Legislature(2023 - 2024)DAVIS 106
02/14/2023 03:30 PM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Alaska Citizens Review Panel 2021-2022 Annual Report | |
| Presentation: Response from the Department of Family and Community Services, Office of Children's Services | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
JOINT MEETING
SENATE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
HOUSE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
February 14, 2023
3:31 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
SENATE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
Senator David Wilson, Chair
Senator Löki Tobin
Senator Forrest Dunbar
HOUSE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
Representative Mike Prax, Chair
Representative Justin Ruffridge, Vice Chair
Representative CJ McCormick
Representative Dan Saddler
Representative Jesse Sumner
Representative Zack Fields
Representative Genevieve Mina
MEMBERS ABSENT
SENATE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
Senator James Kaufman, Vice Chair
Senator Cathy Giessel
HOUSE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES STANDING COMMITTEE
All Members present
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
PRESENTATION: ALASKA'S CITIZENS REVIEW PANEL REPORT
- HEARD
PRESENTATION: RESPONSE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND
COMMUNITY SERVICES OFFICE OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES
- HEARD
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action to record
WITNESS REGISTER
CAMERON ADAMS, Chair
Alaska Citizen Review Panel
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented the 2021-2022 Alaska Citizen
Review Panel annual report.
KIM GUAY, Director
Office of Children's Services
Department of Family and Community Services (DFCS)
Anchorage, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Presented a response to the 2021-2022 Alaska
Citizens Review Panel annual report.
ACTION NARRATIVE
3:31:54 PM
CHAIR MIKE PRAX called the joint meeting of the Senate and House
Health and Social Services Standing Committees to order at 3:31
p.m. Present at the call to order were Senators Tobin, Wilson,
and Dunbar. Present from the house were Representatives
Ruffridge, McCormick, Saddler, Sumner, Fields, Mina and Chair
Prax.
^ALASKA CITIZENS REVIEW PANEL 2021-2022 ANNUAL REPORT
ALASKA CITIZENS REVIEW PANEL 2021-2022 ANNUAL REPORT
3:34:03 PM
CHAIR PRAX announced the consideration of the Alaska Citizen
Review Panel 2P21-2022 Annual Report.
3:34:29 PM
CAMERON ADAMS, Chair, Alaska Citizen Review Panel Anchorage,
Alaska, said she is a licensed clinical social worker at Denali
Family Services and has served on the Citizen Review Panel since
2017. She stated her presentation would cover the following
points:
[Original Punctuation Provided.]
• Purpose & Mandates
• CRP Structure
• Primary Functions
• What the CRP does NOT do
• CRP 2020-2025 Long Range Plan
• Annual Activities
• Retention Project
• Next Steps
3:35:36 PM
MS. ADAMS said states created citizen review panels (CRPs) as
part of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA).
CRPs facilitate robust and meaningful participation by citizens
to promote a healthy and collaborative child protection system.
3:36:01 PM
MS. ADAMS turned to slide 4 and spoke to the mandates governing
CRP:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Federal Mandate (42 U.S.C. 5106a.(c)):
• Examine the policies, procedures, and practices of
state and local child protection agencies and evaluate
the extent to which these agencies are effectively
discharging their child protection responsibilities.
• Conduct public outreach both to assess the impact of
current policies and procedures, and to solicit public
comment on the panel's recommendations.
State Mandate (AS 47.14.205):
• The state panel shall evaluate the extent to which the
department is effectively carrying out its child
protection responsibilities under (1) the state plan
submitted to the United States Department of Health
and Human Services under 42 U.S.C. 5106a(b);(2) child
protection standards under federal and state laws; and
(3) any other criteria that the panel considers
important to ensuring the protection of
children.
3:36:44 PM
MS. ADAMS moved to slide 5 and spoke to the following points
regarding the structure of the CRP:
[Original punctuation provided.]
• The Alaska Citizen Review Panel was formed in 2002.
• Per Alaska State Regulation (7 AAC 58), the CRP seats
between 5 and 9 members.
• Membership on the Panel is voluntary and is expected
to reflect the diversity of the state.
• OCS created a Coordinator contract in 2006 to assist
the Panel with coordination and administrative
functions.
3:37:14 PM
MS. ADAMS turned to slide 6 and 7. She stated the three primary
functions of the CRP and what it does not do:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Primary Functions of the CRP
Evaluation
The Panel will evaluate OCS compliance with federal
and state laws, examining policies and procedures for
consistent statewide implementation while still being
responsive to the diversity of needs across the state.
Public Outreach
The Panel will identify and implement means to gather
feedback on procedures and practices in delivering
child protection services in Alaska.
Advocacy
The Panel will conduct appropriate actions that will
help improve the child protection services system in
Alaska.
What the CRP does NOT do
The CRP does not intervene in individual cases.
The CRP does not have authority over OCS.
The CRP does not lobby.
3:38:23 PM
MS. ADAMS said that in 2019 CRP created a long-term plan to
address fluctuation in membership. It established a list of
enduring priorities that guide the development of its annual
work plan. The enduring priorities are reciprocal engagement,
public outreach, collaborative relationship with OCS, CRP
education and development, and a healthy child protective
services (CPS) system. Individuals can find the work plan on the
CRP website.
3:39:06 PM
MS. ADAMS said CRP has annual activities. She noted that members
identified priorities and developed a work plan at the retreat.
Leaders from OCS were in attendance. CRP also visits regional
sites and holds round tables. The information gathered is put
into the annual report. Other CRP activities are quarterly
meetings, monthly collaborative meetings with OCS, a legislative
hearing, and attendance at a national conference.
3:41:21 PM
MS. ADAMS said that in 2021 OCS's most significant challenge was
turnover. The turnover rate of frontline staff was 60 percent.
CRP worked to understand the root causes of turnover by looking
at the current retention-related research. CRP hosted round
table discussions in each region to hear from workers directly.
CRP let the lived experiences of the frontline workers inform
their recommendations to OCS.
3:42:33 PM
MS. ADAMS moved to slide 11 and discussed the round table
findings. She noted that round table participants were self-
selected; while this makes broad generalizations difficult, it
should not distract from the experiences of the employees
interviewed. The following were the findings:
[Original punctuation provided.}
• 27 frontline workers, 5 round table discussions, 1 in
each region of Alaska
• Lack of transparency during hiring process
• Organizational culture at OCS described as one that
encourages people to overwork themselves
• Most unaware of wellness tools offered by OCS or the
wellness tools offered are inaccessible or ineffective
• Participants did not feel valued by OCS
• Unreliable technology leads to inefficiencies,
increased workload, and decreased wellness
• Lack of support or mistreatment from management
results in workers leaving
3:44:30 PM
MS. ADAMS turned to slide 12, Broad Overview of Recommendations
2021-2022 CRP Round Table Discussions with Frontline Workers.
She mentioned the following recommendations are particularly
important:
• Prioritization of workers physical and psychological safety
• Improved access to mental health treatment
• Developing a culture of transparency and a formal wellness
plan
• Change in compensation structure for overtime, travel, and
on-call duties
• Training should be reflective of the people served.
• Update the annual review process to reflect the challenges
workers face in achieving federally mandated timelines for
essential services in Alaska
• Improvement to the hardware and software
• Create a centralized electronic record
• Reevaluate recruitment efforts
MS. ADAMS acknowledged that OCS leadership recognizes the issues
but struggles to make changes due to policies outside of OCS's
control.
3:46:01 PM
MS. ADAMS said OCS responded to CRP's recommendations. From
their response, the panel could tell that the OCS leadership
team cares about the organization, workers, and families and
improving the system. However, their efforts are not always felt
and seen by the staff. The intent and effort are there but could
be more effective. Follow-up discussions with workers,
supervisors, and managers made it clear that leadership needs to
do more about culture, wellness, benefits, and training.
3:46:30 PM
MS. ADAMS moved to slide 13 and said employees complained that
groups come in to evaluate OCS but do not share findings, and
they do not see any results. To correct this, CRP shared reports
with employees and invited all 2021 - 2022 round table workers
to participate in a follow-up discussion in 2022 - 2023. Eight
frontline workers participated. CRP's preliminary findings
indicated little improvement. The discussion revealed the
following:
• Workers continue to report not feeling valued.
• Wellness time is not given, or is worker driven and
often worker funded.
• Vacancies force workers to work outside their scope
and training.
• Employee access to mental health services is greatly
needed due to the nature of the work.
• Discrepancies in reporting exist around how critical
incident debriefings are handled.
• Employees perceived a lack of follow through on
promised changes such as the PSS III position,
bonuses, a mental health clinician, and on-call
changes.
3:48:41 PM
CHAIR PRAX asked for a definition of PSS.
MS. ADAMS said a PSS is a Protective Services Specialist.
3:49:04 PM
MS. ADAMS turned to slide 14 and stated three management
meetings divided by job titles were held with regional managers,
staff managers, and rural and urban supervisors. She said the
annual report would contain the key differences between the
positions and locations. She spoke to the following issues in
general terms:
• Lack of staff was reported as their biggest challenge.
• HR delays prevent them from hiring qualified
applicants.
• Managers and supervisors need to be considered when
thinking about worker wellness and retention.
• Unreliable technology and a lack of resources add to
an already heavy workload.
• Participants feel like decisions are made without
input from the people they impact.
3:54:50 PM
MS. ADAMS turned to slide 15 and said the opportunities for
leadership improvement were preliminary. she spoke to the
following points:
[Original punctuation provided.]
• Improve HR at the state level to prevent OCS from
losing qualified applicants
• Improve technology at OCS
• Prioritize safety in rural Alaska
• Address travel barriers in rural Alaska in order to
achieve federally mandated timelines for essential
services
• Prioritize and protect worker wellness
3:56:56 PM
MS. ADAMS moved to slide 16 and stated CRP is working on future
opportunities for collaboration with other agencies, such as the
Children's Justice Act Taskforce and Facing Foster Care Alaska.
Also, the governor's Parent and Foster Parent Collaborative
Council has a caseworker support subcommittee on retention. She
said there is a lot of shared attention to addressing the issues
OCS is facing. Child welfare workforce and retention issues do
not belong only to OCS. It is a statewide, multi-system issue
that requires collaboration at all levels. CRP is looking
forward to collaboration opportunities that support the well-
being of Alaska's children and families.
3:58:12 PM
SENATOR TOBIN asked Ms. Adams to expound on human resource (HR)
delays.
3:58:24 PM
MS. ADAMS said HR would recruit, interview, and issue approval
for hires only to have applicants obtain other employment before
background checks were completed.
3:58:55 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE said the federal mandate on slide 4 is
about protecting children. He opined that the CRP report focused
on OCS workers, not children. He asked Ms. Adams if she could
address how effectively the department protects children.
4:00:16 PM
MS. ADAMS replied that an enduring priority of CRP is a healthy
child protection system (CPS). CRP realized that OCS could not
achieve a healthy protection system for children when turnover
was at 60 percent.
4:01:09 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE asked Ms. Adams if she could rate how
well Alaska's children are protected.
MS. ADAMS replied Alaska is a unique state, and providing all
areas with services can be difficult. There are a lot of things
preventing Alaska from doing a better job protecting its
children.
4:02:02 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE asked Ms. Adams if the workforce is the
only barrier to providing better-than-okay services to Alaska's
children.
4:02:12 PM
MS. ADAMS answered no.
4:02:25 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MINA asked Ms. Adams to discuss OCS's lack of
follow-through regarding bonuses, the PSS positions, and mental
health clinicians.
4:02:46 PM
MS. ADAMS replied the changes appeared to have been mentioned
too soon by management as there were delays in implementation.
This in turn led to employee frustration.
4:03:54 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS stated that the issues and problems CRP
has pointed out are in the legislature's wheelhouse to correct.
4:04:21 PM
SENATOR DUNBAR asked if the 60 percent turnover rate in 2021 has
decreased.
4:04:47 PM
MS. ADAMS replied the turnover rate reported by OCS was 55
percent, which is not very significant. She stated that children
who develop relationships with social workers usually do better
because they do not have to repeat their history.
4:05:57 PM
SENATOR DUNBAR asked how Alaska's turnover rate compares to
other states.
MS. ADAMS opined that Alaska's turnover is dramatic, although
all states are experiencing turnover in child protective
services and mental health.
4:07:45 PM
At ease.
^PRESENTATION: RESPONSE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND
COMMUNITY SERVICES, OFFICE OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES
PRESENTATION: RESPONSE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND
COMMUNITY SERVICES, OFFICE OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES
4:08:26 PM
CHAIR PRAX reconvened the meeting and announced the
consideration of the presentation Response from the Department
of Family and community services, Office of children's Services.
4:08:38 PM
KIM GUAY, Director, Office of Children's Services, Department of
Family and Community Services (DFCS), Anchorage, Alaska, said
she would present a response to the Alaska Citizens Review Panel
Report on behalf of the Department of Family and Community
Services. She said the department's year-end turnover rate was
56 percent for protection service specialists I and II. In 2019
the turnover rate was 43 percent, which is also high. OCS has
partnered with other agencies to discover ways to improve. The
National Child Welfare Workforce Institute estimates that each
worker leaving the agency costs $54,000. This amount is because
training and onboarding are extensive. OCS has 615 position
control numbers (PCNs), with 500 filled positions. The
department does an annual survey to learn from staff ways to
improve. It also does exit surveys and learns from the
interviews done by CRP. She said the outcomes for children and
families would be better with stable personnel. OCS's two
priorities are recruitment and retention and delivering
essential services.
4:12:19 PM
MS. GUAY turned to slide 3 and said OCS updated its workforce
development plan and aligned it with the U.S. Surgeon General's
Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Wellness, published in
2022. She said resolving retention is a multifaceted problem.
The framework focuses on five essential areas: protection from
harm, opportunity growth, mattering at work, work-life harmony,
and connection and community.
4:14:27 PM
MS. GUAY moved to slide 4 and discussed three areas of the
retention plan:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Protection from Harm
• Safety and security Office
• Wellness and Resiliency Officer
• Incident Desktop Reporting
• Creating a generative safety culture
Connection and Community
• Employee Engagement Sessions
• Court Improvement Project
• Facilitating Attuned Interactions (FAN)
• Frontline
• Social Media
Work-Life Harmony
• Lateral transfers
• Flexible work schedules
• Week-on / week off LOA Positions
• Long-term Non-Perm supervisors
• On-call workgroup
4:18:39 PM
MS. GUAY moved to slide 5 and discussed the remaining two
components of the framework:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Opportunity for Growth
• Expansion of Protective Services Specialist 3
positions
• UAA partnership - Certificate in Child Welfare
• Practicum Coordinator
• Training opportunities
Mattering at Work
• Sharp incentive contracts
• Supervisor/Manager fieldwork challenge
• Staff Advisory Board
• Supervisory Leadership Council
• Retention incentives for field staff
4:22:20 PM
MS. GUAY advanced to slide 6 and stated that as the director of
OCS, she has influence over some areas but no control over
compensation and benefits as follows:
Compensation and Benefits
(Collective Bargaining Agreement)
Salary Schedules
Merit Anniversary Date
Overtime
Hours-of-work
On-call Pay
Moving Expenses
Flexible Time Plan framework
Leave Accrual
Shift Differential
(Agency has flexibility)
Initial and Ongoing Training
Work Schedules
On-call structure
Position Classification submissions
Educational Supports
Supervisory support and employee evaluations
MS. GUAY stated the department has been working hard to build up
the areas it controls, such as professional development and
employee training. She spoke to several of the projects in
progress:
Professional Development
Certificate in Child Welfare
Protective Services Specialist 1/2/3 job series
Internship Placements
Monthly Supervisor and Mentor Development meetings
Employee Training
University of Alaska - Child Welfare Academy
Partnership
• Protective Services Specialist Initial Training
(SKILS 161, 162, and 163)
• Social Service Associate Initial Training
• Child First Alaska - Forensic Interviewing
• ICWA I /II
• Supervisor Training
• Strengthening Families
Department of Administration
• AspireAlaska
• Supervisor Academy
Office of Children's Services
• Regional and Statewide ICWA Training
• Employee Safety Training
• Permanency
• Medical/Mental Health Unit Training
• Mentorship Program
4:24:13 PM
MS. GUAY moved to slide 7 and discussed workflow, support, and
technology. She said OCS has outdated technology. An outside
contractor estimated it would take 5 - 7 years to update the
system. The federal government will reimburse 50 percent of the
build-out costs. She said Online Resources for the Children of
Alaska (ORCA) is the case management system for OCS. She stated
that while she can try to influence technological changes, she
does not have authority in that area.
4:25:37 PM
MS. GUAY turned to slide 8, and stated OCS has also focused on
recruitment. In the last six months OCS has seen an increase in
the number of people entering the division without degrees. In
2022 there were 15 staff without degrees, in 2023 there are 30.
The division is competency-based and tailors its training
accordingly, which is why OCS has formed partnerships with the
University of Alaska and others. She noted methods utilized for
recruitment include:
• Targeted recruitment through UAA
• Expanded social media presence
• Realistic Job Preview Videos
• Employee Referral Program
• Social Work Internships
4:27:13 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked if there is a way for non-college
applicants to attain a degree in social work while working full-
or part-time for OCS.
4:27:39 PM
MS. GUAY replied OCS is in the process of paying for staff to
receive an occupational endorsement in child welfare. OCS also
does six weeks of training at the Child Welfare Academy and is
working with UAA to have that training credited towards a degree
program.
4:28:26 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked if employees would receive a pay
increase for obtaining a certificate in social work through a
union letter of agreement (ULA).
4:28:38 PM
MS. GUAY answered no. Level of education does not influence pay
if an employee is a PSS I, II, or IV.
4:28:50 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS opined that the department could increase
pay for employees who complete certifications and said it is
done at the Alaska Pioneer Homes.
MS. GUAY replied that OCS had not explored it.
4:29:09 PM
SENATOR WILSON stated House Bill 151 provided millions of
dollars for retention and recruitment efforts. However, five
years later, that spending resulted in an additional 13 percent
loss in retention and recruitment. He asked how OCS can create a
culture shift that does away with the employees' ideas that have
been with the division for 30 - 40 years and lasted through four
administrations.
4:30:37 PM
MS. GUAY replied no employee has worked at OCS for 30 - 40
years. Creating change in recruitment and retention requires
multiple strategies, not just money or more positions. The
department wants to hire people that want to work with families
and make an impact. It is a difficult job, and salaries must be
commensurate with the work performed. A starting worker makes
$25 per hour, but their work requires overtime and tough
decisions, such as terminating parental rights. OCS is looking
at what needs to change internally to create improvements. She
likened OCS to creating a recipe and adjusting the ingredients
to make it the best formula possible.
4:32:51 PM
SENATOR DUNBAR stated that the survey data from the CRP
presentation mentioned vacancies and on-call problems. He opined
that one way to reduce on-call duties is to have a larger staff.
He asked Ms. Guay whether she had asked for more PCNs to address
turnover issues.
4:33:34 PM
MS. GUAY replied that overstaffing could provide a buffer when
vacancies occur; however, OCS cannot find people to hire. There
are positions available, but not enough applicants to fill them.
The legislature approved several administrative positions last
year. OCS is trying to create efficiency by taking duties from
fieldworkers that can be centralized and transfer them to
administrators. She said an example would be the foster parent
hotline. Foster parents express frustration at not having calls
returned promptly. The delay occurs because frontline workers
are in the field. She opined that OCS cannot resolve its
problems by adding more positions because it cannot fill the
positions it has. She stated she canceled this month's training
because only one person was hired.
4:34:51 PM
SENATOR TOBIN stated that she is also interested in hearing more
about what the department is doing to normalize mental health.
She asked what tools OCS plans to implement soon that
demonstrate supervisory support and employee evaluations.
4:35:51 PM
MS. GUAY replied that one strategy OCS is implementing is
facilitated attunement. It will help leaders deal with emotional
intelligence. The state is also embarking on a new evaluation
system, which includes reciprocal conversations with staff. The
department has been looking for a company to provide 360
assessments.
4:37:11 PM
SENATOR TOBIN asked if OCS staff are part of the collective
bargaining agreement.
4:37:19 PM
MS. GUAY responded yes; they are part of the union.
4:37:24 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MINA said she appreciated the response to CRP's
feedback, but she was saddened by OCS staff expressing
disappointment concerning promised benefits. She said she would
like to hear more about overtime pay for PSS positions and the
extra $30 payment for supervisors.
4:38:37 PM
MS. GUAY replied frontline staff do fieldwork, and supervisors
decide on courses of action and track the safe return of field
workers. Supervisors work a lot of on-call hours. The collective
bargaining unit decides a supervisor's salary.
4:39:27 PM
REPRESENTATIVE MINA asked about the difference between the hours
a fieldworker puts in versus a supervisor.
4:39:47 PM
MS. GUAY replied frontline workers receive more overtime than
supervisors. Supervisors are required to be on-call a week at a
time. Supervisors do not track their time because they receive
no extra pay.
4:40:30 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RUFFRIDGE said he knows people that have worked
for OCS. Many people work for OCS because they care about and
want to help children. He opined that many staff leave the
profession because they feel ineffective. He stated he would
like to hear about the issues made public, the department's
difficulties, and the statutes and requirements the state forces
staff to implement that put them in difficult situations. He
opined that counseling does not erase some experiences, so staff
members leave.
4:43:01 PM
MS. GUAY replied that is correct. People work for OCS because
they want to make a difference. They leave because they do not
feel like they can. The primary reason they cannot make a
difference is because workloads are too high. When an OCS
position becomes vacant, other staff assume the cases. Staff do
not feel effective when they move from crisis to crisis and have
no time to work with a family. She said OCS is heavily regulated
and has a lot of data that she is willing to share.
4:44:46 PM
SENATOR WILSON stated his understanding that the work at OCS is
taxing, and employees should be adequately compensated. He asked
Ms. Guay to speak to tribal compacts and whether OCS will use
compacting to address issues presented in various CRP reports.
4:45:31 PM
MS. GUAY said the Alaska Child Welfare Compact is in its sixth
year. One hundred seventy tribes are active in the compact. It
is a significant avenue for having tribes join OCS in addressing
child welfare. Tribes work on prevention and scopes of work,
which are pieces of the foster care system such as relative
searches, family contact, and safety walk-throughs. The compact
added a tribe this year. OCS needs to make and involve partners
to be successful.
4:47:07 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked what the aggregate cost is for
employee turnover at OCS if the turnover cost for one employee
is $54,000.
4:47:31 PM
MS. GUAY replied she would provide the committee with that
figure.
4:47:39 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked how much OCS pays employees and
whether the Department of Administration (DOA) is in the process
of reclassifying the positions.
4:47:50 PM
MS. GUAY responded that a starting PSS I is paid $25.50 per hour
without a geographic pay differential. The hiring of PSS I's has
increased since a degree is no longer required.
4:48:24 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked if DOA is reclassifying any
positions.
MS. GUAY replied OCS is expanding PSS IIIs, so it has been
working with DOA. A PSS III must have expert knowledge and
skill, or the work must be complex.
4:48:58 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked what the hourly wage is for a PSS
III.
MS. GUAY said she would provide the committee with the amount.
4:49:04 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked about the cost of replacing the ORCA
system and the best time to begin upgrading.
MS. GUAY replied the initial price is $50 million and the
federal government would reimburse 50 percent.
4:49:28 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if a PSS III position would earn
more than a supervisor or manager.
4:49:40 PM
MS. GUAY replied yes, and some OCS employees choose not to be
supervisors because it means taking a pay cut.
4:50:05 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if there is a cap on the number of
PSS III positions available to OCS.
4:50:14 PM
MS. GUAY responded that all rural Alaska was classified as
complex work. Therefore, all rural positions could be classified
as PSS I, II, or III. In urban Alaska, only some positions can
have expert knowledge. She added it is a complicated formula.
4:50:39 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked whether most supervisors advanced
internally or were hired from outside the agency.
4:50:57 PM
MS. GUAY replied most advance internally. However, a few PSS
IIIs have yet to accept promotion as it would result in a pay
decrease.
4:51:09 PM
SENATOR WILSON asked if OCS considers DOA's decentralization of
human resources beneficial and how soon DOA would return hiring
responsibilities to OCS.
4:51:48 PM
MS. GUAY replied that DOA would return recruitment
responsibilities to OCS on February 20th. She opined that
recruitment from within OCS will be beneficial.
4:52:22 PM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked philosophically what the one
preventative thing Alaska could do to reduce the number of
people needing OCS services.
4:52:38 PM
MS. GUAY replied it could foster communities coming together to
create belonging. People need connections so that problems are
solved before the state needs to be involved. A community can
mean organizations such as a person's tribe or church. She
opined that communities have been dissolving, especially during
the pandemic.
4:53:26 PM
CHAIR PRAX asked for clarification about the hiring of a
resiliency officer.
4:54:02 PM
MS. GUAY replied OCS had not hired a person for the position.
However, it has submitted an approval request. OCS will offer
the job to the applicant once approval is received.
4:54:15 PM
CHAIR PRAX asked if the applicant is waiting for a response from
OCS.
4:54:28 PM
MS. GUAY replied that is correct.
4:54:35 PM
CHAIR PRAX asked what the timeframe is for hiring.
4:54:43 PM
MS. GUAY said the legislature approved the resiliency officer
position last year. It took time to classify the position. DOA
posted the job in January, interviews took place two weeks ago,
and hiring approval is pending. She opined that a notice of
approval would likely happen in one to two weeks. The candidate
will then have to give notice to their employer. She stated it
takes approximately four to six weeks to offer a position once
posted.
4:55:37 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked where conversations occur when
discussing with parents the need to remove children from their
homes and what the safety concerns are for the caseworkers.
4:56:06 PM
MS. GUAY replied that law enforcement is usually present when a
caseworker believes they might need to remove a child from
parental custody. An Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) worker or a
community elder often accompany caseworkers if law enforcement
is unavailable.
4:56:32 PM
REPRESENTATIVE FIELDS asked if it is a requirement to have a
second person present.
4:56:41 PM
MS. GUAY answered caseworkers take a second person if they can.
Criminal background checks are run on family members before
going to their houses. She stated almost all the removals she
has done were with the participation of law enforcement.
4:57:02 PM
CHAIR PRAX asked about the rate of supervisory turnover.
4:57:36 PM
MS. GUAY replied that the supervisor retention rate is higher
than frontline workers primarily because of schedule
flexibility. She noted that many supervisors carry caseloads due
to the high turnover of staff. The absence of frontline workers
due to vacancies or leave of absence is especially burdensome
for supervisors in rural areas.
4:58:37 PM
CHAIR PRAX asked if two employees work with a child when the
weekly work schedule is one-on-one-off.
MS. GUAY answered that is generally the case. There are times,
such as court hearings and illness, when supervisors cover for
frontline workers that are off duty.
4:59:11 PM
CHAIR PRAX asked if OCS could create a timeline that would help
legislators see what implementations the department has tried
and how well they worked.
MS. GUAY responded that OCS could provide the committee with the
U.S. Surgeon General's Work Plan, which would be more detailed.
It is what OCS uses to track its progress and contains
information on why some employees have spent ten or more years
working for OCS.
5:00:59 PM
MS. GUAY thanked the committees for hearing the report.
CHAIR PRAX expressed appreciation for OCS's efforts and stated
more work was needed.
5:01:47 PM
There being no further business to come before the committees,
Chair Prax adjourned the Senate Education Standing Committee and
House Education Standing Committee meeting at 5:01 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022-Annual-Report .pdf |
HHSS 2/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
CRP |
| 2021-2022-CRP-Roundtable-Summary.pdf |
HHSS 2/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
CRP |
| 2022-2023-Alaska-CRP-Work-Plan.pdf |
HHSS 2/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
CRP |
| AlaskaCitizenReviewPanel-SHSS-HHSS-Presentation-2.14.23.pdf |
HHSS 2/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
CRP |
| OCS-CRP Response (HHSS-SHSS) 2-14-23.pdf |
HHSS 2/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
OCS |
| OCS Workforce Workplan USSG Framework 1-26-23.pdf |
HHSS 2/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
OCS |
| workplace-mental-health-well-being.pdf |
HHSS 2/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
OCS |
| Why_the_Workforce_Matters.pdf |
HHSS 2/14/2023 3:30:00 PM |
OCS |