fraud and misconduct don't stand a chance surviving okdhs

April 2004

Fraud And Misconduct Don’t Stand A ChanceSurviving OKDHS’ Office of Inspector General By Kevan Goff-ParkerInside OKDHS Editor

What do you get when you mix aformer social worker, supervisor ofsocial services, county administrator,assistant county director, county direc-tor, field representative, insuranceexpert, hospital administrator, assistantdirector for Field Operations, interimHRMD director and interim associatedirector of what is now Vertically Inte-grated Services?

You get OKDHS’ Inspector Gen-eral Dan Fitzgerald, part Inspector Gad-get, skilled administrator and always afrontline soldier for OKDHS.

But unlike many of the employeesin his division, Fitzgerald doesn’t carrya gun and isn’t certified by the Okla-homa Council on Law EnforcementEducation and Training. He’s armedinstead with 33 years of OKDHSknowledge and expertise. His experi-ence spans from his first job as a socialworker in 1970 serving OKDHS CarterCounty to administrator of OKDHSCotton County in 1975 to administratorof OKDHS Caddo County in 1976. Hebecame a in Family Support ServicesDivision field representative in 1977.

But it was during 1978 whenFitzgerald was working as a FSSD fieldrepresentative at State Office when hewas recognized by his peers for suc-cessfully creating expenditure reportsthat eventually produced additional fed-eral monies for OKDHS.

He said that he was soon “told”by then OKDHS Director Lloyd E.Rader to learn billing and collections

(L-R) OKDHS Inspector General Dan Fitzgerald and Internal Audit Director JudyLandrum review an audit report completed by the Internal Audit Unit.

and move to Oklahoma Children’sMemorial Hospital in Oklahoma City.

“Mr. Rader didn’t ask, he told,”Fitzgerald said, laughing. “I learnedinsurance and the ways of the hospi-tal. One of the best things about thehospital was the food. That’s whenwe had farms under OKDHS, and weraised cattle. We had a cafeteria thatserved only the best.”

And Fitzgerald would need hisstrength. The next year he returned toArdmore and became administratorof Carter County, where he serveduntil 1984.

“It was the hardest job I ever hadin my life because we were so incred-

ibly busy,” he said. “We had so manyclients and services. It was just crazy– an unbelievably busy and difficulttime.”

Despite the challenges of serv-ing as a county administrator,Fitzgerald had plenty of work loom-ing ahead. In 1984, he returned toState Office to work as assistantdirector for Field Operations wherehe set up and managed the staffing offive regions. He joined the Office ofInspector General in 1993. Sincethen, he’s also stepped up to serve inthree temporary assignments, includ-ing stints in HRMD, Vertically Inte-

OIG continued on page 14

INSIDE OKDHS — April 20042

The Chaplain’s Corner

By Kent RitchieNoble County OKDHS Chaplain andMinister of Music and Education forFirst Baptist Church of Perry

I was reminded recently of theincredible tenderness of children. Itwas a Monday morning and I hadbeen up most of the night feeling ill.My 4-year-old son, Jess, having beeninformed by my wife that I was notfeeling well, came to me and askedme if he could stay home and takecare of me. This was quite a sacrificeas he enjoys being with his friendsand learning at his day care.

It was a stark reminder to me ofthe sensitivity found in children. Per-haps you have seen it in the eyes of achild — that moment when correc-tion goes from administering under-

standing to administering a brokenspirit. You are making your caseabout what wrong has been doneand how it can be prevented in thefuture. You can see the child under-stands, but you decide to state yourcase one more way until it becomesharping and sometimes hurtful.

For each child that moment isdifferent, but it is almost alwaysthere. When the spirit of a child isbroken, it must be built back up. Ihave had to do some rebuildingmyself at times. I know that I wantto be a parent that can stop when Isee understanding in my child’seyes. I want to preserve the spiritof my children so they can do thesame for their children.

Preserving The Spirit And Tenderness Of Children

(L-R) Shana Ritche, social worker II,Family Support Services Division,Noble County OKDHS, and her hus-band and Noble County OKDHSChaplain Kent Ritchie, minister ofMusic and Education for First BaptistChurch of Perry.

Please remember our

OKDHS co-workers

and their loved ones

serving in the U.S.

Military. Our hearts and

prayers are with you,

and we appreciate your

continued sacrifice to

protect the freedoms

we enjoy. Bless you!

U.S. Navy YeomanChief Petty OfficerColleen Whipple

INSIDE OKDHS — April 2004 3

By Kevan Goff-ParkerInside OKDHS Editor

Newly released statistics showthat Oklahoma’s investment in childcare is showing major dividends, andthat’s good news for the state’spreschoolers.

The Early Childhood Collabora-tive of Oklahoma (ECCO), a researchpartnership between the University ofOklahoma and Oklahoma State Uni-versity, initiated the “Reaching ForThe Stars Center Validation Study,” alongitudinal research project. Earlyresults from the study reveal that thequality of child care for all preschool-age children in Oklahoma Depart-ment of Human Services’ licensedcenters is better today than in 1999.

Nancy vonBargen, director,Division of Child Care, OKDHS,said it is important for parents orcaretakers of preschoolers to knowthat strides are being made as a resultof OKDHS’ Stars program – a quali-ty improvement initiative launchedby OKDHS in February 1998.

“Choosing quality child caremay be the most important decision aparent or caretaker can make for theirpreschool-age children,” vonBargensaid. “I want parents to use the tools

‘Reaching For The Stars’ Program Showing Dividendsavailable in making that decision, oneof which is the Stars program. It isone more way for parents or caretak-ers to evaluate and choose qualitychild care.

“Stars criteria focus on thoseaspects of child care that make thebiggest difference in quality. Thisresearch tells us that our criteria onteachers with higher educationalqualifications, the learning environ-ment and parental involvement havethe greatest impact on the quality ofcare. As a result, centers at the highertwo- and three-Star levels scored sig-nificantly higher on quality-ratingscales.”

The report, funded by OKDHS,highlights findings from a sample of336 child care centers from aroundthe state taken during the fall andspring of 2001-2002. Possible scoresranged from 1-7 (with 1 representinginadequate, 3 representing minimal, 5good and 7 excellent quality). Find-ings show that the quality of childcare available to all preschool-agechildren is better today than in 1999,with the study’s Early ChildhoodEnvironment Rating Scale averagerising from 1999’s score of 5.19 to2002’s 5.75.

Another major finding showedthat 80 percent of the preschoolclassrooms had global quality scoresof 5 or higher (5 represents good toexcellent care) and that most care-givers interact sensitively with chil-dren regardless of the Star level oftheir center. Additionally, the studystates that many centers have raisedtheir Star level since 1999 and staffturnover rates were lower in 2002than in 2001.

vonBargen said the goal of Starsis to improve the quality of child carein Oklahoma, especially for childrenreceiving child-care subsidies. Itsenhanced quality criteria focus onimproving staff education and train-ing, compensation, learning environ-ments, parental involvement and pro-gram evaluation.

“Stars is designed to encouragechild care facilities to reach beyondregular licensing requirements inorder to receive recognition andhigher rates of reimbursement for theprovision of child-care services,”vonBargen said.

Child care programs may earn

Nancy vonBargen, director, Division of Child Care

STARS continued on page 15

welfare food stamps program.But the biggest challenge for the

amiable, soft-spoken supervisor wastrying to line up jobs and training tohelp clients get off welfare. And he

says it remainsone of histoughest tasks.

Helms, hismentor, and topOKDHS offi-cials havepraised Martinas a compas-sionate socialworker and agood manager .

“Terry hase x c e p t i o n a lknowledge of

the challenges facing citizens inMcCurtain County and has madegreat strides in developing relation-ships to help OKDHS deliver itsservices,” said Area IV OKDHSdirector William Wilson.

His colleagues say he’s nothinglike the image many have of a rough-edged oilfield roughneck – which heonce was – but is a caring, compas-sionate social worker at heart whowants people on welfare to live up totheir fullest potential.

Martin Named New McCurtain County DirectorEditor’s Note: At OKDHS, many

have accepted the mantle of leadership atcounty offices and for programsstatewide, through the years. We oftenfind that such leaders have spent two orthree decades caring for Oklahoma’smost vulnerable, the disenfranchised andthe neglected. Former PushmatahaCounty Director Terry Martin recentlystepped back into the role as a countydirector after being named the new direc-tor of McCurtain County. With permis-sion, we present a story recently printedin the McCurtain Daily Gazette writtenby News Editor Jeff Holladay. He adept-ly captures the spirit of just one of ourmany outstanding and dedicated leadersat OKDHS.

By Jeff HolladayMcCurtain Daily Gazette

Veteran supervisor Terry Martinhas been named director of theMcCurtain County office of the Okla-homa Department of Human Ser-vices.

Martin replaces Sharon Helms,who retired early this year. A big fel-low with a down-home manner, Mar-tin has spent most of his 21 years ofOKDHS service in McCurtain Coun-ty – except for almost two years hespent as county OKDHS director inPushmataha County.

He went to work for the McCur-tain County OKDHS office in 1982as a family support services socialworker.

In 1991, he became a supervisoras the agency underwent one of themost dramatic transitions in its histo-ry.

As a family support servicessupervisor, he presided over thewrenching changes that took place inthe OKDHS’ primary welfare aidprograms of AFDC and TANF –reducing the number of clients inthose programs by some 75 percentduring the past decade. His supervi-sory duties also included food stampsand implementation of the electronic

A Long Way From Oilfields

When he was growing up, Mar-tin never had an inkling that he wouldsomeday be a social worker or super-visor.

His father, T.J. Martin, was anoilfield worker who worked in vari-ous locations in New Mexico, Cali-fornia and other states before thefamily settled in Antlers. But evenafter he settled the family in Push-mataha County, he continued to workin offshore oil exploration.

After moving around almost asmuch during his childhood as a “mil-itary brat,” Martin found stabilityduring his years at Antlers HighSchool, playing tackle on the footballteam, forward on the basketball teamand participating in a number of otherextracurricular activities.

Following graduation, he attend-ed Southeastern Oklahoma State Uni-versity in Durant. After going toschool a couple of years, he droppedout to work about a year and a half asan offshore oilfield worker to earnsome money.

That experience convinced himmore than ever of the importance of acollege degree – particularly since hesaw men maimed and injured in thatoccupation.

Terry Martin,OKDHS McCurtainCounty director

MARTIN continued on page 13


By Lori LinsteadProject Coordinator, Division of Child Care

Editor’s Note: OKDHS’ LoriLinstead has been working closelywith Oklahoma’s First Lady KimHenry on school-readiness issuesincluding the “Oklahoma Partner-ship for School Readiness” and“Success By 6®.” Here, she sharesher thoughts on why such strategicinitiatives are key to the future ofOklahoma’s children.

The Oklahoma Partnership forSchool Readiness

While most would agree thereare programs and initiatives withinOklahoma to support families withyoung children, many would arguethat these same programs and initia-tives seem somewhat fragmented anddisconnected.

Whether it is a public agency,foundation or nonprofit, each entitytends to provide services or supportto families with young childrenaccording to its own vision and mis-sion, often without coordinating withothers to reduce duplication and toensure all gaps are filled.


New Initiatives Address Early Childhood Issuesunlimited prospects it brings, at last,Oklahoma has a place for that onevoice.

‘Success By 6®’An early childhood movement

taking place in communities acrossthe state is the Oklahoma UnitedWay’s “Success By 6®” initiative.This initiative is part of a nationalcommunity-based movement of pub-lic and private partners that worktogether to ensure that children getthe best start in life.

“Success By 6®” is led by Unit-ed Way of America, which providesnational leadership and support tothese partners as they collaborate todeliver research-based solutionsdesigned to ensure that all children,from birth to age six, are healthy,eager to learn and ready to succeedby the time they enter school. Keyareas include parent education andsupport, good health, quality childcare and early literacy development.

“Success By 6®” brings togeth-

In April 2003, Oklahoma Gov.Brad Henry signed House Bill 1094 –the Oklahoma Partnership for SchoolReadiness Act. The legislation estab-lished the Oklahoma Partnership forSchool Readiness (OPSR), a 28-member public-private partnership,and gave it the task of promotingschool readiness in Oklahoma. Thenew partnership is comprised of 13state agency directors and 15 individ-uals from the private sector. OKDHS,under the leadership of DirectorHoward H. Hendrick, convened thefirst organizational meeting of OPSR,which was held in October 2003.

The OPSR creates a “table”where early childhood advocatesfrom both the public and private sec-tor join together to improve condi-tions for young children and theirfamilies. Some questions have beenasked about the intentions of OPSR.Some are concerned that OPSR isanother governmental agency de-signed to take over all early child-hood programs in Oklahoma andadminister and direct the funding forthese programs. This couldn’t be fur-ther from the truth.

OPSR’s vision is that this uniquepartnership made up of both publicand private experts will be the cata-lyst needed to create a seamless,comprehensive early childhood sys-tem within our state – a system whereprograms and initiatives work hand-in-hand to provide the resources fam-ilies and young children need.

OPSR is a unified voice forearly childhood issues within ourstate. While early childhood advo-cates work tirelessly on behalf of ouryoungest citizens, often their voicesare heard from a distance as they eachwork from their respective agenciesand organizations. Today, early child-hood advocates can join together in aunified voice to advocate for theneeds of young children and theirfamilies. Because of OPSR and the

Lori Linstead, project coordinator,Division of Child Care

Oklahoma First Lady Kim Henry dis-cussed such topics as the economicimpact of child care and school readi-ness during a Dec. 2 meeting of theOklahoma Commission for HumanServices.

CHILDHOOD continued on page 16


By Kevan Goff-ParkerInside OKDHS Editor

Wagoner County OKDHSemployees proved that they certainlyknow how to make star employeesfeel appreciated. Just ask MonicaBrumnett, who recently felt as if shehad become queen for the day …

On Jan. 28, Brumnett, a SchoolBased Services Worker serving Wag-oner County OKDHS, received abevy of gifts and recognitions duringa special breakfast. Wagoner MayorJosh Hughes came to the WagonerCounty OKDHS office and pro-claimed the day “Monica BrumnettDay.” Employees through theirEmployee Recognition Committeealso named her “Employee of theYear,” and she was flooded with gifts,including a plaque, roses, a free vaca-tion package to anywhere in the Unit-ed States for three days and twonights, a week’s tanning, an Apple-bee’s gift certificate and other assort-ed items.

Wagoner County’s ERC gath-ered donations for Brumnett’s giftsby holding fund-raisers throughoutthe year.

Brumnett works at EllingtonElementary in Wagoner, where sheensures that students receive propercare and attention both at home and atschool. From tackling everythingfrom head lice educational efforts tomaking sure children are not neglect-ed or abused, Brumnett keeps asteady eye on the students of Elling-ton Elementary.

Terri Nicholas, supervisor, Fam-ily Support Services Division, Wag-oner County OKDHS, said Brumnettis a dedicated, positive employeewho has a great attitude.

“Monica has been a great bene-fit to the schools, Child Welfare andclients, but most importantly, to thechildren she works with,” Nicholassaid. “She can hardly walk down thehall without getting hugs! She was

(L-R) Monica Brumnett, a School Based Service worker, accepts flowers afterbeing named “Wagoner County OKDHS Worker of the Year.” On her left is Wag-oner County OKDHS’ Marcia Means (another quarterly winner) and on her rightis Rachel Lockwood. On far right is Camille Peck (last year’s “Wagoner CountyOKDHS Worker of the Year” honoree).

Wagoner Mayor Josh Hughes alsoofficially proclaimed Jan. 28 “MonicaBrumnett Day” during a specialawards breakfast at the WagonerCounty OKDHS office.

School Based Service Worker Honored By Wagoner County

selected for this honor because of hercheerfulness and attitude.

“She always has a smile on herface, and they can’t throw anything ather that she can’t handle. We are soproud of her and she is truly deserv-ing of this award. Not only am Ipleased for Monica to get her kudos,but also for the School Based ServiceWorker Program to gain positiveattention. It is really invaluable.”

Some of Brumnett’s accom-plishments include receiving an hon-orable mention in the OKDHS Direc-tor’s “Best of the Best Award” for herannual back-to-school health fairevent. She is certified in marriage ini-tiative training and recently complet-ed two weeks of forensic interview-ing training from the Children’sAdvocacy Center in Huntsville, Ala.

In a thank you note to her co-workers, Brumnett stated, “I’m still alittle shocked about the award, alsoshocked that my family kept this a

secret! Your guidance through theyears has helped me become abetter worker and I thank all of youfor that!”

7INSIDE OKDHS — April 2004

By Douglas DoeAssociate Editor

The excitement was evident notonly on the faces of the students in theclassroom, but also by the questionsbeing fired back at the instructors.

From how to insert a photo-graph, change the color of text oradd sound to a Web page, Terry Gir-ton, application specialist III, andRodney Davidson, application spe-cialist IV, both with OKDHS’ DataServices Division, eagerly volun-teered to help four teens understandthe basics of Web design during arecent class held at MetroTech inOklahoma City.

Opening the door to opportuni-ties is nothing new to the studentsbecause they are a part of the “PlayMatters” program. The Universityof Oklahoma’s National Center forDisability Education and Trainingoversees Play Matters, a programfunded by a three-year grant fromthe Rehabilitation Services Admin-istration of the U.S. Department ofEducation.

Jeanette Doty, coordinator,Play Matters, said many of the stu-dents in Play Matters do not haveany opportunity to make that transi-tion from school-to-work or pursuefurther education.

“A lot of them are not exposed toemployers,” Doty said, “and thesekids really haven’t had very manyadvantages that I can see. What we’retrying to do is open up the possibili-ties for them just a little bit.”

The program uses recreationaland leisure activities to create a learn-ing experience, but all sessions aredriven by four key components –leadership, advocacy, networking/sponsorship and peer mentoring. Stu-dents have even been able to fly withflight trainers from the Sooner FlightAcademy in Norman. At the end of itsthree-year grant period, Doty said she

OKDHS Application Specialist III Terry Girton (on right) shows Anthony Butler, asophomore at Star Spencer High School, how to insert images into a Web pageusing Microsoft Front Page. Girton said the experience of teaching the studentsis not only personally rewarding, but it gives him a clearer picture of the need forhighly usable Web sites and the building desire for learning and using Web pagedevelopment.

hopes to have a total of 180-250 grad-uates, and a Play Matters programthat is fully self-supported by com-munity funds.

Davidson said he felt rewardedby the students’ interest, but said theclass is also important for anotherreason.

“It reinforces my understandingabout how people are different andhow they may not look at a Web sitethe same way as other people,”Davidson said. “They may not beable to read or they may have to goon visual cues. It really emphasizes tome the importance of building a Website that is accessible to all people.”

While the goal of creating a Website for the Play Matters program wasnot completed in the first of severalsessions, Doty said she is convincedthat the visit laid the framework forsuccess.

“Just your very presence says tothem, you’re somebody who cares,”she said. “Here’s somebody that’sopen to teaching us, and they’re suc-cessful, role-modeling adults. A lot ofthese kids don’t have successful rolemodels. How can you expect a kid togo to work successfully without everhaving an example?

“I think their presence heremakes a difference for them.”

Data Services Division Finds Out ‘Play Matters’

“Service the customer. At one time or

another we’re all customers. Give the kind of

service you want to receive. It pays the

best dividend ... “– George Earl Johnson, Jr.


News Briefs

More Than 250Attend PartnersConference

Don Pryor(above) , known affec-tionately as the“World’s Worst Wait-er,” delivers a portionof his memorablekeynote address duringthe 2004 Partners Con-ference for OklahomaFamilies’ awards cere-mony held Feb. 19-20at the Clarion MeridianHotel and ConventionCenter in OklahomaCity.

More than 520employees fromOKDHS, other govern-mental agencies, pri-vate companies, non-profit agencies, schoolsand communitiesattended the two-dayevent. Three groupswere honored duringthe awards luncheon,including the AcrossAges IntergenerationalMentoring Program,How to Better ServeAdult Learners - theZoe Literacy Projectand the Eufaula Inspi-ration Garden. – DD

Inaugural ChildAbuse PreventionConference SetFor April 22-23

The OKDHSPontotoc County ChildWelfare Office willchampion a conferencetitled “Linking Togeth-

er to Prevent ChildAbuse and Neglect,Inaugural Child AbusePrevention Confer-ence” on April 22-23at East Central Univer-sity located at 1100 E.14th St. in Ada.

The conference isopen to any agencythat provides advocacyfor children, includingteachers, law enforce-ment, medical profes-sionals, social servicesagencies, mentalhealth, court appointedspecial advocates,attorneys and others.The goal of the confer-ence is to promote abetter understanding ofthe systemic issuesconcerning child abuseand neglect and to cre-ate stronger partner-ships with externalagencies.

The keynotespeaker will be policeDetective Mike John-son from the PlanoTexas Police Depart-ment. He is currentlyassigned to the juve-nile division and isconsidered an ambas-sador for child advoca-cy. He is a foundingmember of the CollinCounty Children’sAdvocacy Center,where he was namedthe Center’s “ChildAdvocate of the Year”in 1996. Johnson wasappointed to theNational Board ofDirectors for theAmerican ProfessionalSociety on the Abuseof Children (APSAC)in 1998. A well-knownspeaker, Johnson fre-

quently lectures atnational and state con-ferences and communi-ty programs focusingon multidisciplinaryteam building andintervention in childmaltreatment.

The conferencewill feature varioustopics, including Unin-tentional Injuries,Effects Of SubstanceAbuse On Children,Fatherhood AndAccountability, Parent-ing Skills Classes,State And Tribal Juris-diction, Child Abuse XFiles, Firearm Safety, aJuvenile Court MockTrial and more.

The conferencewill also feature aResource Fair that willallow agencies to pro-mote their services. Apublic forum will pres-ent “Shaken Baby Syn-drome – A PersonalStory” from 6-7:30p.m. on April 22. Addi-tionally, a “Making aDifference in a Child’sLife Award” will bepresented to a childadvocate nominated byhis or her peers.

Conference spon-sors include PontotocCounty OKDHS’ ChildWelfare Services, theChickasaw Nation,East Central Universi-ty, Caring for Ada’sChildren, OGE EnergyCorp., CARE CottageMultidisciplinaryTeam, Child AbuseTraining & Coordina-tion Program.

Registration forthe conference beginsat 8 a.m. April 22 and

will be held in the Uni-versity Center andMemorial StudentUnion at East CentralUniversity. The confer-ence will run from 8a.m.-1:30 p.m. onApril 23.

For more infor-mation, please contactPontotoc CountyOKDHS’ Rita Hart, aChild Welfare supervi-sor with the Permanen-cy Planning Unit,(580) 310-7025. –KGP

Hearts WarmedDuring MurrayCounty Dinner

Hearts werewarmed during MurrayCounty OKDHS ChildWelfare’s “Foster Par-ent/Foster ChildrenValentine’s Day Din-ner” held on Feb. 10 atthe Chickasaw MotorInn in Sulphur.

Murray CountyOKDHS Director Car-rol Wallace said Lav-erne Sloan, a CourtAppointed SpecialAdvocate who volun-teers for Child Welfareactivities in MurrayCounty, coordinatedthe event. It featured abuffet, gifts for areafoster children and cer-tificates for area fosterparents.

“Laverne wasalso recognized with agift, a Brighton heart-shaped watch, fromChild Welfare staff,”Wallace said. “Theneed for volunteerslike Laverne is so greatthat when one steps upto volunteer, the coun-

ty staff is appreciativeand grateful.”

Additional volun-teers included MurrayCounty OKDHS ChildWelfare SupervisorBlaine Dudley andstaff members SusieKrogh, Cherie West,Ricky Vinson andKaren Jones. – KGP

State AgenciesStrengthen Ties ToFaith Community

State social serv-ice agencies are team-ing with the Office ofFaith-Based and Com-munity Initiatives inlaunching an initiativein four Oklahomacounties to help fosterrelationships betweenstate agencies andlocal congregations.

The initiative willfocus on the faith-based communities inCarter, Cleveland,Love and Major coun-ties. Staff from theOklahoma Departmentof Human Services andthe Oklahoma Depart-ment of Health willwork to build newrelationships whilebolstering existingpartnerships within thefaith community.

In leading thiseffort, the State’s Officeof Faith-Based andCommunity Initiativesis making contact withthe faith leaders andministerial alliances ineach county.

“We will beplanting the seeds for future collaborativeefforts,” said Brad

continued on page 12


Sequoyah Memorial Office BuildingP.O. Box 25352

Oklahoma City, OK 73125-0352(405) 521-3646 * www.okdhs.org

Dear OKDHS employees,

Greetings! I am personally asking for your help to help curb wastefulprocesses that can potentially jam up our e-mail system. The OKDHS e-mail system periodically receives an influx of e-mails due to employeesusing “reply to all” when replying to messages they did not want toreceive, or messages where they are intending to reply directly to thesender.It is the responsibility of every OKDHS employee to understand the e-mailsystem and to whom they are responding when they select “reply to all” asa response to a received message.To be a responsible e-mail system user, each employee should:

1. Ensure your message is an OKDHS work-related or authorized message. (Should an employeehave questions about what can or cannot be sent via the OKDHS e-mail system, please contact theOKDHS Office of Communications.)2. Reply only to the sender when receiving messages and requesting to be taken off of distributionlists. (Please do not “reply to all” with these requests.)3. Know how many people are in the e-mail group you are using, when sending or replying to e-mails. (To find out the number of people in a mail group, click on your “Address Book,” go to themail group name and right click to pull up “Properties.” Realize that there may be other “mailgroups” included in the main mail group and they contain even more people).4. Use the “Bc...” field (blind copy) within Outlook, when sending an e-mail to a large audience,instead of using the “To ...” or the “Cc ...” fields. (By using the blind copy field, when someonedoes “reply to all,” it will not go to anyone that’s been blind copied. To display the blind copy fieldon your Outlook message, click on “View” from the menu bar and then click on “Bcc ...” field.)Please be aware that the OKDHS e-mail system is provided as a tool for employees to better con-duct government business for which they are responsible, and it is important that each of us use e-mail responsibly. We need every computer user to accept a role in ensuring optimum network per-formance for our core business needs. Please aid us in maximizing network performance byfollowing these instructions.

Thank you!

Marq YoungbloodMarq YoungbloodChief Information OfficerOKDHS Data Services Division


OKDHS Shines On Black HeritageCelebration 2004By Kevan Goff-ParkerInside OKDHS Editor

Four respected black dignitaries wererecognized with awards as approximately400 attendees enjoyed spirited musical,dance and dramatic performances duringOKDHS’ Black Heritage Celebration 2004on Feb. 27 at the Omniplex in OklahomaCity.

During the event, former OKDHSCommissioner Emilykaye Lonian was hon-ored with a “Community Service Award,”Special District Judge Charles Hill andKWTV-Channel 9 News Director BlaiseLabbe were each honored with the “Trail-blazer Award” and Merit Protection Com-

HERITAGE continued on page 19

continued from page 8

Yarbrough, director,Office of Faith-Basedand Community Initia-tives. “The goal is to fos-ter relationships that willallow OKDHS, the StateDepartment of Heath andfaith leaders to addressunmet communityneeds.”

In the past, the state

has worked with faith-based organizations tohelp provide assistance tothose persons who arefacing life’s toughestproblems. Today; howev-er, government officialsrecognize the importanceof increased collabora-tion to adequately meetclient needs, Yarbroughsaid.

“The church has aheart to help, but some-times needs direction toknow how to express itsdesire when workingwith a state agency,” hesaid. “The success of anycollaboration depends onthe strength of the rela-tionship.” – DD


April 2004 OKDHS Calendar Of Events

Editor’s Note: Details about theseevents may be found on the OKDHS

InfoNet Calendar of Events. Dates aresubject to change.

April is National Child Abuse PreventionMonth, Physical Wellness Month and Alco-hol Awareness Month. Administrative Pro-fessionals Day is April 21 and Administra-

tive Professionals Week is April 18-24.

April 5Executive Team Meeting (a.m.)

FOD Area Director Meeting (p.m.)

April 5-23FSSD New Worker Academy

April 6Passover (first day)

Advisory Committee On Services To Persons With

Developmental Disabilities

Level 1 Substance Abuse Training

April 6-9New Supervisor Academy 22

April 7Level 1 Substance Abuse Training

April 9Good Friday

April 11Easter

April 13-16Experienced Supervisor Academy E

April 15Field Operations Division/County

Administrator’s Association ExecutiveBoard Meeting

Oklahoma Partnership For School Readiness

Oklahoma Silver Haired Legislature

April 17Older Women’s Initiative

April 20Court Appointed Advocates

For Vulnerable Adults

Safetown

April 21State Volunteer Awards Ceremony

April 27-30County Director Academy 7

April 27Oklahoma Commission For Human Services Meeting

April 28APS Field Liaison Meeting

FSSD Field Liaison Meeting

April 29Area V County Director And Field

Liaison Meetings

News Briefs

By Douglas DoeAssociate Editor

The work of e-Business is oneof the most difficult and challengingissues facing federal and state gov-ernments. For OKDHS, the burdenrests not with the Department’s tech-nology arm, but with a diverse groupof business leaders.

The OKDHS e-Business Com-mittee originated four years ago witha commitment to use emerging Inter-net technologies in the Department’sbusiness practices. Members includeOKDHS Director Howard H. Hen-drick, OKDHS’ officers, divisiondirectors and other designated infor-mation technology employees.

OKDHS Chief InformationOfficer Marq Youngblood said com-ing together in such a diverse grouphas driven the desire to better serveOklahomans and make things moreuser-friendly, convenient and effi-cient for all.

“The technology division is notreally dictating where and when weuse technology for business func-tions,” Youngblood said. “It’s reallyan asset to have the business leadersdetermining when, where and howOKDHS uses information technolo-gy for its benefit.”

He said during monthly meet-ings, the committee focuses on the

identification, selection and sequenceof information technology and busi-ness solutions for implementation,offering input on potential projectsand monitoring the progress ofOKDHS’ e-Business strategy.

Recent reports to the committeeinclude the successful agency-widerouter deployment, the near comple-tion of the rollout of Windows 2000,the launch of the functionally richOklahoma Marriage Initiative Website, an update on system healthchecks and a document scanningproject.

Additional initiatives that areunderway include:

Applications for Adult Protec-tive Services, Child Care Licens-ing, Aging and Home and Com-munity Based Services;

The Joint Oklahoma Informa-tion Network eligibility wizard;

The use of Microsoft ContentManagement Server in thedeployment and management ofthe OKDHS Web site; and

Creation of universal cus-tomer-friendly modules that canbe applied to future products.

For more information about theOKDHS e-Business committee, visitits Web site at http://s99web01/ebusi-ness/.

OKDHS Builds On e-Business Issues


Martin himself somehow miracu-lously escaped death when he and acrew were working on a rig nearBeaumont, Texas, preparatory to itmoving out into the Gulf of Mexico.

Lightning struck a pipe Martinand another man were carrying –knocking Martin about 30 feet andcausing burns to his hands and feet.

After several weeks of hospital-ization, he was more convinced thanever of the importance of a collegedegree.

He later returned to SoutheasternState, majoring in business adminis-tration and minoring in recreation andbusiness.

That’s where Martin met hiswife, the former Regina Wyrick ofIdabel, and when he graduated in 1982they moved to Idabel.

His wife has been a third-gradeteacher at Central Elementary Schoolin Idabel for many years, and the cou-ple have a daughter, Mallarey, now 15and a student at Idabel High School.

Discovered He Liked Social Work

Martin was asked why somebodywith a business administration degreewould want to go to work for OKDHSas a social worker.

Partly, it was because he needed ajob.

But Martin quickly discoveredthat he liked working with people andhelping OKDHS clients.

That’s what he did for nearly adecade before moving into the ranksof a supervisor in 1991.

As he handled more and moresupervisory jobs, he finally began tothink that he should set his aspirationshigher.

So in the last couple of years hebegan to think more and more aboutsomeday trying to become a countyOKDHS director.

Such jobs entail a lot of responsi-

bility and require a knowledge ofmany programs, not to mention skillsin dealing with people and businesssavvy.

But in the case of Martin and hiswife, there was a special problem.They’d have to make a joint decisionwhether they wanted to move or not.

It was serendipity when the

Pushmataha County OKDHS direc-tor’s job became available in 2000.Martin knew if he got the job he andhis wife wouldn’t have to move. Hecould stay with his dad during theweek at Antlers. That way he’d havethe best of both worlds.

He took the job in March 2000and held it for almost two years – andfor the first time realized that his busi-ness administration degree was alsouseful in working for OKDHS.

But being separated from hisfamily during the week turned out tobe much tougher than he thought itwould be. And the homesick Martin,who’d been seeing his family only onweekends, asked for a transfer back toMcCurtain County, where he retaineda supervisory job.

Martin feels blessed that the

county OKDHS director’s job cameopen in McCurtain County, where hehas lived longer than at any other placehe’s ever resided and where almost allof his experience has been.

Another blessing, he said, is thathe knows the staff of the countyOKDHS office and counts many ofthem as not only colleagues but goodfriends and like family.

“I have worked with many of thestaff for more than 20 years and foundthem to be extremely dedicated to thecitizens and families in McCurtainCounty,” Martin said. “I look forwardto working with the staff in this newrole.”

Jobs For Clients Top Priority

With state budget constraints, thecounty OKDHS office is having to domore with less, Martin said.

But the priority of OKDHS willcontinue to be to try to help welfarerecipients make the transition to jobsand work to make the county a betterplace to live, the new OKDHS countydirector said.

Unlike the past, today’s welfarerecipients are not only limited to 60months of benefits but they mustactively seek jobs if they receive Tem-porary Assistance to Needy Families(TANF).

TANF recipients are typicallyyoung, single mothers. And manyhave never held regular jobs or hadany job training.

So the biggest challenge to helpthem make the transition from welfareto work is to help them get job trainingor a job, Martin said.

That means partnering with otheragencies or city, county or state enti-ties and private businesses on jobtraining for welfare clients.

“The strength of any communityis dependent upon the relationship ofthe local partners and the organiza-

McCurtain continued from page 4

MARTIN continued on page 15

Terry Martin (Photo courtesy ofMcCurtain Daily Gazette)


grated Services and FSSD.“It has been very, very interest-

ing work because I’ve been able towork with different divisions and dif-ferent perspectives,” Fitzgerald said.“The Office of Inspector Generalworks throughout OKDHS. Manypeople don’t have time to see the bigpicture and just look out for andworry about their own division – itreally makes you appreciate theincredibly difficult job Director(Howard H.) Hendrick has oversee-ing all of our diverse divisions.”

Like Fitzgerald, the division’spast reflects a distinguished history.Rader created the OIG in September1962 after a need was recognized forincreased accountability in the Aid ToFamilies With Dependent Childrenprogram. A Special InvestigationsUnit was formed to work with feder-al General Accounting Office audi-tors in Oklahoma in prosecutingclient fraud and reducing error rates.By February 1979, the unit was reor-ganized forming a new divisionknown as OIG.

“OIG started in 1979 as the elec-tronic age came in and more andmore people got on assistance. Therewere more and more cases of peoplefiguring out how to cheat the systemby applying for duplicate benefits andcommitting out-and-out fraud,”Fitzgerald said.

The Single Audit Act of 1984added OIG’s Internal Audit Unit by1985. The addition helps the divisionto review, coordinate and overseeaudits of OKDHS contractors thatreceive state and federal funds.

“OIG consists of approximately85 professionals dedicated to preserv-ing the integrity of OKDHS and theprograms and services it adminis-ters,” Fitzgerald said. “We havestand-alone offices in Tulsa that coverthe northeast section of the state, atwo-person office in McAlester thatcovers the southeast portion and a

two-person office in Lawton to betterserve the southwest part of the state.We also have Administrative ReviewUnit employees who travel all overand have responsibilities for certainareas of the state — often, their head-quarters is the home.”

The OIG is divided up into threeunits. They include:

Internal Audit Unit conductsfinancial audits for compliance withstate and federal laws, rules and reg-ulations. IAU employs CPAs, ac-countants and other experts inOKDHS programs and services.

Administrative Review Unitconducts quality control audits of the

OIG continued from page 1


National Centerfor EmployeeDevelopment,Norman, OK

Call (405) 522-4510for more information


tions in the community,” he said. “Ihope to continue the existing commu-nity and business relationships andwork to formulate new partnerships.”

Martin said that’s a particularconcern now because the federallyfunded welfare-to-work job trainingprogram through KEDDO has beendiscontinued.

The new OKDHS county direc-tor says the agency has been fortunateto partner with such agencies asKEDDO, Little Dixie and WorkforceOklahoma.

But one of the biggest needs isnew partners – city, county or stategovernment, schools and private busi-nesses – for the Work Experience Pro-gram, Martin said.

Under this program, OKDHSwelfare clients with no job experienceor training work several months for

Martin continued from page 13

these agencies or businesses.Martin said the program typically

is for a 90-day period, though it can beextended.

But it is of utmost importance towelfare clients because it allows themto get some experience in the workplace.

Martin said many clients have nowork experience and have little or nochance of employment without thisprogram. He says it gives them bothan exposure to the workplace andsome experience they can put on theirresumes as they search for other jobs.

He encouraged businesses orinstitutions to contact the OKDHSabout the program – and attacked afamiliar myth in doing so.

“I have not come in contact withany client who does not want towork,” he declared.

proud we could provide the focus andresources to help child-care centersand homes provide better care.

“At OKDHS, we know child-care programs want to do the verybest job they can, but often lack inopportunity and financial resources.Stars is helping to address theseissues and assure that Oklahoma’schildren and their parents have accessto licensed, affordable and qualitychild care.”

OKDHS’ Division of Child Caremanages the administration of thefederal Child Care and DevelopmentFund and the statewide licensing pro-gram that monitors child-care pro-grams for compliance with minimumrequirements. The “Reaching ForThe Stars Center Validation Study,”as well as information on locatingchild care, applying for child-careassistance and contacting OKDHScan be found at www.okdhs.org/childcare.

one of four Star ratings. They include1-Star, 1-Star Plus, 2-Star and 3-Star.The higher the Star rating a centerholds, the higher the reimbursementrate received for children whose fam-ilies receive child-care assistance.

Participation in the Stars pro-gram has grown steadily. During thelast year, the number of 1-Star plusprograms has increased from 973 to1,254, 2-Star programs from 965 to1,426, and 3-Star programs from 85to 122. Today, 44 percent of licensedfacilities, 62 percent of licensed slotsand 86 percent of children receivingchild-care subsidy are in child-careprograms at the 1-Star plus or higherlevel.

“Stars is one of the first pro-grams in the nation to establish levelsof quality and provide the resourcesso that child-care providers can attaina higher Star level,” vonBargen said.“I believe much of the improvementcan be attributed to Stars. I feel very

Stars continued from page 3


er community leaders, businesses,educators, advocates, faith leadersand parents to develop initiatives tai-lored to the needs of young childrenand their families in each community.

Oklahoma United Way’s “Suc-cess By 6®” is piloting a 14-membercommunity-based network wherelocal level public-private partner-ships are focused on the needs ofyoung children and their families.The work in these communitiesaddresses a variety of school-readi-ness issues.

The 14 communities include:Ada, Bartlesville, Durant, Enid,Guthrie, Lawton, McAlester, Musko-gee, Norman, Oklahoma City, PoncaCity, Shawnee, Stillwater, and Tulsa.While the pilot project is being con-ducted within these 14 communities,it is the vision of “Success By 6®” toeventually offer services to each ofthe 77 counties in Oklahoma. Bankof America/United Way of America,AEP-Public Service Company ofOklahoma and OKDHS’ Division ofChild Care provide funding to thisinitiative. “Success By 6®” is a proj-ect of United Way of Central Okla-homa, the Oklahoma Institute forChild Advocacy, the Oklahoma ChildCare Resource and Referral Associa-tion and OKDHS’ Division of ChildCare.

For more information regardingthe Oklahoma Partnership for SchoolReadiness (OPSR) or “Success By6®” please e-mail Lori Linstead [email protected] or visitwww.oklahomachildtrust.org.

‘Big hearts abound at OKDHS! (L-R) Administrative Services’ Debby Guthrie,Office of Planning, Policy and Research’s Cecilia Tannehill and Loretta Cao,Executive Office’s Cheryl Willie, OPPR’s Jerry Kitchen and others (not picturedare OPPR’s Robert Bentley, Dena Thayer and Office of Communication’s CaseyHarvey) teamed up in November 2003 to form a committee known as “HumansHelping Humans” (HHH – which is also OKDHS Director Howard H. Hendrick’sinitials). HHH was originally formed to raise funds to purchase gifts during theholidays for those in need. HHH’s first mission was to help a widowed mother oftwo and 34 nursing home residents in a small rural community. After fulfilling theteam’s initial mission, HHH decided to continue its efforts throughout the yearand will assist others on an “as needed” basis. The committee’s goal is not onlyto assist monetarily, but to also help find resources for individuals and familieswhen needs could be better served in other ways. HHH’s latest fund-raiseroccurred Feb. 12-13 with Valentine balloon bouquets created by the committeeraising $256. Committee members sold the bouquets during their lunch breaksat the Sequoyah Building in Oklahoma City. HHH Committee Chair Loretta Caosaid HHH committee members agree that participating in the fund-raisers is notonly worthwhile, but is also self-rewarding. “OKDHS’ employees are the great-est,” Cao said. “They generously and cheerfully give to others from their ownpockets, despite the challenging economic situation in Oklahoma.”

Childhoodcontinued from page 5

January

Children & Family Services DivisionJanice Freeman, 25 years

February

Bryan CountyMonny Lee Mullins, 15 years

Cherokee CountyDanny Jack Carroll, 29 years

Cleveland CountyCarla Sue Fry, 32 years

Grady CountyDeanna J. Kirkes, 22 years

February

Oklahoma County 55-GRobert James Betts Jr., 11 years

Stephens CountyMary Sue Hayes, 24 years

Tulsa 72-CGeary Phillip Souter, 13 years

Aging ServicesMary Kathleen Doughty, 18 years

Office of Client AdvocacyKathleen J. Maupin, 26 years

Congratulations And Best Wishes To Our Retirees!


On an average day, OklahomaCounty 55-G OKDHS is literallypacked with people seekingservices. Here, Inside OKDHSsnapped a few members of itshard working staff as they were“Caught Working” helping clientslead safer, healthier, more inde-pendent and productive lives.From top center and clockwiseare Social Service Specialist IIPaula Burnett and Don Jones,Oklahoma County 55-G OKDHSCounty Director Nancy Thompsonand Administrative Assistant IIPany Khounsavath, CustomerService Representative II KathyChristian, Social Service Spe-cialist IV Yomi Togun and Admin-istrative Technician III CarleneWeber. – KGP

Caught Working


Agency’s largest assistance programs(Food Stamps and Medicaid). ARUemploys state administrative review-ers who perform field investigationson sampled cases, quality controlprograms supervisors and variousother support staff.

OIG Fraud Unit conducts fraud-related or special investigations com-pleted for criminal prosecution orinternal administrative action byOKDHS. Most of OIG’s fraud agentshave professional law enforcement-related degrees at the bachelors, mas-ters or juris doctorate levels. Theaverage OIG fraud agent has had 12years prior experience in police workor law enforcement. In recognition ofthis fact, the 1993 Oklahoma Legisla-ture authorized OKDHS to commis-sion OIG agents as peace officers,with the authority to carry firearms.As peace officers, OIG agents arerequired to achieve and maintainCLEET certification. Agents withprogram experience are also recruitedfrom within OKDHS. All OIG agentsare cross-trained through CLEET andthrough the Family Support ServicesAcademy.

By the end of OKDHS’ fiscalyear 2003, the OIG identified $1.1million in the restitution of closedand fraud investigations for that year,with a projected savings of $300,000.Fitzgerald estimates approximately2,300 investigations were closed in2003, while 2,600 were opened.

Another accomplishment Fitz-gerald is most proud of is the stridesand progress the OIG has made inestablishing good relations withcounty offices around the state.

“The county offices are ourmain source of referrals for clientfraud and information,” he said. “Wetry very hard to be responsive tocounties’ needs. There are just somany referrals, we have to have somekind of screening process. We try to

be responsive by letting them knowwe have the referral, who it isassigned to and that we will be con-tacting them.

“We work with counties insteadof dictating to counties. We want apartnership. We believe OKDHSemployees want to do away withfraud and misuse.

“When someone is cheating the

system, OKDHS’ staff members wantto see that person brought to justice. Ireally like to think they like to see uscoming, unlike in the past when theydidn’t know we were coming. Now,they know we’re coming.”

Fitzgerald said that he believeshis background as a social workerand county office administratorempowers him to let his employeesbe responsible and to “get out of theirway and let them do their jobs basedon the philosophy of the division.”

Because program monitors areoften not experienced in examiningfinancial records, internal auditorsare frequently requested to look atnew or problematic programs andthey give feedback to the divisions on

areas that need to be reviewed orwhere additional training is needed.Many of these audits have resulted insavings to OKDHS by identifyingunallowable expenditures and over-billing.

Another area of particular pride isthe fact that the OIG has a unit thatexclusively audits child care providers.

“We’re probably the first statein the nation to audit subsidized daycare providers,” Fitzgerald said. “Webelieve this has resulted in improvingthe integrity of the subsidized daycare program for OKDHS.”

In the ARU, strict guidelines arerequired when auditing cases in theFood Stamps program. Fitzgeraldsaid during recent administrativereview periods, the ARU sampledand processed 2,435 cases and 794were sub-sampled by the USDA.

“Not one case was found to bein error,” he said. “We’re very, veryproud of that. Although the ARUisn’t the most popular unit in the statebecause we are checking the workperformed in the counties, we’re nothere to say, ‘Gotcha!’ We are here tohelp staff and work with them toimprove their error rates.”

The Earned Income ReadingProject, an initiative requested byOKDHS Director Hendrick and start-ed in 1999, created a group of ARUstaff to analyze the food stamp casesof households with earned income.The first year of the project resultedin a decrease in the error rate from11.78 percent in 1999 to 7.02 percentin 2000, and the error rate hasremained consistently lower eversince.

Fitzgerald said there are rareoccasions where an OKDHSemployee temporarily figures outhow to beat the system.

“We’ve investigated during thelast 10 years maybe five or six cases

OIG continued from page 14


Dan Fitzgerald, OKDHS InspectorGeneral

Inside OKDHS is published for employees and retirees of theOklahoma Department of HumanServices as a joint effort of theOffice of Communications, thePublications Section and the PrintShop.

Howard H. Hendrick, DirectorDepartment of Human Services

George Earl Johnson Jr.Director of Communications

Alice CarrilloPublications Section and

Print Shop Supervisor

Editorial Team:Kevan Goff-Parker, Editor

Dustin Pyeatt, Associate Editor

Douglas Doe, Associate Editor

Stephanie Bond, Publications Editor

Carla Garrett, Office Manager

Casey Harvey, Asst. Office Manager

Tony Hennigh, Graphic Artist

Jim Gumm, Photographer

OKDHS S04041 Issued 04/2004Publication of Inside OKDHS is authorized by the Okla-homa Commission for Human Services in accordancewith state and federal regulations and printed by theOklahoma Department of Human Services at a cost of$4,033.00 for 4,033 copies. Copies have been deposit-ed with the Oklahoma Department of Libraries Publica-tions Clearinghouse. Contents are not copyrighted andmay be freely quoted unless otherwise noted.

Oklahoma Department ofHuman ServicesP.O. Box 25352Oklahoma City, OK 73125

(L-R) Field Operations’ Larry Johnson and Kathleen KinKade and OKDHS Vol-unteer Coordinator Karen Jacobs display some of the baby items recently col-lected during the “Open Your Hearts To Newborns In Need” campaign – astatewide baby shower for newborns in need sponsored by the University ofPhoenix Oklahoma City and Norman campuses, Walgreen’s, the Oklahoma CityBlazers and OKDHS. The baby items are being distributed through OKDHS’Office of Volunteerism. For more information regarding the “Open Your Hearts”campaign, please contact the University of Phoenix Oklahoma City Campus at(405) 842-8007.

“When there is no rule in place,

try to do something intelligent.”

– Ancient Proverb that still applies today

fraud and misconduct don't stand a chance surviving okdhs

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