 American Independence Day
This "Fourth of July" marked the 243rd anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which officially established the United States as an independent nation. In 1776, The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence while meeting in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Statehouse on July 4th. The Congress declared the American colonies free and independent states.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services appreciates all of the brave individuals who have dedicated their lives as servicepeople continuously protecting the United States!
 National Black Family Month
July is the month to celebrate black families. During this month, it is time to rededicate yourself to your family and celebrate your connection, heritage and commitment to one another. Families should look to implement progressive and positive changes, connect through old traditions, create new ones, and build through participating in activities that can be continued throughout the year.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services always tries our best to provide all the families with support in a positive way and helps ensure that Minnesota seniors, people with disabilities, children and others meet their basic needs and have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
The Community Supports Administration hosted two full-day trainings titled “Cultural and Linguistic Competence to Address Disparities and Inequities,” presented by a nationally recognized expert on June 24 and 25. Over the two days, 70 staff and leadership attended.
Maria Mercedes Avila led the trainings. Avila is an associate professor of pediatrics and director of the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Program at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine in Burlington, Vermont.
The first day included 40 employees from the Behavioral Health Division, and the second 30 employees from the administration. The trainings included large group discussion, videos, exercises and small group activities, including discussion of:
- Race, culture and systems of oppression
- Data and literature on mental health disparities and consequences
- Cultural and linguistic competence: definitions, principles and elements
- Organizational assessment introduction and description
- Language access planning required under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, and how DHS can be more inclusive of people, families and communities with limited English proficiency.
Avila emphasized the importance of changing as individuals, if DHS is to be successful at transforming the organization to include and expand services and supports that are culturally appropriate and relevant.
Avila has provided consultation on cultural and linguistic competency and has trained more than 4,500 providers across 12 states and 52 organizations. Since 2011, Avila has led 28 national presentations and more than 100 regional sessions on topics related to National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services Standards (CLAS), health disparities, social justice in health care, culturally responsive care and practice, and cultural competence in advocacy and leadership.
Sonya Smith, the Systems of Care cultural and linguistic competence lead, led the way to bring this training to Minnesota. The Community Supports Equity Committee, including co-chairs Stacy Wells and Amanda Calmbacher, sponsored the training.
Equity is first key initiative in the administration’s strategic plan, seeking to ensure that “Every person in a community has the opportunity to reach their full health potential and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances.”
|
Trauma is often passed down from grandparents to parents to children, negatively impacting a child’s healthy development and chances for success in life. But it only takes one generation to recognize that trauma and break the cycle. That was one of the main takeaways from the 11th Annual Community Empowerment through Black Men Healing Conference, which took place June 20 and 21 at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul.
The conference featured several breakout sessions and workshops, including some of specific interest to human services professionals. One session focused on the child protection system’s impact on family preservation, and another focused on the importance of successful co-parenting. Speakers and workshop leaders also discussed a need for social service agencies to be more flexible in how they address issues that arise out of cultural differences.
Common themes throughout the two days included seeking more mentors for black youth, eliminating the stigma of mental illness in the black community (as well as the need for more culturally appropriate mental health treatment options), and acknowledging and confronting historical and familial trauma.
“When trauma happens to one of us, it happens to all of us,” said Sam Simmons in his opening presentation. Simmons, who organizes the conference annually, is an alcohol and drug counselor and behavioral consultant at the nonprofit Healing Brothers that specializes in culturally sensitive, trauma-informed strategies for black boys and men.
DHS was one of several sponsors of the conference. Department employees, including more than a dozen staff members from the Children and Family Services, Child Support Division, attended the conference, and the Community Supports Behavioral Health Division had a table set up with resources related to addiction recovery.
 |
DHS Diversity Recruitment Team members participated in the Career Day event as panelists to share their career path for high-school and college students at the Saint Paul College on Tuesday, July 23.
As a diversity and inclusion recruitment specialist, Samantha Leuang talked about what brought her to DHS as she explained her career path from her bachelor's degree at University of Northwestern - St. Paul.
Nancy Wallace, internship coordinator, also shared her perspective and thoughts on working in the Human Resources Division in DHS. She provided an overview of her daily work responsibilities to the students.
At the end of the Q&A session, students came up to each panelist to ask their own questions and had a networking time.
National Intern Day is a day to celebrate and recognize the hard work of interns around the globe.
To celebrate this day, the Executive Pathways interns toured Minnesota State Capitol where they met and had a conversation with Chris Taylor, the state's chief inclusion officer on July 25. The new chief inclusion officer is leading the charge to diversify state government's workforce of more than 30,000 people.
 The interns had a number of questions for Taylor regarding centered around diversity and inclusion at the state level. He said he focuses on eliminating the disparities, inequities and privilege that are built into the society and creating a mindset of inclusiveness throughout Minnesota government.
 Security Counselor (Moose Lake, MN) – 29949
$19.10 - $26.41 /hourly; $39,881 - $55,144/annually
We are filling multiple security counselor positions at the Moose Lake campus of the Minnesota Sex Offender Program. The Minnesota Sex Offender Program provides comprehensive sex offender-specific treatment with the possibility of successful community reintegration. This position focuses on supporting a therapeutic environment which is safe for clients and staff. This is a great career with competitive pay and benefits. Learn more about what this position entails and apply online by visiting our website and searching for Job ID 29949.
Licensed Practical Nurse (St. Peter, MN) - 31999
$19.57 - $27.88/hourly; $40,862 - $58,213/annually
MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A $2,500 HIRING INCENTIVE
Forensics Services is looking for talented licensed practical nurses (LPN) to join our team on the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center campus, which includes Minnesota Security Hospital, Transition Services, the Forensic Nursing Home and the Competency Restoration Program. The LPN provides entry-level practical nurse duties while providing quality therapeutic and person-centered care to people with mental and physical health issues. In addition to great job and benefits, we provide ongoing training and continuing education opportunities to keep us on the leading edge of advancements in behavioral health care. If interested, we want to hear from you!
Registered Nurse (St. Peter, MN) - 31997
$28.76 - $42.59/hourly; $60,051 - $88,928/annually
MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A $2,500 HIRING INCENTIVE
Forensics Services is looking for talented registered nurses (RN) to join our team on the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center campus, which includes Minnesota Security Hospital, Transition Services, the Forensic Nursing Home and the Competency Restoration Program. The RN provides experienced, professional nursing care while assessing needs of clients, developing individualized plans, working with a multi-disciplinary team and delegates tasks to evaluate effectiveness of plans and care provided. In addition to great job and benefits, we provide ongoing training and continuing education opportunities to keep us on the leading edge of advancements in behavioral health care. If interested, we want to hear from you!
|
|
 |
Imagine what it would feel like if every time you met someone, they called you by the wrong name. That is what it’s like for transgender and gender non-conforming people. Their chosen names and pronouns are not recognized, and instead, people make assumptions about who they are. Brent Dundore, the artist and activist who created the They/Them Project, shared this reflection with a packed room to start the panel discussion on June 18.
Brent emphasized the importance of empathy and connection. “Some people think, ‘I want to respect transgender people, but first I need to know how they are different.’ In the context of pronouns, transgender people are not different than you, and you are not different from them. We all have pronouns. We all want people to know us as who we are.”
The three panelists, Xochi de la Luna, Bobbi Gass and Blaze Bordeaux, were all photographed as a part of the They/Them Project. They shared with DHS staff about their gender journeys, how DHS staff can be more inclusive, tips for talking to kids about gender, the evolution of language and more.
The panelists recommended things like adding pronouns to email signatures, creating more options for gender on forms, sharing your pronouns when introducing yourself and respecting the pronouns people share with you.
More information about the They/Them Project, including photos and recorded interviews with the panelists, can be found on Brent Dundore's website.
For people interested in continuing to learn more about this topic, DHS will host a workshop titled, “Understanding Gender Identity and Expression” on Friday, Aug. 2.
|
 |
Hojae Kim is one of the 2019 Executive Pathways interns and works on the Diversity and Inclusion Team in the Human Resources Division.
In 2012, he came to the United States to study abroad from South Korea where he was born and raised. He is in the process of completing his master's degree in human resources and industrial relations from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.
As an aspiring HR professional, Hojae loves to improve his interpersonal communication and problem-solving skills with a global mindset. Diversity and inclusion are an integral part of his life, so he enjoys working with the diversity talent specialists, Strategic Talent Acquisition Team, diverse business leaders, and community partners as a subject matter expert to improve and implement innovative recruiting strategies.
Hojae conducts human resources and talent management research including best practices in recruiting, interviewing, workplace diversity, reporting, on/off boarding and identifying affinity groups. He builds strong professional relationships with external partners such as professional associations and community organizations to ensure a steady flow of qualified underrepresented candidates.
Hojae manages and provides leadership on diversity sourcing and pipeline programs to identify, attract and hire top talent through leveraging external relationships to increase candidate pools as well.
As they have for the past six summers, patients and staff performed together in an open-air concert on June 26 on the grounds of the Minnesota Security Hospital (MSH) in St. Peter. Known as "The Therapeutics," the band plays original songs and some familiar rock 'n' roll covers as patients enjoy the jam session while munching hot dogs and popcorn and lounging on blankets spread over the grassy hillside.
“Gluekstock” (so billed because it takes place in Gluek Park) is months in the making as patients and staff choose the songs they’ll perform and meet weekly to rehearse. All patients are invited to participate, no matter their experience. Some are already skilled musicians, singers and rappers. Others are new to music, are just learning instruments and are taking the stage for the first time.
The day of the show, the atmosphere on the campus is as electric as the guitars.
“Everyone looks forward to this concert,” said Direct Care and Treatment Forensic Services Executive Director Carol Olson. “It’s the highlight of the summer for all of us. Our patients get a chance to be seen for their talents, not just through the very narrow lens of mental illness. And it’s a rare opportunity for patients and staff to work together as peers.”
See highlights in a YouTube video and a story that aired on KEYC-TV in Mankato.
 |
Rondo Days Festival
The Diversity Recruitment Team participated in the 2019 Rondo Days Festival, held Saturday, July 20. The theme this year was “Remembering Rondo.” The team, along with employee resource group members, helped staff the agency’s career booth and spoke with prospective candidates about open job opportunities at DHS.
Rondo Days is an annual weekend festival held the third Saturday in July in St. Paul, that commemorates the Rondo Neighborhood, an African-American community that was split in two by the construction of Interstate 94 in the mid-1960s. The festival has grown since its inception in 1983 to become the largest African-american sponsored festival in Minnesota.
 Black Business Expo and Career Fair
The Diversity Recruitment Team at DHS joined the 2019 Black Business Expo and Career Fair as it celebrates Minneapolis Black Business Week, held Tuesday, July 23.
The mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, presented opening remarks with panelists regarding "Inclusive Leadership" ahead of the Expo and Career Fair. Participants networked actively with local leaders, showcased their business and connected to local talents. The event was sponsored by Northside Jobs Creation Team, Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center, and Minneapolis Urban League.
 Latino Economic Development Center Career Fair
DHS Diversity Recruitment team joined other state agencies to attend the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) Career Fair on Wednesday, July 17 at the East Side Enterprise Center in St. Paul.
The purpose of the fair was to connect individuals from Hispanic/Latino community with employment opportunities at the state. The team was able to talk to over 15 individuals that attended the event.
 Veterans Career Fair
Minnesota Veterans Employment Services and the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs invited all veterans, active military members, and their spouses to this 13th annual event on Thursday, July 25 in Brooklyn Center.
The DHS Employment First dashboards, developed by staff in the Disability Services and Fiscal Analysis and Performance Management divisions, are among 10 winners of the 2019 State Government Innovation Awards recently announced by the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Staff will be recognized at an awards ceremony and reception Aug. 8 at the Minnesota History Center.
Employment First is a national movement to deliver meaningful employment, fair wages, and career advancement for people with disabilities. The DHS Employment First dashboards show local and statewide progress toward fulfilling Minnesota’s Employment First policy.
The interactive dashboards provide information at the state, county and service provider levels so people with disabilities and those who support them can make informed decisions about the employment services they receive. The dashboards also help state agencies, service providers, case managers and other stakeholders identify best practices and continuously improve efforts to support employment.
Jay Kiedrowski, senior fellow at the Humphrey School and one of the award judges, said 76 submissions were evaluated for their creativity, sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
“We had a record number of submissions this year, and they were high quality,” Kiedrowski said. “The winners demonstrated real innovation that will serve the state well.”
More information on the awards program, including a list of the 2019 award winners, is available on the Humphrey School of Public Affairs website.
A special event celebrating the 29th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) took place on July 26 in the Anderson Center at Hamline University in St. Paul. The event included a panel facilitated by DHS Deputy Commissioner Claire Wilson, plus music, art and refreshments.
The ADA protects the rights of and prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.
Minnesota Department of Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero launched the celebration with background on the importance of the ADA and how this important civil rights law strives to ensure everyone can lead full lives, rich with dignity and joy, free from discrimination.
Wilson facilitated a panel that included Noah McCourt and Sophie Vang, who discussed their experiences with discrimination as members of the disability community. Chad Wilson, attorney with the Minnesota Disability Law Center; and Sue Abderholden, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), provided perspectives on how to combat discrimination in the daily lives of people with disabilities.
The celebration also featured Gaelynn Lea, violinist, songwriter and 2016 NPR Tiny Desk Contest winner.
Ellen Krug’s training: GRAY AREA THINKING: HUMAN INCLUSIVITY
Ellie Krug provides a toolset known as Gray Area ThinkingTM for interacting with diverse humans in a mindful and compassionate way. The training includes a discussion about inclusivity, “allyship” and the need for greater compassion for all humans. Attendees will be provided an easy to understand/remember tools on how to be more welcoming and inclusive of persons who are "different."
- Date and time: 8/13/19 from 1:30 PM-4:00 PM
- Location: ELA 2370-2380
- Available on the learning center- course code: EO51510
- Ellie Krug’s website: https://elliekrug.com/about/
Please contact crystal.fairchild@state.mn.us if you have questions, need more information or would like to request an accommodation.
The Parents at Work ERG is partnering with the Black Women’s ERG to host a showing of “Chocolate Milk: The Documentary”
Chocolate Milk is a food documentary that takes a detailed look at black motherhood, breastfeeding, and the multi-billion dollar business of feeding black babies. The documentary will be presented on August 20, 2019, from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. in ELA 2370. For more information please contact: dhs.parentsatwork@state.mn.us
|
|
