Commissioners present: Richard DeVaughn, chairman; Jay Dee Chase; Gerri Webb; George Young; Bob Rawlings; Aneta Wilkinson, Mike Peck; Ron Mercer.

Present for the Department: Director Howard H. Hendrick, Margaret Hall, commission secretary

1. CALL TO ORDER—Chairman Richard DeVaughn
Chairman DeVaughn called the meeting to order at 9:30 a.m.

2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES—July 22, 2008
Commissioners voted to approve the minutes from the July 22, 2008 meeting.

3. DIRECTOR’S COMMENTS—Howard Hendrick
Director Hendrick presented information about site visits, programs and good news about the agency’s quick response as evacuees from Hurricane Gustav were temporarily relocated to Oklahoma City. Many agency employees also went to Louisiana to assist Human Services officials there in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.

The OKDHS Finance Division also received an award from the American Public Human Services Association’s IT Solutions Management conference for their work on the debit MasterCard program. The card is used by more than 40,000 Oklahoma families that receive child support payments, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and State Supplemental Payments to Aged, Blind and Disabled.

The Director also outlined the SFY 2010 budget request recommendation, which will be discussed in detail by Commissioner George Young, chair of the budget committee.

He also covered the Food Stamp Update, which said a large increase in Food Stamp persons had occurred with 417,551 in July to 423,444 in August.

The Director also presented his annual program review for the Commission.

4. BUDGET COMMITTEE REPORT—Commissioner George Young

A. CONSIDERATION OF FISCAL YEAR 2010 BUDGET REQUEST

Commissioner Young presented the SFY 2010 budget request, which covers the period from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.

Commissioners voted to approve the budget request.

5. CONSIDERATION OF FINANCIAL REPORTS FOR JULY AND AUGUST—Phil Motley presented the financial reports for July and August.

Commissioners voted to approve the financial reports.

6. CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED ADMINISTRATIVE RULES—Commissioner Aneta Wilkinson presented proposed administrative rules for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, Child Care Services and the Refugee Resettlement program.

Commissioners voted to approve the administrative rules.

7. REPORT ON HUMAN SERVICES CENTERS—Marq Youngblood

Marq Youngblood presented the report on the Human Services Centers.

The number of child welfare referrals pending greater than 60 days was down to 126, the lowest total to date. The number of priority one no contacts was again zero, as it had remained since Marcy 2008.

The Adult Protective Services report said the total number of past due investigations dropped to 38 from 75, the lowest level since April 2008. The percent of investigations initiated timely was 99.6 percent, down slightly from the prior month.

8. REPORT FROM FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES DIVISION—Mary Stalnaker; Oklahoma Infant Transition Program (OITP): Dr. Roger Sheldon, medical director and Laurie Mouradian, director.

Mary Stalnaker introduced to the Commission, officials from the Oklahoma Infant Transition Program, who spoke about how their program serves families with children admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the University of Oklahoma’s Health Sciences Center.

The program helps parents understand their baby’s condition and learn how to interact with their child while he or she is receiving medical care. The program receives funding from OKDHS and Federal grants.

9. DATE OF NEXT MEETING—Oct. 28, 2008
Commissioners set the date of the next meeting for Oct. 28, 2008.

10. CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION AS RECOMMENDED BY GENERAL COUNSEL AND AUTHORIZED BY OPEN MEETING ACT, 25 O.S. 1991, SECTION 307, (1), (4) AND (7)

A. STATUS REPORT ON PENDING LEGAL CLAIMS OR ACTIONS INCLUDING FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS, DISALLOWANCE AND PROVIDER CASES—Charles Waters

B. STATUS REPORT ON INVESTIGATIONS RELATED TO CLIENT MISTREATMENT AND EMPLOYEE MISCONDUCT—Mark Jones

Commissioners voted to go into executive session.

11. RETURN TO REGULAR SESSION
Commissioners voted to return to regular session.

12. NEW BUSINESS
There were no items of new business.

13. ADJOURNMENT
Commissioners voted to adjourn at 12 p.m.