Human Services Commissioners Issue Public Statement

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL -- Dr. Richard DeVaughn of Enid Oklahoma and Anita Wilkinson of Tulsa Oklahoma, as chairman and vice chairman of the Oklahoma Commission for Human Services are not accustomed to issuing public statements or participating in political responses.  But, recent allegations of lack of oversight warrant a response because they are based on misinformation.

The work of the department and the commission are open to public meetings, reported by the press, and video summaries of the meetings are posted on the department’s website.

Each person on the commission takes his and her volunteer role seriously. Director Howard Hendrick and department leaders are questioned and expected to give public reports at each commission meeting. Leaders are accountable for their performance as well as the actions of their staff. 

Contrary to some allegations, Commission members take an active role in a variety of department activities in addition to their supervisory roles at Commission meetings. Further, Commissioners keep informed of critical incidents involving the Department by reviewing reports from the Office of Client Advocacy and reports requested from time to time on critical incidents. 

At each commission meeting, executive sessions are held to discuss confidential cases, personnel actions and litigation.  At any time, commission members may request and are provided with additional information regarding specific matters. 

In high profile child death cases, the Commission has been informed of the incidents, provided detailed information, and kept apprised of the Department’s findings and actions. 

In the recent death of Serenity Deal, Commissioners were provided with information about the case as it became available. Leadership took prompt action to suspend the staff believed to have been responsible while the history of the case was reviewed to determine compliance with policy and procedures. Commissioners were also informed of proposed personnel actions.

The Department’s report on its handling of this complicated case was extremely detailed.  Although it was a summary, the department’s disclosure was factually precise and included recommendations made to the court by each of the parties.

Commissioners understood that disclosing the recommendations of the parties is required by law and is needed to provide a clear and complete picture of the handling of this case.  The only way the Department could follow the law and confirm the recommendations of others was by obtaining transcripts of the court hearings. 

As Commissioners, we all are deeply affected by any child death. We understand our responsibility to ensure that OKDHS staff does everything within their authority to minimize the risk of tragedies happening. 

Contrary to misinformation that has been reported, the Commission reviews the performance of Director Hendrick by reviewing the department’s performance at least semi annually. The Department’s organizational structure is reviewed as necessary based on the organization’s performance. The bylaws do not specify the level of formality needed for the reviews. Sometimes the reviews have been more formal. Some have been less formal but involved an understanding of the department’s performance.

It should be noted that in 2010, OKDHS was recognized by the Oklahoma Foundation for Quality as the first state agency in history to receive a quality award for achievement based on the Malcolm Baldridge Award Priniciples. It has also been recognized by the Southwest Regional Administrator for the United States Department of Agriculture as the top performing state in our region for the administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for each of the last five years. Recently, the National Child Support Enforcement Association recognized the department’s Child Support Services as the top performing program in the nation.

Anyone who has attended a monthly meeting of the Commission has witnessed the detailed reports provided by Director Hendrick which outline his activities and the performance of the operations of the agency.

The Commission formed an evaluation and compensation task force in 2008 to formally evaluate Director Hendrick’s performance and determine an appropriate salary. This task force was chaired by Commissioner Dr. Michael Peck and conducted an extensive review of data supplied by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Annual Compensation Report, compared inequities within state agencies and lack of competition with the private sector market, and conducted interviews of several subordinate managers within OKDHS.

The OPM report revealed that as Director of the Department of Human Services, Director Hendrick’s job had 2,850 “job evaluation points” associated with his leading the largest state agency in Oklahoma with a salary of $162,750. In comparison, the Health Department Director had 2,500 “job evaluation points” with a salary of $191,205.  The Medicolegal Investigations Director had 1,250 “job evaluation points” with a salary of $235,000. 

Our task force confirmed that Director Hendrick’s knowledge of the Department and leadership was outstanding and that he was recognized nationally for his achievements in the field of public administration. Later, Director Hendrick was named Oklahoma’s Administrator of the Year in 2009 by the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Society of Public Administration.

As a result of this review, the Commission proposed an increase to the Director’s compensation of 11 percent to move his salary to the OPM recommended mid-point range.  Director Hendrick flatly refused this increase until the Department had the funding to increase the salaries of front-line staff to an acceptable and competitive range.  He continues to this day to refuse additional compensation for the very difficult and often thankless job he performs. 

Due to the economic recession and budget cuts over the past four years, OKDHS has reduced the number of budgeted employees by more than a 1,000 while dealing with the largest number of Oklahomans in need, ever. The Commission will continue to evaluate the agency’s organizational structure, formally and informally, to make necessary changes and to meet the challenges of the worst recession since the great depression.

Serving on the Human Services Commission is one of the most difficult, time-consuming but rewarding volunteer positions in state government. We are excited about Governor Fallin’s appointments of Brad Yarbrough and Wes Lane to fill open seats on the Commission.  They are both dedicated public servants who will bring valuable experiences and perspectives. We look forward to welcoming them and working with them in the years ahead. 
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