Oregon child welfare officials work to bring back 'sense of hope'

Child Welfare Director Marilyn Jones was optimistic about a lot of issues that once plagued the child welfare section of Oregon Department of Human Services: Overdue cases are being closed, staffing levels are no longer plummeting and the workloads of overburdened caseworkers are shrinking. 

But "we have a lot more work to do," she said.

Jones and DHS Director Fariborz Pakseresht addressed the House Interim Committee on Human Services and Housing Monday to update members on the progress — and pitfalls — the agency is having.

"Safety continues to be a top priority in child welfare," Pakseresht told the committee.

This includes placing children in a nurturing environment, easing caseloads so workers can focus on interacting with children and families, retaining and hiring more staff and recruiting quality foster parents. 

The long-troubled agency needs to institute a new "culture of safety," he said.  

Pakseresht estimated it would take 12 to 18 months to lay the foundation of this new culture. 

Lawmakers wondered what actions will be taken in the near future. 

"What are you doing in the very short-term to stop the hemorrhaging that has been happening?" Committee Chair Rep. Alissa Keny-Guyer, D-Portland, asked Pakseresht. 

He replied that the child welfare officials are hiring case aides to alleviate the "demoralizing" piles of paperwork most caseworkers are handed. 

By apologizing to existing staff and promising to improve caseloads, Pakseresht said they are bringing back "a sense of hope."

An audit by the Oregon Secretary of State's office found Salem child protective services workers are assigned 21 investigations monthly — more than triple the number of cases they should be working on.

More:Oregon DHS child welfare audit says staff endured 'bullying, intimidation' by agency leaders

The audit said the program needed 769 new employees to meet current workloads.

At the request of Gov. Kate Brown, Oregon lawmakers approved $14.5 million in funding for DHS to recruit about 200 new employee to shrink caseloads and reduce staff turnover rates. In March, Brown said she expected to see improvement within three to six months.

Jones said the agency acquired funding for 183 positions in February. Twenty-five case aide positions were added in April and placed with the district offices hardest hit by staffing shortages. 

The hiring process also has been streamlined by keeping positions open year-round and allowing three separate background checks for new hires to be run concurrently. 

"We've reversed the trend," Jones said. "We're hiring more than we are losing."

The agency doubled-down on efforts to close hundreds of overdue, unresolved cases. Jones said over the past week and a half, an overdue assessment team was able to close 250 cases. 

Pakseresht said he's optimistic about the sea change happening at DHS and within the child welfare system. 

"This may look like an impossible task," he said, "but as Mark Twain once said, 'The secret of getting ahead is getting started.'" 

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodwort@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-399-6884 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth

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