to find out what's "In The News." 
Let's begin with the Practice and Policy Lecture series. 
February's lecture was presented by Cheri Fuller with the Redeeming the Family Association 
and covered the implications of growing up with an incarcerated mother. 
This lecture will join the many others archived at okdhs.org for you to view, 
read or listen to when you have time. 
No doubt, most of us will benefit from taking in these lectures. 
The topics are varied but the quality is consistent. 
Everyone gains understanding through these speakers, especially those of us in the business 
of dealing with children and with families. 
On March 30th, the series continues with a lecture entitled, 
"Children's Right to Thrive: The Foundational Years." 
Dr. Craig T. Ramey, a highly respected professor of Psychology at Virginia Tech specializes in 
the factors affecting children's health and the development of intelligence, 
social competence and academic achievement. 
On this visit Dr. Ramey will discuss the long-term outcomes 
of delivering high-quality childcare to children. 
As you might imagine, a child's early experiences stay with him or her forever. 
The lecture will be held at noon on March 30th at the Oklahoma History Center 
and as usual a video of the lecture will be posted online just a little later. 
Another event you might want to attend this month is a seminar entitled 
"Filling The Gap: Enhancing Educational Outcomes for Foster Youth." 
Just as early childhood education stays with a child forever, 
success in the classroom dictates many aspects of success in adult life. 
This multi-disciplinary seminar is for foster youth, 
their child welfare workers and placement providers. 
The goal is to develop a team approach to education success for foster children. 
This seminar will be held March 19th, in the basement of Oklahoma City's 55-F Center. 
That's located at NE 23rd and Kelley in Oklahoma City. 
If you would like more information, contact Clay Zahn at 405-521-4077 
or by e-mail at clay.zahn@okdhs.org. 
The next item we want to discuss is the retirement of Howard Hendrick as Director of our agency. 
We'll show you pictures from his retirement ceremony in a few minutes, 
but first let's take a look at some highlights of his final comments to the Human Services Commission. 
Director Hendrick: This is another very important chart. 
I want to spend a little bit of time making sure you understand this 
even though I spent quite a bit of time with the Legislature to really explain this. 
I think this is very important. You'll notice that in 2005, this is the number of employees we had. 
2011 it's about the same number of employees, no big difference in '05, '06, '07, '08 and '09. 
Notice in 2005 the cost for our health insurance per employee was $6,000.00. 
It's now $11,000.00 per employee. 
So, it's costing us a little over $5,000.00 per employee more to provide health insurance 
for our employees than it did in 2005. 
This is, we're really over here in 2012 right now, this number would be even bigger 
if this went over into 2012. Not a lot bigger but it'd be a little bigger. 
Notice that in 2005 our retirement costs, by statute, we're 10% of payroll. 
So we, at that time, were spending about $3,000.00 per employee for retirement costs. 
Notice that it was costing us $3,100.00 per employee. By 2011 it cost $5,200.00 per employee. 
So, what does that mean? 
It means that our costs, total costs in 2005 for retirement and health insurance was about $67 million. 
The next year was $77 million, so a $10 million increase. 
The next year was up $12 million, so $12 million, this is really $22 million though 
between these two years, plus this $10 million here, we've spent $32 million 
between these two years combined in increased retirement cost. 
Then if we go compare this year, we add another $33 million between those two, 
so now we have about $60 million it's cost us for more health care 
and retirement costs in just those three years. 
Take the difference between this $110 million, this $66 million, that's about another $40 million, 
so what are we up to now? $100 million, just through four years. 
Then you take the difference between this $119 million and this 60... 
as you can see we're above $150 million. 
And we go $114 million here, now we're up to about $200 million. 
When you look at the cumulative effect of all these, what could we do with $200 million? 
We could buy a lot more Child Welfare Workers. We could move a lot of people off the waiting list. 
We could hire more staff to collect child support. 
The failure to contain the retirement costs and the failure to contain health care costs 
are seriously impairing the ability of state government to deliver services. 
So, it's a 78% growth over six years and doesn't count what 2012 looks like. 
We'll have another percentage increase in 2012. 
So just something to keep aware of ó there's no increase in appropriations from the Legislature 
to cover these costs, by the way. 
Okay, the road ahead - for the agency, a new director and Commission unity. 
I really want to encourage you... I appreciate what you've done particularly in recent days 
to try to come together with some training and get together on some issues. 
I hope that that will continue to be. 
You have a lot of challenges with going forward and I wish you the best. 
I really, really, really do. 
Child Welfare plan is due by March 31, 2012. You're going to get an update 
from Deb on that, later today. 
Figuring out the future for SORC NORCE is a big challenge in front of you as well. 
Managing the uncertainty of IT, and then the budget for next year. 
I think the word here is that 2013 is going to be a budget year where you're not going to have 
one-time funds like you've had in the prior years, not to the degree, at least, 
that you've had in prior years to be able to avoid cuts. 
We're through with one-time funds in terms of our ability to do that. 
There might be a little bit but nowhere near the ability that we've had in prior years 
to finance recurring costs with one-time funds. Sequestration is coming, too. 
And we have several senior staff members that have already, either publicly or privately 
indicated that they are going to be retiring soon. For me, I just want to say thank you. 
It's been a good run. I'm tired, but it's been a good run. 
Thanks for giving me the privilege of working with you. It has been a big joy. 
Mark Beutler: As we mentioned, Director Hendrick was honored for his years of service 
on February 29th at a special retirement party. 
Here are just a few pictures from the event. 
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This month's Feature Story Video, which will be posted right here in this space will be a video 
that was put together for Director Hendrick and will be online very soon for your viewing. 
The next month's Feature Story will focus on one of our own, OKDHS Programs Manager David Odle. 
He was presented the prestigious Richard May Award from the Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund 
at their annual fundraiser Red Tie Night. 
We're very pleased for David and proud of his work and of his award. 
Finally, we want to leave you with some more beautiful photos 
taken by our very own Caroline Miller and Kyle Chaufty. 
The first group are from the recent Senior Day at the Oklahoma State Capitol. 
This event sponsored by the Oklahoma DHS Aging Services Division 
was a day for Oklahomans to talk to lawmakers about the concerns and needs of Seniors in our state. 
Following those pictures you'll see photos taken at this year's OKDHS Black Heritage Celebration. 
Held at Greater Mount Olive Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, the 2012 celebration was better than ever. 
Enjoy the photos and we'll see you next month. Good-bye everybody. 
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