DHS Pinnacle Plan topic of December Lecture

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL -- The Department of Human Services (DHS) will present a look at the progress on the child welfare reform and the  “Oklahoma Pinnacle Plan” as part of the continuing Practice and Policy Lecture Series. “Child Welfare Services: Pinnacle Plan Implementation” will be held Tuesday, Dec. 10 from Noon to 1:00 p.m. at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City.

The Pinnacle Plan addresses 15 key performance areas addressing improving safety, increasing the number of foster homes, and decreasing the length of stay for children in out-of-home-care. The lecture will be presented by Deborah G. Smith, M.S.W., Director of DHS Child Welfare Services. Smith will highlight the Pinnacle Plan implementation, including its successes and challenges since implementation began in July 2012.

Smith has developed effective skills in the areas of leadership, group facilitation, community collaboration and the quality improvement process. She has direct child welfare practice experience in both rural and metro Oklahoma and management experience at all levels of the public child welfare agency. Smith was the principal author of the Oklahoma Pinnacle Plan – an improvement plan for child welfare services. She holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work with a emphasis in Administration; a Bachelors of Arts with a major in Social Work and a minor in Sociology from the University of Oklahoma.

The Practice and Policy Lecture Series has been developed to provide thought-provoking presentations on Oklahoma's emerging policy issues, trends and best practices. The series is sponsored by the DHS Office of Planning, Research and Statistics and the University of Oklahoma Center for Public Management with the goal of providing the best educational opportunities available in a forum that offers participants an opportunity to question, share and learn from each other. 

All lectures are free and open to the public. For more information contact the Office of Planning, Research and Statistics at (405) 521-3552 or visit the Practice and Policy Lect​​ure ​​Series website 

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