The human side [Fall 2007]

Georgia Department of Human Resources Fall 2007
Government should be a resource, not a substitute, for families.

Commissioner's Corner:

What is the one thing you do at work that matters more than anything else? It's easy to say "I have a dozen different things I have to get done every day!" But if you think about it, all of those activities should be supporting one overall goal, a goal so central that without it, all those other activities would be meaningless.
That one central goal is what we call a "Wildly Important Goal" -- or WIG. I talked about the concept of WIGs during our recent DHR Employee teleconference, and you'll be hearing more about them soon.
Those dozen or more things you do every day make up a "whirlwind" of activities that can distract you from your larger goals. Make no mistake, getting the whirlwind done is necessary, and doing so makes us good -- but focusing on our WIG makes us great.
For DHR as a whole, we've identified the following WIG:
To reduce by 50% by June 2008 the number of incidents that may lead to death or serious injury for anyone in our care, custody, or oversight.
As a human services agency, those are our lowest and worst outcomes. If we can't get that one thing right, nothing else we do matters. We're not used to talking about government being "great," but the preservation and protection of life is the main reason we're here, and we should be great at it.
Every division and office is developing its own WIG in support of the agency's larger goal. With everyone biting off a piece that falls within the realm of the work they do, we'll be able to achieve our big WIG.
Make no mistake: the WIG is not about creating new work for ourselves, but about reaching into the whirlwind and pulling out the piece of work that we're already doing that is most important. Business writer Stephen R. Covey says "the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." That's really what the WIG concept is all about.
You don't have to be a front-line case manager to have an impact on the lives and safety of the people we serve. Even those of us who never see a consumer face-toface have critical support roles that ultimately affect the men, women, and children in our care.
CONTENTS

B. J. Walker Commissioner

Southeast Georgia Wild Fires... ............ p.2 The Irreplaceable Role of Father ...........p.3 Georgia Mental Hospitals Gain Nurses...p.3 DAS Lifelong Planning Program ..............p.4 DHR Hotlines........................................p.4-5 Child Maltreatment Sees Decline........... p.5 Agency News Highlights ......................p.6-8

Southeast Georgia Wild Fires: Communications at its Best
By Taka Wiley

In April, Southeast Georgia experienced very unusual fire danger and activity when a tree fell on a power line and initiated a fire that spread through Ware County. Within the first 24 hours, the wildfires spread rapidly consuming more than 23,000 acres of land. In the first night of wildfire activity, nearly 850 homes were evacuated as a safety precaution and 75 shelters were opened to serve residents. Schools were closed for eight days and outdoor activities including a scheduled cancer walk were cancelled. Highways located to the south and west of Waycross were closed due to dense wildfire smoke.
The effect the wildfires would have on the metro Atlanta area was not yet a major concern. However, in May, smoke from the Southeast wildfires reached the city and affected healthy individuals as well as those who already suffered from severe respiratory illnesses, allergies and asthma.
While more than 450 law enforcement, fire fighters and emergency personnel worked to contain the wildfires, public information officers from the Southeast District and the State partnered to ensure that Georgians were informed of every aspect of the situation. As community concerns increased,

Southeast District Public Information Officer (PIO) Roger Naylor helped calm fears with a multi-lingual communications strategy aimed at educating residents within the affected area about the wildfires, the dangers of wildfire smoke and other information they needed. By the end of the first week of wildfire activity, Naylor had distributed press releases and other pieces of communication to residents through various outlets including churches.
Naylor also understood the role media played in disseminating information to the public and provided them with fact sheets and press releases about the wildfires. Local, state and national media attention was given to the Southeast Georgia wildfires as they

continued to blaze and spread to other areas.
Once smoke from Southeast Georgia reached the metro Atlanta area, Naylor and State PIO Taka Wiley worked closely to develop messages about the dangers of wildfire smoke to distribute to key Atlanta media outlets. Emphasis was placed on ensuring that the messages were consistent with information sent to Ware County television, print and radio representatives. Wiley created a press release about wildfire smoke and distributed it to media outlets along with a fact sheet provided by Naylor. The proactive measure resulted in several media inquiries about how metro Atlanta residents could protect themselves from the smoke.
By June, tropical storm Barry brought relief to Ware County with a downpour of rain. However, the storm did nothing to reverse the damage caused by the wildfires. The Ware County wildfires became the largest fire in Georgia history burning more than 441,000 acres of land and destroying 22 homes. The evacuation of approximately 1,000 residents resulted in no deaths and minor injuries.

2

The Irreplaceable Role of a Father
By Camille Cunningham

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the presence of two committed, involved parents contributes directly to a child's school performance, reduces substance abuse, lessens crime and delinquency, lessens risk of abuse or neglect, and lowers the risk of teen suicide. Additionally, fathers who provide economic support and a physical presence help their children's emotional and social development and lessen the incidence of behavioral problems. Offering fathers resources which allows them to improve their economic status by offering job searches, job training, subsidized employment, job retention, job enhancement and education can be the determining factor in changing a child's life.
To date, Georgia's Fatherhood Program is the largest state-operated fatherhood program in the country. Created in 1997, the Georgia Fatherhood Program is used to help non-custodial parents who lack the economic capacity to make timely child support payments due to employment barriers. Some of the barriers that non custodial parents are facing are lack of a high school diploma or GED, no driver's license or transportation, alcohol and substance abuse, criminal records, and mental health issues. Through this program, the Office of Child Support Services has successfully increased the amount of fathers and mothers who remain current on child support. During fiscal year 2007, Fatherhood Program participant's families received approximately $12 million in child support payments. In addition, approximately 82 percent of Fatherhood participants have obtained employment, which is an eleven percent increase from fiscal year 2006. "This program is particularly important because it addresses the daily employment barriers that prevent non custodial parents from remaining current with their child support payments," says OCSS Acting Director Keith

Horton. "Addressing those barriers enables us to equip our customers with the skills necessary to break down those barriers and make a difference in their child's life."
The Fatherhood program works with non custodial parents who are willing, yet unable, to pay their support regularly. The program generally takes three to six months to complete and serves both fathers and mothers who are non-custodial parents. The participants are required

to work at least 20 hours per week while enrolled in the program and to pay child support. Upon completion of the program, participants receive assistance in obtaining full-time employment at a livable wage. Those interested in finding out more information about the Georgia Fatherhood Services Program, contact your local Child Support Services office or see www.ocss.dhr.georgia.gov. Applications to the program may be made online.

Inspite of Shortage, Georgia Mental Hospitals Gaining New Nurses
By Kenya Bello
At a time when the nation is experiencing a nursing shortage, Georgia mental hospitals have recently hired an unprecedented number of nursing professionals to improve consumer care and safety. Many said it couldn't be done, but with Director Gwen Skinner's vision and aggressive recruitment, Georgia mental hospitals are becoming an employer of choice.
"These nurses are choosing to work in state mental hospitals. This says a lot about these nurses and our agency," said Gwen Skinner, Director for the State Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Addictive Diseases. "Many view working in a mental hospital as a way to make a difference in the lives of people who're often stigmatized by society. Some have also experienced mental illness within their families and feel they have unique compassion to offer."
Of those nurses hired, all come from the private sector. They represent diverse backgrounds -- men and women, black and white, and of all ages. During recent hiring fairs, the state has also attracted international applicants from Bulgaria and Canada. As part of the application process, DHR provided applicants with tours of the hospitals, giving them firsthand understanding of the real challenges and rewards of serving people with severe mental illness. Skinner explains, "One has to have a heart for this type of work. It is not for everyone."
The seven state mental hospitals primarily treat people with severe mental illnesses often complicated by substance abuse. Usually consumers are hospitalized for a short time until they are stable and can return to community treatment programs. Last year, hospitals served 18,281; 14, 287 were adults and 2,722 were children or adolescents with severe emotional disturbances or substance abuse and 1,403 were people with mental retardation or related developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy and down syndrome.

4

3

DAS Lifelong Planning Program Accomplishments
By Edna Jackson

Statistics show that incorporating physical activity and good eating habits into your lifestyle increases the chances of living a long and healthy life. However, in the state of Georgia, 58 percent of adults do not meet the Center for Disease Control's standards for physical activity and 77 percent of adults do not consume the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Despite this, most people expect to live a long-healthy, independent life, but things don't always turn out that way. As they begin to age, many adults encounter serious illnesses such as Alzheimer's, strokes, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, emphysema, and various types of cancers. Any of these diseases can lead to an extended stay in a hospital, a nursing home or with family, and drain savings accounts and nest eggs that many establish for retirement. However, planning for long-term care options now can help individuals pay for most costly healthcare needs in the future, and allow them to continue living safe and self-reliant lives in their homes longer.
Over the past year, the Division of Aging Services (DAS) has helped young adults and middle-aged individuals plan for their future long-term care needs. By promoting education and counseling services provided by the GeorgiaCares

Lifelong Planning Program, DAS has been able to better prepare them with the knowledge needed to protect themselves from inadequate coverage in the case of serious injury. The GeorgiaCares Lifelong Planning Program, a governor's initiative, was launched on July 1, 2005. The program educates consumers about the need to plan early, the costs, payment sources, and private financing options. Its consumer protection techniques help individuals make well-informed decisions about their future long-term care needs.
In its first full year, Lifelong Planning specialists provided individualized assistance to more than 2,500 persons and held over 650 group presentations. The program also launched Georgia's "Own Your Future" campaign, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initiative which educates Americans about long-term care preparation.
The "Own Your Future" campaign was highly successful and proved to be one of the agency's many highlights for the past fiscal year. According to May 2007 data, Georgia has reached a 7.04% response rate for "Own Your Future", which is currently the highest performance level of states in the campaign's third phase. The HHS report shows that of the more than one million Georgians

DHR Hotlines Save Lives and Protect Families
Last fall, Gov. Perdue introduced four customer service standards to guide us through our work of continuous improvement: GREET your customers promptly and courteously; LISTEN and verify your understanding of the customer's needs; HELP customers with your answers and actions; HONOR your commitments in a timely manner. As we launch into the HELP phase of the customer service campaign, DHR is taking significant steps in the area of service delivery. For the first time, in divisions throughout DHR, the public is accessing emergency resources through hotlines, which are critical during a time of family crisis.
The Georgia Crisis & Access Line (GCAL) through MHDDAD provides a range of community-based services throughout the state, including substance abuse services and family intensive treatment. While similar call centers around the country
Continued on page 5

who received letters from Governor Sonny Perdue earlier this year offering free tool kits for long-term care planning, more than 75,000, or 7.04 percent, requested the information. This places Georgia ahead of Michigan, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas in Phase III of the national initiative.
Through offering topic-oriented seminars, targeted marketing, and specialized education materials, DAS can ensure the program's progression. In addition, DAS is coordinating with state agencies, nonprofits, and communities to further strengthen fraud prevention education efforts as they relate to lifelong planning, as well as developing volunteer programs which boost recruitment rates and improve training efficiency.
"Many people only think about making these kinds of long-term care decisions in the midst of a crisis, when time and attention are in short supply," said Maria Greene, Director of the Georgia Division of Aging Services. "Planning ahead means planning now. By giving Georgians the tools to evaluate their finances, long-term care insurance options, legal directions, homes, and communities, we can help them take ownership of their own futures and stay healthy and independent for as long as possible."
DAS has a website on long-term care planning at www.PlanEarlyNow.org. Georgians may request the national "Own Your Future" Long-Term Care Planning Kit by calling 1-866-PLANLTC (1-866-752-6582) or by logging onto www.aoa.gov/ownyourfuture (also available for downloading).

4

DHR Hotlines Saves Lives- Continued

only feature an information and referral approach, GCAL actually allows callers to speak with clinicians at any time and appointments are scheduled on the spot. The crisis line is also complimented by a new web site (www. mygcal.com) that allows callers to pinpoint services close to where they live, even providing maps to their location. The Georgia Crisis & Access Line (GCAL) generally receives approximately 20,000 calls per month from people interested in learning about mental health services in their area, or in speaking with a trained counselor.
On July 1, 2007, DHR's Division of Aging Services (DAS) launched its new statewide access line. This new toll-free number allows the public to connect to Georgia's Aging Network and services for seniors. The hotline also gives Georgians automatic access to their local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) Gateway, GeorgiaCares, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, Adult Protective Services Central Intake, and the DAS state office. Previously, callers would need to know which of Georgia's twelve AAAs served their county of residence before choosing one of twelve numbers to call. The new statewide toll-free number combines these services into one and provides easier access to information about services available in each region.
In March of 2007, the Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) announced their partnership with the United Way 2-1-1 hotline. Their goal was to improve customer service and enhance service delivery by providing information and referrals to the community. Several customer service agents were hired to meet the new demand and ensure that all calls are handled in a timely, helpful, and resourceful manner. By dialing

2-1-1, the community now has continual access to agents that can assist them in locating programs and services throughout Georgia.
In addition to assisting the community by providing them with Hotlines to resources they may need, DHR is also committed to assisting you, the employee, with your own hotline through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The goal of EAP is to offer DHR employees with counseling services to address any personal problems that may unknowingly affect your everyday life and job performance. Through Cameron and Associates Inc., EAP offers free counseling services to all DHR employees and household members. EAP is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For further information please visit the website at www.caiquality.com.
As DHR works toward strengthening families and becoming the best-run government agency in the nation, we will consistently develop simple and easy tools for providing and sustaining exceptional service to our customers. The hotline's mentioned above are perfect examples of the strides DHR is making in that direction. All hotline services are confidential, free, and available to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are also equipped to serve the hearing impaired and can accommodate multiple languages.
HOTLINES:
Georgia Crisis & Access Line: 1-800-715-4225
Division of Aging Services: 1-866-55-Aging (1-866-552-4464)
Office of Child Support Services: 211
Employee Assistance Program: 1-800-334-6014 or 404-843-3399

Recurrent Child Maltreatment Sees a Steady Decline
By Beverly Jones
Safety from recurrent child maltreatment is arguably the most important objective of child welfare services. This is an area where the Division of Family and Children Services exceeds the national average and has continued to do so over the last three years. Recurrence of maltreatment is the rate at which children re-enter foster care within six months following a return home. In Georgia, recurrence of substantiated child maltreatment is at an all time low of 3.6 percent (well below the national average of 6.10 percent) and has been on a steady decline since 2004 when the DFCS was faced with an alarming rate of 8.73 percent.
"We have made great strides in protecting Georgia's children and addressing the needs of children and families in our care, and right at the top is a clear emphasis on protecting all children from repeated cases of abuse and neglect" said Mary Dean Harvey, director of the Division of Family and Children Services.
The Division continues to make progress in this area by providing prompt attention in initiating investigations, providing intensive in-home services and follow-up when a child is returned home from foster care, and by lowering caseloads to help CPS staff make more in-depth assessments of a family's situation. Children most at risk for child abuse and neglect are those in families with multiple and chronic problems. These are families that require sustained and intensive intervention efforts to keep children safe. These are also the families that get the attention of DHR's Promoting Safe and Stable Families initiative (PSSF), a program designed to prevent child abuse altogether and alleviate crises that may lead children to foster care. The statewide program served nearly 24,000 families and children last year, and 89 percent of the families that used PSSF's services had no reports of child abuse or neglect. The program is unique in that it provides funds to nonprofit organizations that offer extensive family support services to families. Services include home-based family counseling, parenting classes, connecting families to community resources, substance abuse treatment, and life skills training.

5

Agency News Highlights

A Heartfelt Farewell From Cindy Moss

I began working with Child Support Services as a Secretary in August of 1978. Since that time I have worked my way up through the ranks serving as a Child Support Agent, Supervisor, Trainer, Modification Agent, CSE Manager, Program Director, Director of State Operations, Deputy Director and Director. Additionally, I attended day, night, and weekend classes at the University of Georgia and obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration in Managing Information Systems and continued on to receive a Masters of Business Administration in 2005.
As I end this chapter in my life, I can look over my career and say that I have no regrets. I've had a wonderful career and have been given many opportunities to learn and grow and work at something that I loved. I want the

OCSS Family to know how much I appreciate the support they have given me over the years, but most importantly I want them to know that the work they are doing is vitally important to strengthening Georgia's families. To those employees in OCSS working as a Program Assistant, teen worker, etc, you too could one day be the Director. I encourage all of my employees to continuously progress to greater heights in their careers by seeking education, training, and opportunities for advancement. The organization can grow only if new leaders emerge.
In closing, I'd like to say that I am so proud of the work that each of you has accomplished, especially over the last 2 years, and I want you to remember that no matter what adversity may come our way, the OCSS family must stand together and persevere! Farewell, my friends -- my family.

Fulton County DFCS Gets New Director
The Division of Family and Children Services has named Dannette Smith the new director of Fulton County DFCS. Smith will be responsible for directing the child welfare services for the Fulton County DFCS office.
Smith comes to Atlanta from North Carolina where she had been the director of the Mecklenburg County Department of Youth and Family Services since 2001. Smith is credited with transforming the county department into a community-based organization with a family-centered services approach and her demonstrated leadership in moving a large child welfare program in the right direction makes her the right person for the right job.

Aging Advocate Receives Highest Honor In The METLIFE Foundation Older Volunteers Enrich America Awards
Ann G. Williams recently received the highest honor in the MetLife Foundation Older Volunteers Enrich America Awards, during a ceremony on June 8, 2007, in Washington, D.C. and was awarded with an engraved gift celebrating her achievement. The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) announced the award recipients and celebrated the contributions of 28 outstanding older volunteers. Williams, of Atlanta, was the gold honoree in the team spirit category for her work with the Georgia Council on Aging (GCOA) and the Coalition of Advocates for Georgia's Elderly (CO-AGE). "We congratulate Ann Williams for her tireless efforts and contributions on legislative issues affecting older adults," said Maria Greene, director of the Georgia Division of Aging Services.

6

7

Agency News Highlights

4TH Annual DHR Spring Golf Tournament
This year's annual Golf Tournament was held at the Newnan Country Club in Newnan, Georgia. Newnan Country Club is one of the best private Held on April 23rd, the tournament was a huge success. There were prizes, food, and most importantly, lots of fun.
Trophies were awarded to (men and women) for longest drive, closest to the hole, and for putting contests.
The format for the tournament was the Ft. Lauderdale 4-person team. If up to four players want to play together, not more than one of the four may have an average score of 82 or less.
Golf Committee members are David Martin, Dena Smith, Jim Sanregret, Rosa Waymon and Richard O'Neill. Join us next year for more fun in the sun at the 5th Annual Tournament, date and time are to be announced.

Corporate Run / Walk & Fitness
Registration is now open for the 2007 Kaiser Permanente Corporate Run/Walk. This is the fourth year DHR has participated in the event now in its 25th year. Sign up to join your fellow employees for a time of fitness and fun on Thursday, September 27, 2007. The start and finish lines will be at Turner Stadium for the 5K event.
You can register on line or by mail. Registration by mail must be received by September 6. A registration packet for mail registration and on-line registration are available at: http://www.kpcorporaterunwalk.com/registration.html.
Through August 27, 5 p.m. -- $20 per person After August 27, 5 p.m. -- $25 per person There is no race day registration.

DHR LAFF-OFF, HEALING THROUGH LAUGHTER
A hilarious standup comedy competition with Commissioner B.J. Walker as a guest judge was hosted by Gilda's Club of Greater Atlanta at the Punchline Comedy Club on September 5th at 7:00 p.m.
On September 6, 2007 employees were invited to a free Gut Busting Luncheon at the Crawford Long Medical Center and the Department of Human Resources central office. The purpose of the lunch and learn is to:
Enjoy a live comedian Learn through laughter why it is the best
medicine Take humor back to your co-workers Learn how you can make a difference
DHR Wellness Program
In an effort to help the people of Georgia live healthier lives and to reduce the burden of chronic disease and other illnesses, Governor Sonny Perdue and the Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) have joined forces by launching the Live Healthy Georgia Campaign. In this campaign, DHR is encouraging Georgians of all ages to make better health a priority by following the guidelines of the Live Healthy Georgia campaign: Be Active, Eat Healthy, Be Smoke Free, Get Checked and Be Positive.
In the near future, DHR will be launching its DHR Wellness program, which will be tailored so that offices and units throughout the state can take part in leading a more healthy lifestyle. Please stay tuned for more healthy living.

As a part of DHR's Customer Service Improvement roll out, Commissioner B. J. Walker created the "Right Work, Right Way" Program to award those DHR employees who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in customer service. Winners receive $100.00 for their good deeds and will have, in some way, made DHR services faster, friendlier and/or easier. Employees and supervisors have been very receptive to the program and to date, 138 employees have been awarded the RWRW award which is a total of $138,000.00. What better way for DHR to show employees that we care.
Nominations are now open for this quarter's RWRW Employee Incentive Program.
Charitiable Contributions
The Charitable Contribution Program is a program created by the 1982 Georgia General Assembly to authorize:
A once a year, statewide opportunity for employees to make financial contributions to help others, and
Use of payroll deduction for donations to eligible charities.
This year DHR collected 250,824.16 in charitable contributions. For 2006-2007 DHR won the Commissioner's Award. In addition, we were the runner up for the highest contribution per employee for the 2006-2007 year. The University of Georgia took home the gold last year so, this year we have our work cut out for us.
Congratulations to the University of Georgia, enjoy the top while you can.

8

7

Agency News Highlights

Some of DHR's Extraordinary, Remarkably, Quirky Hobbies
I collect body parts. That in itself is not my hobby, just part of the training. To explain, I train my Golden Retriever, Tucker, to find lost people as well as locating dead people, on or in the ground or water. That is why actual human remains are needed. I am a member of a volunteer team made up of 9 people and 11 dogs who do this for fun and to provide a service. It's a great way to spend my Saturdays out in the wilderness w/ my dog. by Julianne Reid

At DHR, our work touches nearly every family in Georgia, often in very personal ways. We help them become and remain more self-sufficient, healthier, safer -- in a word, stronger -- and we do it by being a resource for their families, not a substitute. That's what we call doing "The Right Work, the Right Way," but it also requires the Right People. Over the past year, we have received a multitude of stories highlighting those employees who are performing above and beyond the call of duty in the areas of customer service, excellence, and professionalism. During the week of May 7 - 11, 2007 the Department of Human Resources took the time to show its gratitude through Public Employee Recognition Week. In addition, nominated DHR employees were recognized for their hard work and contributions.
Statewide DHR PERW Winners

I love tinkering. I have built computers and bikes for foster children. I developed a project at Dekalb Co DFCS where they get bikes fixed and distributed to foster kids and I made sure that kids under my caseload got them as well. I was able to get a computer for one of my cases and you can't forget the foster brother so I am building him a system from an old gateway. by Sean F. Kennedy
Well, my hobby is certainly unusual. My wife and I have created a sort of online comic book, but instead of being drawings, it's made from digital photos of LEGO models. Yes, the children's toys! The story is a science-fiction tale about the crew of a spaceship that awakens from stasis to find that the ship has been drifting in space and that the passengers have not only been awake and living on the ship for a long time, but they've also created their own eccentric cultures. We write the scripts, build the sets, take the photos, edit them together, and have even programmed a special web site to display them. So far we've had hundreds of visitors from around the world!

Office of Family Independence Unit Humanitarian Award-- DFCS Washington County

Robert Holdredge Safety Award-- MHDDAD Southwestern State Hospital

Jeanie Terhune Humanitarian Award--MHDDAD Central Office

Aging Information Management Team Innovation Team Award--DAS
Employee & Consumer Wellness Team Customer Service Award--MHDDAD Southwestern State Hospital

Bonnie Blakely Leadership Award-- DFCS Chatham County
Kyetina Griffin Customer Service Award-- Office of Child Support Services Region 3

Danita Crawford Innovation Award-- Facilities / Support Services Transportation Svc.
Anderson Flen Community Service Award-- Public Health PH North District 2

Faithful Service

Ms. A. Rita Montgomery --

Ms. Mary Johnson Stokes --

40 years

45 years

You can check it out at http://www.the mercurials.net by Tom the Geek
I am currently writing a children's book manuscript and a children's radio pro-

gram script. I have had several articles published in newspapers and in magazines. Another unrelated hobby is leading my church's drama team, "Truth In Action." We perform dramatic song interpretations for church services. by Pamela C. Majdi

8