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February 2008
The efforts directed toward the reopening of Oak
Creek remain on schedule. OYA has planned an open house for invited
guests, staff and their families the afternoon of February 20.
Transfer of the young women from Hillcrest to Oak
Creek will begin shortly after the open house and is scheduled in
stages. It is expected that all the young women will be transferred by
the end of February.
The Oak Creek management team has been meeting weekly
with the young women at Hillcrest. These meetings have been an
opportunity to share updated information about Oak Creek and to answer
questions. The young women have also been involved in planning for the
move, and provided input on a variety of operational and environmental
issues. These regular discussions have been extremely valuable to the
Oak Creek team and have helped lessen the young women’s anxiety about
the move.
The Oak Creek staff have been involved in job
shadowing at Hillcrest in efforts to understand the current daily
routines and begin to establish familiarity and communication with the
young women. Oak Creek staff will be participating in gender specific
training, immersion training and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
overview training in mid-February.
The Oak Creek campus will be extremely busy during
the next two weeks. Final preparations for the opening is underway,
deliveries are arriving, and staff will settle into the facility as
contractors complete their work and vacate. Notices will be sent when
phone, video and electronic communication are functional. A complete
phone list will be posted in Outlook in the near future.
**Important Programming Note **
Statewide intake processing
for young women will begin at Oak Creek on February 27. This means that
all new juvenile commitments, DOC transfers and parole revocations will
go to Oak Creek rather than Hillcrest beginning the 27. Additional
communication to OYA staff and agency partners regarding this change
will be forwarded soon.
For an update and pictures on the renovation, please see the Oak
Creek Update article in the
February Director's Bulletin.
January 2008
Work
continues on the reopening of the Oak Creek Youth Correctional Facility,
scheduled for winter 2008. Significant renovation and remodel efforts
are underway to create an environment designed specifically for serving
young women. Workgroups and a steering committee meet on a regular basis
to guide the planning, preparation, and implementation of the facility’s
opening. Regular updates will be provided to keep staff and partners
informed of progress and accomplishments.
Staff
Selection Process
The
process to recruit and hire the Oak Creek team is nearly complete.
Interviews to fill the two remaining Treatment Manager positions as
job rotations will be completed this week. The final interviews for
Youth Corrections Unit Coordinators will also be completed this
week. The hiring process for selecting Group Life Coordinators is
complete. The forty individuals selected represent a blend of new
and experienced OYA staff. This group brings gender, ethnic and
cultural diversity to Oak Creek, a value that will continue to be
emphasized as we strive to best serve a diverse group of young women
All
new employees will begin the New Employee/Basic Facility Training at
the Training Academy beginning January 7, 2008. The Training Academy
and the Training Workgroup have worked hard to tailor the courses to
the Oak Creek team. Special emphasis will be placed on gender
specific topics and the presentations will address the unique
challenges inherent in serving young women. Following the completion
of this training the new employees will join the remainder of the
Oak Creek team for additional training prior to the February
opening.
We
would like to thank all the interview panel participants and
supervisory support during the hiring process. There were multiple
interview panels that drew facility, field and Central Office
representation to assist with the selection of staff. Many
interviews were conducted at Hillcrest and we would like to thank
them for their involvement. Special thanks to Angie Vanderford at
Central Office for scheduling the majority of interviews.
Hiring
Announcements
Drew
Reynolds, who has worked for OYA at Corvallis House and at the Linn
Benton field office, has accepted the Campus Services Manager
position.
Alice
True, formerly employed at the Office of Private Health
Partnerships, has accepted the Executive Support Specialist
position.
Jason
Atkinson, who brings significant experience from the private food
service industry, has accepted the Supervising Cook position.
Oak Creek
Remodel
Renovation and remodel work is very active at this time. Outdoor
work in the courtyard is well underway, and interior work is
beginning. The target date for completion is still scheduled for on
or about February 18.
The
reflecting pond will be constructed in the corner of the courtyard
near the control center
.
Construction on the outdoor recreation area for the Linn/Benton
detention continues.
Significant ground transformation is taking place in the courtyard
to create the pathways and picnic table areas.
December 2007
As the OYA and its
partners continue to work toward the re-opening of the Oak Creek Youth
Correctional Facility as a gender-specific facility, we have worked to
create a transition plan that best addresses the young women’s needs. A
value established early on in the process was to maintain programmatic
effort and opportunity for the young women. As a result, discussions
regarding coordination of volunteer services and religious activities,
minority service delivery and provision of recreation/leisure time
activities have been ongoing. These key program areas will be addressed
with the transfer of two additional positions to the Oak Creek
structure. A
Program Executive Manager A and
a
Recreation Therapist will be added to
complement the existing staffing resource. Current staff are encouraged
to apply.
November 2007
Work continues on the
reopening of the Oak Creek Youth Correctional Facility this winter.
Significant renovation and remodel efforts are underway to create an
environment designed specifically for serving young women. Workgroups,
along with a steering committee, meet on a regular basis to guide the
planning, preparation, and implementation of the facility’s opening.
Regular updates will be provided to keep staff and partners informed of
progress and accomplishments.
Superintendent Update
The initial process to
select Oak Creek’s superintendent has recently come to a close
without identifying a permanent superintendent. A number of
outstanding candidates were considered but, after extensive review
and discussion among the Director’s Office and Facility Operations,
the decision was made to engage a professional executive recruiting
firm to assist the agency in the process. The Oregon Youth Authority
will select a firm for this work after a brief solicitation, and
they will begin recruitment immediately upon selection.
Renovation and Remodel Update
Potential contractors interested in working on the Oak Creek project
submitted bids to the OYA. Those bids were opened October 30 and,
after reviewing the submittal material, the State Procurement Office
found that the low bidders for both projects met all project
requirements. Notice of intent to award has been given to two of the
contractors. Awards can be made on all major elements of the
project, and its expected completion can be achieved within budget
targets and time lines specified. Both contractors are in the
process of submitting insurance certificates, plus performance and
payment bonds, so contracts can be signed and the notice to proceed
issued.
Both
architectural firms have been in contact with the selected
contractors to discuss material orders that may require long lead
time. Project details and clarifications are being discussed so work
may begin as soon as possible. The project core team met with both
project teams at the beginning of the week, and work should formally
start on both jobs soon. The teams are enthusiastic and we are off
to a good start.
Facility Progress
This workgroup has been
working diligently identifying supplies and equipment necessary to
prepare the facility for occupancy. Workgroup members are developing
purchase lists that identify items needed, as well as expected
costs. Categories include bedding and clothing; security equipment,
including digital cameras and recorders, a metal detector, radios
and emergency response equipment; facility computers; medical
supplies; and food services supplies.
Hiring/Personnel
A
Job Fair was held in
conjunction with
Linn-Benton-Lincoln Education Service District on November 5. The event was very successful and we were
able to reach out to the community, providing an opportunity for
potential applicants to see the facility and ask questions about
employment and volunteer services. The first session ran from 11 am
to 3 pm and was attended by 82 people. The second session ran from 5
pm to 8 pm and was attended by 94 people. The local Albany Costco
provided refreshments! The planning committee was very pleased with
the event and their hard work clearly paid off.
First
round interviews for the management-level positions have begun and
will continue through November 26. Positions include; program
director,
three
treatment managers, security manager, cook supervisor and executive
support specialist. Finalist interviews will begin November 21 and
conclude through November 30.
To
assist with the Group Life Coordinator hiring, two Assessment Center
dates have been scheduled for November 20 and December 7. There are
approximately 42 GLC positions to fill. See last month’s OYA
Bulletin for an overview of the Assessment Center purpose and
process.
FLASH
announcements and a communication recently went out to OYA World
about the process for current employees wishing to be considered for
transfer to Oak Creek. Positions include Group Life Coordinator,
Institutional RN, Cook 2, Youth Corrections Unit Coordinator and
Psychiatric Social Worker.
Training
Workgroup meetings are
scheduled every two weeks to continue planning for staff training. A
specially scheduled NEO/BFT will begin January 7 to address training
needs for new Oak Creek staff. Trainers and workgroup participants
are reviewing materials to incorporate gender-specific
considerations into the training modules. This will allow the
training examples, scenarios and approaches to be tailored to
serving young women. While this training will be primarily attended
by Oak Creek staff, it is open to any new OYA employee.
Facility Furnishings
The majority of the
furniture needed to reopen the facility has been selected and
ordered. Furnishings were needed for the living unit dorms and
dayrooms. The furniture will create an environment that will improve
the unit aesthetically and functionally. Outdoor furniture
will also be added to the courtyard to make that space a more
versatile asset to the facility. The facility clinic and
administration area were also in need of furniture replacement.
Contracts/Purchase Orders
Solicitations of Informal
Requests for Proposals for professional services at the facility are
currently in process. These solicitations will allow Oak Creek to
establish contracts for a Consultant for Gender Specific Training,
Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Training, Gang and Minority
Services, Native American Services and several medical services.
Gender-Specific Programming
This
workgroup continues to meet regularly and is charged with
identifying appropriate treatment and supportive services for the
facility. The workgroup is reviewing the merits of implementing
Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT) as a primary curriculum at Oak
Creek. A presentation and discussion of DBT occurred at the October
15 meeting when Rosemont, a Portland area residential program for
young women, visited to share their experience with the curriculum.
One benefit Rosemont realized was the reduction in suicidal
behavior, as well as reductions in the use of restraint and
seclusion. Moving to this curriculum has been a positive decision
for their program and they highlighted the advantage of having all
staff engaged in the same treatment philosophy.
A
significant amount of discussion at the November 11 meeting was on
the topic of change and how the upcoming move and uncertainty are
impacting both staff and youth. Suggestions were offered and avenues
explored on how to be open and to deal with this. The workgroup
identified opportunities to engage in dialogue and perhaps use a
curriculum on change that could help prepare the young women in the
months ahead.
Volunteer Services
A sub group chaired by
Griselda Solano was assembled to make suggestions on how to move
forward with preparing Oak Creek for activities and religious
services/volunteers. This group has met three times and accomplished
the task of beginning to identify community contacts and resources
that can be utilized. A list of current volunteers that are
interested in continuing services once the young women move to Oak
Creek is being compiled. Good work!
Education/Vocational Services
This workgroup prepares
for the delivery of educational and vocational services at Oak
Creek. Space planning and logistics are being discussed and a site
visit and walk-through is planned soon.
Hillcrest Living Unit Refocus
A
final meeting was held November 16 to review data collected from
various sources, including surveys completed by the juvenile
departments and the OYA field offices. It is anticipated within the
next several weeks that the agency will identify the focus and
location for the three additional units of capacity that will come
on line after the young women transfer to Oak Creek. Initial review
indicates that at least some of the capacity will be utilized to
address youth in need of drug and alcohol services. This information
will be critical in filling vacancies and planning training needs.
Archive
November 2007 (pdf)
September 2007 (pdf)
For more
information on Oak Creek, please contact
troy.gregg@oya.state.or.us |
