Jeff and Addie Hannah had already decided they were done taking methamphetamine. Unfortunately, their friends, also users, and their supplier, weren't ready for the Hannahs to give it up.
"We tried to get away," said Jeff, of Mustang, "but they would pull us right back in."
Feb. 28, 2004, forced the couple, married 10 years, to make a choice. Jeff's mother called the police and their two daughters, Emily, 8, and Molly, 10, were taken into custody.
The Cleveland County court offered the Hannahs the option of participating in the county's Drug Court program. The Drug Court requires that participants receive substance abuse treatment, attend 12-step meetings, pass random urinalysis tests, attend therapy and meet a Child Welfare treatment plan. Both parents chose to participate.
"If OKDHS hadn't had the Drug Court program," said Jeff, "I'd be in prison right now."
The girls stayed with Jeff's mother. After the couple adhered to the Drug Court's plan, they reunited with their daughters.
"That was the happiest day of my life, when the judge said 'Go get your girls,'" said Jeff.
Jeff became the first male Drug Court graduate in Cleveland County. While the family still struggles with employment issues, they feel they're on the path to recovery.
"I knew this would be our one and only chance to be free of this addiction," said Jeff, "and we were really wanting and willing to get away from it. We finally have our heads on straight."
Cooperation, coordination and participation of county staff, Children and Family Services Division program staff, federal partners and community partners have been keys to the successful completion of the first Program Improvement Plan under the federal Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR).
In March 2002, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families completed an on-site review of Oklahoma's child welfare system. The goal of the review was to assess safety, permanency and well-being outcomes for the children of Oklahoma. As a result of the review findings, OKDHS entered into a two-year Program Improvement Plan with the commitment to make major systemic improvements to the child welfare system.
Oklahoma received official notification on June 6, 2005, of the successful completion of its Program Improvement Plan. The Oklahoma PIP was the first approved and the first to achieve official completion in Federal Region VI. During the PIP period, OKDHS successfully met its goals to reduce the rate of repeat maltreatment, reduce the incidence of abuse and neglect in foster care, reduce the median length of time to adoption and improve the stability of placements for children.
From inception, the state engaged all 77 counties in developing customized county improvement plans that integrate into the state's overarching PIP, so that the entire state was involved in the system change. Child Welfare staff developed Program Improvement Plans with input from external community stakeholders. Implementing the statewide automated quality assurance case review system based on both the state CFSR and the federal CFSR models allowed the state to review many more cases than possible with just the federal model. The addition of the supervisory case reviews integrated with the reports generated from the automated child welfare case system (KIDS) allows managers to view strengths and areas needing improvement.
While successful in reaching the goals in the initial Program Improvement Plan, OKDHS faces much work. Improving safety, permanency and well-being outcomes for children are ongoing processes and require much planning and coordination. Lessons learned from the first PIP have enhanced the development of the current Program Improvement Plans. Counties are encouraged to include front-line staff and communities in the development of their PIP.
- More than 1,100 adoptions were finalized in fiscal year 2005
- More than 4,300 children lived with their parents in trial reunification in fiscal year 2005