Harry'O Biggs credits Jerry Clouse and Ted Williams with giving him direction, keeping him out of jail and combating other barriers to paying child support to his two daughters.  Couse and Williams work with the Child Support Enforcement Court Liaison Program.

In early 2005, Harry’O Biggs found himself in the Muskogee County jail for failure to pay child support to his two pre-teenage daughters. The surroundings mirrored how he felt inside – desolate, restricted and hopeless.

He could easily explain how he ended up in jail: After he and his wife divorced in 1997, a lengthy custody battle wiped out his resources, both financially and emotionally. He tried to stay current on his child support, but due to physical and mental illnesses, he kept losing jobs. Without a job, he couldn’t access medical help. Without medical help, he couldn’t maintain a job. Without a job, he couldn’t help care for his daughters.

“I didn’t have a clue how the courts worked or what I needed to do to make the courts happy,” said Biggs, 29.

District Judge Mike Norman assigned Biggs to the Child Support Enforcement Division Court Liaison Program, an act that Biggs describes as lifesaving.

“It opened up a bunch of doors that I didn’t know existed,” said Biggs who credits the commitment and compassion of Ted Williams, Court Liaison Program coordinator, with restoring hope.

“If it was not for the program and tasks I have had to do, I would be in jail right now doing nobody any good,” said Biggs.

“The program has saved me in many ways by keeping me out of jail, finding doctors and (offering) a better way to work with the courts on my child support. Ted is always willing to help or find you the help you may need.”

Jerry Clouse, who works with the Court Liaison Program part-time after retiring from 35 years of service with the Department, doesn’t see the program participants as delinquent, but as people with goals facing insurmountable barriers. The program helps break down the barriers.

“We try to make heroes out of everyone,” said Clouse. “The Court Liaison Program is a process of going from the unknown to the known.”

The court requires 100 percent participation in the program, which combines OKDHS, Workforce Oklahoma and other community resources. In the six-month program, Biggs committed 40 hours a week learning about resume-writing and job interviewing, made five job contacts every day, attended doctor’s  appointments and court hearings, followed up with Social Security and his attorney and met with Williams and Clouse. Williams reported Biggs’ progress to the courts as requested.

“We provided a structure to help Mr. Biggs know what to do, and he did very well,” said Williams, who’s served OKDHS for nearly 29 years.

The Court Liaison Program currently serves five counties in northeast Oklahoma. To date, the program has collected $380,000 in child support, and incarceration rates in the counties have declined.