Director's Message

May 26, 2006

To: All DHS employees

From: Bruce Goldberg, DHS Director

"There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do."

---Freya Madeline Stark

I believe an organization’s character is created and defined by its people. If that’s the case, then the members of the Senate Human Services Oversight Committee now know DHS to be a caring, concerned and hard-working agency.

Those are the traits that were on display at last week’s Senate committee hearing, where committee members enjoyed the rare opportunity for a frank discussion with staff from DHS and several of our partners about what it’s like to work for and with this agency.

Three DHS front-line employees – social service specialist Sarah Cochran from the Gresham Child Welfare Office and case managers David Botwinick from the Coos County Multi Services Office and Judith Foster from the Woodburn Disability Services Office – came to Salem to testify on behalf of their peers. Each of them spoke eloquently and frankly about their clients and how they deal with increasingly complicated cases while coping with higher caseloads. They talked about having to use as many as six screens to access client information and how they would rather be working directly with clients than dealing with paperwork.

Joining them were employees from four partner agencies – Kim Dopson, an A&D treatment provider; Marlene Tucker of the Marion County Mental Health Department; Terry Yarbrough of Northwest Senior and Disability Services; and Steve Schumate, a home care worker. In addition to talking to the committee about provider wages and training, they were very complimentary of DHS staff and the coordination of services to the field.

The meeting was one of those rare moments in the relationship between a legislative committee and a state agency where everyone recognized the same thing – that we don’t do enough to acknowledge the work that goes on here and in the field each day and the significance of the contributions made by individual employees.

No state agency has as much individual contact with more Oregonians on a daily basis than DHS. More to the point, we are making a difference in the lives of those who are in the greatest need of help. Our work is difficult, complex, and can range from heartwrenching to heartwarming. And we do it every day, then come back and do it again.

DHS staff and our community partners did a great job of portraying the reality – both good and bad – of the kinds of work we do. Their testimony clearly laid out the need for competitive salaries; appropriate workload and caseload levels; improved recruitment, retention and training; and the importance of giving people the right tools to do their jobs. Fixing problems in these areas will be vital if we are to continue to successfully help Oregonians in need.

The members of the Senate oversight committee recognized this and so do I. That’s why I am taking this opportunity to acknowledge the excellent presentations made by our staff at the committee hearing, and the meaningful contributions each of you makes day in and day out to the mission of DHS. Your work is important and it is valued.

Thank you.

To provide feedback email: DHS.Directorsoffice@state.or.us

This message is intended for all department employees. Please read it electronically, if possible. Managers and supervisors are asked to share the message each week with employees who do not have email access.