News Release
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (May 1, 2020) – The Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector’s Office has concluded its single audit of federal funds across many Oklahoma state agencies. For State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2019, which ended June 30, 2019, Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) received findings relating mainly to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in the amount of $43.8 million.
No fraud is alleged, no taxpayer dollars were misspent, and all monies have been accounted for. The findings indicate all money was spent appropriately, but OKDHS lacked sophisticated process and system controls.
“We appreciate the state auditor’s office for their work on this audit,” said OKDHS Director Justin Brown. “We are aware of the deficient processes and systems within our agency and we are working diligently to update those systems to make us more efficient and transparent while we continue to serve millions of Oklahomans who rely on us for assistance.”
OKDHS uses multiple antiquated systems for all financial eligibility across all programs, including Medicaid, TANF, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). OKDHS has been working for months with the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) to transition to more contemporary systems. OKBenefits is a multi-year project underway to modernize eligibility.
Brown began building a new agency leadership team after he was named OKDHS Director in June 2019 and appointed Cathy Menefee as the agency’s first CPA to serve as Chief Financial Officer in November.
“Transparency and accountability are so important in government,” said Menefee. “The OKDHS Finance team is looking forward to collaborating with the state auditor and OMES to leverage technologies and processes to ensure proper controls are in place to reflect that importance”
In September 2019, OKDHS began work to issue a request for proposal seeking a national TANF expert to assist OKDHS in developing a strategic investment strategy for TANF going forward.
“TANF is the core of the social safety net and presents a significant opportunity to invest in prevention and resilience for Oklahoma’s families, and for several years has been a resource that hasn’t been strategically deployed to its fullest potential.” said OKDHS Director Justin Brown. “The beneficiaries of TANF and Child Care services are some of the most vulnerable populations in the state of Oklahoma. The agency strives to do its absolute best to ensure we provide support and assistance to recipients while also maintaining as much transparency as possible.”
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