Director's Message

August 5, 2005

To: DHS employees

From: Bryan Johnston, Interim DHS Director

Today's message is mostly business. There is, as always, a lot going on so I'll play more of reporter than usual. First, I do want to say thanks to those of you who stop me or respond to my messages and tell me you are encouraged by my words...that's a two-way street. This is important work and we are all in it together.

There are three subjects in my message: Legislative Session, The Quiz and the Director's Survey. Have a great weekend!

Legislative Session

The second-longest legislative session in Oregon history ended at 6:21 this morning. While each of us may disagree with one or more of the legislators, it is important to keep in mind that all 90 of these folks have their view of what's best for Oregon firmly in their hearts. What they do is a noble service.

DHS was well served this legislative session by the folks who worked on our behalf. Much credit needs to be given to Erinn Kelley-Siel, health and human services policy adviser for the Governor, and Dr. Bruce Goldberg, administrator for the Office of Oregon Health Policy and Research and special adviser on health and human services policy for the Governor, respectively. They labored tirelessly to advance the interests of those we serve.

Our legislative liaisons, starting with Patty O'Sullivan for the entire department and including Morgen Brodie, Stephanie Holmes, Katy King, Toni Peterson, Mickey Serice, John Swanson, Jane-ellen Weidanz, and Sandy Wood were excellent as were the legislative assistants who they relied on, including Evonne Alderete, Mellony Bernal, Christina Hartman, Roberta Lincoln, Pamela Pearson, Karrie Pitrof, Elaine Stauffer, and Diana Woods.

Program and policy staff throughout the department put in many extra hours working in collaboration with Finance and Policy Analysis (FPA) whose dedicated staff were often seen here on nights and weekends working on the department’s budget. FPA and the Office of Public Affairs, in conjunction with the Web & Publication Design Team, accomplished a number of communication "firsts" for DHS as well this session - pulling together the first-ever department-wide coordinated Ways and Means presentation notebooks and for the first time posting all documents on the web as they were presented to the public. Congratulations to all who contributed to these efforts.

While some pundits have called it the least productive session that they can recall in terms of major legislation that passed, human services issues were definitely a focus, and at times a point of contention. The department’s budget for the 2005-07 biennium is approximately $9.8 billion total funds. Although a number of reductions had to be made to reach this figure, it is an overall increase of approximately 2.4 percent from the last biennium - with much of the additional funding going to inflation and growth in caseloads and programs to meet Oregon’s changing demographics.

Changes in Oregon’s medical-marijuana law were approved by both chambers - allowing a patient or caregiver to possess 24 ounces of dried marijuana and as many as six mature plants and 18 seedlings. The current limits were less than this. This change - which still needs the Governor’s signature - means patients and caregivers could no longer argue in court that they need more than the specified amounts as a medical necessity, which in the past gave them a defense against prosecution. The legislation also limits caregivers to growing for no more than four patients per year.

Child welfare was a hot button this session and we are still sorting out the last minute changes made in various bills. A training component was created relating to Senate Bill 755, which mandates how school districts report and handle accusations of child sex abuse.

Minor adjustments to the Oregon Health Plan even had trouble making their way through the chambers. The House did not hear proposed reinstatement of a 10-cent-per pack cigarette tax that expired in 2004 and the House blocked a bill passed by the Senate that would have expanded the prescription-drug purchasing pool.

Planning for the future of the Oregon State Hospital did make it through both chambers, with a second phase of planning slated for 2006 on the building of new structures to replace the decrepit and aging buildings on the Salem campus. Mental-health parity made it through as well, requiring insurance policies to cover benefits for mental illnesses on par with those for physical ailments.

Several pieces of legislation passed relating to methamphetamines -- creating new crimes associated with making and trafficking in the illegal drug; requiring prescriptions for pseudoephedrine which is a decongestant that can be used to make meth; and increased penalties for drug makers if children and elderly people are present in houses where the drug is made. A complete wrap up of the session will be put together soon and available on our department’s budget Web site: http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/aboutdhs/budget/

DHS Trivia quiz

I heard from many of you about the "pop quiz" we ran here a couple weeks ago on DHS trivia. Many of you wrote to me to say that you enjoyed the change of pace in the weekly message.

At least one of you pointed out an error in question #3 asking "which agencies were formerly part of DHS?" While the correct response indicated was "all of the above" - a couple of you took issue with naming "housing and community services" as being one of our former divisions. I appreciate hearing the feedback - positive and negative - and thank you for taking the time to do so.

Director’s Survey

The survey on the new director is now closed and 2,168 people took the time to take this poll, offering their thoughts and insight on the new DHS director. The breakdown of who took the survey included: approximately 65 percent were DHS represented employees, 22 percent were DHS managers, 8 percent were the providers of DHS services and the remainder were stakeholders, partners, and other interested parties.

The information from the survey has been compiled and turned over to DAS and the Governor’s Office for further review. Thanks to all of you who took the time to complete the survey.

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.

If you have a disability and need this message to be provided to you in another format, please send an email to dhs.forms@state.or.us, or call (503) 947-5107. You can also fax your request to (503) 373-7690, or call (503) 947-5080 for TTY service. If you know of others who need this accommodation, please let them know it is available.