Oregon Department of Human Services Director’s Office Oregon Department of Human Services Director's Office

 
Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Director Fariborz Pakseresht addresses the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for employees in the executive branch of state government. During the 4-minute podcast, he touches on vaccine hesitancy among people with long histories of medical mistreatment - especially Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islanders and other people of color, people with disabilities and those who are unable to get the vaccine -  and calls on the ODHS community to practice compassion and understanding for people of all backgrounds and faiths as we navigate the ever-changing currents of this pandemic.
Follow DHS on Twitter @OregonDHS (https://twitter.com/OregonDHS).
Download full script by clicking here (https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served/DE PC021.pdf).

Dion Jordon joins Oregon Department of Human Services Director Fariborz Pakseresht for a 14-minute podcast on the Department’s adoption of an Equity North Star. Dion is the director of the Department’s Office of Equity and Multicultural Services (OEMS). Their discussion covers why advancing equity and inclusion is a Department priority, why it’s important to have an Equity North Star, how it came together and how we will put it to use.
Follow DHS on Twitter @OregonDHS (https://twitter.com/OregonDHS).
Download full script by clicking here (https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served/DE PC020.pdf).

Oregon Department of Human Services Director Fariborz Pakseresht talks with Phil Basso (https://aphsa.org/About/Bios/Phil_Basso_Bio.aspx), director of organizational effectiveness at the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA (https://aphsa.org/)). This 16-minute podcast gives an overview of the organizational assessment APHSA is conducting to determine where the Department is on the Human Services Value Curve (https://aphsa.org/organizational_effectiveness/OE_Consulting_Practice/OE_Framework.aspx) today and how it can ascend this maturity model to realize the potential of the people we serve and the systems we use to do so, rooting all our work in equity. The 11-part review includes gathering staff, community partner and external stakeholder input as well as integration of past assessments to unify activities.  
Follow DHS on Twitter @OregonDHS (https://twitter.com/OregonDHS).
Download full script by clicking here (https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served/DE PC019.pdf).

One of our best tools for stopping the spread of COVID-19 continues to be physical distancing. Back in March 2020, DHS shifted most of its staff to telework to reduce the number of people in our buildings so we could maintain physical distancing when serving the public in person. What we’re learning from the experience is that teleworking can be a standard part of how DHS conducts its business beyond the pandemic.
DHS recently conducted a survey to learn what staff need to successfully telework in the short-term and to gather feedback to operationalize telework for the long-term through designing effective policies, procedures and staff supports. Nearly 4,900 staff responded to the survey and 95% reported they are satisfied with their current teleworking situation.
In today’s podcast, DHS Director Fariborz Pakseresht gives an update on the current state of COVID-19 in Oregon and the importance of maintaining telework during the pandemic. Chief Administrative Officer Don Erickson, sponsor of the telework survey, joins Director Pakseresht to share how the survey results will be used to make teleworking a standard operating procedure for the Department.
“Our goal is to utilize telework as a standard way people in DHS do their jobs. We want to do it in a way where there’s no loss of productivity, no loss in managerial ability and the ability to support staff, and we want to make sure that people are properly equipped in home work stations to do the whole scope of their job,” Erickson said.
Find more information for staff about COVID-19 on the OWL (https://dhsoha.sharepoint.com/teams/Hub-DHSOHA-COVID19/SitePages/DHS-COVID19-Communications.aspx).
Find more information for clients and the public about COVID-19 on the DHS website. (https://www.oregon.gov/DHS/COVID-19/Pages/Home.aspx)
Follow DHS on Twitter @OregonDHS (https://twitter.com/OregonDHS).
Download full script by clicking here (https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served/DE COVID-19 EP14.pdf).
 

When it comes to COVID-19, DHS has two main and urgent purposes: Protecting the health and safety of Oregonians and connecting people with the benefits and program supports they need to sustain themselves through this unprecedented health, social and economic crisis.
With medical experts estimating COVID-19 could be among us for the next 24 months - and knowing we will remain at the forefront of the state’s response for the duration - DHS partnered with the Oregon Health Authority to create a new Shared Services unit to lead our efforts. The COVID-19 Response and Recovery Unit (CRRU) is based in Salem and is led by Jana Mclellan.
In this episode, Director Fariborz Pakseresht and Jana sit down to discuss how the CRRU is taking shape.
Find more information for staff about COVID-19 on the OWL (https://dhsoha.sharepoint.com/teams/Hub-DHSOHA-COVID19/SitePages/DHS-COVID19-Communications.aspx).
Find more information for clients and the public about COVID-19 on the DHS website. (https://www.oregon.gov/DHS/COVID-19/Pages/Home.aspx)
Follow DHS on Twitter @OregonDHS (https://twitter.com/OregonDHS).
Download full script by clicking here (https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served/DE COVID-19 EP13.pdf).

Child Welfare works to ensure every child in Oregon grows up in a safe, permanent, and nurturing family home. The COVID-19 pandemic created many challenges for families that can impact child safety, causing Child Welfare to make swift shifts in its practices to continue responding to reports of abuse and neglect 24/7, and maintain support to families and community partners.
Most of the 3,000-person Child Welfare workforce transitioned to teleworking, including most of the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline team. Workers sought creative ways to safely provide in-person visitation for children in foster care and their families, and expanded virtual options for keeping families in touch. After seeing a sharp drop in calls to the hotline when the stay home orders put many mandatory reports out of touch with children, Child Welfare began a public awareness effort and developed tools to help the public and mandatory reporters check-in on children. Hotline calls are now rising.
Lacey Andresen, Child Welfare deputy director of practice and program, sat down with DHS Director Fariborz Pakseresht to discuss how Child Welfare staff, providers and the children and families they serve are handling the pandemic.
Find more information for staff about COVID-19 on the OWL (https://dhsoha.sharepoint.com/teams/Hub-DHSOHA-COVID19/SitePages/DHS-COVID19-Communications.aspx).
Find more information for clients and the public about COVID-19 on the DHS website. (https://www.oregon.gov/DHS/COVID-19/Pages/Home.aspx)
Follow DHS on Twitter @OregonDHS (https://twitter.com/OregonDHS).
Download full script by clicking here (https://sharedsystems.dhsoha.state.or.us/DHSForms/Served/DE COVID-19 EP12.pdf).