Legislature(2021 - 2022)BY TELECONFERENCE
01/13/2021 10:00 AM HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
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| Presentation: Discussion of Dhss Reorganization | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
January 13, 2021
10:03 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Tiffany Zulkosky, Chair (via teleconference)
Representative Matt Claman (via teleconference)
Representative Geran Tarr (via teleconference)
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Ivy Spohnholz, Vice Chair
Representative Harriet Drummond
Representative Sharon Jackson
Representative Lance Pruitt
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION: DISCUSSION OF DHSS REORGANIZATION
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
AMANDA METIVIER, Director
Facing Foster Care in Alaska (FFCA)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided testimony about FFCA's concerns
regarding the proposal to split the Department of Health and
Social Services.
LYNN BIGGS, Senior Director
Casey Family Programs
Yakima, Washington
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided a PowerPoint presentation titled
"Safe Strong Supportive," dated 1/13/21.
RICHARD PETERSON, President
Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
Juneau, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided testimony urging that Tlingit and
Haida tribes be included and consulted in the proposed
reorganization of DHSS.
"PJ" POLLACK B. SIMON, JR., Chief/Chairman
Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC)
Allakaket, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified in opposition to the proposed
reorganization of the Department of Health & Social Services and
urged that TCC and other Alaska tribes be consulted on ways to
improve current department services.
TAMMY SANDOVAL
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Testified on behalf of herself in
opposition to the proposed DHSS reorganization.
JAKE METCALFE, Executive Director
Alaska State Employees Association (ASEA) Local 52
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Provided testimony about ASEA's concerns
with the proposed DHSS reorganization.
ACTION NARRATIVE
10:03:35 AM
CHAIR TIFFANY ZULKOSKY called the House Health and Social
Services Standing Committee meeting to order at 10:03 a.m.
Representatives Claman (via teleconference) and Zulkosky (via
teleconference) were present at the call to order.
Representative Tarr (via teleconference) arrived as the meeting
was in progress.
^PRESENTATION: Discussion of DHSS Reorganization
PRESENTATION: Discussion of DHSS Reorganization
10:04:29 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY announced that the only order of business would
be discussion of Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS)
reorganization.
CHAIR ZULKOSKY related that in December 2020 Governor Dunleavy
and Commissioner Crum announced plans to split DHSS into two new
departments a Department of Health and a Department of Family
and Community Services. She said the announcement provided
little detail about the plan, what it might cost the State of
Alaska, and the impacts to stakeholders and those who utilize
DHSS programs. The committee invited Commissioner Crum and the
department to participate in today's hearing, she continued but
they declined to participate. She announced the witnesses and
organizations that would be providing testimony.
10:05:51 AM
AMANDA METIVIER, Director, Facing Foster Care in Alaska (FFCA),
related that FFCA is a statewide nonprofit comprised of current
and former "fosterees." She said she is a foster care alumnus
who aged out of the system in Anchorage, she has bachelor's and
master's degrees in social work, and she has been a licensed
foster parent for about 13 years on and off. She stated she
also works at the Office of Youth Empowerment (OYE) and serves
with other groups at local, state, and national levels working
on child welfare issues and efforts to reform.
MS. METIVIER thanked the chair and committee members for holding
today's hearing to listen about this issue and what it means for
children and families across the state. She noted that a number
of foster youths are listening to today's presentations because
this has a direct impact on their lives.
MS. METIVIER noted there is the larger proposed splitting of the
Department of Health and Social Services with multiple divisions
within the two new departments. She further noted that there is
also a proposed bifurcation of the Office of Children's Services
(OCS) into two divisions the Office of Early Intervention and
the Office of Family Services. Prior to discussing the
proposals, she said she would highlight the state of the current
system, the challenges, and the impact of COVID because COVID is
relevant for what is currently happening for children, families,
staff, and the legal parties working in child protection. She
stressed that this is a big proposal on the table for people who
are just trying to get through the day-to-day dealing with all
the things that come with the pandemic as well as the impacts on
the state.
MS. METIVIER offered her belief that the proposed bifurcation is
coming from a place of good intent in trying to improve the
system, but said she doesn't think it's the solution or fix in
terms of gaining public trust, especially considering timing and
lack of input from stakeholders. She stated it's important to
understand what's happing with the Office of Children's Services
right now since the COVID-19 pandemic began. She works with
young people across the state who are in foster care or making
their transition out, she explained, so she is in contact with
about 300 young people a year. Since COVID hit it feels like
every day is a crisis response to housing and basic needs, she
related. Young people everywhere are struggling with the
challenges of isolation and all that's happened since the
pandemic hit.
MS. METIVIER specified that the goal of foster care is to get
children out of the foster care system and into what is referred
to as permanency within 12-24 months. She said children are
returned home to their parents when that is possible or placed
with relatives or within their tribe or home community, or moved
toward finding an adoptive home or a caregiver who can be a
legal guardian long term. She noted that of the more than 3,000
children currently in foster care, 65 percent are Alaska Native.
Since the pandemic hit, children are lingering in foster care;
everything has been stalled. Most state staff are working from
home. Over the past 12 months, OCS has lost 171 foster homes
and that doesn't include the ones that are on hold due to the
pandemic. She related that as a foster parent herself she gets
calls almost daily and she can hear the desperation in the
voices of the caseworkers everywhere across the state that are
trying to find homes for children. This has created incredible
challenge on top of their regular day-to-day casework.
10:11:50 AM
MS. METIVIER stated that visits between children, parents, and
siblings are mostly done virtually via the phone, internet,
through Face Time, or Zoom. This poses challenges for parents
and children in more rural areas who don't have good access to a
phone, she continued. All the research points to visits between
children and their parents early and often leading to a timelier
reunification. Visits with OCS caseworkers and children in
foster care are also mostly done virtually right now, she added.
In-person is happening somewhat more on the frontend for
investigation, but children in the system are not being seen
every 30 days by a caseworker in their foster home. She warned
that this creates potential for danger because things are
missed, such as smells, sounds, and other people possibly in the
home. Also, children are further isolated when everything else
is virtual, they have less contact with the outside world. For
example, right now therapy is typically conducted virtually, as
is school and doctor visits. These children, she advised, are
struggling with the isolation and feel like they are forgotten
and don't have access to the outside world.
MS. METIVIER said court hearings, team meetings, and other legal
proceedings that happen in OCS cases are also happening
virtually or telephonically, creating delays and continuances
and further lengthening the children's time in foster care. She
related that older youth who are transitioning out of foster
care and into adulthood are doing so at a time when it is even
harder to secure housing, employment, and transportation. She
stated that FFCA has started a COVID-19 relief fund to help with
rental assistance, utilities, and transportation, which are in
addition to help that is offered by the communities in which the
youth live. She further stated that FFCA has mostly been
supporting young parents who are on the brink in that if they
miss one rental payment they will be out and then there will be
a domino effect.
10:15:07 AM
MS. METIVIER explained she has provided this information to help
set the tone for the challenges that the system is already
facing related to COVID. Then, there is the proposed
reorganization and bifurcation of OCS.
MS. METIVIER recalled that FFCA spent two years presenting
evidence and data to the legislature in support of House Bill
151, passed in 2018 (Thirtieth Alaska State Legislature, signed
into law 6/27/2018), because languishing in foster care is
damaging to children. She said the bill was rooted in best
practice and modeled on New Jersey's gold standard system where
caseworkers are limited in their caseloads and are well trained
so that families receive both the support and services they need
to quickly move children through the system and into permanency.
That bill is now in year three of implementation and legislators
will receive the fall [2020] annual report. The report shows a
slight jump in turnover for OCS staff, which is currently at 47
percent. She said House Bill 151 was a major effort to overhaul
the system and to do that the legislature wanted a lot of
evidence to know it was going to work. But, in regard to the
proposed bifurcation she hasn't seen much evidence.
10:17:20 AM
MS. METIVIER spoke to the proposed bifurcation. She explained
that typically child welfare has a culture of collaboration.
Experts promote collaboration as best practice to bring in the
stakeholders, including young people, parents, foster parents,
community partners, and tribes. Everyone is brought to the
table to discuss what works, what doesn't work, and what
direction to take in terms of change. She said the decision to
bifurcate OCS wasn't made in the spirit of collaboration; the
stakeholders and most groups were notified after the decision
was made to move it forward. The only explanation she received
was that it would increase public trust to separate the division
into two separate divisions. The many unanswered questions
should be looked at and considered, she suggested, especially
since House Bill 151 is still being implemented. The state has
been working with the tribes for a number of years on the
[Alaska Tribal Child Welfare Compact] to provide services to
families and child welfare. Also, the state has a program
improvement plan that it must follow for the federal government.
So, she continued, a lot is happening with OCS and how it is
supposed to be operating and responding to all these policy
changes and efforts with other agencies, organizations, and the
federal government, while there is also the impact of the
pandemic. Additionally, given the pandemic, the question is
whether this is the right time to move forward a bifurcation.
MS. METIVIER stated that another consideration is what is the
evidence base for this proposal. There is a lot of evidence and
research, she advised, about what works in child protection
systems. This needs to be drawn upon as decisions are made on
how Alaska's system will operate. She pointed out that this is
going to require families and legal parties to potentially deal
with two separate agencies. Given the many professionals that
are involved, it is already hard for children and parents to
know whose role is what, what meeting they're going to, what
court hearing they're going to, what professional they're
talking to. Having then to deal with multiple systems could be
absolutely daunting. Child welfare is meant to be a continuum
of families coming into the system because of child abuse and
neglect, she explained, and addressing those issues that brought
them in in an effort to return children to their home of origin,
or to their parents, or into another permanent situation.
MS. METIVIER noted that the proposed bifurcation would also
return OCS to four regions from the current five. She recounted
that the House Health and Social Services Committee created the
fifth region, the Western Region, at the recommendation of a
citizens' review panel. She recommended that a look be taken at
whether going back to four regions is the right thing to do.
MS. METIVIER urged that the costs be taken into account for two
separate divisions, two separate directors, two separate
deputies, and the staff beneath those. She also urged that it
be taken into account as to what the overall impact is going to
be on children and families. Government systems are really
difficult to navigate, she advised, so dealing with two separate
systems is going to be daunting for families. She related that
in urban areas OCS already has a sort of internal bifurcation.
One-unit addresses investigation and assessment ("IA") of
families when reports come in, and another unit is family
services that deals with further case planning with parents and
trying to find permanency for children. In the smaller
communities there are generalist workers that work a case all
the way from the initial assessment through whatever the
permanent plan is. She said she therefore isn't sure how a
bifurcation of OCS into two divisions is any different than the
internal split in urban areas. Ms. Metivier concluded by
pointing out that fosterees are listening to today's hearing.
She said the opportunity for youth to hear this issue is
important, given all that they are facing with being in foster
care right now.
10:23:08 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY thanked Ms. Metivier for her advocacy and
personal time for Alaska's youth and families. She requested
Ms. Metivier to speak to the disparity of services felt by rural
Alaska Native youth in the system.
MS. METIVIER replied that 65 percent of children in foster care
are Alaska Native, which is disproportionate because they make
up about 20 percent of Alaska's overall child population. In
some communities they make up 100 percent of the children that
are in foster care or out-of-home care. She said the challenges
with the pandemic have been even greater for Alaska Native
children and the state's ability to follow the Indian Child
Welfare Act (ICWA). She related that she is getting calls from
across the state to take placement of children in foster care.
She pointed out that there is a placement preference standard
that is supposed to be followed under ICWA that says to first
place with relatives or to look within a tribe or the child's
community, and to then move to stranger foster care as a last
ditch effort. The desperation, lack of homes, and people
overwhelmed by all that is happening in the system is making it
even harder to follow that.
MS. METIVIER stated that FFCA sees youth who come from rural
areas into more urban communities like Anchorage, the Mat-Su
Valley, and Fairbanks. They're coming in to live in a foster
home or a residential program and it is a further culture shock
well beyond separation and the grief and the loss of being
removed from their family. Now they've been removed from their
community and all they know and all that they are used to. Once
that happens, she specified, even bigger challenges are seen on
the backend for those youth who then become adults and are
transitioning out into the world. They have their own children
and family but are still dealing with the trauma and
repercussions of what has happened in terms of being removed
from their community, especially if they lived a subsistence
lifestyle or lived in a much smaller community.
MS. METIVIER further related that many of the older youth coming
into Anchorage are placed in the downtown shelter at the
Covenant House. Covenant House does a great job and tries to
respond to the needs of youth, she said, but in a shelter
setting the youth become even more vulnerable, especially when
they come from a small community to the city. The shelter is a
target of traffickers for sex trafficking, and there is a lot of
substance abuse and drug use, so these youth are made even more
vulnerable. This is often seen a lot with older youth as they
transition to adulthood because they've lost their sense of
identity and who they are related to their culture.
10:27:45 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY recalled Ms. Metivier's statement that the
proposal for bifurcation was not made in the spirit of
collaboration. She noted that there is a type of engagement
where people are invited in and notified of a decision or there
is an opportunity for meaningful consultation to talk through
the impacts and evaluate evidence-based information. She asked
Ms. Metivier to speak to the type of engagement that occurred
prior to the announcement and FFCA's involvement in discussions
following the announcement of the intention to reorganize the
department and to bifurcate OCS.
MS. METIVIER responded that she heard remnants that DHSS would
be announcing reorganization. She said Commissioner Crum called
her to notify FFCA that the department would be making the
announcement the next day. It was during this call that she
first learned of the proposed OCS bifurcation. She offered her
belief that the commissioner's intentions were genuine and good
in letting her know so that young people would know this was
coming and it wouldn't be a surprise. However, she noted, she
hasn't received much information since that call. She has seen
the proposed organization chart outlining the proposed
bifurcation of OCS into two divisions. She said Angel Gonzales,
FFCA's board president, participated the following week in the
Tribal State Collaboration Group where she learned more about
what it looked like and then shared that information with her.
No effort has been made [by DHSS] to directly engage young
people or foster parents in the process. So, she continued,
FFCA has sent out this information and it has caused panic in
some young people who are already feeling isolated along with
the impacts of the pandemic. In the past when big changes have
come or been proposed, the department has held meetings or
forums with the stakeholders. That didn't happen in this case,
instead notification was received that this decision was made
and is happening, so it was a shock.
10:31:18 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY reiterated that DHSS and the commissioner
declined the committee's invitation to participate in today's
meeting. She said that subsequently the department shared a
letter dated [1/6/20] that stated the proposed timeline for
bifurcating OCS was delayed from the [7/1/20] timeframe and that
DHSS intends to begin a consultation process in February 2021.
She recalled that Ms. Metivier talked about the current
conditions at OCS and the significant disparity of Alaska Native
youth in the system, and the challenges the department has had.
Chair Zulkosky related that during her brief time in the
legislature there has been a constant struggle around continuity
of caseworkers, people who work within the system, and the
challenging environment. She requested Ms. Metivier to speak to
the impacts of such a significant reorganization amidst a
department that is challenged in meeting its current mission.
MS. METIVIER answered that the timing is not the best to propose
such a big shift and big undertaking while most people are
working from home. She said a number of caseworkers at OCS and
frontline staff has told her that they are worried about this
and want to give input, but are struggling to complete their
daily work because of COVID-19 impacts and the lack of placement
options for children in the system. Everything is being done
virtually and employees are potentially working at home and
trying to homeschool their own children. She stated that public
trust was the reason given to her for the proposed OCS
bifurcation. It is obvious and known by most people that the
public doesn't trust child protection, she said, but it isn't an
Alaska specific issue, it's everywhere. This agency has a lot
of authority over families to make decisions around removal, but
it also has to have that authority because of child abuse and
neglect. It's hard to instill trust in the public for an agency
that can come in and remove someone's child. Most of the
caseworkers and people at OCS don't come in wanting to damage
and tear apart families; they come in because they care, want to
make a difference, and want to work with families. In terms of
public trust, she advised, people connect to people, they don't
connect to programs, and so it's really about relationship. The
division can be split in two and a fancy new name given to each
new side, but she doesn't know that that is going to change how
the public looks at it, especially the arm that does the
assessment and investigation of child abuse and neglect; it's
bigger than that. A part of building trust, she opined, is
engaging with the stakeholders and the community around big
decisions, like a bifurcation.
10:35:53 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY invited the next speaker to provide testimony.
10:36:45 AM
LYNN BIGGS, Senior Director, Casey Family Programs, provided a
PowerPoint presentation titled "Safe Strong Supportive," dated
1/13/21. She stated she has been with Casey Family Programs for
32 years, and for the past 10 years she has worked with state
tribes, Facing Foster Care in Alaska, and others. She displayed
slide 2 and noted that the Casey Family Programs is the nation's
largest operating foundation focused on safely reducing the need
for foster care and building communities of hope for children
and families. Created in 1966 by Jim Casey, founder of United
Parcel Service, the foundation has worked to influence long-
lasting improvements to the safety and success of children,
families, and the communities where they live. She said the
foundation operates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The foundation's Indian
Child Welfare Program has direct agreements with 16 tribes,
including three in Alaska. In addition, the foundation has nine
field offices that provide direct services to youth in care.
MS. BIGGS moved to slide 3 and said Casey Family Programs has
been working and investing in Alaska since 2000. It has worked
with the state, tribes, philanthropic organizations, the
university, Facing Foster Care in Alaska, and others to effect
positive, improved outcomes for Alaska children and families.
Casey Family Programs, she continued, has sponsored statewide
efforts to address adverse childhood experiences in Alaska and
to safely reduce the need for foster care.
MS. BIGGS spoke to slide 4. She related that a presentation was
given last week at the Tribal State Collaboration Group titled
"The Mechanisms of American Indian and Alaska Native Inequality
in Child Welfare Across the United States." She said two pieces
of data provided for Alaska were striking: 1) An Alaska Native
infant (age 1 or younger) has a 15 percent chance of being the
subject of a child abuse and neglect investigation, which is
highest in the nation; and 2) An Alaska Native child has an 80
percent chance of being the subject of a child abuse and neglect
investigation by age 18, also the highest in the nation. She
stated that the Casey Family Programs has actively supported
efforts to reduce this disproportionality of Native children in
foster care in Alaska. The foundation sponsored Alaska's 2016-
2020 strategic plan, "Transforming Child Welfare Outcomes for
Alaska Native Children." This was a forerunner to the Alaska
Tribal Child Welfare Compact, she explained, of which the
foundation believes the full implementation would help with the
disproportionality and other issues. The foundation also
participates in Alaska's Tribal State Collaboration Group.
10:41:18 AM
MS. BIGGS pointed out on slide 5 that different states have
different configurations for administering child and family
services. She said one is a multiple cabinet-level agency,
another is a single consolidated health and human services
agency, and others consist of various agency combinations of
child welfare, juvenile justice, early childhood programs,
behavioral and mental health, substance abuse prevention and
treatment, public health, and financial assistance.
MS. BIGGS moved to slide 6 and stated that there is no research
evidence of an ideal organizational structure. Governors and
state legislatures have long reorganized state agencies in an
effort to improve outcomes, she said. Research is lacking and
the limited research that there is, along with extensive state
experiences tells that: 1) there is no ideal structure, every
approach has pros and cons; 2) positive child and family
outcomes cannot be attributed to a particular model; 3) there is
no research evidence of improved accountability or service
quality with reorganization; and 4) organizational climate and
culture (low conflict, cooperation, role clarity) may contribute
more to outcomes than interagency coordination structures.
MS. BIGGS displayed slide 7, which outlined the pros and cons of
a single consolidated health and human services agency. She
turned to slide 8 and related that some states have a cabinet-
level child and family agency. These states are Arizona,
Illinois, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Indiana, Tennessee, New
Mexico, Rhode Island, Washington, and New Jersey. Speaking to
slide 9, she said states with a child and family agency are
Connecticut, Delaware, Wisconsin, Florida, Wyoming, and Vermont.
There are lessons learned from these examples, she continued.
She then showed slide 10, which outlined the pros and cons of
state child and family agencies.
MS. BIGGS highlighted the recent reorganization depicted on
slide 11 of the Washington State Department of Children, Youth &
Families. She said this reorganization began in 2016 when the
Washington governor created a Blue Ribbon Commission to
recommend the organizational structure for a new cabinet-level
department focused solely on children and families. Commission
membership included a key legislative committee chair and a
retired judge as the co-chairs, along with state legislators,
tribal representatives, administrators of existing programs, a
court administrator, a state employee union representative, and
issue experts. She noted that the commission spent nine months
studying the models of other states, developing guiding
principles and desired outcomes for the new department, and
considering the input of tribes and other stakeholders, data,
and financing approaches.
10:45:05 AM
MS. BIGGS skipped to slide 13 and discussed some of the lessons
learned in regard to state agency reorganization. One lesson is
how important it is to review existing data, she said, and there
is a lot of data that Alaska could look at and use to determine
the agency priorities and desired outcomes for Alaska Native and
other Alaska children and families. She stated that the ends
determine the means consider how the priorities and the
desired outcomes should drive the structure. Reorganization
cannot provide support for needed reforms, she advised; tribes,
communities, and those with lived experience should be involved
in planning from the beginning and throughout [reorganization].
In Alaska particularly, she continued, the involvement and
inclusion of the tribes at every step of the way is essential
through tribal consultation. At last week's Tribal State
Collaboration Group meeting there was a presentation with
considerable dialogue between the state and tribes about this.
There is realization about how much the tribes need to be
involved at every step of the way. She said another lesson
learned is to ensure that agency resources are aligned with
desired outcomes. Build on and expand existing strengths,
successes, and capacity, like the [Alaska Tribal Child Welfare
Compact], prevention, and family strengthening. Transition to
the new structure typically takes two to five years, she stated.
It takes one year or more for planning and preparing, and up to
five years for implementation. Targeted efforts are necessary
to sustain the momentum and support for change, she added.
MS. BIGGS displayed slide 14 and continued her discussion of
lessons learned about reorganization. Reorganization is usually
disruptive to some extent, she pointed out, with the current
pandemic adding to the complexity. It is essential to have
shared vision, clear direction, and necessary resources for
planning and implementation. She said another lesson is to plan
carefully for the separation from a single consolidated health
and human services agency. Further, it needs to be ensured that
resources are adequate. There is no evidence or experience that
new structures save money. Instead there are additional costs
associated with the reorganization process and often with new
infrastructure. She advised that during the transition it might
be necessary to allow for possible redundancy. Another lesson
learned is that strong leadership, continuous improvement
systems, and accountability mechanisms are important regardless
of structure.
10:48:10 AM
MS. BIGGS concluded by stating that there is much work to be
done in Alaska. She said the Casey Family Programs is most
interested in improving outcomes for children and families and
to finally see the disproportionality reduced after there being
so many efforts. She offered her belief that Alaska has strong,
capable, effective tribes and people that are willing and able
to take care of their own children in their own communities.
Full implementation of the [Alaska Tribal Child Welfare
Compact], she continued, would be a very helpful pathway toward
the kind of transformation and improved outcomes that the State
of Alaska is looking for.
10:49:09 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY returned to slide 13 and the lesson learned that
the transition usually takes two to five years. She asked
whether there is any evidence that identifies the impacts to
outcomes for children and families that may be experienced
during this transition timeframe.
MS. BIGGS offered her belief that it puts children and families
at more risk. Given the 48 percent turnover rate and the
pandemic, there is already a lot of uncertainty and instability,
and so she thinks that during such a transition the impact on
children and families would be negative.
10:50:20 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY invited the next witness to testify.
10:50:56 AM
RICHARD PETERSON, President, Central Council of the Tlingit and
Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, noted that the Central Council of
the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska Tlingit and
Haida is the largest tribe in Alaska with over 32,000 enrolled
citizens across the state, nation, and world. He said the
proposed changes to DHSS impact the tribe significantly in more
than just one area. It is hard to talk about the division of
DHSS and not discuss negative impacts to tribal programs. He
explained that tribal programs span across the department, each
one connected to the other as children and families are served.
He recognized that each division has a tremendous task, but said
Tlingit and Haida families, whether in a 24/7 facility or
receiving prevention services, are all connected.
MR. PETERSON pointed out that Tlingit and Haida has partnered
with the Department of Health and Social Services and the Office
of Children's Services (OCS) for many years to better serve its
children and families. He related that Tlingit and Haida is
proud to be one of the tribes that signed the historic compact
with OCS in 2017, which took many years of consultation and
cooperation to achieve. Tribes have demonstrated a willingness
to put in the hard work to develop a child welfare compact,
recognizing that 65 percent of the children in custody are
Alaska Native. He expressed Tlingit and Haida's hope that any
changes at OCS would not undermine the current compact or the
true government-to-government process in which it was created.
Expanded compacting with tribes could be a win-win for both the
state and for the children and families served by OCS, he said.
It was created as a model for other state departments to follow
when working with tribes.
MR. PETERSON requested the state to consider and include tribes
when planning to elevate the [Alaska Tribal] Child Welfare
Compact to the Office of the Commissioner in the spirit that it
was created. He said it is unclear whether the compact will be
elevated to the commissioner's office, but that if it is
elevated, who would oversee the compact? He urged that this
person be familiar with working with tribes, child welfare, and
have direct connection to the day-to-day operations at OCS.
MR. PETERSON related that the rationale given by the Office of
the Commissioner to split DHSS is because the department is huge
and it's hard to get the time needed in front of the
legislature, along with budget considerations and making the
department easier to manage. He suggested that an alternative
is to engage tribes and community stakeholders familiar with the
work, and that more cost-efficient alternatives could be found
to address the issues cited rather than splitting the department
into two. He said there appears to be duplications between the
divisions and administrative operations in both the DHSS and OCS
divisions, that it likely would be far more costly, and that the
time to find a new commissioner, directors, and staff will be a
challenge. The state already struggles to fill the current
vacancies, he pointed out, leaving many programs and families
not receiving the attention they deserve. He said the tribes
are focused on the whole person and family, and he asked who
will be looking at the whole family and the client as more and
more departments work singularly and not holistically with the
DHSS. He further asked whether changes are being made to better
serve the family or for other reasons.
MR. PETERSON stressed the importance of tribal consultation
before significant changes like these are made. He reiterated
that tribes partner with DHSS to provide holistic services to
their shared citizens. He said the Central Council of the
Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska stands ready to engage
in consultation with DHSS, especially regarding any proposed
changes to how the state addresses child welfare. Tribal
consultation in the creation of such an impactful change could
make the conclusion stronger and more effective, he stated, and
the governor has an obligation to consult with tribes based on
DHSS policy that remains in effect. He offered his belief that
the current situation is because of systemic racism and this is
reflected in the fact that 65 percent of the children in the
State of Alaska's care are Alaska Native. It will only get
worse if the tribes are not involved, he added. Tlingit and
Haida stands committed to partnering with the state and looks
forward to engaging further in the process to fix the system.
10:56:10 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY requested Mr. Peterson to speak to the status of
the Alaska Tribal Child Welfare Compact, particularly what was
previously proposed for expanded scopes of work with Alaska
tribes. She further asked whether those have been pursued and
whether there have been related funding agreements to ensure
that there are the levels of support needed for tribes to be
successful in those scopes of work through the compact.
MR. PETERSON deferred an answer to Mary Johnson who represents
Tlingit and Haida on the compact. He said he would speak to her
and get back to the committee.
10:57:20 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY inquired about the department's level of
engagement with Mr. Peterson's tribe in the existing compact.
MR. PETERSON replied that at times it was difficult, and work is
being done to get through those. He related that in last week's
working group meeting with Commissioner Crum he stressed to the
commissioner that coming to the table and announcing the
decision that has already been made isn't at all government-to-
government consultation. He said he further stressed to the
commissioner that with 65 percent of the children in state care
being Alaska Native, Tlingit and Haida should be in the
discussion at the beginning rather than being told the outcome.
10:58:26 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY recalled Ms. Biggs' statement that a transition
takes two to five years. She requested Mr. Peterson to speak to
his on-the-ground experience with families that are currently in
these programs and systems and his thoughts about impacts to
their experience and wellbeing through a transition process.
MR. PETERSON responded that this division is being proposed
because it is so difficult to administer now. "Well, what's
going to happen while they are trying to figure it out?" he
asked. He said he is worried about the children and the
families that are going to fall between the cracks. These are
the children's formative years, he pointed out, and these
children don't have five years or even one year for it to be
figured out. This needs to be figured out before it is
implemented, and he doesn't trust that it has been.
10:59:55 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY recalled Mr. Peterson mentioning the impact of
institutional inequity and structural racism. She asked Mr.
Peterson to talk about what that means and the impact that he
sees it having on Alaskans through families that need to utilize
programs like this.
MR. PETERSON answered that the systemic racism goes back as part
of the inter-generational trauma that was created through
colonization, boarding schools, and religious organizations, and
so that is passed down. "Now, when you have a system that is
not made up of our people, it can continue," he said. "So, I
think that the solution is to have ... compacting and having us
be the solution." He continued:
I think we are the solution and I think compacting is
a way that we can better serve our families and assure
that systemic racism doesn't continue. And I don't
think sometimes that systemic racism isn't
intentional, but ... it's what happens when you don't
know, and you don't understand. Alaska is a diverse
area, our communities were made up of diverse people,
and I think ... if the institution serving our people
doesn't reflect the people it serves that
unintentionally you're going to see that that systemic
racism continues.
11:01:33 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY concurred and recalled former Lieutenant Governor
Davidson's mantra, "Nothing about us without us."
MR. PETERSON replied, "Exactly." He added:
I think there is an opportunity for us to work in
partnership on solutions and I think given the
opportunity we can do that. ... I think having true
consultation with the governor's office, with
Commissioner Crum, I think we could really develop
what real solutions look like. But I really believe
if it continues the way it has, that's just not going
to happen.
11:02:20 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY invited the next witness to testify.
11:02:41 AM
"PJ" POLLACK B. SIMON, JR., Chief/Chairman, Tanana Chiefs
Conference (TCC), related that TCC is a nonprofit intertribal
consortium of 37 federally recognized Indian tribes and 41
Alaska Native communities located across Interior Alaska,
including Fairbanks. He said TCC serves 16,000 Alaska Natives
located in Fairbanks and in the rural villages located along the
1,400-mile-long Yukon River and its tributaries, and that TCC's
service area encompasses 235,000 square miles.
CHIEF SIMON noted that TCC's members utilize services from every
division of the Department of Health & Social Services (DHSS)
and are dis-appropriately represented as beneficiaries of many
of these programs. He pointed out that TCC is a co-signer to
the Alaska Tribal Health Compact and the Alaska Tribal [Child]
Welfare Compact and that TCC's employees have worked alongside
state personnel through many administrations on various work
groups and collaborations. He said TCC will necessarily be
impacted by the administration's proposal to split the
department, and so TCC is willing to work with the commissioner
to achieve the best results for Alaska.
CHIEF SIMON stressed that TCC does not support the proposed
division of DHSS as it would place a separation between programs
and services that are necessarily intertwined. The proposed
separation of the Office of Children's Services (OCS), and the
Division of Public Assistance, and Division of Behavioral
Health, is baffling, he said. He asked how OCS would support
families in a time of crisis without working with the divisions
that have the resources to provide wraparound services. The OCS
must provide active efforts to prevent the breakup of tribal
families, he stated, and those efforts nearly always include
counseling, support to provide safe homes and environments with
the safe homes, and other services operated by the divisions
that would remain in the proposed Department of Health. He said
similar comments could be made about the Division of Juvenile
Justice, which is placed within DHSS, based on the understanding
that these youth, Alaska Native youth, need behavioral help and
prevention. He further asked what the justification is for
splitting the Division of Alaska Pioneer Homes and the Division
of Senior and Disability Services.
11:06:20 AM
CHIEF SIMON contended that the proposed split of the department
is not at all responsive to the relationship that necessarily
exists between the various divisions and the services they
provide. He pointed out that TCC is both a health and social
service agency, a one-stop shop for its tribal members. One
system makes sense, he explained, because TCC is able to provide
holistic, wraparound, and patient-centered services. At TCC
there is more efficiency and less bureaucracy, and TCC achieves
less overhead and a reduction in positions by keeping services
underneath one roof. A patient presenting at the clinic, and
who has a food security issue, can be connected by the case
manager to TCC's client services division and provided the
necessary services. A parent who is a party to tribal child
protection can be connected to the necessary health assessments
and follow-up services. A TCC client currently benefitting from
assistance can be connected with employment and training or
educational services to step down from government assistance.
CHIEF SIMON stated that the department's frequently asked
questions document indicates this change is being made to
streamline the focus of the Department of Health and to make
meaningful interventions for those Alaskans who are experiencing
crises or are supporting their loved ones. He said it's unclear
how this proposal will meet either objective, especially in a
time when the state budget is in crisis. He further stated
that the frequently asked questions document explains that there
will be better delivery of essential services thanks to the use
of statistics and data analysis, and creation of new health
analytics data and information systems within the proposed
Department of Health. However, he noted, there's no information
on how additional data analysis or this new unit will lead to
better health care delivery. The department already collects
and maintains a broad array of data about health programs, Chief
Simon continued, and has ready access to tribal partner data and
analysis through the tribal epicenter. If the department wants
to hire a consultant to help analyze that data in a new way,
then it can certainly do so. But, he argued, that goal doesn't
seem to justify the creation of a new department, which means a
new commissioner, plus staffing and facility costs related to
that new commissioner's office, a new finance and management
division to support the department, additional strain on the
state's existing generalized administrative services to support
the new department, and the creation of a new health analytics
unit. More importantly, all these new units, staff, and needs
cost money; money the state simply does not have right now.
11:10:05 AM
CHIEF SIMON recounted that for the past few years Alaska has
been in a crisis due to declining oil revenues and the
insufficiency of other revenue sources to support basic state
services. Year after year [Alaskans] have suffered mass budget
cuts including large-scale cuts championed by this
administration and have been told that people need to accept
reductions in services as a reality given the state's fiscal
situation. Yet, he continued, in the midst of this financial
environment the administration seeks to separate the department,
create parallel and duplicate administrative structures, add a
new unit, and a new commissioner's office. This does not make
sense and will lead to larger cuts in services down the road.
CHIEF SIMON stated that TCC seeks to work with the commissioner
to ensure that any reorganization of DHSS benefits Alaskans. He
related that the frequently asked questions document also claims
that the proposed reorganization will amount to minimal
additional cost. All the units already exist, he pointed out,
but not existing are the new commissioner's office, the new
financial and management division, and the new health analytics
unit. These costs will be more than minimal, he contended.
CHIEF SIMON further related that the frequently asked questions
document states that the entire goal of the proposed
reorganization is to provide services to Alaskans better and
more efficiently. He questioned how creating a duplicate
department is efficient, and further questioned how this would
lead to better services if funds were averted from actual
services to administration. The administration, he continued,
says its proposed reorganization is meant to improve services,
but it does not explain how. It separates programs and
facilities from divisions that provide the services and
resources to support these programs.
11:12:46 AM
CHIEF SIMON pointed out that while the press releases focus on
efficiency, one could not help but notice that the programs in
the new Department of Family and Community Service are those the
administration has tried to privatize or place on the chopping
block in the past. He said it is time for the State of Alaska
to provide these programs with the support they need, stabilize
their leadership and operations, and stop trying to pass
responsibility on to someone else or expecting a private
operator to do better.
CHIEF SIMON concluded by stating that Tanana Chiefs Conference
does not support the proposed reorganization and believes it
would lead to worse outcomes than the status quo. He said
Tanana Chiefs Conference is happy to collaborate with the state
on ways to actually improve outcomes, increase efficiency, and
strengthen service delivery, and hopes that TCC and other tribes
around the state are adequately consulted before future similar
proposals are announced.
11:14:33 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR shared that she too noticed the split
includes items that have previously been on the chopping block
or considered for privatization. She suggested that this is
something the committee needs to keep in mind as it explores the
philosophy behind this proposal.
CHIEF SIMON thanked Representative Tarr. He expressed his
concern that with the current status quo of the pandemic, TCC
doesn't want [the proposed division] to happen in the Office of
Children's Services. As a First Chief of a tribe, he said he
knows full well the tribal courts, the meetings with families,
and separating families, and that's tough enough already. The
proposed division, he added, only complicates a complicated
service trying to deliver a high level of service in a remote
location in a nonstandard fashion.
11:16:17 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY recalled Chief Simon talking about the importance
of meaningful consultation, particularly as a tribal agency
provider that works in tandem with the State of Alaska and
complements much of its work. She asked him to talk about the
experience that TCC had in consultation, discussion, and
deliberation with the department and the governor in the lead-up
to this particular announcement about the proposal.
CHIEF SIMON replied, "None." He added that in years past in
dealing with OCS and taking children, boys and girls, from
homes, there were meetings with the director of OCS. He related
that on behalf of the tribes he always thanked the director for
her time because OCS is such a difficult department to run,
given it takes kids from family, all they know, and puts them
somewhere else. It is a tough go all the way around, he said,
and this proposed split would make it even harder.
11:18:06 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY invited the next witness to testify.
11:18:29 AM
TAMMY SANDOVAL, stated that according to OCS data, the number of
children in care this month is 3,057, and 1,988 of those
children are Alaska Native. She said she is before the
committee as an expert in child welfare, having begun her career
on the frontlines 37 years ago. She noted that she has a
Master's of Social Work, has worked in child welfare in three
states, has consulted and trained in several states, and served
as the OCS director from 2005 to 2010. Since then she has been
the director of the Child Welfare Academy, the agency within UAA
that trains all the new OCS workers, social service associates,
and supervisors, as well as stakeholders statewide.
MS. SANDOVAL explained she has taken time off this morning to
provide this testimony. The opinions she is providing are her
own, she emphasized, and she is not testifying as an employee of
UAA nor the Child Welfare Academy.
MS. SANDOVAL stated that like many others outside of the state
system, she was shocked to learn that DHSS was planning to split
OCS into two divisions. While she tends to be someone who loves
the idea of innovation, all she could think about was how the
split would affect children, youth, and families, as well as the
workers who serve those families. She has given this a great
deal of thought, she said, and she cannot see a way to make it
work for those most affected families and frontline workers.
11:20:28 AM
MS. SANDOVAL advised that a family having to negotiate one
system is nearly impossible as it is, and there would be no
chance if there were two divisions. She explained that the
child welfare system isn't just OCS. It's court parties and
service providers, and with 65 percent of the children in state
custody being Alaska Native it's tribal agencies as well. A
family in crisis having to figure out who does what in two
divisions instead of one would be debilitating, she stated.
MS. SANDOVAL contended that the worst thing about this proposal
is that it came out without stakeholder input, seemingly like it
was a done deal. She offered her belief that, if asked, parents
and youth would have had plenty to say about how best to design
a system to better prevent the need for intervention, serve them
when they do, and create efficiencies in the process. She asked
whether there was any consumer input, because in her vast career
she has never heard of a state splitting itself such as what is
being proposed. She related that in an online search she only
found one state that has tried it in the past, and in 2001 the
Nevada State Legislature concluded that Nevada's bifurcated
system was not conducive to promoting positive outcomes for
children and families.
MS. SANDOVAL said she agrees with wanting families to be served
in a respectful, efficient way by caring OCS staff. However,
she argued, splitting the system would only contribute to the
chaos and the hoops to jump through. She urged that instead the
real issue be dealt with, and stated that the most pervasive
reasons "OCS doesn't work" are not enough resources to prevent
the need for child welfare to begin with, inequities among
disadvantaged people, and the lack of a workforce in Alaska to
provide necessary services to those who need it.
MS. SANDOVAL related that in her experience, reorganization
almost never works to fix the real issues. Bifurcation is just
smoke and mirrors, she charged. Not enough child maltreatment
prevention effort, lack of workforce, and racial inequities will
still be the elephant sitting in the middle of the state left
unaddressed. She stated that for the sake of those things that
are going well now in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, she
sincerely hopes that this doesn't happen.
11:23:12 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY invited the next witness to testify.
11:23:47 AM
JAKE METCALFE, Executive Director, Alaska State Employees
Association (ASEA) Local 52, noted that at 8,000 members ASEA is
one of the largest public employee unions and represents both
state and municipal employees in Alaska. He said DHSS employees
make up the largest number of ASEA members. He pointed out that
public employees deliver essential public services 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Further, he continued,
public service is more than a job - it's a passion, a calling,
and a commitment to serving Alaska and Alaska communities.
MR. METCALFE related that ASEA reached out to its members about
any concerns they might have regarding the governor's proposal.
Like others, ASEA doesn't have a lot of clarity about this
proposal or how it will impact the dedicated public workers in
this department. He said ASEA agrees with the other witnesses
that there was no consultation or bringing together of folks to
ask their opinions before this happened; ASEA was told about
this after it happened.
MR. METCALFE said ASEA is disappointed that the administration
chose not to come before the committee today. He made it clear
that ASEA supports any efforts to improve services and
efficiency so long as the changes abide by the contract called
the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and so long as those
changes are not at the expense of working people or, most
importantly, to the detriment of Alaska's children, men, and
women who need these essential public services. These changes
must also not come at the detriment of Alaska, he added.
11:26:44 AM
MR. METCALFE stated that ASEA and its members are concerned the
administration may be setting up this department for outsourcing
these essential services, in which case this work would leave
Alaska. It would undoubtedly impact the quality of services, he
argued, which are sensitive in nature and require local based
knowledge for the administration to service it.
MR. METCALFE provided the background for why ASEA and its
members have this concern. He explained that ASEA members work
at the Alaska Psychiatric Institute (API), Alaska Pioneer Homes
across the state, and the Department of Health & Social Services
where employees are tracking the pandemic. Over the length of
this administration, ASEA has seen these services contracted
out. He said ASEA had to litigate to stop that from happening
at API. Alaska Pioneer Homes has seen its cafeteria workers
privatized and there is concern that the administration wants to
privatize more of the services the homes provide to seniors.
Most recently, ASEA has seen this administration outsource work
regarding the pandemic. The administration hasn't followed the
ASEA contract to do any of that, he pointed out, which is a
really serious concern because ASEA has an agreement, is a
business partner, with the State of Alaska. Outsourcing and
subcontracting can happen if the administration does what it is
supposed to under the contract and has a study, gets input, and
engages with its stakeholders, but the administration has never
chosen to do that. He stated that this is especially important
when there is a government-to-government relationship for health
and social services and children's services. That is no longer
had when those services go to a multi-national corporation
located outside of Alaska. When this work is outsourced, he
continued, the people running those services do not have the
needed local knowledge. It is extremely important to know the
local cultures of the state and the ways of doing things,
especially with this kind of family work, which isn't had with
outsourcing.
MR. METCALFE pointed out that in addition to the outsourcing
problems, the work is going to private companies that don't
provide benefits. In an economy like Alaska's, jobs need to
stay in the state and provide benefits, so people aren't going
on public assistance and have healthcare, especially during a
pandemic. There is no control over that when work is
outsourced, he continued, and in most cases the benefits of
public employees do not follow along. This issue has popped up
with tele-work because tele-work opens it up for outsourcing and
having people provide services who don't live in Alaska. He
said ASEA is concerned about that and thinks the state needs to
police what work is being done by tele-work and what work is
being outsourced because it has significant impact on policies
and ability to provide services.
11:31:29 AM
MR. METCALFE referenced the articles he submitted to the record
about the state of Texas, which tried to outsource children's
services work. He urged committee members to read the articles
and see what happens when a state tries to outsource its work,
which usually doesn't end well, if ever. The motivation of
public services, he opined, should be serving the public and
serving the public in a way to have a healthy and whole society.
Public work should never be driven by profit, especially when
the persons receiving those services are the most vulnerable
citizens like seniors, children, and Alaskans struggling with
behavioral and mental health conditions.
MR. METCALFE expressed ASEA's concerns about the logistics. He
said a specific question that needs to be discussed is how the
proposed split will impact OCS eligibility technicians. These
employees deal with Medicaid and community services, including
legal, custody, and child placement issues. He said another
concern relates to OCS and coordinating with tribal governments
and tribal state compact agreements. He reported that ASEA
staff and union members are concerned about how this will work
since there wasn't any notice, consulting, or engaging with
stakeholders, which needs to happen for this to work right. He
said he's sorry the administration didn't choose to come talk
about this today because part of what makes government work is
when the different branches of government are talking to each
other and to the public. That needs to happen for this to work,
he continued, and it hasn't happened, and it seems to be a done
deal. It isn't in the best interest of the State of Alaska when
it doesn't engage its stakeholders and business partners.
11:34:46 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR said she recalls the API lawsuit. She asked
whether there are any currently active lawsuits related to these
labor disputes or questionable proposals.
MR. METCALFE replied that ASEA has finished some of the API
related litigation, but part of the case is still in the court
system. He reported that Wellpath, the private contractor that
came into API, has ended, and that ASEA is continuing to watch
what API is going to do as far as management. There has been a
good organization set up within API that is looking at how it is
going to be managed and ASEA continues to try to actively
participate in that group. He said there is other litigation
involving the state and ASEA. He stated that ASEA follows the
outsourcing of work and has one ongoing issue with DHSS over
outsourcing COVID related work, which is not in court but is
within the dispute resolution process of the contract. It must
be ensured that the contract is followed, he explained, and ASEA
would rather sit down with the state and try to work these
issues out ahead of time than to find out about them after the
fact because that causes all kinds of costs and resource use and
delays processes.
MR. METCALFE continued his answer. He related that ASEA has
reached out from the beginning of this administration and said
that ASEA wants to consult and engage with the state beforehand
on any questions or ideas to ensure any change or management
decision is going to be done right under the ASEA contract. He
said ASEA knows management has the right to do a lot of decision
making, but that it works better when management consults with
ASEA ahead of time. It's no different than the tribal
governments; ASEA is a stakeholder and a business partner, and
there will be fewer problems if the state works with ASEA rather
than informing ASEA after the fact.
MR. METCALFE specified that ASEA wants the state to operate well
and for people to have good jobs and good benefits and ASEA will
do everything it can to work with the state to make sure that
that happens. He said ASEA doesn't want to get involved with
litigation or the dispute resolution process because that's not
healthy or good for the services that ASEA provides or for the
State of Alaska. The goal of ASEA is to communicate, consult,
and engage with its business partner, the State of Alaska, as
much as possible. He urged that the State of Alaska engage in
that kind of process with ASEA and all other stakeholders.
11:39:32 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY noted that what hasn't been discussed today is
the impact of splitting health and social services apart. She
requested Chief Simon, Ms. Metivier, Ms. Sandoval, and President
Peterson to speak to integration of the current system within
Alaska, and how spitting health from family and community
services and putting them into two separate entities would be
cumbersome for individuals.
CHIEF SIMON replied that TCC already has a difficult job of
providing services for its children. Whether someone makes a
great decision or a terrible decision, TCC provides the services
to take care of these kids. He said he is a firm believer in
being upstream or proactive of the problem. For example, mental
health issues can lead to an individual being traumatized for
the rest of their life. Being downstream of mental health
issues leads to sending people away from their villages to the
Alaska Psychiatric Institute, which he understands is no longer
open. He urged the State of Alaska to consider locating an API
in Fairbanks, given that 8,000 of the Athabascan Nation's 20,000
people live in Fairbanks and some of them need these services.
This would help the situation tremendously, he added, and would
serve the existing need of Native people for these services.
11:43:55 AM
MS. METIVIER responded that the larger implications of splitting
DHSS fall around the questions of evidence based and the how and
why this could work. She stated that public systems, when they
work together, tend to be better in terms of serving families.
She posed an example of a child in the custody of children's
services who is placed in a therapeutic foster home with another
agency that works in and bills Medicaid. That child would then
be under the guise of two separate departments because Medicaid
would fall on one side and OCS would fall on the other. In the
same way that bifurcation of OCS would create complications for
families in terms of communicating with public agencies, she
continued, the same would happen at a larger scale with the
split of the two departments. Even now, she pointed out, all
the divisions within DHSS don't always communicate well with
each other but they communicate enough so that families can
still navigate and get through things.
MS. METIVIER further responded that when young people age out of
the system and leave foster care, they are eligible under the
Affordable Care Act for Medicaid until age 26. One of the
challenges for youth, she explained, is this gap between when
they leave foster care and apply for public assistance for
themselves. Right now, there is a system in place for OCS to
communicate directly to Public Assistance. She said it is
unknown whether [in the proposal] these on-the-ground details
within the department would change, but she thinks it would
further separate the resources and supports for families. There
should be a move toward more communication, she opined, and
being able to do early intervention and identifying families
early. For example, an effort to identify families early that
are on public assistance because those are the families that may
eventually come on the radar of child protection. So, she
continued, it makes sense to have them all within one
department, but the information and details are missing as to
what this proposal looks like.
11:46:55 AM
MS. SANDOVAL offered her agreement with Ms. Metivier. She
related that when she was in DHSS a lot of work was done on
confidentiality and sharing of information between divisions.
She said there was an opportunity to talk with other divisions
about families that were shared in common. She expressed her
worry that this would become even more difficult if there were
two departments. She concurred that DHSS is huge but said that
being underneath one roof creates some relationships that might
not otherwise be there.
MS. SANDOVAL stated that it is important to understand why this
is being proposed and how the decision was made with regard to
division, because there are synergies now that may not happen if
the department is split into two. She reiterated that she
worries about reorganization in general, especially now during
the pandemic. In her experience, she continued, reorganization
is really messy and currently it's already a really messy time
in the country. She said she questions the timing, information,
and lack of transparency in the decisions that are being made.
11:48:46 AM
MR. PETERSON pointed out that resources are already limited and
difficult to access for children and families. The partnerships
with Public Health and Behavioral Health are depended upon, not
only to identify at-risk families but also to find a way to get
people the help they need.
11:49:17 AM
CHAIR ZULKOSKY said she knows from her experience in health care
that many healthcare systems are moving into integrated models
of care, wrapping services around patients. She stated she
hears from today's testimony the concern around disenfranchising
Alaskans from essential critical services that many of the
witnesses advocate for and provide in their communities. She
thanked the witnesses for their work and their time before the
committee and added that the committee will invite the
department to speak when another time presents itself.
11:50:08 AM
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Health and Social Services Standing Committee meeting was
adjourned at 11:50 a.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Casey AK H&SS Comte FINAL presentation for 1-13-21.pdf |
HHSS 1/13/2021 10:00:00 AM |
House HSS 1/13/21 |
| Updated Ltr to TSCG 1.6.2021.pdf |
HHSS 1/13/2021 10:00:00 AM |
House HSS 1/13/21 |
| OCS Proposed Restructure Testimony Jan 14 2021.pdf |
HHSS 1/13/2021 10:00:00 AM |