Present were Chairman Richard DeVaughn, Ron Mercer, Gerri Webb, Jay Dee Chase, Patrice Douglas and Aneta Wilkinson.
Chairman DeVaughn called the meeting to order.
Oklahoma Department of Human Services Director Howard H. Hendrick began his comments to the Commission by listing some recent site visits that included child welfare case reviews, multiple legislative meetings regarding OKDHS budget issues and legislation, Oklahoma Institute of Child Advocacy Annual recognition, LTCA of Tulsa Contract negotiations, Reactive Attachment Disorder Parent meeting, Oklahoma Commission for Children and Youth, budget meeting with Secretary Meacham and OSF, United Way Community meeting, post adoption services advisory group, 90-day reviews, ADvantage Waiver Provider meetings, DDSD waiting list meeting, Grand Rounds OU College of Public Health, Statewide Volunteer Recognition Ceremony, Children’s Behavioral Health Conference, OK Partnership for School Readiness Executive Committee meeting, Heart and Sole Foster Care Awareness event at the State Capitol, Foster Grandparent Volunteer Recognition Event, Child Support Enforcement Division Awards session, Best of the Best Awards Ceremony, Oklahoma Quality Awards Ceremony, Policy and Practice Lecture Series featuring Dr. Marie Barnard chairperson of the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine Geriatric Medicine Department, Custer County Shelter grand opening with the Youth and Family Services, reception for donors to fund the Custer County Shelter, Western Oklahoma Youth and Family services in Woodward, Langston University Conference on the Effects of Poverty, planning meeting for Pandemic Influenza mass disaster, Cotton County OKDHS Office, review of site for group home in Walters, Comanche County OKDHS Office, Sequoyah Group Home in Lawton, Marie Detty Group Home in Lawton, Addiction Studies Group planning session, case reviews, Oklahoma County Juvenile Justice Center open house, Oklahoma County Child Support Enforcement Office, Woodward County OKDHS office and the Volunteer Chaplaincy Appreciation event.
Next, Director Hendrick shared some good news that included the birth of his grandson in April; the State Volunteer Awards Ceremony, the OKDHS Annual Quality Awards and Best of the Best, the State Government Quality Awards where OKDHS received six of the top awards.
Director Hendrick next gave a current assessment of the State Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Challenges before delivering an update on the Food Stamp program.
The Director concluded his remarks by touching on some major issues ahead of the agency. These include preparing the budget proposal for consideration by the Budget Committee and then by the Commission, assessing what operational changes will be required by the budget shortfall and several previously funded construction projects go out to bid in the next three to six weeks.
OKDHS Chief Financial Officer Phil Motley presented the financial report for the period ending April 30th, 2008. Two Medicaid claims for Children and Family Services Targeted Case Management (TCM) provided in March were denied by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority on April 9th and April 12th. These two claims total more than $1.3 million of which almost $871,000 was federal revenue required to balance agency expenditures. Coupled with the estimated TCM receivables for April, the federal revenue loss is now at about $1.6 million year to date. Total revenues and receivables through April for the Department were 3.6 percent less than expected. Expenditures and payables for the same period were 4.9 percent below budget. The resulting financial position of $18.2 million changed very little from the previous month. No significant change is expected in this position through the end of the fiscal year.
There were no material budget adjustments implemented in April. The Aging Services Division remained over budget by 3.8 percent through last month. All other divisions remained within their respective budgets. The same two major programs continued over their respective budgets through last month. Group Homes and Shelters in the Children and Family Services Division reported over budget by 1.8 percent. The Aging Services ADvantage Waiver program also continued over budget by 11.2 percent through the reporting month.
The Department placed 121 children in new Adoptive Placements in April. The number of children in foster care reflected a slight increase for the second month in April increasing by 54 from March. Food Benefit cases increased by 791 over the previous month. “TANF Child Only Cases” decreased by 22 while “Cases with Adults” increased by 4.
OKDHS Inspector General Mike Fairless introduced Molly Green and Keck Upchurch who spoke to the Commissioners about OIG agents receiving their accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).
Chief Operating Officer for Human Services Centers Marq Youngblood delivered a brief update to the Commission before introducing OKDHS Muskogee County Director Mike Jackson who delivered a report on the OKDHS Make a Difference Day.
Sharon Neuwald, coordinator, OKDHS Office of Legislative Relations and Policy, delivered a brief legislative report.
The next meeting of the Oklahoma Commission for Human Services is June 17, 2008.