Oregon DHS admits some mistakes after penning multimillion-dollar contract with unlicensed provider

An internal report reveals mistakes made by the Oregon Department of Human Services

An internal report by the Oregon Department of Human Services admitted the agency made mistakes when they paid millions to an unlicensed provider, the Keizer-based nonprofit called Dynamic Life, to watch some of the state’s most vulnerable children.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. Goal 1: No Poverty
2. Goal 2: Zero Hunger
3. Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
4. Goal 4: Quality Education
5. Goal 5: Gender Equality
6. Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
7. Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
8. Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
9. Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
10. Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities
11. Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
12. Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
13. Goal 13: Climate Action
14. Goal 14: Life Below Water
15. Goal 15: Life on Land
16. Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
17. Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Lawmakers pressure the Oregon Department of Human Services

The report came after pressure from lawmakers, Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin, D-Corvallis in particular, who at one point in a legislative hearing asked what the state got for one $1.3 million contract signed with Dynamic Life. The director of ODHS, Fariborz Pakseresht, could not say.

The state signed multiple contracts with the company, paying them millions of dollars to watch vulnerable kids in hotels and short-term rentals without offering much oversight. Many staff members hired by Dynamic Life did not have the proper background checks. Public records also revealed they repeatedly physically restrained the kids, despite not having the proper training or certification to do so. The state paid Dynamic Life more than 100 times what it typically pays foster parents.

The cancellation of the contract and proposed improvements

After an OPB investigation in November looking at the relationship between the state and Dynamic Life, Department of Human Services officials canceled the contract in December.

The internal investigation notes there were some gaps in communication when it came to signing the contracts with Dynamic Life, which started at $500,000 but quickly grew to a $12 million contract. The state said it will centralize its contract process rather than have various local offices ink agreements with individual companies.

The state also promised to ask its internal department of human services auditing team to examine the child welfare’s contracting processes and examine how the agency can have oversight over contractors. The Oregon Department of Justice will complete a review of the issues raised about Dynamic Life and the state’s contracts. A personnel investigation has been opened.

Criticism from Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin

Gelser Blouin, who chairs the Senate Committee on Human Services, said the internal report was more of the same from an agency that struggles to take accountability for its role in children’s lives and instead places blame elsewhere.

“They took something that is a very serious issue that is not resolved by canceling this contract and tried to describe it as a back office paperwork issue when it was a very serious child welfare issue,” Gelser Blou

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.
• SDG 3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births.
• SDG 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.
• SDG 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
• SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
• SDG 16.6: Develop effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 1.3: Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims, and the poor and vulnerable.
• Indicator for SDG 3.2: Neonatal mortality rate (per 1,000 live births).
• Indicator for SDG 4.7: Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment.
• Indicator for SDG 5.2: Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual, or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by form of violence and by age group.
• Indicator for SDG 10.2: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by age, sex, and persons with disabilities.
• Indicator for SDG 16.6: Primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget, by sector (or by budget codes or similar).

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: opb.org

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