June CW Staff Connect

Oregon Department of Human Services sent this bulletin at 06/29/2022 11:47 AM PDT

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

In this Edition

From the Director
Child Welfare Updates
Transformation in Action
Comings and Goings
In the News
Pictures of the Month

From the Director

With the official start of summer in June, it seems fitting to kick off summer with several celebrations that honor and recognize the people we serve and the ones who came before. June is Reunification month, a time to celebrate families who reconnect and recognize the people, partnerships and efforts that help families stay together. June is Juneteenth, a time to celebrate the freedom and end of institutional slavery. June is PRIDE month, a time to celebrate and recognize the strength and persistence of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. June is the season for graduations, a time to celebrate the academic achievements of children, youth and adults across our state and nation. This month may also be a time where you are grappling with hard questions and emotions as we continue to be impacted by decisions at the Supreme Court and other national or world events. June is and has been many things. Through it all, I hope you can find hope in remembering and honoring our children, families and communities. Equity continues to be our North Star and the Vision for Transformation our road map. Thank you for the work you do every day to put the transformation into action.

Rebecca Jones Gaston (she/her), Director

Child Welfare Updates

Director’s Office messages

FYI

Learning Opportunities

“The Unlikely Road to Leadership” training – Aug. 3
ADA celebration and learning sessions – July

Transformation in Action

Unboxing Day means more than just unboxing shoes for children in foster care living in Polk, Yamhill and Marion Counties

Heart to Soles, man putting new shoes on child

On June 5, the Child Welfare offices in District 3, Boys & Girls Club, Heart to Soles held an “Unboxing Day” for children and young people in foster care. This was a day where kids were able to come in and pick out any pair of shoes they wanted. A local hair stylist also came out to provide haircuts for children and other community members. Janet Herb, District 3 Resource Developer who helped plan this event, said they worked hard to make all children and families feel included. All the volunteers had pronouns on the name tags. Volunteers came with a variety of skills such as being able to speak different languages or were trained to work with children with high needs. Overall, the event was a success with 135 pairs of shoes and 70 haircuts given out. Learn more about how Janet Herb and the District 3 team exemplified Guiding Principles 1 and 2 by partnering with community partners to help children and families feel seen and valued.

“All About Me” book helps nurse build instant rapport with teen

Sarah Weston, RN, is part of the great team of nurses that works throughout the state to care for the medical needs of children in foster care. One day, she was asked to travel to Portland to check on and care for a teen with complex mental and physical needs. As a nurse, Weston says the first impression is really important and can determine how much you are able to help a child depending on their willingness to open up to you. The teen’s caseworker had given Weston the teen’s “All About Me” book so Weston made sure to look at the book before meeting with the teen. Weston learned that the teen likes sharks and dolphins. With this information, Weston was able to break the ice immediately and build rapport. The teen lit up when Weston asked the teen what she liked about sharks and dolphins. Read more on how Weston was able to use a “All About Me” book to support this teen and promote prevention.

Centering equity in the representation of toy dolls given to families

Two years ago, District 16 which covers Washington County, noticed the toy doll donations district office staff were receiving were mostly White. Staff would give these dolls as gifts to children and families. At the time, the district offices only had a few dolls that represented Black, Indigenous and People of Color. This issue came to permanency worker Tami Von Linsowe-Wilson’s attention and she started conversations within her district on how there could be more inclusive representation among the dolls given out to families. Learn how Von Linsowe-Wilson and Stacy Hoffman worked with their colleagues to purchase dolls that represented all ethnicities and underrepresented groups. Kudos to the District 16 team for putting the transformation into action.

CP3, Oregon Social Learning Center and ODHS partner to serve families in Douglas county

Join CP3, Oregon Social Learning, and District 6 leadership for a conversation on how they are putting the transformation into action, specifically around supporting children and families at risk of entering the child welfare system. Watch the video.

Lacey Andresen, Desta Walsh, Jessica Hunter, Najia Hyder, Lisa Saldana

Comings and Goings

Welcome to Jared Philbrook, Neomi Allen, Christina Massey, Shell Simac, Nancy Cassidy, Tanya Coty, Dane Mills, Tia Broeke, Lydia Sterba, Mary Cronin, Patti Boulden, Rob Austin, Taylor Engle, Amanda Dugan, Caterina Turner, Celina Taylor, Danny Crego, Georgia Lundeen, Grace Medina, Hailey Gennitti, Irene Thamke, Maria Biss, Marisol Cervantes, Megan Cotta, Melissa Webb, Michaela Salcido, Michelle Myers, Morgan Patrick, Nicole Kent, Renee Ortiz, Rudy Carbajal, Tana Vogt, Teanna Salazar, Tyler Caster, Vania Muniz Flores, Xenia Velasco, Darlene Walsh, Isaac Parks, Jeremy Dufek, Jill Wakefield, Lucas Weaver, Sahilie Hernandez, V Beltran Leyva, Frederick Kiel, Katie Floyd, Kimberly Paterson, Ginger Thompson, Kimberly Larson, Shaylynn Dean, Alicia Pietrzak and Jose Garibay.

Congratulations to Alecia Alvarez, Amber Randall, Ana Lacy, Brian Bump, Krimsen Bauman, Liselott Hernandez-Olvera, Lyndsie Gilbert, Adriana Londin, Jennifer Holman, Brooke Perez, Melanie Monzalvo, Andy Thao, Cherie Miller, Cynthia Fierro, Gael Cadena, Hannah Maki, Hugh Gotoy, Jocelyn Trail-Cruz, Patrick Thom, and Skky Obenwa on their promotions.

Wishing Rebecca Jackson, Catherine Likes, Esther Enriquez, and Jim Sullivan-Springhetti a happy retirement.

In the News

Pictures of the Month

Alysia Cox, Crystal Wilson, Jennifer Ricks, Anni Macdonald, Jessica Hunter, Desta Walsh

From left to right: Child Welfare Continuous Quality Improvement team Crystal Wilson, Alysia Cox, Jennifer Hunter Ricks and Anni Macdonald with District 6 leadership, Desta Walsh and Jessica Hunter

Chase Krossman sitting in the gardens he helped build in District 16 with his Eagle Scout team to honor Child Welfare workers who have passed

Want to be featured in the next edition? Submit your photos and videos of your work to ChildWelfare.Director@dhsoha.state.or.us.

Suggestions, comments, ideas? Please email CW-Staff.Suggestions@dhsoha.state.or.us to let us know.

			Let's be friends:

Everyone has a right to know about and use Oregon Department of Human Services programs and services. Some examples of the free help we can provide are: sign language and spoken language interpreters, written materials in other languages, Braille, large print, audio and other formats. If you need help or have questions, please contact us at ChildWelfare.DirectorsOffice@dhsoha.state.or.us.

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES:
Manage Preferences | Delete Profile | Help