Senior Farmers’ Market

Department of Human Services

Lisa Henley, Kay Bateman, Jerry Davidson, Gary Gregg, Long Vu, Jim Struby, Leola Anderson,

Zachary Root, Peggy Stoltenberg, Andrali Jewett and Office of Support Services

Partners: Doug Walton, Justin Whitmore, Johnny Roberts, and Rick Maloney, Don Hudman, ACS,

Cathy McLaughlin, Ann Ricketts, State and Local Solutions, Oklahoma City Project Office and MasterCard

The Aging Services Division of the Department of Human Services wanted to apply for a grant that provided benefits to the state’s poorest senior citizens to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at local farmers’ markets. Not only would the grant bring in federal dollars to the state, but the program would encourage nutritionally healthier lifestyles for our senior citizens. Those federal dollars would provide additional revenue to already cash-strapped farmers thereby stimulating local economies. OKDHS developed the nation’s first automated solution for delivery of these benefits and implemented that solution in the Summer 2009, with all goals and objectives accomplished.

Farmers’ Market Project

Department of Human Services

Lisa Henley, Kay Bateman, Jerry Davidson, Gary Gregg, Long Vu, Jim Struby,

Leola Anderson and Office of Support Services

Partners: Doug Walton, Johnny Roberts, Rick Maloney, Emily Oakley, Michael Appel, Clyde Terry,

ACS, State and Local Solutions, Oklahoma City Project Office and MasterCard

The delivery of food benefits via Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) did many great things. It saved federal and state dollars previously spent producing, mailing, and distributing food coupons. It lessened the stigma of receiving assistance for our clients and reduced fraud, but it had one negative impact – it eliminated the ability of more than 230,000 clients to purchase food at local farmers’ markets which restricted access to healthy alternatives and forced a loss of income to Oklahoma farmers. OKDHS and its partners developed and implemented a new automated farmers’ market system that utilizes wireless point of sale terminals. Clients once again have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, which also increased sales to Oklahoma’s farmers thereby stimulating the economy of our state.

 

Electronic Payment System State Supplemental Reissuance Project

Department of Human Services

Lisa Henley, Kay Bateman, Jerry Davidson, Stephanie Henderson, Mary Stalnaker, Phil Motley,

Gary Gregg, Long Vu, Hank Brame, Treba Dennis, Sherri Young, James Conway, Paul Henderson,

Keristy Nieto, Chelsea Gary, Ryan Strum, Patrick Ely, Melanie Broadway, Pat Crowell and Jerry Carter

Partners: Affiliated Computer Services

In October 2008, OKDHS staff determined two problems were occurring simultaneously within the Aid to the Aged, Blind and Disabled Program. First, approximately 1,200 clients were not accessing their benefits, which concerned staff that these individuals may have capacity issues preventing them from accessing critical funds. Second, this was subsequently causing an adverse financial impact placing federal funding in jeopardy.  The OKDHS Finance Division, Family Support Services, Data Services, and Affiliated Computer Services participated only to reissue payments to clients receiving AABD in a fast-track eight week project where the goals and objectives had to be met before December 30.

 

Fast Track Paternity Process

Department of Human Services

Patti Schrader, Sandra Gardner, G. Susan Reeder, Brian Paph, Pam Bennetch, Christi Alcox, Brianna Stimson,

Lishonda Elston, Donna Fixico, Craig Goumaz, Carl McEntire, Olivia Mackey, Matthew Spruill and L. Gayle Sutton

Child support offices are evaluated on five federal performance measures.  The Tulsa West Child Support Services Office decided to target two of these areas - Paternities Established and Support Orders obtained - to improve our standing. We chose these two areas because if more paternities and support orders are established, the additional performance measures, current support collections, arrearage collections, and cost effectiveness, would also be positively impacted.

 

Online Student Work Permit Forms

Department of Labor and Department of Education

Sandy Garrett, Dr. Sharon A. Lease, John Bennett, Sharon Bennight, Debbie Wright, 

Tammie Hall, Dawn Williams and Neal Wright

Partners: More than 1,000 Issuing Officers in Oklahoma Schools, Lloyd L. Fields, Dr. Ivan Holmes,

Ray Andrews, Lester Claravall, Amy Cameron, Interstate Labor Standards Association

and the Indiana, Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia and Missouri State Labor Departments

With state agencies being faced with tighter budgets, it is important for personnel to look at creative ways to do more with less. When two agencies join resources and create ideas together, the results can be very powerful. The partnership between the Education Department and Labor Department led to the creation of the Online Student Work Permit Forms. They are credited with increasing efficiency, reducing clock hours, and cutting costs. Not only did the combined efforts between agencies result in annual savings of $50,800, but 2,100 hours (equivalent to one full-time employee) have also been eliminated annually. The new system has made it easier for school-issuing officers to better serve students and employers without the hassle, paper shuffling, or confusion.

Special Enforcement Team

Department of Human Services

Joyce Wallace, Sandra Gardner, Brian Paph, Linda Taylor, Leah Nash-Givings, Sandra Tarpley, Cindy Hunt,

Raylene Devia, Nichole Harden, Lois Gibson, Robyn Tollefson, Natalie Cordova, Vannessa Gatzman,

Brandy Gavlik, Ralene Justice and Christine Turner

In 2008 and continuing into 2009, our office focused on establishing more paternities and orders for child support.

We identified a need to monitor these new orders and take action quickly in cases with no payments to try to encourage the non-custodial parent to establish a habit of supporting his or her child in the early stages. In addition, we wanted to focus on the status 2006 and 2008 cases. These cases are no longer collecting current support, but child support arrears or judgments are still owed. Our goals were to get these cases paying, work out agreements for lump sum settlements, or review for closure, if it is no longer feasible to collect.

New Employee Orientation Process

Department of Career and Technology Education

Alisa Oglesby, Alice Rushmore, Curtis Booher, Danny Darrow, David Jinks, Donna Sinnes, Jamie Church,

Jason Stevens, Jennifer Brown, Jennifer Nuttle, Jim Aulgur, Kimberly Vance, LeeAnn Gregory, Lisa Eden,

Liz Walton, Marie Saatkamp, Paula Bowles, Renea Lomenick, Rob McClendon, Rose Primeaus, Stella Gilbert,

Stephanie Hyder, Terri Hollarn, Tom Fields, Tommi Leach, Valerie McBane, Ken Yowell, Mark Wilson, Kent Roff,

Mary Hane, Denise Christie, Rena Sterling, Rodney Shoffstall, Shannon Randol, Tawni Hooten and Janet Moore

The Employee Orientation was revamped by a cross-functional team. As a result, an employee resource page was developed for a one-stop communication for all employees. A formalized New Employee Orientation is documented and followed to ensure all new employees receive the information needed to make their career successful at the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.

Travel Process Improvement Team

Department of Career and Technology Education

Bruce DeMuth, Connie Lewis, Denise Maxwell, Dennis Bushman, Donna Metcalf, Jim Meek, Jim Roblyer, Terri Hollarn, Kent Roof

Joan McDaniel, Justin Smedley, Karen Hart, Kathleen Kincaid, Lisa Batcheldar, Lisa Eden, Alice Rushmore, Janet Moore,

Renae Burk, Susie Cooper, Suzanne Perry, Timothy Dennis, Tina Fugate, Debbie Whitlow, Denise Morris and Ken Yowell

A cross-function team standardized the travel process in order to reduce turnaround time and the number of preparers needed to submit the claims.

Re-Employment Service (RES) Initiative

Oklahoma Employment Security Commission

Richard Gilbertson, Ann Pendergraft, Jo Eller, Jeff Haddad, Richard McPherson, Glen Robards, Jerry Pectol and Glenda Owen

The Re-Employment Service Initiative of the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission was to serve more people quickly and reach greater numbers of unemployed Oklahomans receiving unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. For several years, OESC has provided in-person job search workshops to UI recipients. Our goal was to increase the number of UI recipients receiving this service without incurring additional expenses on the agency. This initiative would be implemented using technology by offering a virtual job search workshop. Customers would provide OESC with feedback to the virtual workshop through online surveys. Increasing participation in workshops, serving more unemployed workers, without increasing staff dedicated to providing this service was accomplished and saved OESC thousands of dollars spent in travel reimbursement.

 

Office of Professional Development and Training “Live Meeting”

Department of Human Services

Ted Booker, Kay Brooks, Laurel Eaton, Lisa Ellington, Courtney Garnand, Victoria Harrison,

Becky Hatfield, Geina Johnson, James Mitchell, Vicki Phelps and Beverly Walker

Employee training is critical to the success of Oklahoma Child Support Services, yet factors such as limited staff and budget reductions pose challenges to delivering effective, statewide training. With cost-savings as a priority, the OCSS Office of Professional Development and Training successfully launched a new training approach in 2008 using Microsoft Office “Live Meeting.”  This innovative, technology-based model allowed OCSS to deliver a consistent and effective training message.  Additional outcomes of this new training approach included a ten-fold increase in participation and a $977,901 potential savings in training program costs. Today, the OPDT has become an information-sharing leader within OCSS and OKDHS and has paved the way for the adoption of the “Live Meeting” model agency-wide.

PSE 2010

Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drug Control

Jeff Slotnick, Don Vogt, Kelly Couch, Matt Spinks, Dan Harting and Zach Robinson

Methamphetamine cooks in Oklahoma developed new strategies to circumvent the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics pseudoephedrine tracking program (PSE). Although the aging system served its intended purpose, it lacked the capabilities needed to overcome new methods being used by drug dealers. Issues with performance, maintenance, and support contributed to the problem. In order for OBNDDC to continue protecting Oklahomans against methamphetamine production and its impact on families and the environment, the bureau needed to develop a new PSE tracking system. With the cooperation of the Department of Public Safety, OBNDDC created the PSE 2010 system to target new methods of production while lowering operating costs and improving adaptability. Not only did OBNDDC succeed, but they introduced new methodology that will be copied by other states.

Oklahoma Child Support Specialist Certification Program

Department of Human Services

Shade MaKinde, Gary Dart, Victoria Harrison, Vicki Spurgeon, Barbara Perkins, Carol Lively,

Jane Torres, Jeannine Butler, Kay Brooks, Laurel Eaton, Paul White, Rebecca McLeod and Rebecca Reavis

Partners: Dr. Daryl Baker, Mike Kennedy, Todd Tucker, Tom Cravens and Vince DeBerry

Oklahoma is one of the states in the nation expanding child support career development beyond the traditional employee-training program. The Oklahoma Child Support Services’ Specialist Certification and Recertification Program recognize child support specialists who demonstrate proficiency in one or more functional areas. Not only does the program reward individuals for their achievements, it helps establish and maintain uniform standards for skills expected of child support professionals. Since the program’s inception in 2000, there has been a significant increase in employee morale and productivity. By allowing specialists to participate in a holistic comprehensive program that elevates child support as a profession rather than just a job, OCSS has positioned itself as a leader among national child support certification and recertification programs.

OCSS SB 2194 Implementation Project

Department of Human Services

Kandice Baltes-McCollaum, Denise Beard, John Boyer, Cynthia Brown, Pat Brown, Sabine Brown, Jay Burnside,

Jeannine Butler, Steven Byrom, Bob Chapman, Linda Chesnutt, Dayna Clark, Cory Cloud, Karla Crawley, Gary Dart,

Bettite Davenport, Gene Dougherty, Glenda Drennan, Misti Duncan, Brandon Edmonds, Sarah Edwards, Ken Elder,

Lisa Ellington, Darren Ferguson, Carrie Flanagan, Charlene Foster, Sandi Gardner, Courtney Garmand, Don Garrison, Andrea Giezentanner, Tamarra Grayson, Dave Gulick, Tammy Hall, Vicki Hamel, Rebecca Hatfield, La-Vetta Henry,

Elaine Hudson, Jim Hutchinson, Anthony Jackson, JoGeina Johnson, Wes Magerus, Devin McGhee, Joel Meyers,

Barbara Millikan, James Mitchell, Linda Monroe, Dorinda Morris, Terri Mueller, Barbara Ore, Susan Pardee, Christi Park, Tiffany Patswald, Barbara Perkins, Randy Peter, Lisa Purdy, Heidi Randell, Dan Reiss, Tina Saner, Lowery Sell,

Melinda Snowden, Barbara Startz, Scott Tarrant, Ron Tffe, Bill Thompson, Mary Thompson, Jane Torres, Jeff Wagner, Beverly Walker,  Tiffany Wilkerson, Amy Wilson, Elizabeth Wilson, Nancy Winans-Garrison, Renee Work and Charles Zink

Recent changes to law and policy regarding medical child support prompted the largest project undertaken by Oklahoma Child Support Services in nearly a decade. The project’s namesake, Senate Bill 2194, changed Oklahoma’s child support guidelines law and implemented new medical support requirements in response to federal law and new federal regulations. SB 2194 affected every OCSS business process involved in working a child support case. Due to its mammoth scope and size, the project was divided into multiple sets of project deliverables assigned to 11 different subgroups. These subgroups worked together to successfully implement changes to meet SB 2194 requirements in approximately 18 months.

 

New Child Support Guidelines Law Development and Implementation

Department of Human Services

Elizabeth Wilson, Amy Wilson, Linda Monroe, Dorinda Morris, Susan Pardee, Vicki Hamel, Linda Chestnutt, Gary Dart,

James Mitchell, Christy Duncan, Sarah Edwards, JoGeina Johnson, Dave Gulick, Devin McGhee, Elaine Hudson,

Nancy Winans-Garrison, Cory Cloud, Christy Duncan, Rebecca Hatfield, Beverly Walker, Barbara Perkins,

Sandra Emerson, Howard Hendrick, Dawn Zellner, Martha Thompson, Renee Banks, Bruce Hammer and Brenda Kimery

Partners: Craig Knutson and Lisa Gifford

The Oklahoma Child Support Services Joint Legislative & Policy Committee identified that 2008 was the year for the legislative review of the child support guidelines required every four years. After studying interim federal regulations on medical support issued by the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement and researching child support guidelines laws, JLPC concluded Oklahoma law did not comply with federal law. To develop and have enacted during the 2008 Oklahoma legislative session, a child support guidelines statute compliant with federal law became the committee’s imperative for the 2007-2008 legislative sessions. If the law passed, phase two of the project was to update the child support calculator and make it compliant with OKDHS accessibility standards.

DOC SEDCC/ACWC Community Re-Entry Program

Department of Corrections

Brad Dunning, Nora Lagan, Lora Roper and Elaine Harris

Partners: David Colaw, Paula Uzzel, Richard Miller, Dana Carter, Patricia Dewbre, David Engle, Robert Lee,

Gemma Meador, Jackie Williams, Judy Cavnar, DOC Staff (including Security, Food Service),

 and Case Managers, with cooperative efforts of professional volunteers

As part of the Department of Corrections’ mission to protect the public, employees, and offenders, the Southeast District Community Corrections implemented a re-entry program to assist offenders returning to the community to adjust and offer them tools to help them become and stay productive citizens. The first session of the program began April 6, 2009, and has graduated 30 offenders. SEDCC held classes and training in the evening to not interfere with the primary goal of the work center – to provide the community with offender labor. Plans for this program include the family of the offenders as much as can be allowed without interfering with integrity of the program and security of offenders and staff. The program is rooted in evidence-based practice and is a goal-oriented project to lower recidivism rates.

Living Longer, Living Stronger

Department of Corrections

Reginald Hines, L. Leroy Young, Leslie Fitzhugh, Faye Tucker and Harold David Lee

Partners: Oklahoma State Department of Health and Stanford University

The Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, known as “Living Longer, Living Stronger with Chronic Conditions,” is a community evidence-based program. The program, developed at Stanford University, addresses arthritis, diabetes, and lung and heart disease, but teaches skills useful for managing a variety of chronic diseases. Workshops are held in communities and meet 2½ hours per week for six weeks. Workshops are facilitated by two trained leaders, one or both are non-health professionals who have chronic diseases. Workshops cover techniques to deal with problems associated with chronic disease; appropriate exercise; appropriate use of medications; communicating effectively with family, friends, and health professionals; nutrition; and how to evaluate new treatments. Participants demonstrate significant improvements in exercise, communication with physicians, and self-report general health, health distress, fatigue, disability, and social/role activities limitations.

Image Cash Letter Processing

Department of Human Services

Heidi Randell, Karla Crawley, Sherryl Raymond, Joy Buller, Tina Parsons, Grant Neel, Paul Darbo, Jack Fisher,

 Susan Nicewander, Carole Bailey, Betty Pearson, Katie Keller, June Epps, Charlie Strader, Joanne Kaelin,

Beth Geis, Roby Thomas, Gwen Lee, Hector Sandoval, David Johnson and Marcia Matthews

Oklahoma Child Support Services receives thousands of child support payments each month. For example, 170,932 child support checks were processed monthly in 2009. The Image Cash Letter process was implemented to help solve the problem of non-custodial parents using fraudulent checks to pay child support. In addition to a decrease in the number of fraudulent checks, the ICL process also benefited OCSS by creating an efficient method of processing of checks; receipt of funds from payers’ accounts in less than half the previous time; increasing interest paid to state bank account; and reducing banking fees estimated to be more than $24,000 for FY 2010.

 

Working Together to Improve Paternity Establishment

Department of Human Services

Anthony “Tony” Jackson,  Leslie Lewis, Barbara Perkins, JoGeina Johnson, Deidre Lockwood,

Margaret Thompson, Linda Sango, Ryan Bates, Edwina LaCour, Hope Robinson, Danielle Pelkey, Vicki Spurgeon,

Brandy Treiber, Patti Schrader, Kacy Wallace, Diane Jarman, Tom Cravens, Nancy Poore, James Pesek,

Sue Bordeaux, Kelly Baker, Paula Adams, Tom Wright and Mary Winters

In 2009, the Oklahoma Child Support Services Division of OKDHS entered into a partnership with the Oklahoma State Department of Health to improve the birth certificate process in Oklahoma. The ROVER system is an online system used by birthing hospitals to deliver birth certificate information to OSDH. As part of ROVER, OSDH agreed to add an online version of the Acknowledgment of Paternity form to the system, so that parents of out of wedlock children could more easily establish paternity for their children. Concurrently, OCSS developed an online AOP training to be used by both hospital and OCSS staff, eliminating the need for in-person training. These two projects resulted in increased customer service, while saving the taxpayers thousands of dollars.

Talent Acquisition Team (TAT)

Oklahoma Employment Security Commission

Christie Baker, Gilda Holman, Dan Reser and Valencia Stiggers

Partners: Oklahoma Career Tech, Oklahoma Department of Commerce and Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education

The Talent Acquisition Team (TAT) is both unique and original. As a government service TAT has the resources of a large government agency at its disposal, yet by operating in part as a virtual team, it has the ability to serve multiple business customers simultaneously. The team’s goal is to connect qualified candidates to employment opportunities. This goal was accomplished in two ways, one by streamlining the recruitment process for businesses in Oklahoma; two, by partnering with businesses to reach as many people as possible. Since October of 2008, the team has reviewed 7,090 resumes, assisted 182 Oklahoma businesses with 307 open positions, and referred 2,941 candidates for interviews.      

Landowner Outreach: Know Your Stream Handouts

Oklahoma Conservation Commission

Brooks Tramell, West Shockley, Leonard Moore, Jason Ramming, Jeanette Lamb, Jerry Carr,

Ashley Rhea, Daniel Franke, Stacey Day, Candace Cunningham and Greg Kloxin

The Oklahoma Conservation Commission manages the state program that encourages Oklahomans to voluntarily reduce polluted runoff from lawns, streets, parking lots, and agricultural lands. Polluted runoff negatively impacts streams and drinking water. Seven staff members monitor water quality of streams across the state. Staff found when landowners saw them in the streams and asked about the water quality of the stream, they were not prepared to provide an educated answer. Data on 100 monitored streams has been summarized from the agency database and compiled into handouts. Stream monitors now carry stream-specific information with them into the field to provide to landowners. This effort has improved the morale of water quality monitors, improved landowner awareness of stream health, and reduced landowner complaints.    Team Members: Brooks Tramell, West Shockley, Leonard Moore, Jason Ramming, Jeanette Lamb, Jerry Carr, Ashley Rhea, Daniel Franke, Stacey Day, Candace Cunningham, and Greg Kloxin.

Responding to the Needs of the Unemployed

Oklahoma Employment Security Commission

Robyn Coman, Jeanne Pectol, Shelley Moser, Patsy Girard, Judy Dildine, Joan Follin, Cathy Anderson,

Marsha Cunningham, Brenda Orange, Michelle Madden, Lee Davies, Ann Pendergraft, Glenda Owen, Danny Moore,

Vicky Downey, Michael Mauller, Gary Christopher, Celeste Anderson, Veronica Reed, Kim Brewer, Ruth Ann Smith,

Cathy Spencer, David Slimp, Sharon Louie, Joy Blakley, Karla Pummel, Gretchen Evans, Bob Kirk, Patty Garner,

Donna Wilkins, Jo Richter, Marilea McCullough, Linda Moree, Julia Jacobs, Stacy Dunagan, Bethany Berry, Don Misel,

Scott Thompson, Quentina Fisher, Lee Davies, Joanna Hunton, Aimeeann Vanek, Melanie Renchie, Richard Burgess,

Felix Walton, Cathy Spencer, Jackie Cochran, Natasha Jennings, Patricia Ruark, Frank Boswell and Kathy Anderson 

The number of unemployed in Oklahoma increased drastically and the Oklahoma Unemployment Insurance Service Centers in Oklahoma City and Tulsa were unable to handle claims in a timely and efficient manner. The problems were identified and addressed. Oklahoma Employment Security Commission staff with previous claims taking experience would be detailed to assist the customers who were unable to be served using the Internet or telephone system. The in-person services began in late January 2009. In March 2009, the decision was made to continue these in-person services. Twenty employees of the Unemployment Insurance Field Operations Division now serve 28 Workforce Oklahoma offices. Weekly numbers have continued to increase. OESC met the challenge and continues to serve these appreciative claimants in person.

 

Media Campaign: Spotlighting Good Streams in Oklahoma

Oklahoma Conservation Commission

Mike Thralls, Shanon Phillips, Greg Kloxin, Stacey Day, Candace Cunningham and Andrew DeCandis

Partners: Clay Pope, Ron Hilliard, James Wood and Sarah Hasenmyer

The Oklahoma Conservation Commission’s Water Quality Division, in partnership with the executive director of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts, organized a media campaign to showcase healthy and improved streams in the state. A series of press releases, interviews, and handouts were produced in order to reverse the overwhelmingly negative image of Oklahoma waters. Because of this media campaign, support for federal and state funding to the Oklahoma Conservation Commission was generated, and the partnership between the OCC, the OACD, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service was strengthened. The publication of four success stories on the national EPA website has resulted in Oklahoma being one of the top five states in the nation for documenting reductions in nonpoint source pollution.

FIDM Threshold

Department of Human Services

Steve Byrom, Karla Crawley, Natalie Cordova, Brandon Edmonds, Dave Gulick, Melissa Gibbons, Anthony Jackson,

Dianna Johnson, Tiffany Patswald, Heidi Randell, Andy Szymak, Patti Schrader, Sandy Tarpley and Cindy White

The Financial Institution Data Match process is one of Oklahoma Child Support Services’ most important sources of child support collections. OCSS regularly sends information to financial institutions to match delinquent non-custodial parents with financial accounts. In 2009, more than 7,500 personnel hours were devoted to the manual processing of 6,981 levy collections. This project occurred in response to a cost-benefit analysis identifying that many small collections cost OCSS more personnel time and wages than benefited families receiving child support and explored the possibility of establishing a minimum collection amount. As a result of the FIDM Bank Levy project, OCSS saved 2,700 personnel hours and approximately $70,000 in personnel costs.

Making DRS “In the News” Accessible to Staff with Disabilities

Department of Rehabilitation Services

Dana Tallon, Shirley Burton, Brett Freeman and Louise Garvin

This project improved internal communications, saved printing costs, and expanded a quarterly hardcopy report to a monthly electronic publication that is now accessible to all staff, including those with vision impairments. As a result, the “DRS in the News” team won a 2009 Governor’s Commendation. In the past, newspaper articles generated by news releases were clipped by hand. When our clipping service began delivering electronic clippings, Dana Tallon coordinated with Brett and Shirley Burton to download clippings, insert alternative text for blind readers, and deliver the report in standard and large print and Braille formats.

OSD “Blazes New Trails” with National Conference

Department of Rehabilitation Services

Larry Hawkins, Carolyne Paradiso, KaAnn Varner, Ruth Ann Shores, Brent Behrens, Jack Tucker, Starla Allen,

Arlene Mink, Thomas Thompson, Darliene McClellan, Trina Ellis, Betty Stephens, Traci Prince,

Harvey Stinson, Jason Hargis, Gary Mink, Gary Almon, Lauren Lawer and Kathy Stroyick

Oklahoma School for the Deaf hosted the ASDC conference for families of deaf children June 2009 and produced a quality experience that touched the lives of families. ASDC’s mission is to support parents of deaf children. The conference provided access to critical information in raising a deaf child and was an opportunity to meet others in the field of deafness. The kick-off event had 500 attendees and 350 participants, including some from Canada and Africa. This was the most successful ASDC conference and helped bring national attention to OSD. One outcome from the conference is new students enrolling at OSD. The school has been asked to host other endeavors and is looked at as a model program.

Oklahoma Career Information System

Department of Career and Technology Education

Robin Schott, Kelly Arrington, Natalie Gay, Jo Kahn, Jeff Haddad, Beth Schmidt, Greg Dent, Tim Milligan, Terry Watson and Armando Pena

Oklahoma’s jobless rate in March 2010 was 6.7 percent and, while down from previous months, there are still many unemployed people. Many unemployed come from industries where jobs will simply not return. These workers need direction on what to do next. The collaboration between the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, Oklahoma Department of Commerce, and Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education makes the Oklahoma Career Information System available to Oklahomans and is vital to help our current and future workforce make informed career decisions.

 

Project Search – Tulsa

Department of Rehabilitation Services

Department of Rehabilitation Services, St. John Medical Center (Tulsa),

 Jenks Public Schools and the University of Oklahoma

These entities came together as a team to provide unique needs and training for post-graduation employment of disabled high school students. OU was the link to the National Project Search Committee and provided technical assistance and training. Jenks Public Schools provides the teacher and students. St. John Medical Center provides classroom and internship sites. The Department of Rehabilitation Services assists with employment needs, funding for on-site job coaches and post-graduation supported employment. Senior students begin the program daily at St. John Medical Center. Students are provided uniforms and rotate through internship sites gaining work skills and job site experience. A teacher develops a suitable internship site, and job coaches provide intensive coaching and training. The program has been successfully duplicated across the state in a variety of settings.

Format Follies: The Data Dilemma

Office of the State Auditor and Inspector

Michelle Day, Ricky Branch, Chris Pembrook, Girard Jergensen, John Peirce, Kerri Carter, 

Allyson Dawson, Cindy Perry and Kim Reed

Partners: Office of the State Auditor & Inspector, Richard Sutterfield, Sarah Brantley

and Kellpro Computer Solutions of Duncan, Oklahoma

Oklahoma has 77 counties with 77 county clerks, 77 county treasurers … well, you get the picture. State auditors engaged in conducting a county’s general audit needed a better way to perform the initial reconciliation between the records of the County Clerk and the County Treasurer. Manual data entry from a hard-copy was time consuming and inefficient. The combined efforts of SAI management, its IT specialists, and the private sector vendors of the software utilized by most counties identified a successful solution. The result was a 90 percent reduction in the time it took state auditors to conduct the initial reconciliation and risk assessment of the entity being audited and a cost savings of more than $40,500 on just one audit application.

 

Online Enrollment

Oklahoma Health Care Authority

Richard Evans, Derek Lieser, Anh Pham, Dustin Oxford, Alyssa Nguyen, Tracy Turner,

Linh Do, Chris Dees, Tom Wright and Anita Buchanan

In order to improve the accuracy of information received, speed of determination, and availability of coverage, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority has established an online enrollment site.  It is designed to allow members to either apply for first time benefits, or current members to renew their eligibility. The site was designed to provide access to the most comprehensive benefits available to low income, uninsured Oklahomans who would otherwise not have health coverage and also to enhance interagency collaboration. The site allows families and individuals the opportunity to apply for benefits in the privacy of their own homes or at various community locations. The agency is working towards its goal of reducing the stigma associated with Medicaid and simultaneously educating families on services they may quality for with other departments throughout the state.

 

The Medication Clinic: “Producing Cost Alleviation with Affordable Medication”

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Chris Olson, Wanda Wilson, Sue Soldolski, Cindy Magallanez, Quinisha Oatis, Dr. Ken Gray, Dr. FeLing Yeh,

Dr. Tazeen Maududi, Kay Seaton, Debbie Henderson, Christa Seedord, Kayleen Thomas, Dr. Ed Hill, Dr. Asha Raju,

Dr. Jacob Bannett and Dr. Nicasio Gutierrez

Partners: Geron Jones, Kyle Boston, Sharon Tonseth, Elizabeth Daily, Matt Jeffrey, Patricia Tran, Vincent Morrison, Will Moore,

Judy Fitzpatrick, Shawn Thompson, Libbi Rose, Scott Zerby, Gayle Caldwell, Jennifer Fikes, Jeremy Harris and 24 nursing homes

The medication clinic at Central Oklahoma Community Mental Health Center produces cost alleviation for the agency and the individuals served through new and innovative practices that provide affordable medication. Doctors, nurses, and other staff use a combination of resources including personal experience and critical thinking skills to continuously provide clients with access to affordable medications necessary to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Ultimately, the medication clinic team contributes to the end goal of cost-effective prescription medication via medication education, the Prescription Assistance Program, medication donations, and medication samples.  The passionate work done by the wonderful people associated with the medication clinic at COCMHC has proven to be valuable to both the individuals it serves and for the organization through cost savings.

 

PACE – Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly

Oklahoma Health Care Authority

Cassell Lawson, Ivoria Holt and Dennis Pennington

Partners: Ben Stevens, Sharon Washington, Katina Dugger, Dr. Douglas Young, Betty McHolland,

Lieutenant Commander Amy Hesselgesser, Stacey Shuman and Rebecca Hanlon

PACE is a unique, capitated, one-stop home and community-based program that provides a comprehensive army of medical and social services for the frail and elderly within their homes or at Cherokee Elder Care Center in Tahlequah. It is the first Native American sponsored program in America and is available to those living within five counties around Tahlequah, OK. PACE receives a capitated monthly payment from Medicare and SoonerCare in exchange for all health and aging services required to meet members’ needs. PACE is centered on the belief that it is critical for the well-being of seniors with chronic care needs to be served in the community. The goal is to maximize each member’s autonomy and continued community residence, while providing quality care at a lower cost.

Developmental Screening Initiative: Integrating Developmental Screens in the Medical Home

Oklahoma Health Care Authority

Terrie Fritze, Sue Robinson, Karen Frensley, Jackie Shipp, Dr. Laura McGinn,

Dee Kessler, Debra Andersen, Amy Chlouber and Jane Humphries

Primary care providers who serve children have long recognized the value of periodic child health checkups, also known as Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment exams or well-child exams in identifying developmental concerns. Delayed or disordered development can cause specific medical conditions, increased risk of other medical complications, and increased risk of behavior disorders or associated developmental disorders. Early identification and intervention can spur specific and appropriate therapeutic intervention. In Oklahoma, several agencies took this to heart and decided to team up and assist Oklahoma’s youngest citizens by offering a developmental screening initiative. The team identified funds to provide administrative oversight and the purchase and distribution of evidence-based developmental screening tools to SoonerCare practices in Oklahoma who serve as PCPs for infants and toddlers.

OB (Pregnancy) Outreach Project

Oklahoma Health Care Authority

Marlene Asmussen, Shannon Beasler, Leslie Brown, Lise DeShea, John Dewar, Michelle Gaden, Kimberely Helton,

Melinda Jones, Lori Kann, Ken Miller, Yvonne Myers, Becky Pastermik-Ikard, Jim Preble, James Reese,

Kevin Rupe, Marjorie Snyder, Kimrey Suttles, Mary Triplet, Marie West and Darlene Wilson

To help pregnant SoonerCare members gain faster access to critical OB care, the Member Services Unit began an outbound calling campaign to speak directly with the member. By talking with the member, we could find out where they were in accessing OB care or help them find care, if needed. The problem was that this method was ineffective and also negatively impacted our main task of answering incoming calls. The answer was to give the members incentive to call us. A unique letter and process was developed to coordinate mailing, phone routing, data collection and reporting. The result is more pregnant women receive the appropriate level of prenatal care on a timelier basis. Earlier prenatal care improves health outcomes and can lower medical expenses.

Usage Option Program

Department of Central Services

Claton Chandler, Janet Gaylor, Terry Zuniga and Donna White

The Fleet Management Division implemented the new Usage Options program as a result of the successful pilot project with ODOL. The “Rollover” and “My Team” billing option are critical components of the Division’s cost-saving rate initiative. The new billing options have been available to state agencies since July 1, 2009 in order for the agencies to realize savings during fiscal year 2010. The Fleet Management Division cost saving rate initiative represents a concerted effort to offset expected shortfalls in operating budgets of the agencies we support.

Value-Plus Lease Program

Department of Central Services

DCS Fleet Management Division and DCS Property Realization Division

Fleet Management Division delivers more vehicle choices for agency use and is proactively working to fulfill each agency’s vehicle requirements with newer, fuel-efficient, well-maintained vehicles. The value-added for state agencies is the ability to redistribute their scarce appropriations to programs and services that support the citizens of Oklahoma.

 

Care Management Department – At Risk and High Risk Obstetrics

Oklahoma Health Care Authority

Care Management Department of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority

The OHCA Care Management Department has successfully developed a case management program for “at risk” and “high risk” pregnant SoonerCare members. Nurse case managers determine eligibility for active care management based upon established maternal and fetal diagnoses. Enhanced services such as non-stress tests, biophysical profiles and additional ultrasounds for those identified as “High Risk” offer enhanced benefits. “At Risk” members can also qualify for active case management. Depression screenings also performed on “At Risk” and “High Risk” pregnant members allow for behavioral health interventions. Early intervention is imperative to improving pregnancy outcomes. The establishment of this case management program has allowed OHCA to have a large impact on the most vulnerable citizens of our state as SoonerCare pays for <60 percent of all Oklahoma deliveries.

OHCA Medical Authorization Unit – At Risk/High Risk Obstetrics

Oklahoma Health Care Authority

Cecilia Henrix, Maria Ordonez and Anne Szczublewski

The Oklahoma Health Care Authority has enhanced the quality of perinatal care for SoonerCare members with the implementation of the High Risk Obstetrics Program. Developed in collaboration with the Perinatal Advisory Task Force and obstetrical providers throughout Oklahoma, the High Risk OB Program provides additional services for pregnant women who are considered to be “high risk.” Through a combined effort of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, SoonerCare providers, and members utilizing the program, authorization of services and case management for high risk women enrolled in SoonerCare has resulted in early identification and intervention to ensure better outcomes for high risk pregnancies in Oklahoma.

OHCA and Riverside Indian Boarding School Dental Outreach

Oklahoma Health Care Authority

Trevlyn Cross, Dana Miller and Dr. Leon Bragg, Sr.

Partners: Karen Sehorn, Tracy Nowlin, Charles Brucklier, Nelson Autobo and Mike Fountain

In September 2009, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority took advantage of a unique opportunity to improve the well-being of 479 American Indian children who reside at the Riverside Indian Boarding school in Anadarko. The majority of Riverside students come from remote and poverty stricken areas of the country where access to education and comprehensive health care is a challenge. The OHCA Indian Health Unit along with the Oklahoma Dental Hygienist Association, the Oklahoma City Area Inter-Tribal Health Board and the Indian Health Services provided dental hygiene supplies and education to the students. This project will, undoubtedly, establish good dental habits and prevent periodontal disease and costly procedures, thus enabling the Riverside children to have happier and healthier futures.

Mental Health Services in the “Oklahoma Frontier”

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Trudy Hoffman, Richard White, Teri Reid, Rita Reeves and Sean Couch

In rural northeast Oklahoma, licensed mental health professionals are a premium. These licensed clinicians are needed to complete services that must be performed only by licensed professionals, such as client assessments and treatment plan reviews. To stretch these services, the Northwest Center for Behavioral Health implemented the telemedicine network at two locations – Enid and Guymon. This technology allows licensed clinicians to conduct mental health services via a secure Internet connection with a two-way audio and video. From August 2008 through February 2010, this program generated cost savings of over $8,500 in vehicle usage and lost staff productivity. Using telemedicine technology in lieu of travel has also yielded nearly 170 additional hours for licensed mental health professionals to deliver services directly to our consumers.

Griffin Memorial Hospital, Recovery University

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Treatment Mall Steering Committee, Kathy Otis-David, Jamie Featherston, Stan Ardoin, Debra Davie, Kim Kueteman,

David Saltzman, Durand Crosby, Terri White, Carrie Slatton-Hodges, Caletta McPherson and Steven Buck

Grounded in the belief that individuals can and do recover, Griffin Memorial Hospital strives to provide an environment that increases opportunities for consumers to gain information and understanding of psychiatric illness, substance abuse disorders, and treatment and a chance to learn and practice skills that will enhance their lives in the community. To move from belief to action, GMH developed the Recovery University Treatment Mall. This facility enhances options for individuals to receive evidence-based curriculum in an educational setting.

 

SoonerPlan – Oklahoma’s Free Family Planning Program

Oklahoma Health Care Authority

Mike Fogarty, Lynn Mitchell, Becky Pasternik-Ikard, Marie West, Melinda Jones, Kimrey Suttles, Debbie Ogles, Jo Kilgore, Meri McManus, Trent Dugas, Sherry Sester, Cathy McKinney, Sarah Harding, Trevlyn Cross, Dana Miller,

Patricia Johnson, Lise DeShea, Nelia French, Lori Kann, Lavonne Monson., John Dewar,  Justin Etchieson, John Giles, Brent Johnson, Yvonne Myers, Suzanna Dooley, Dick Lorenz, Jill Nobles-Botkin, Lynn Goldberg, Robert Feyerham,

Alicia Lincoln, A. King, C. Dees, C. Drake, M. Stone, D. Duthcess, A. Ruble, S. Gandy, S. Howell, V. Ellis, P. Boggs,

K. Freeman, G. Tucker, J. Terry, J. Affentranger, B. Pittenridge, E. Scott Garrett, Andrea Casart, Tom Hennessey,

Joe Reeder, Spencer Anthony, Lisa Battiste, Sheryl Savage, Meta Carstarphen, Alex Marcus and Tiffany Cunningham

SoonerPlan is a family planning program designed to reduce the unintended pregnancy rate in Oklahoma, the result of which we hope is healthier women, healthier babies, and a healthier Oklahoma along with a reduction in unintended pregnancy-associated Medicaid costs. SoonerPlan is a collaborative effort between the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services with support from our federal partner, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

An Improved Medical Home for Every SoonerCare Choice Member

Oklahoma Health Care Authority

Buffy Heater, Adolph Maren, Melinda Jones, Kelly Botten, Debbie Ogles, Beth VanHorn, Trish Harland, Pat Johnson,

Jason Ince, Rodney Ikard, Dr. Paul Keenan, Dr. Lynn Mitchell, Amiee Moore, Terri Fritz, Twynda Cox, Paula Lane,

Jennifer King, Kevin Rupe, Lana Brown, Marianne Lingle, Marlene Asmussen, Mike Fogarty, Dr. Mike Herndon,

Nelia French, Nicolle Burland, Nico Gomez and Melody Anthony

Partners: Dr. William Willis, Dr. Roger Schaffer, Dr. Dwight Sublett, Dr. John Stuemky,

Dr. Frances Haas, Dr. Russell Kohl, Dr. Dale Askins and Dr. Richard Nisbet

In January 2007 SoonerCare providers met with agency leadership to present ideas to improve the SoonerCare Choice Program. The physician community wanted the agency to improve access to care and increase member and provider satisfaction by changing the program structure. They suggested the medical home model of health care delivery. Beginning February 2007, agency staff worked with the Medical Advisory Task Force to develop changes necessary to accomplish this goal. Town Hall meetings were held throughout the state to ensure the provider had a voice in how the program would be changed. The program was approved by CMS and implemented on January 1, 2009.

Developing Cultural Awareness

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Terri White, Durand Crosby, Carrie Slatton-Hodges, Steven Buck, Caletta McPherson and Angie Patterson

Our workforce is comprised of people from all over the world. With this new multicultural make-up comes diversity in areas such as communication style, attitude towards conflict, approach to time, managerial styles, and a plethora of other cross-cultural differences. Cultural awareness helps us to honor beliefs and sensibilities that are not necessarily our own, so that as we interact with people from other cultures, no unintended breach of good manners or conversational blunders occur. Unless we become aware of cultural diversity in its many forms, we can harm relationships by the lack of understanding. Our Cultural Awareness Initiative builds bridges to trust, respect, and understanding across cultures and are fostering productive interactions with fellow employees and consumers.

Oklahoma’s TeleHealth Network

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Terri White, John Hudgens, Karen Frensley, Sean Couch, Christopher Tarpley,

Partners: Northwest Center for Behavioral Health, Mental Health Services of Southern Oklahoma,

Carl Albert Community Mental Health Center, Family and Children’s Services of Tulsa, Indian Health Services,

Associated Centers for Therapy of Tulsa, Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, Carter County Courthouse,

Integris Health Systems, Shadow Mountain Behavioral Health, SKC Communications and TANDBERG

The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services has successfully implemented a statewide treatment delivery system through the use of video-conferencing technology – TeleHealth. This technology allows providers to deliver mental health and substance abuse services to Oklahomans in rural communities who, without this technology, would be at a significant disadvantage due to a lack of access. This has resulted not only in hundreds of thousands of dollars saved, but in an increase in the overall quality of care delivered. Through this network, Oklahomans who were unable to receive services due to geographical, economic, and workforce barriers are now able to receive the care that they desire.

 

Creating Transparency Through Improved Communication

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Terri White, Durand Crosby, Carrie Slatton-Hodges, Steven Buck, Caletta McPherson,

Angie Patterson, Gretchen Geis, Tammy Anderson, Jeff Dismukes, Pam McKeown and Courtney Wright

The state’s recession with continuing budget cuts and discussions of potential job losses is creating widespread fear and anxiety among state employees. More than ever, employees need prompt and honest communication to help alleviate their fears. ODMHSAS determined that the best method to lessen anxiety and to improve morale was to be transparent about our budget reduction decisions. We established several internal communication methods designed to give employees a more accurate and complete picture of the changes we were undertaking. This includes in-person meetings at each facility, allowing us to communicate directly with employees, and giving them the opportunity to ask questions about their concerns. This has helped employees stay focused on providing optimum care for our consumers.

ODMHSAS Retirement Recognition

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Terri White, Durand Crosby, Carrie Slatton-Hodges, Steven Buck, 

Caletta McPherson, Angie Patterson, Donnita Heck and Debra Mankin

Showing that the agency values our employees and appreciates their years of service is instrumental to improving employee morale and retaining good employees. The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Executive Team and the Human Resource Management Division developed a program to effectively recognize all retiring employees. For the employee’s retirement celebration, members of the Leadership Team will travel across the state to personally recognize the retiree, tying the individual’s achievements to the department’s values, goals, and mission, while presenting the employee a certificate of appreciation, an acrylic award, and depending upon number of years of service, a Governor’s Commendation. The Employee Retirement Recognition Program has shown to be a success and is becoming an important part of ODMHSAS’ culture.

SSA Income Withholding Orders Automation Project

Department of Human Services

Toby L. Hallows, Danny Lindsey, Jon Kirchen, Anthony “Tony” Jackson, Barbara Perkins, Steve Byrom, Lowery Sell,

Dale Swigget, Dan Reiss, Wes Magerus, Joy Buller, Linda Chestnutt, Cory Cloud, La-vetta Henry, James Hill,

Ralene Justice, Micky Kellum, Anne Lawrence, Devin McGhee, Denoya Odum, Shantell Phillips, Jane Torres, Rob Walker, Aimee Wampler, Toy Wicker, Renee Work, Beverly Walker, La Verna Williams, Janis Jones and Nancy Shaw

The Social Security Administration, through the Office of Child Support Enforcement, offered to relay data on potential beneficiaries to state agencies for the purpose of collecting child support. Oklahoma Child Support Services was interested in receiving this information to continue their work in obtaining reliable sources of income for Oklahoma families and children. The task before the agency was how best to utilize this data and determine how much the outcomes would benefit those individuals with child support cases. A process improvement team was formed, research conducted, solutions analyzed and a process selected. The team partnered with the Social Security Administration to serve the needs of all the parties involved and the resulting outcomes are producing results that are exceeding the expectations of the agency.

Oklahoma Employer Services Center

Department of Human Services

Jennifer Ash, Corinne Bloomer, Misty Brown, Dayna Clark, Danny Collins, Lorraine Comfort, Nick Fleur, Sue Ann Floyd,

Sarah Gaines, Natalie Goodman, Tamarra Grayson, Ryan Griffis, Toby Hallows, Ross Hensley, James Hill,

Anthony Jackson, Lisa Jorgensen, Joshua Kahoe, Casey Kirk, April Kirkes, Jennifer Mars, Devin McGhee, Tanya Meyer,

Jenny Nelson, James Nichols II, DeNoya Odum, Barbara Perkins, Sheila Pierce, Peter Pietersen, Marsha Snow,

Hanna Stice, Stephanie Schwartz, Jeff Wagner, Grover Walker, Jason Wiggins and Sharonda Wilson

The Oklahoma Employer Services Center was developed to address the growing needs of Oklahoma Department of Human Services Oklahoma Child Support Services in the area of medical support. The OKESC was opened in February 2008 and has greatly improved OCSS’s performance in medical support. Medical support documents are now processed within a day of receipt, when previously the documents had a backlog of months. External education for employers is being provided through individual contact and regional workshops. Extremely positive feedback was received on surveys conducted. The OKESC has made a significant positive impact for OCSS.

 

Sorry, No Vacancy

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Angela Houston, Brandon Schader, Pat Hess, Roxanne Cleveland, Vivian Ceberg,

Armand DelaRose, Gail Chapman, Kelsey Deckard, Keith West, Quincy Brown and Kent Mathews

Partners: Griffin Memorial Hospital Pharmacy Staff

The Oklahoma County Crisis Intervention Center is committed to maximizing treatment bed availability and maintaining efficient operation. Emergency stabilization/evaluation can mean operating at a level with little margin for bed availability – becoming 100 percent full was not always good. Operating with too much margin means being financially inefficient and having underutilized bed availability. Operating with too little margin means having staffing problems, critically limited bed availability, and potentially being a source of cascading facility overflows. Using a previously successful change model, a weekend treatment project was initiated, requiring minimal expenditures of funds. After six months, bed availability has improved, staff workload has become more manageable, and clients feel better with the services and it cost us almost nothing to do it!

Enhancing the Drug Court System Implementing Management Strategies

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Jack Kelly, Nisha Wilson, Kimberly Cain, Joseph E. Yosten,

Susan Hughes, David Wright, Nancy Warren, Richard Underwood and Lorrie Byrum

In an effort to improve Oklahoma’s drug courts, the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services’ Specialty Court Team developed an electronic case management system to improve staff communication and recordkeeping, drug court monitoring, and drug court outcomes. Specific drug court protocols were developed to aid with the monitoring of drug courts to ensure accountability and compliance with state statute and ODMHSAS policy and to increase systematic integration of drug court best practices. The Specialty Court Team began developing management strategies in early 2009 with implementation initiated in June 2009. Since the implementation of these strategies, Drug Court Teams have responded favorably as evidenced by ODMHSAS surveys reflecting a much improved and efficient system of monitoring Oklahoma’s drug court programs.

Annual All-Staff Day of Training: Ensuring Staff Preparation with a Full Day of Education

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Teresa Capps, Yoko Chatagnier, Leslie DeHart, J. B. Fancher, Larry Gross, Edwin Hill, Lydia Hilton,

Jerry Mayfield, Michelle Newman, Chris Olson, Cindy Schultz, Ann Smith, Tina Stiefmiller, Lyn Walker and Louis Ward

Partners: Donnita Heck, James Bond, Pam Champeau, Jennifer Freer, Robert Goldsberry, Warren Haren, Doye Johnson, Julie Jones, Sherry Kollmann, Cynthia McClarence, Monica Riefer, Jason Riggs, Candice Sparks and Nancy Williams

The Annual All-Staff Day of Training is an event created by the Executive Management Team of Central Oklahoma Community Mental Health Center in Norman, Oklahoma.  The team consists of program directors and supervisors within the agency. Due to the identification of problems related to staff training and development, individuals participating in the Executive Management Team collectively work to provide a day where all staff training needs can be met. In addition to providing the staff who works for Central Oklahoma Community Mental Health Center with the opportunity to accomplish all required trainings in one day; the All-Staff Day of Training allows the agency to conserve both time and assets that would otherwise be spent on the production of external training resources.

Consolidated Claims Processing System Training for Substance Abuse Treatment Providers

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Jack Millspaugh, Wendy Larsen, Tracy Leeper, Mark Reynolds, Robert Harper, Van Rhodes and Shalonna Daniels

Partners: Kathy Dalle, Joni Jones, Karen Sanders, Erin Meyer,

Marvin Dale, Elisa Kaufman, Pam Raisley, Chris Hunt and Jeff Mims

Substance abuse treatment providers are targeted for extra assistance in converting the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services’ system to the new Consolidated Claims Program. ODMHSAS, in partnership with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and two of its contracted agencies, offered an all-out effort to not only educate substance abuse treatment providers in the multiple step claims process, but to make them feel comfortable about the process. Teleconferences, on-site provider training, plus numerous traditional training opportunities were used to meet this goal.

 

SARD Technical Assistance: A Continuous Quality Improvement

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Armisha Harrison, Elaine Long, Caletta McPherson, Kelli Reid, Shoko Baker, John Hudgens and Carol Ladd

Partners: Provider Certification Division, SARD Field Services Coordinators and PC Program Field Representative

Over the past several years, the ODMHSAS Substance Abuse Recovery Division has transformed its way of assisting drug and alcohol treatment programs in the state. The SARD established a formal process to deliver technical assistance to the certified and contracted treatment programs to help maintain their state certification as well as compliance with substance abuse treatment contractual requirements. As a result of the process, SARD has been able to keep track of all technical assistance delivered, identify the most prevalent needs among treatment providers concerning the certification and contractual compliance, and develop training materials to ensure the programs have useful resources.

Where Are They Now? – Improving Residential to Outpatient Continuing Care Engagement

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Judith Beck, Brenda Grizzle, Chris Herrera, Robert Mitchell,

Janie Hogue, Susan Schwab, Teri Debough, Lesa Barnett and Amanda Pipins

Partners: RRRC Staff and the Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment

Rose Rock Recovery Center, an Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services operated residential behavioral health program, identified that approximately half of the consumers completing residential treatment were not attending scheduled continuing care appointments with an outpatient provider within 14 days of discharge from the facility. Staff interventions to increase outpatient engagement included ensuring releases of information for the outpatient provider were signed prior to discharge, phone call reminders to the consumer the day before the outpatient appointment, and motivational enhancement regarding the importance of participating in outpatient treatment. The results of the interventions showed a significant sustained increase in outpatient engagement within 14 days of discharge from 50 percent prechange to 89 percent postchange.

Transforming the Jim Taliaferro CMHC Evaluation Unit

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Jim Regan, Victor Wilkerson, Jill Melrose, Mike Strickland, Ellie Cruz, Randy Kauk and Judy Wallace

Jim Taliaferro Community Mental Health Center utilizes modern process improvement techniques with creative planning and hard work to enhance the quality and cost effectiveness of its Evaluation Services Unit in such a way as to eliminate inappropriate admissions and increase the length of stay by patients to its inpatient unit. This role change reduced crowding, wait times, and provided better integration with law enforcement agencies by creating a staffing plan that reduces cost and increases coverage during peak admission hours, while providing better patient and staff safety and increasing overall consumer and employee satisfaction.

Credit Card Security

Oklahoma State Treasurer

Scott Meacham, Susan Nicewander, Carole Bailey, Betty Pearson, Deidra O’Neil and Susan Eubanks

State Treasurer Scott Meacham contracts with major banks to allow state agencies to accept payments from the public by credit cards. Last fiscal year, more than one million transactions totaling more than $140 million were processed. The credit card industry has extremely strict data security standards. The Treasurer’s Office worked with Bank of America and CoalFire Systems, Inc., a securities consultant, to commit agency partners to compliance, educate them regarding compliance requirements, and facilitate their efforts to document and achieve compliance as required. To date, 100 percent of participating agencies have returned executed Participation Agreements, 87 percent sent representatives to a training session, 100 percent assessed their card processing environment, and 95 percent completed 90 percent or more of the self-assessment process.

$pend $mart Oklahoma

Department of Central Services

Central Purchasing

The Central Purchasing Division is undergoing transition from a transactional organization to a strategic organization. The change is being facilitated by a change in the law increasing the spend authority of agencies. This change reduces the number of low-dollar transactions historically processed by Central Purchasing, which allows more time to develop strategic procurement approaches that successfully achieve the most economical and best value acquisitions for the state of Oklahoma.

 

Effectiveness of Individual Competency Training Evaluation

of Referral Process and Various Treatment Approaches

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Jennifer L. Russell, Shawn Robertson, Samina R. Christopher, Scott Orth,

Leslie Leathers, Deborah Burkowski, Peter Rausch, Rachele L. Floyd and Alicia Irvin

Competency restoration for consumers at the Oklahoma Forensic Center includes psychiatric medications and/or group therapy/training. Additionally, individualized competency training with a predoctoral intern from the psychology department is available to consumers identified as requiring additional and individualized attention. ICT typically consists of six sessions focusing on specific symptoms and/or deficits precluding competency. Utilizing existing data, the success rate of this program was analyzed to provide recommendations to maximize its effectiveness in order to not only maximize its benefit to consumers, but also for better utilization of agency resources. Results led to this program being dismantled and revamped to increase its effectiveness, eliminate lengthy training and referral processes, and optimize delivery of department resources.

Fireside Chats – OCSS Center for Coordinated Programs

Department of Human Services

Devin McCombs, Anthony Jackson, Mary Thompson, Barbara Perkins, Leslie Lewis, Michelle Center, Jacki Brison,

Tammy Lee, Melody Rotan, Marc Bonge, Darl DeVault, Toby Hallows, Beverly Watson, Patrick Boggs, Rob Walker,

Andrew “Andy” Szymak, Nicholas “Nick” Gribnau, Courtney Garnand, Lisa Ellington and Beverly Walker

Oklahoma Child Support Services employees must complete 12 hours of child support program specific training yearly. A lot of “windshield time” or productivity is lost when trainers or students from 40 local offices travel to deliver or receive training. Workers in the local offices complained to OCSS’s Center for Coordinated Programs that they were not properly informed of how the programs worked to aid them in collecting child support. CCP created one-hour monthly teleconferencing “Fireside Chats” delivering one hour of training credit by sharing updated information about CCP’s programs. These 12 Fireside Chats saved $215,000 to $285,000 for calendar year 2009. This program is now even more important since the division cancelled its annual training conference due to budget constraints.

Defining the ODMHSAS Grants Management Business Process Framework

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Richard Bowden, Dan Alcorn, Ray Bottger, Linda Lechtenberg, Kevin Marble and Sheila Tillery

Partners: Steven Buck; Michaelle Statham; John Hudgens and Steven P. Davis, Ph. D.

The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services’ Grants Division utilized an internal performance improvement process to conduct a detailed analysis of functions critical for effective grant management. Using Enterprise Architecture Software and a designated grant team to create the Grants Management Business Process Framework, ODMHSAS increased its effectiveness in applying for federal grants. Grant funds increased by 25 percent, or $5,031,942. That increase was directly attributed to developing the GMBP framework. Communication and grant team participation improved, workflow and processes are now clearly delineated, more succinct grant applications are being submitted, and the flow of grant funds into Oklahoma greatly increased. More importantly, these improvements have resulted in more and better services to our consumers.

White Pages

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Thomas Ferguson, Tony Kunnel, Jeff Jones and Kevin Marble

The white pages application is a natural progression and extension of the centralized human resources system. It benefits any user that requests public available information on an ODMHSAS employee. With an agency of over 2,000 employees and duty stations throughout the state of Oklahoma, this application will minimize the time required in locating and requesting public employee information. This application could be ported to use the latest mobile technologies. If the application were to be used in a mobile application, the information could be used for emergency preparedness. ODMHSAS interfaces the White Pages data with other applications like HR, Emergency Management Team system, and Microsoft Outlook through a unified Microsoft standard called “Active Directory.’ This allows for a single change to affect multiple systems and allow users multiple paths to get to the same accurate data.

 

Bidding Farewell to “Bids”

Office of Personnel Management

Oscar B. Jackson, Jr., Hank Batty, Marilyn Capps and Carrie Rohr

Partners: Contract Instructors and OPM HRDS Staff

For years instructors had to submit cumbersome bids to teach HRDS courses. If they missed a deadline or a piece of information, their bids were not considered. Finally, follow-through on an idea allowed OPM to hire instructors as 999-hour employees. The result has been a huge success! Once an instructor is hired, we no longer have to do a hiring process every year, we just simply renew, if both parties agree. No more cumbersome and time-consuming bid process and paperwork to plow through. We have freedom to assign classes to the instructor that best fits the needs/objectives of the class. The class schedule is much more evenly distributed among instructors. We stopped “because we have always done it that way” and are now better able to manage HRDS resources.

Oklahoma College Savings Plan – Enhancements

Oklahoma State Treasurer

Scott Meacham, Tim Allen, TIAA-CREF/Tuition Financing, Inc. and Allianz Global Investors

The best is getting better for Oklahoma families to save for college! Lower fees and more investment options are highlights of a new agreement with TIAA-CREF, manager of the Oklahoma College Savings Plan. Following competitive bidding and negotiation, a new, five-year agreement was approved by the plan’s board of trustees. Management fees for the plan were cut by 38 percent. The marketing budget was increased 46 percent to $1 million annually. Investment options increased from six to nine. Also, OklahomaDream 529, the college savings plan sold through Oklahoma investment advisors, will continue with its current management, Allianz Global Investors. The direct and advisor-sold plans currently contain almost $350 million in more than 44,000 accounts.

Sustainability Program II – “Fat to Muscle”

Department of Central Services

Mike Enneking, Mark Sauchuk, Charlie Effinger, Harold Munson, Richard Kitchen, Craig Cherry, Ron Dennis,

Richard Franks, Gerald McClure, Rodney Paul, Curtis Jury, Bryan Chambers, Joe Looney, Troy Wilson,

Doug Kellogg, David John, Esther Ward, Amanda Murphy, Liz Haigh, Sylvia McAlvain, Dan Ross,

Thomas Bowman, technicians and supportive staff members

Improving the efficiency of a process can be as important as improving the efficiency of a piece of equipment. The on-line Tenant Work Request and Central Maintenance Systems provide specialization of duties, greater efficiency of communication, reduced paper usage, and increased effectiveness of the maintenance process. As a LEED Silver certification candidate, the DHS/CAP building stands as the flagship of energy efficiency, water conservation, and use of renewable energies for state-owned buildings. OFM continues to research and plan more projects that will improve operational efficiencies, conserve resources, and collectively Re-Invent Our Print!

Guymon Mega-Docket 2009

Department of Human Services

C. Renee Work, Kristel Horner, Judy Berry, Julie Clemence, Rachel N. Hey, Gwen Meier,

Jennifer Mudd, Sabrina Varnell, Linda Edwards, Joyce Sever and Barbara Tarnauskas

In 2009, the Oklahoma Child Support Services WDO was assigned to the Guymon office during a personnel transition. The WDO quickly discovered a backlog of 400 child support cases and established a “Mega-Docket” project to establish child support orders for backlogged cases. The desired outcome was to establish court orders for providing child, medical, and retroactive support to Custodial Parents. As a result of the one-day Mega-Docket, the WDO established 21 agreed court orders, six default court orders and enforced child support collection on 30 cases. By addressing the child support needs within the Guymon community, OCSS was able to improve customer service and satisfaction and better serve Oklahoma families and children.

Electronic Provider Enrollment

Oklahoma Health Care Authority

Trish Harland, Pamela Allen, Peggy Hansen, Jennifer Merkey, Brandie Gutierrez, Stormy Davenport and Leslie Sickler

Partners: Rick Lemont, Mike Russell, Mike Clark, Peyton Keith, Jeff Hankins and Larry McEntire

Electronic Provider Enrollment allows providers to electronically submit an application with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. Goals for the project were to reduce or eliminate time processing applications, improve the providers’ accessibility to their account information, eliminate steps in the contracting process, and decrease overall costs. We achieved all these goals through use of current technologies and automation. Implementation of Electronic Provider Enrollment saves the state over 16,000 work hours and $547,000 per year.

 

Bienvenidos Oklahoma

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

David Harris, Michaelle Statham, Debra Tower, and Tania Rubio-Rosas

Partners: Vilian Madrigales, Jeanette Cordell, Janys Esparza, Mariel Perez, Elizabeth Salinas,

Grant Muse, Charlotte Neely, Nubia Gallegos, Eden Zurlent, Cindy Garcia and ELA Latino Project Capstone Team

This project builds upon recommendations from the ODMHSAS Executive Leadership Academy’s Latino Capstone Project. The purpose of the Capstone Project was to provide informed recommendations to improve access and delivery of mental health and substance abuse services for Spanish-speaking, Spanish-Preferred, and limited English proficiency members of the Hispanic/Latino community in Oklahoma. The Innovation Center provides staff support to the Transformation State Incentive Grant and was tasked with leading the effort, and a project implementation team was developed in September 2008. “Team Bienvenidos” concluded that improving access and delivery of services requires a multi-level and multi-faceted approach that utilizes input and support from a diverse group of shareholders.

Essentials in Supervision

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Durand Crosby, Donnita Heck, James Bond, Sherry Kollmann, Katie Cox and Doye Johnson

The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services’ “Essentials in Supervision Training” is a customized program that serves the needs of the supervisors of our agency. The “mobile” program brings a full day of specialized content to each statewide facility to meet the professional development needs of our agency supervisors. The program blends the content and development needs of the agency with core competency needs for each individual supervisor. The collaborative learning environment and excellent facilitation provided a high qualitative return on investment for those that participated and the agency as a whole. At the same time, through the program, ODMHSAS successfully increased its level of supervisory credit compliance by 17 percent from 2008 to 2009.

Collaboration, Cooperation, Conservation, and Commitment

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Sheila Webb and J. B. Fancher

Partners: Kelley Botten and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority

Staff at Griffin Memorial Hospital identified a process to meet the federal and state mandated requirements for payment of medical services provided to patients of Institutes of Mental Disease and to reduce state expenditures relating to these services. GMH, a large state-operated adult inpatient hospital, and Children’s Recovery Center, an adolescent and children’s state-operated hospital, are both facilities under the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. GMH staff coordinated with OHCA staff and private providers throughout the state to identify reduced payment agreements for Medicare, Medicaid and indigent clients. These efforts allowed these two facilities to reduce expenditures for these services and utilize the savings in other areas of the facility. Through these efforts, a combined savings of $83,908.15 in ten months has been achieved.

Building a Gateway to Interstate Child Support Collections

Department of Human Services

Andrew “Andy” Szymak, Anthony Jackson, Mary Iverson and Michelle Center

Unemployment Insurance Field Operations Division Oklahoma Child Support Services Financial Institution Data Match Levy Program identifies noncustodial parents’ who are delinquent in paying child support accounts in financial institutions. OCSS files liens and levies to freeze the accounts and seize the money to pay past-due child support. In 2002, Wells Fargo Bank would not accept direct levies from Oklahoma, but would accept a levy from states in which they did business. The Texas Attorney General’s Office volunteered to be OCSS’s gateway to Wells Fargo. For the year 2009, OCSS collected $72,112.37 as more than 250 levies went to Wells Fargo through the Texas AG gateway. This gateway relationship is even more important now that Wells Fargo has become America’s largest consumer bank.

 

Preventing Suicide: Healthcare Systems Making a Difference

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Gary Parker, Jessica Hawkins and Julie Geddes

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth and young adults (ages 10-24) in Oklahoma. Studies have shown that many teens are seen by their primary care physician within six weeks of their suicide attempt. Often, health care providers, who see an average of 30 to 40 patients a day, tend to believe these children are experiencing typical teenage “growing pains” and do not directly ask them if they are depressed or suicidal. The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services developed a partnership with Oklahoma City’s Mercy Health Center to implement suicide prevention training to healthcare staff. The innovative partnership has yielded life-saving results that are being replicated in other states.

Electronic Contract Request Worksheet (e-CRW)

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Carrie Slatton-Hodges, Durand Crosby, Richard Bowden, 

Wendy Larsen, Jenny Walsh, Mark Attanasi, Kevin Marble and Tuong Thai

The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services developed an internal electronic Contract Request Worksheet (e-CRW) process that combined two hard copy forms, a series of tasks, and multiple tracking systems into one efficient electronic package. Every services contract initiation and amendment requires numerous approvals and process actions in a specific order to maintain fidelity of the Department of Central Services and ODMHSAS purchasing rules. The e-CRW system removes duplicative actions and enhances resource efficiencies. From April 2009 to September 2009, the workgroup team studied, analyzed, built, and implemented a full contract processing system. As a result of the e-CRW project, ODMHSAS reduced average approval processing time by 53 percent and is building a one-stop resource for all ODMHSAS contract activity.

The B.E.S.T. Employee Recognition

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services 

Terri White, Durand Crosby, Carrie Slatton-Hodges, Steven Buck,

Caletta McPherson, Angie Patterson, Gretchen Geis, Tammy Anderson and Donnita Heck

Our Building Excellent Services Together (B.E.S.T.) initiative arises from our desire to become the best provider of mental health and substance abuse treatment services in the state and nation. This concept requires that we develop a quality workforce of employees who take pride in the services they provide. An important component of this goal is to therefore ensure that we have high employee morale. However, maintaining positive employee morale during a time of statewide budget cuts is not easy. Our solution was to implement a multi-faceted employee recognition program. By establishing different ways to recognize the outstanding work that our employees are performing has helped establish a sense of teamwork, pride, and increased overall morale.

Image Cash Letter – Human Services/Child Support

Oklahoma State Treasurer

Scott Meacham, Susan Nicewander, Carole Bailey, Betty Pearson, Katie Keller,

June Epps, Heidi Randell, Karla Crawley, Sherryl Raymond and Joy Buller

Rapidly evolving banking technology and changing regulations are creating new opportunities to reduce costs, save time and improve cash flow. The Oklahoma State Treasurer’s Office is committed to delivering these benefits to all state agencies with our Image Cash Letter Services, an image-based, paperless, check deposit technology. Image Cash Letter has assisted in making the deposit process more streamlined and check clearing more cost effective. In its dealing with the Oklahoma Child Support Services division of the Department of Human Services, the Treasurer’s Office has realized annual savings of more than $24,000 in banking fees and a 30 percent improvement in funds availability.

 

DDD Wellness Committee

Department of Rehabilitation Services

Carolyn Goodrich, Ph.D., Noel Tyler, John Keene, Lise Mungul, Jennie Takyi-Micah and Toni Wallace

The Oklahoma DDD established a Wellness Committee whose mission implements and sustains far-reaching procedures, programs and incentives for healthy living. When the health, comfort, and well being of the staff are a high priority, production will maintain itself.

SoonerCare Health Management Program Update

Oklahoma Health Care Authority

Mike Herndon, Marlene Asmussen, Carolyn Reconnu, Harvey Reynolds, Casey Dunham,

Sammie Fraijo, Renee Long, Ronda Scruggs, Vickie Bouffleur and Dina Sohrabmanesh

The Medicaid Reform Act of 2006 directed the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to develop a chronic disease management program. The aim was to improve quality of care and reduce cost of care. In response to this directive, the SoonerCare Health Management Program (HMP) was implemented in February 2008. Having completed two full years of program operations, the SoonerCare HMP project team, comprised of personnel from OHCA and our vendor, Iowa Foundation for Medicare Care, are presenting a program update. We will present project timelines, accomplishments and impact statements as well as objective preliminary outcomes as reported by independent evaluator, Pacific Health Policy Group, and as determined by self-assessment of in-house data.

OHCA Fast Fact Reports

Oklahoma Health Care Authority

Connie Steffee, Chad Sickler, Tram Nguyen, Anita Ghosh, Angie Brannen, Jim Preble and Andy Garmand

The Oklahoma Health Care Authority is the state’s designated Medicaid agency, also known as SoonerCare. The health care benefits offered by the SoonerCare program are implemented using public funds. Therefore, SoonerCare is accountable to the state and federal governments and ultimately to the taxpayers of Oklahoma. OHCA receives multitudes of inquiries daily regarding recently enacted expansions, program changes, and spatial specific data. In order to efficiently disseminate information, it became necessary to develop individual reporting processes on the various benefit plans, expansion groups, and spatial areas. The reports allow OHCA staff and management, state policy makers, advocates, other state agencies, and interested stakeholders to see the current status, trends and progress of each individual component of the SoonerCare program on an overall basis.

Focus on Excellence

Oklahoma Health Care Authority

Jennifer Wynn and Dena Marchbanks

Focus on Excellence is a tiered reimbursement program that was initiated on January 1, 2008. We have 302 participating Oklahoma nursing facilities working toward excellence. The program is goal-oriented to enrich nursing facility’s overall quality of care. Our purpose is to allow nursing facility’s established and rooted in Oklahoma the opportunity to achieve above and beyond the standard level of care already being provided. This program enhances not only the nursing facility, but families, consumers, employees, and the entire state of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Long-Term Living Choice Project

Oklahoma Health Care Authority

Lathonya Shivers, Amy Bradt, Joseph Mecham, Patricia Linzy, and Phillip Cox

Partners: Oklahoma Health Care Authority, Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Ability Resources,

Oklahomans for Independent Living, Progressive Independence, and Long Term Care Authority

The existing long-term care system, with its focus on institutional-based services and supports, was not designed to meet the needs of persons of all ages with disabilities or long-term illnesses who wish to live at home. In developing services for this population, the Oklahoma Long-Term Living Choice Project is designed to offer greater flexibility in Medicaid funding for long-term care. This project will expand community-based long-term care for people of all ages with disabilities or long-term illnesses by allowing them to receive the services and supports necessary to transition out of an institution and to remain in the community. By providing these services in a person’s home instead of an institution, taxpayers will realize a 70 percent savings in Medicaid long-term care costs.