County loses $4.9 million lawsuit challenge over lying social workers

 County loses $4.9 million lawsuit challenge over lying social workers
 April 21st, 2011

 The County of Orange lost its battle in the U.S. Supreme Court Monday to overturn a record-setting $4.9 million judgment awarded to a Seal Beach woman, after two county social workers lied to a juvenile court commissioner in order to take away the woman’s two daughters.
It took Deanna Fogarty-Hardwick 6 ½ years to regain custody of her children.
The jury award given to Fogarty-Hardwick included damages against the two social workers. The Supreme Court also upheld $1.6 million in attorneys fees for Fogarty-Hardwick’s attorneys, but that could end being as much as $3 million, Fogarty-Hardwick’s attorney Shawn McMillan said.
The county and the two social workers will also be responsible for paying interest which has accrued on the $4.9 million jury award over the last four years, bringing the grand total close to $9.3 million, McMillan said.
Fogarty-Hardwick’s attorneys had offered to settle with the county for $500,000.
Orange County Social Services social workers Marcie Vreeken and Helen Dwojak filed false reports and held back evidence which would have cleared Fogarty-Hardwick, an Orange County jury found. Vreeken would later be promoted, according to county records.
A third social worker was found not liable.
According to court papers, Vreeken threatened that if Fogarty-Hardwick did not “submit” to her will, she would never see her children again. The social workers also tried in 2000 to coerce Fogarty-Hardwick to sign a document saying she was a bad parent by threatening to take her daughters away, Fogarty-Hardwick alleged.
She refused. A county commissioner ordered Fogarty-Hardwick’s daughters, 6 and 9, taken from their mother and put in Orangewood Children’s Home.
The girls were later put in foster care.
Fogarty-Hardwick gave her ex-husband full custody in 2002, hoping to protect her daughters. She was then allowed two supervised visits a month for two years. She eventually won 50-50 custody in 2006.
Fogarty-Hardwick sued the county in 2002, arguing the Social Services Agency and its two social workers violated her civil rights. A jury ruled against her.
She sued again, arguing this time county’s policies violated her constitutional rights, including her Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights.
Fogarty-Hardwick’s accused the county of violating her constitutional rights by removing her children without making a finding of imminent danger or serious physical injury; interviewing her daughters without a parent present; holding her children without cause; fabricating evidence; and failing to properly train employees about parents’ constitutional rights.
An Orange County jury voted 10-2 in 2007 in favor of Fogarty-Hardwick and awarded her $4.9 million.
The county appealed the judgment.
In the Fourth District Court of Appeal opinion, Justice William Bedsworth wrote, “the evidence adduced at trial obviously caused both the jury and the judge to conclude not only that something seriously wrong was done to Fogarty-Hardwick in this case, but also that the wrongful conduct was not an isolated incident.”
“Despite Fogarty-Hardwick’s complaints, and the concerns expressed by others about the handling of this dependency case, SSA did not investigate the situation or consider assigning different social workers to the matter. Neither of the social workers involved was disciplined. Instead, Vreeken was promoted to supervisor in 2001,” Bedsworth wrote.
The Watchdog is looking into whether Vreeken and Dwojak still work for the county.
“What the county and these social workers did to her was horrendous and she deserves to be compensated in full measure,” McMillan said.
“It’s a big deal for a private citizen to take on the government all the way to the United States Supreme Court,” McMillan said.  “(Fogarty-Hardwick) poured her whole life into this case. She provided a valuable service to Orange County and to other parents for having the tenacity to stick with it.”
We have calls in to Social Services and the county’s lawyer. We’ll let you know what they have to say when we hear back.
Source

*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207

The Kings Tyranny and Parens Patriae

Parens Patriae Doctrine - originating in feudal England, a doctrine that vests in the State a right of guardianship of minors. This concept has gradually evolved into the principle that the community, in addition to the parent, has a strong interest in the care and nurturing of children. Schools, juvenile courts, and social service agencies all derive their authority from the State's power to ensure the protection and rights of children as a unique class.
Source

From The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

...The History of the present King of Great- Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpation's, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.
Source

The Declaration of Independence, accepted by Congress July 4th, 1776, was a letter addressed to the nations of the world by the original thirteen states. It's intention was to state the problems with the King of Great-Britain and his tyranny towards his people and the people of the new America. America's Independence was necessary for a free people, free of tyranny. The kings status as "the parent of the country" [Parens Patriae] was his method of tyranny.

When a social worker steals your children, they are invoking Parens Patriae. The very same pleasure the king enjoyed.

This is where child services (OCS) get their God like attitudes. Through Parens Patriae, child services owns your kids... and you. Parens Patriae is WHY America Declared it's Independence. Am I the only one that see's the pattern of tyrannical history repeating itself?

Read The Declaration of Independence. It is not really that long of a read. Compare notes explaining the similarity of the kings tyranny and child services of today. Remember... follow the money.

*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207

Child Slavery USA: Child Protective Services (CPS)

Child Protective Services (CPS) is wreaking havoc in the lives of families across the country. Join the Justice Journalist as she interviews young mother, Karin Lowery and others whose children have been abducted by CPS and one advocate Dawne Worswick, who was victimized by--but, survived--the CPS system.

Listen to internet radio with 4Justice on Blog Talk Radio

*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207

Our grand children will know someday,

Our grand children will know someday, by name, who threw them under the bus. They will know that it was NOT their grand parents, at least not this set. They will know that we tried to get them back to the home they grew up in and were kidnapped from and sent off to some half relatives. They will also know that they were kidnapped and sent off for profit. Profit for the social workers, the states, the service workers and foster parents who took them. They will also know that they were ordered by their semi-relative foster parents and that the order was filled by the office of children's services of the state of Alaska, Fairbanks. We CAN prove it. They will also know that they have a brother that was also kidnapped by social services and that they should search for him if he still lives. They should know that "well meaning people" will lie like hitler when they ask questions. They will know that THIS set of grand parents love them and we did NOT send them off because we didn't want to be bothered. They will also know that THIS set of grand parents never gave up. They will know that we were NOT allowed to contact them because justin hemminger, social worker, lied to the judge and said he would set up visits for us. He did not. He is a lier, that's what liers do. They will know that the foster parents are required in the social worker handbook to allow such things. They did not. For fear of re-training (Stockholm Syndrome).
They will know the corruption of OCS and child services and the corruption in the native organizations who also sold them out and made money from them. They will know who their friends are and who their (real) relatives are.
They will know the devastation of their heritage, the devastation of their family sanctity and why their childhood was stolen by arrogant others for profit. All in the guise of "the best interest of the child" crap. A self centered cover up of the corrupts 
 So... to our grand children, we love you and we did NOT screw you over. They did.
We will not give up.


*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207

The Stealing Of Children By The State

This show will go into the state child stealing using their tools of Social Services and CPS and the eventual agenda to have all parental rights terminated, having all children raised in government ran dormatory type settings. This show will go into the government ran pedophile rings, as well as what the elite bloodlines are really doing with many of the "missing" children.

Listen to internet radio with InfiniteConsciousness on Blog Talk Radio

*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207

Sisters awarded $2 million for years of abuse in state care

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/04/21/2434854/sisters-awarded-2-million-for.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cp

Jury finds that case workers didn't believe children's cries for help.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/04/21/2434854/sisters-awarded-2-million-for.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy

The State of Alaska was supposed to protect the sisters from a mother who drank and did drugs, and from the increasing violence between her and their stepfather.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/04/21/2434854/sisters-awarded-2-million-for.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy

But, a Kenai jury recently found, the state put them in places even worse. They suffered years of mistreatment, including sexual abuse in foster care, and the state exacerbated the problems by failing to provide the girls consistent counseling, according to their attorney, Mike Kramer of Fairbanks.

After an eight-day trial this month, the jury sided with the sisters, putting 95 percent of the blame directly on the state, and awarded them more than $2 million in damages, court records show.

Some of the adults, including two case workers who should have been watching out for the sisters, doubted or dismissed their cries for help, which made their emotional problems worse, according to an expert hired by their attorney.

The state hasn't decided whether it will appeal the award, said Cori Badgley, an assistant attorney general not directly involved in the case. "We are still evaluating our options and looking at the jury verdict."

The sisters are now 19 and 21 years old. They took their claims of mistreatment and neglect in foster care to court in hopes of improving the state's child protection system, the older sister said in an interview. The Daily News generally does not name the victims of sexual abuse.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/04/21/2434854/sisters-awarded-2-million-for.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy

"I don't want kids to have to hurt more than they are already hurting," the 21-year-old said in a telephone interview with her attorney on the line. "Being taken from your parents is very, very tough, and very, very painful. And I don't ever want kids to have the pain that we had."

Kids should be believed when they report abuse, she said. And she wants the state Office of Children's Services to investigate reports of mistreatment and make sure its young wards get essential counseling.

Jurors assessed 5 percent of the blame for the girls' ordeal to their mother, whose life was a chaotic blur of drugs, alcohol and violent relationships.

OCS officials on Friday answered questions about the case in brief, written responses that were vetted through the state Department of Law.

A CHILD WITHOUT A CHILDHOOD

The sisters grew up in state custody starting in 1998 when they were 6 and 8 and continuing for eight years. Their experiences spanned the administrations of two governors, Tony Knowles -- who made improving children's services a top priority -- and Frank Murkowski, who revamped the state Department of Health and Social Services and replaced the beleaguered Division of Family and Youth Services with OCS.

For these two girls, reality didn't reflect the political promises.

In all, there were six siblings, with three fathers. The oldest was a boy, who wasn't sexually abused. The three youngest were eventually adopted by another family and are happy and safe, the older sister said.

The dysfunction in their birth family was deeply rooted.

"This family has a history of domestic violence, chemical dependency and now sexual abuse," Kate Tea, their court-appointed guardian ad litem, wrote in a 2001 court pleading arguing for them to remain in state custody. "The dynamics in this family have promoted fear, secrets, and the division of family members from one another. These children have been at the vortex of the generational violence of physical, emotional and sexual abuse."

While other adults betrayed or ignored the girls, Tea -- who was appointed to advocate for their best interests in court -- was a steady source of support, the older sister said.

Before the girls were taken from their mother, the state had received five reports that they were endangered by, variously, neglect, domestic violence, drugs and alcohol, their attorney said. Most of the reports weren't investigated, he said.

The older sister said she assumed the role of mother -- someone had to care for the little ones. "I don't think I really had a childhood at all," she said. Her own father had killed himself when she was 7.

Meanwhile, the relationship between their mother and stepfather was growing more violent, their attorney said. The stepfather slammed their mother's head through the wall and punched and kicked her, according to the older sister and records filed in court.

The stepfather hit the children too, she said. If they were loud in the morning, their mouths were duct-taped shut.

They were afraid to tell anyone about their abuse, she told jurors, because their stepfather told them foster parents cut up babies and cooked them in the microwave.

GRANDFATHER'S BETRAYAL

Finally, one night in September 1998 when things got particularly bad at home, state workers stepped in. Their maternal grandparents became their state-licensed foster parents. Within a year, Tea and a therapist reported the possibility of sexual abuse of the children to OCS. The older girl was having night terrors -- dreams that included thrashing, kicking and punching -- which can signal sexual abuse. No one followed up.

"If they had asked, I would have told them," the older sister said.

In 2001, the sexual abuse came to light. The girls told a friend, who told her mother, who told the girls' mother. Their mother, despite her troubles, went to the troopers.

The girls told troopers their grandfather, Jack Dominick, molested them on RV camping trips when they traded off sharing a bed with him, according to a trooper's sworn statement. Their little sister, just 2 years old, was also molested, charges filed in Kenai Superior Court say. A nurse who performed sexual assault exams found physical evidence supporting the girls' claims. At home, the girls regularly napped with their grandfather, according to their grandmother, Barbara Dominick, who said she never saw anything inappropriate.

Jack Dominick, a retired state correctional officer, eventually pleaded no-contest to three counts of sexual abuse. He was sentenced to five years in prison.

OCS says the girls were in weekly counseling and regularly saw their guardian ad litem and case worker after the abuse began but before it was discovered. None of the adults saw anything to make them suspect Jack Dominick, OCS told the Daily News this week.

Barbara Dominick, now deceased, doubted the girls' accusations. Early on, she slapped the older girl for "trying to tell her grandmother the truth about something and she did not want to hear it," the girl said, according to a case worker's files.

The case worker, Patricia Gray, wrote on March 21, 2001, that she put off confronting Barbara about the slap because she didn't want to upset her.

When Gray did talk to Barbara two days later, the grandmother said the child was disrespectful. Barbara wanted to increase the dosage of an antidepressant the girl was on because she was "very mouthy."

Just days later, on April 2, the case worker asked a judge to release the sisters and their older brother from agency custody, which would have ended supervision of the home.

"Although the grandmother is undergoing a lot of stress and pressure, she is willing and feels she is capable of taking care of her grandchildren," Gray wrote in a petition to the court.

"It just became too much work, I think," Kramer said. "OCS turned its back on them at their greatest time of need."

GRANDMOTHER'S DISBELIEF

The guardian on the case, Tea, argued in court against ending custody, saying the children needed state protection and her advocacy. The judge ordered state custody to continue.

Though the court didn't remove OCS from the case, OCS virtually removed itself, Kramer said.

After the girls' therapist reported the slapping incident, the grandmother switched the girls to a different therapist, who later told the state the girls had missed more than half their appointments and she was dismissing their case.

"There were additional reports of grandmother slapping and spanking the girls as it became increasingly clear that she disbelieved their disclosures and vented her anger over the loss of her husband on them," according to a written assessment last year by Mike Hopper, a Fairbanks clinical psychologist who reviewed the case records and testified on the sisters' behalf as an expert witness.

The grandmother asked the state to turn over their Permanent Fund dividends, which Tea also opposed and won.

After that, the grandmother said she didn't want them anymore, Kramer said. She kept their older brother, though.

The older sister remembers how a worker drove the girls to their grandmother's home, where they packed their belongings into black plastic garbage bags. They moved back with their mother until she got drunk and was jailed for assaulting their stepfather, according to the girls' attorney.

ANOTHER FOSTER HOME

Next they were placed into a foster home, which was very strictly run, in Kasilof. Food was kept in locked cabinets. The children were kept downstairs; their bedrooms had alarms on the doors and locks on the windows, the older girl said. They mainly stayed in a family room monitored by a video camera. The older girl remembers wearing bulky sweaters because, she said, the foster father was ogling her.

Their younger siblings lived there too. The little brothers had just gone through potty training. Once, when the older girl heard her brother's door alarm go off in the middle of the night, she got up to help him, but he had already peed on the floor. She told jurors she saw the foster mother rub his face in the urine.

The older sister said she called her case worker at the time, Tim Von Haden, to tell him of the mistreatment.

"There was never anything ever done about it," the sister said. "He thought I was just lying because I wanted to go back and live with my mom."

All concerns were investigated, OCS contends, and none were found to be true. At the trial, the foster parents denied the accusations of mistreatment. They decided to stop being foster parents early this year after more than two decades, according to OCS.

Von Haden never visited the girls in the foster home, Kramer said. OCS policy requires monthly face-to-face meetings and home visits every other month.

OCS contends its workers were in regular contact with the girls and their family.

DAMAGED, BUT NO HELP

Early on, the state ensured proper care to the girls, Hopper, the psychologist, wrote. But the last time the girls regularly saw a therapist was in January 2002, even though psychiatric evaluations said they needed therapy, all the more so after they were taken from their mother once again in 2003, he said.

"I find that absence deeply troubling: Betrayed, abused, and abandoned, the girls were, if anything, more damaged the second time they came into OCS's custody and yet received nothing by way of additional support over the next three years of silent drift in foster care," Hopper wrote. A counselor might have recognized signs of mistreatment, he said.

The pain of sexual abuse was made much worse by the grandmother's denial of it and case workers' dismissal of other complaints, he said.

"Children can recover from almost any trauma if their pain, confusion, and accounts are heard, accepted and validated," Hopper wrote. When they are disbelieved, they begin to blame themselves.

"I just kept being called a liar," the older sister said. "So pretty much I just gave up."

Both sisters have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, their attorney said.

OCS maintains the girls got counseling at various times while in state custody.

Eventually, in 2006, the sisters were separated and sent to live with other relatives. OCS closed their case.

The younger sister went to live with her father, whom she barely knew, in Minnesota. She is back in Nikiski now. She's unemployed and working toward a high school equivalency diploma.

The older one went to live with an aunt in Washington. She also now lives in Nikiski with her fiance and her two children, a 2-year-old and an infant. She takes college classes and wants to be a pediatric nurse. She sees her three younger siblings daily. They were adopted together and their adoptive mother essentially became the older girl's mother too. She's the only person she trusts to baby-sit her kids. She's overprotective because of what she went through, she said.

The hardest thing about the trial, she said, was watching her younger sister undergo questioning about the sexual abuse. The sister had never before talked about it. They got through the ordeal together.

Asked last week whether children in state care are safer now than they were when the sisters were in state custody, OCS declined to answer.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/04/21/2434854/sisters-awarded-2-million-for.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy

http://www.adn.com/2012/04/21/2434854/sisters-awarded-2-million-for.html#storylink=misearch

*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207

Former Native corp executive admits to guilt in bribery case

 Huh...
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Accusations involved steering contracts in return for kickbacks.

 WASHINGTON -- A former Alaska Native corporation executive on Tuesday admitted his role in a $28 million bribery scheme involving the awarding of government contracts and is cooperating with prosecutors in their continuing investigation.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/03/13/2369336/former-native-corp-executive-admits.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/03/13/2369336/former-native-corp-executive-admits.html#storylink=cpy

Harold F. Babb, 60, pleaded guilty in federal court in Washington to one charge each of bribery and unlawful kickbacks. Babb, then director of contracts at Eyak Technology LLC, was arrested in October along with three other men, including two employees of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Prosecutors say their investigation has unmasked one of the largest and most brazen government procurement frauds in history.

"It took me a while to come to terms (with), but I am guilty," Babb told a federal judge before entering his plea.

Babb, who has been in custody since his arrest, admitted participating in a complex, far-ranging scheme.

Eyak Technology is a subsidiary of Eyak Corp., the Cordova Native village corporation. The bribery and kickback scandal has shed unwanted light on the special privileges available to Alaska Native corporations, which can obtain large government contracts without competitive sealed bidding. Congress has been investigating whether those privileges have benefited Native shareholders and have given the government value for its money.

Prosecutors say the fraud involved contracts steered to favored subcontractors for kickbacks, contracts awarded through bribery and the submission of phony and inflated invoices for payment. Authorities say the illicit proceeds of the scheme were split among multiple defendants and used to purchase clothing, real estate, cars, fine jewelry and other luxuries.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/03/13/2369336/former-native-corp-executive-admits.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/03/13/2369336/former-native-corp-executive-admits.html#storylink=cpy

A bribery conviction carries a possible sentence of up to 15 years in prison and the unlawful kickbacks charge can carry up to 10 years, though Babb is likely to face a much shorter sentence because of his guilty plea and cooperation.

"Mr. Babb decided to accept responsibility and cooperate with the government and move on his with his life," his lawyer, Jeffrey Jacobovitz, said after the plea hearing. Eyak Technology has operations in Virginia and the prime contractor for a lucrative contract with the Army Corps of Engineers. EyakTek, in turn, had multiple subcontractors, including Nova Datacom and Big Surf Construction Management.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/03/13/2369336/former-native-corp-executive-admits.html#storylink=cpy

Babb admitted to accepting more than $1 million in kickbacks from Nova Datacom's chief technology officer, Alex N. Cho, in exchange for giving the subcontractor preferential treatment, and to paying more than $7 million in bribes in return for approval on Army Corps of Engineers contracts and subcontracts, according to authorities.

Babb was arrested along with two Army Corps of Engineers employees, Kerry F. Khan and Michael A. Alexander, and Khan's son, Lee Khan. Alexander pleaded guilty last month to bribery and conspiracy. Prosecutors initially described the scheme as totaling $20 million, but they say the scope of the fraud has increased to $28 million as new bribes and kickback payments have been discovered.

In a prepared statement, the Justice Department described the case as "one of the largest procurement fraud cases in history."

Since the initial arrests, prosecutors also have revealed charges against a handful of other men associated with subcontractors, including Cho, who pleaded guilty last September to money laundering, conspiracy and other charges. 

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/03/13/2369336/former-native-corp-executive-admits.html#storylink=cpy

*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207

Former Dot Lake tribal leader sentenced to probation for embezzlement

 Huh...
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 A former Dot Lake tribal president has been sentenced to three years probation under the terms of a plea agreement reached in January.

Ted Charles, 62, who was also a Tanana Chiefs Conference administrator, additionally was required to repay the Dot Lake Village Council $28,877 in restitution and pay a $1,000 fine.

At the sentencing hearing Friday morning in Fairbanks, U.S. District Judge Ralph Beistline said Charles’ embezzlement was especially serious because he had been elected to a position of responsibility, according to a U.S. Justice Department news release. However, Beistline said Charles cooperated with investigators and paid his restitution expeditiously.

Charles stole the money from the Dot Lake Village Council beginning in 2007 through “undocumented ATM withdrawals and debit card purchases, unauthorized travel expenditures and per diem claims,” according to court documents.

Dot Lake, which had 62 residents in the 2010 U.S. Census, is located on the Alaska Highway about 140 miles southeast of Fairbanks.

Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Former Dot Lake tribal leader sentenced to probation for embezzlement

------------------------------------------------
 *One should also read the comments at the bottom of the above Newsminer link. Such as this one from;

grandpa99701

"These people are republicans and in charge of alot of cash...this is a serious crime and should be handled as that. This is a slap in the face of every honest native person out there. Paid admin leave? YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME...184,00 per year?? OMG..what is going on up there at TCC??

How do we get ahold of the Feds and ask for an investigation??

Let's do it..and Doyon should be investigated also. They have thefts to the tune of 100's of thousands of dollars from their own employees and DO NOT FILE CHARGES!!

Is this kind of abuse in every native organization?? Are there any honest native leaders in this town??"

Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Former Dot Lake tribal leader sentenced to probation for embezzlement

*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207

What is a Consent Decree?

 From: http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Consent+Decree

A settlement of a lawsuit or criminal case in which a person or company agrees to take specific actions without admitting fault or guilt for the situation that led to the lawsuit.
A consent decree is a settlement that is contained in a court order. The court orders injunctive relief against the defendant and agrees to maintain jurisdiction over the case to ensure that the settlement is followed. (Injunctive relief is a remedy imposed by a court in which a party is instructed to do or not do something. Failure to obey the order may lead the court to find the party in Contempt and to impose other penalties.) Plaintiffs in lawsuits generally prefer consent decrees because they have the power of the court behind the agreements; defendants who wish to avoid publicity also tend to prefer such agreements because they limit the exposure of damaging details. Critics of consent decrees argue that federal district courts assert too much power over the defendant. They also contend that federal courts have imposed conditions on state and local governments in Civil Rights Cases that usurp the power of the states...

... Certain types of lawsuits require a court to issue a consent decree. In Class Action settlements, Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Procedure mandates that a federal district court must determine whether a proposed settlement is fair, adequate, and reasonable before approving it. Under the Antitrust Procedures and Penalties Act (the Tunney Act), 15 U.S.C.A. § 16(b)-(h), the court must review proposed consent decrees in antitrust suits filed by the Justice Department. The statute directs the court to review certain items, including whether the decree advances the public interest.

From:  http://www.cwla.org/advocacy/consentdecrees.pdf

Alaska: No record of any past or current settlements or consent decrees. (Child Welfare)



*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207

The Declaration of Independence: A Transcription

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

---

The 56 signatures on the Declaration appear in the positions indicated:
Column 1
Georgia:
   Button Gwinnett
   Lyman Hall
   George Walton
Column 2
North Carolina:
   William Hooper
   Joseph Hewes
   John Penn
South Carolina:
   Edward Rutledge
   Thomas Heyward, Jr.
   Thomas Lynch, Jr.
   Arthur Middleton
Column 3
Massachusetts:
John Hancock
Maryland:
Samuel Chase
William Paca
Thomas Stone
Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Jefferson
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Nelson, Jr.
Francis Lightfoot Lee
Carter Braxton
Column 4
Pennsylvania:
   Robert Morris
   Benjamin Rush
   Benjamin Franklin
   John Morton
   George Clymer
   James Smith
   George Taylor
   James Wilson
   George Ross
Delaware:
   Caesar Rodney
   George Read
   Thomas McKean
Column 5
New York:
   William Floyd
   Philip Livingston
   Francis Lewis
   Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
   Richard Stockton
   John Witherspoon
   Francis Hopkinson
   John Hart
   Abraham Clark
Column 6
New Hampshire:
   Josiah Bartlett
   William Whipple
Massachusetts:
   Samuel Adams
   John Adams
   Robert Treat Paine
   Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
   Stephen Hopkins
   William Ellery
Connecticut:
   Roger Sherman
   Samuel Huntington
   William Williams
   Oliver Wolcott
New Hampshire:
   Matthew Thornton

Source: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html

*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207

Falsely Invoked Parens Patriae Power

For a state to have standing to sue under the doctrine, it must be more than a nominal party without a real interest of its own and must articulate an interest apart from the interests of particular private parties.

In other words...

...the state social workers, et al, must state "in the interest of the child" to protect the service workers (particular private parties) and their own paychecks (interest of its own). The benefits from the kidnapping of a child.

State governments may not properly override parental decisions or terminate custody, unless 1) parents delegate their authority to the state voluntarily and knowingly, or 2) the state demonstrates through appropriate due process that there is clear and convincing evidence that the parents have triggered state parens patriae interests by placing their children in clear and present danger.

Lies, trickery and deceit. Those kids were in our custody with power of attorney. We did NOT delegate our authority to the state knowingly. Why in the hell would we do that? They kidnapped those kids and stomped on our constitutional rights. For their OWN interests.

The clear and present danger was their (OCS) false allegations of sexual abuse, dirty house and medical needs not met. If the doctors were not paid service workers, you could ask for the records to PROVE the kids were all up to date on EVERYTHING. They had a clean bill of health. Dirty house? How many social workers do not even have running water in this state? We do. Let me refer to the Alaska State Trooper reports on the false allegations. Ask the initial lab (another service worker) about the "false/positive" results they conjured up. They kidnapped these kids for personal profit... period. They were easy targets. 

Parens patriae power was invoked without cause and with deceit. An order was placed for our grand kids, our rights were KNOWINGLY violated and after proof of no clear and present danger, they still stole these kids and sent them to the ordering party for personal profit. I can PROVE the party wanted those kids. We are purposely kept from contacting the grand kids. We can't talk to them or send them anything. I have no doubt the kids are acting out because they are confused, mad and they want to come home. Instead, they will be drugged (if not already) and abused with punishment.

*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207

Parens Patriae

Parens Patriae (paa-wrens pat-tree-eye) n. Latin for "father of his country," the term for the doctrine that the government is the ultimate guardian of all people under a disability, especially children, whose care is only "entrusted" to their parents.
(http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Parens+Patriae)

States may also invoke parens patriae to protect interests such as the health, comfort, and welfare of the people, interstate Water Rights, and the general economy of the state. For a state to have standing to sue under the doctrine, it must be more than a nominal party without a real interest of its own and must articulate an interest apart from the interests of particular private parties.
(http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Parens+Patriae)

State governments may not properly override parental decisions or terminate custody, unless 1) parents delegate their authority to the state voluntarily and knowingly, or 2) the state demonstrates through appropriate due process that there is clear and convincing evidence that the parents have triggered state parens patriae interests by placing their children in clear and present danger. C.f. Croft v. Westmoreland County Children & Youth Servs., 103 F.3d 1123 (3d. Cir. 1997).
(http://www.quaqua.org/parenspatriae.htm)

State government exercises of parens patriae power are also subject to the United States Constitutional system of Ordered Liberty. See Meyer v. Nebraska, 262 U.S. 390, 290 (1923)("Determination by the Legislature of what constitutes proper exercise of police power is not final or conclusive but is subject to supervision by the courts."). Particularly after the enactment of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments, the Supreme Court applied due process principles and strict scrutiny analysis to limit state invocations of its parens patriae power. Liberty in “matters relating to marriage, procreation, . . . family relationships, and child rearing and education” are “’fundamental’” and “'implicit in the concept of ordered liberty’ as described in Palko v. Connecticut, 302 U.S. 319 (1937).” Paul v. Davis, 424 U.S. 693, 713 (1976). “In these areas . . . there are limits on the state’s power to substantively regulate conduct.” Id.
(http://www.quaqua.org/parenspatriae.htm)





The Parens Patriae power has been recognized and exercised from time immemorial as being under the rule of a tyrant.
(http://www.barefootsworld.net/parensp.html)


*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207

Rare Disease Mimics Child Abuse and Tears Family Apart

 Rare Disease Mimics Child Abuse and Tears Family Apart


William "Dave" O'Shell, distraught over charges of child abuse that were being leveled against him, snapped on June 30, 2008, killing his wife, Tiffany O'Shell, in their Henderson, Colo., home before taking his own life.

Just a few weeks earlier, their green-eyed, 3-month-old daughter, Alyssa, had been placed in a foster home because x-rays revealed 11 broken bones and doctors assumed that she had been beaten.

But they were wrong.

On the same day as the murder-suicide, a doctor at Colorado Children's Hospital suspected something else and was later proved right: Alyssa had a rare genetic disorder that caused her bones to fracture -- one that authorities had confused for abuse.

Alyssa died of spinal muscular atrophy on Oct. 28, 2008, but the tragedy has rippled through a family and an aggressive social services system that is meant to protect children.

Now, four years later after all lawsuits have been unsuccessful, Alyssa's maternal grandparents are saying the tragedy could have been averted.

"We were looking for action. We could care less about the money," said Paul Cuin, Tiffany O'Shell's adoptive father. "We wanted someone to sit up and say, 'This is wrong and we need to change things.'"

Cuin said there were no avenues for the O'Shells, both respected police officers, to plead their innocence.

"If our kids had some sort of outlet or grievance process or gone to someone, we would have a whole different story today," he said. "The system has to change."

A judge gave Cuin, 59, and his wife, Jackie Cuin, 50, custody of Alyssa after the death of their daughter and son-in-law, despite the objections of social services, according to a story first published in the Denver Post.

The newspaper obtained medical, social services and police records in their investigation, as well as court documents on the Cuins' lawsuits.

"They were wonderful parents," said Paul Cuin, who is a supermarket manager. "We never had a single doubt in our minds [over whether] abuse was involved. We knew from the beginning, they loved that baby."

They nursed Alyssa until her death and are convinced that if doctors knew more about SMA, the disease might never again be confused with child abuse.

Spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, is a genetic neuromuscular disease characterized by muscle atrophy and weakness. It is caused by a mutation in the gene on the long arm of chromosome 5, which makes a protein that is important in the cells of the spinal cord and lower brain stem.

It is not always a death sentence, but those with the most serious form, like Alyssa, can suffer respiratory failure.

The disease is the leading genetic cause of death in infants and toddlers, affecting as many as 10,000 to 25,000 children and adults in the United States, according to the SMA Foundation.

"It took seven months to diagnose my 12-year-old daughter, and my husband is a scientist and we live in New York City," said Loren Eng, president of the SMA Foundation. "So few doctors are aware of the disease and it causes a wide variety of symptoms. It's really an awareness problem."

Dr. Darryl De Vivo, a professor of neurology and pediatrics at Columbia University, said SMA can "masquerade to some degree" as child abuse, "at least to the uneducated eye."

"The nature of this disease is such that it allows the bone to be unduly susceptible to fractures in the normal handling of the infant," he said.

De Vivo added that with heightened awareness to child abuse, "people jump in and say guilty before being proven innocent."

The Colorado case began in on June 16, 2008, when Tiffany O'Shell noticed that Alyssa cried when she lifted her right leg. The baby was referred to Children's Hospital of Colorado, where x-rays revealed fractures, but no bruises or abrasions.

"We pleaded with the doctor at Children's Hospital and social service to look for something else other than child abuse," said Paul Cuin. "They should have waited and not jumped to conclusions."

Elizabeth Whitehead of Children's Hospital Colorado said the hospital would not comment "on alleged child abuse cases, past or present."

Child protective services took Alyssa immediately and placed her in a foster home. Her grandparents were ruled out as guardians because Jackie Cuin had spent time babysitting the child and was considered a suspect.
SMA Broken Bones Looked Like Abuse

The O'Shells had one supervised visit with Alyssa, according to Paul Cuin. The baby turned her head away from her parents several times and authorities interpreted that as confirmation of abuse.

Dave O'Shell became a chief suspect when he admitted that he often held her by the legs upside down -- which he said made the baby smile, according to the Post.

Cuin said the signs of SMA were evident in Alyssa, "but no one saw it" until the baby's foster mother took her to the doctor because she was failing to thrive.

A pediatrician at Children's Hospital noticed the classic symptoms: the baby's thumb turned inward, a "bell-shaped" stomach and "frogs legs" that wouldn't straighten, according to Cuin. Alyssa's breathing was labored and she struggled to hold her head up.

Suspicious, the doctor called for genetic tests, but no one alerted Alyssa's parents, according to Cuin.

"If they had had a little bit of hope," Cuin said, "this all would have been different.

On July 9, the results confirmed SMA, and on July 11, a caseworker called the Cuins' lawyer. The O'Shells had been dead nearly two weeks.

By July 16 the Cuins went to court and a judge granted them custody.

The Cuins defend their son-in-law against abuse charges, but are still struggling to understand why he murdered their daughter.

"David was a very stable individual," said Cuin. "It shocked us. But I fully understand the pressures he was under."

Cuin said O'Shell had lost all hope, told by his lawyer that he would go to prison and lose not only his daughter, but his wife, his job and his military status. If arrested on felony abuse, he would have had to raise $50,000 bail.

Two days before the murder-suicide, O'Shell told his wife he was "going to shoot people" so police would have a reason to arrest him, according to the Denver Post. He became increasingly despondent.

One June 30, the couple was scheduled to meet with lawyers and a criminal investigator about the abuse charges. Jackie Cuin tried to call her daughter but got no answer.

She went to check on her at the house, but was too afraid to enter, calling her husband.

Paul Cuin found the bodies: Tiffany, who had been shot in the head twice, was covered in blood in bed. Dave's legs were sticking out the bedroom doorway.

"I haven't forgiven him," said Cuin. "And I don't know if I will ever be able to."

Cuin and his wife now live day-by-day, and their awareness campaign is what keeps them going.

"We don't want the kids' death to be in vain," he said. "We want something good to come of it."

"I don't have a problem at all with social services coming and taking a child and doing an investigation," said Cuin. "There is a need for this service. There are bad people out there and kids need to be protected."

"But the system did the opposite," he said. "It tore a family apart."









*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207

28 USC § 453 - Oaths of justices and judges

 28 USC § 453 - Oaths of justices and judges

 Each justice or judge of the United States shall take the following oath or affirmation before performing the duties of his office: “I, XXX XXX, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will administer justice without respect to persons, and do equal right to the poor and to the rich, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon me as XXX under the Constitution and laws of the United States. So help me God.”


I just want to get this straight so there are no double standards. So help me God.


*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207

OCS DIRTY TRICK #1

DIRTY TRICK #1

DCFS/CPS/DSS [OCS] will PRETEND to help you, when in actuality they are gathering evidence against you.

· Beware of these tactics and

· Don’t give them the ammunition to use against you.

Some DCFS/CPS/DSS agents DO want to help you and the families they serve, and some don’t. You can believe that the system as a whole is on the negative side of this coin. It is estimated that Child Protective Services takes about 25% of the children of the families it services. Most Child Protective Services agents don’t know or respect the restrictions in the law against taking children. The sad fact here is that no one holds them accountable. Even the judges have not been able to reign them in, so these “outlaws” do as they please and not what the law allows or requires.

Source: http://www.nfpcar.org/References/DirtyTricks.htm






*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207

Alaska State Troopers Investigation Reports (again)

I would like to bring back mention of this blog post of the Alaska State Troopers Investigations into the allegations OCS brought that said I molested my grand daughter. Click the link, read the reports. OCS also did a paternity test on my grand daughter alleging she may be my daughter as well (because she has blue eyes like me). In other words they were accusing me of screwing my own daughter. There is certainly some mental derangement going on here, but it sure isn't here. This (from their secret training meetings) is where they learn to use false allegations, defamation and lies to get what they want (kids for paychecks). Did they acknowledge the trooper reports? Not one word. They just keep spouting the same vomit. Facts and kids don't matter, money does. Do a search. The same tactics (learned in secret meetings) apply all over the states and CPS. Look up Senator Nancy Schafer while your at it.
I have also authorized others who can access and post on this blog should anything happen to us.




*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207

Meet the Senior OCS leadership Team!

Meet the Senior OCS leadership Team!
 
http://hss.state.ak.us/ocs/newsletter/201203/leadership.htm

Christy Lawton
Years with OCS: 14
Title: Director
Work Philosophy: Quality and timely customer service has always been a priority in all my positions within the agency. We serve the citizens of Alaska and must be responsible, respectful, and responsive at all times with a “families first” attitude. I also have always found that communication that is direct and as transparent as possible serves everyone’s best interest, and I strive to hold myself and others to that goal. Christy.Lawton@alaska.gov

*After numerous, numerous, numerous times of calling ocs, they never returned our phone calls. All we got was voice mail, harassment and lies in person or the occasional call from Justin to gloat about already shipping the kids off to another state without telling us or letting us see them. We haven't seen nor heard from the kids or ocs since. The only way we ever received a response is when we called the Alaska Ombudsman's Office. I would recommend everyone call that office.
Like I said... If you can't dazzle them with brilliance...


*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207

2011 Citizen Review Panel Annual Report/Recommendation 1/OCS response

 2011 Citizen Review Panel Annual Report

The full report can be read at:

 http://hss.state.ak.us/ocs/publications/pdf/2011_crp.pdf

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN’S SERVICES


Recommendation 1:
Based on our recent site visits to the Fairbanks and Wasilla field offices, we recommend that OCS work to improve the culture within the agency. The current atmosphere impairs the ability of workers to appropriately protect Alaska’s children and families.

This concern was raised after we spent several days in each of these field offices talking with OCS workers at all levels. Line workers and supervisors felt that the OCS culture devalues them and that they are trying to do an extremely difficult job while often feeling disempowered. Staff at partnering agencies perceive the behavior of OCS staff as defensive. The perception among community partners was that many OCS staff
isolate themselves and do not collaborate or communicate in a collegial manner.

When asked about desired working relationships with partnering agencies OCS spoke of a desire to collaborate. Yet OCS does not collaborate with its own staff when it comes to changing policies and procedures. Staff from a number of field offices have mentioned how new policies or programs are handed down without them having an adequate opportunity to provide input. At present they are not asked the right

question in order to generate input—for example, they are offered an opportunity to wordsmith the policy without being asked about its impact. The assumption has already been made that the new initiative will be implemented; they can just weight on the ‘how,’ NOT the ‘if.’ We suggest that OCS leadership respect the enormous knowledge base of workers enough to ask them ‘if’ a new policy or procedure is a good idea and whether it would work well in their unique region of the state.

Staff indicated that they are on the receiving end, simply told what to do. We recognize that within a bureaucracy there is a necessity for a certain amount of hierarchy or nothing would get done. However, when feedback from staff is fully considered, not only is buy-in increased, but outcomes are usually better. Front line staff are just that—on the front line. They know how things will play out in the field, and how things will be received by partnering agencies, how the families would respond to a given policy.

The current culture within OCS stifles worker initiative and creativity. Workers in Fairbanks and Wasilla are reluctant to problem solve within the limits of policies and procedures because of fear of retribution. The current atmosphere limits individual professional initiative. Workers feel like there are check lists to be completed and no place that allows them to use their judgment, experience or discretion. Ultimately, this
costs OCS staff. Many competent professionals leave, some physically, some emotionally. We recommend that every staff member be empowered to talk to any level OCS staffer, without having to go through the chain of command. We prefer the chain of command and think it works in most circumstances, but sometimes an individual needs to be able to step out of the chain to get to the right person. The obvious goal is more open communication to improve relationships and lessen the ponderousness of the bureaucracy.

We recommend that training be more tailored to an employee’s skill needs rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. We understand that, at this time, individualized training is something OCS is interested in implementing in the future, once mass trainings required by the PIP are completed. We are very supportive of this effort.

In an effort to determine how staff and resources can more effectively be allocated, OCS identified three studies they would like to conduct. These three studies include the following:

A study to determine what tasks may appropriately be handled by support staff and which tasks must be handled by the line workers;

A study to determine to appropriate level of support staff for workers including SSA and clerks; and

A study to evaluate the staff to caseload ratio around the state to determine the equitable placement of PCNs.

Over the past several months, OCS staff attempted to evaluate this internally. They have decided the assessment is too complicated and time consuming for current staff to add to their existing workloads. They now plan to contract with an outside agency. In this time with fewer resources, these studies will allow existing resources to be spent as effectively as possible. *Ensuring the front line workers are doing social work not transporting children, supervising visits, or delivering documents to court will allow for a more satisfied and empowered staff. All these efforts will help decrease the high turnover rate among OCS staff. More continuity among staff coupled with feeling valued and empowered leads to better service to children and their families. The CRP supports their decision to get accurate data from professionals who can accomplish this in the most timely manner. Future l staff management cannot be successfully implemented without this information.

* Ensuring the front line workers are doing social work not transporting children, supervising visits, or delivering documents to court will allow for a more satisfied and empowered staff.

I read this as: More service providers pining for a piece of the pie and more free time for those poor social workers to snatch more kids. If this happens, the kid count will go up dramatically resulting in bigger profits for all. 

OCS Response to CRP Annual Report 

The full report can be read at:

http://health.hss.state.ak.us/ocs/Publications/pdf/2011_crpresponse.pdf

Recommendation 1:
Based on our recent site visits to the Fairbanks and Wasilla field offices, we recommend that OCS work to improve the culture within the agency. The current atmosphere impairs the ability of workers to appropriately protect Alaska’s children and families.

We recognize the important contributions made by all OCS employees and strive to foster a collegial, positive and collaborative work environment. There are times however when pockets of staff within offices or offices as a whole are feeling particularly overwhelmed and frustrated. The culture within offices is often heavily influenced by the leadership within them. Leadership being long term front line staff as well as supervisors or managers. The positive or negative energy can ebb and flow, sometimes being influenced
by as few as one disgruntled employee that impacts everyone around them. Office dynamics are challenging. We recognize that stress is inherent in this work and that in can play out in many ways with our employees. We encounter just as many employees who say they are leaving the agency because of the internal culture as we do who say they are staying because the culture of support, teamwork, and camaraderie is so positive.
In recent months, we have been trying some new approaches to involve OCS employees in fostering a more collegial and overall more positive work environment. These include soliciting feedback from employees, involving more employees in decision making, and modifying the way we share internal information.
Soliciting feedback from employees. We continue to modify and improve our annual employee survey. This year we had 317 responses representing 74% of our staff.
Among the many things we learned from the survey:
• 79% agree or strongly agree that the philosophy of the Office of Children’s Services as reflected in the Practice Model is clearly described to staff.
• 77% agree or strongly agree that they receive feedback from their supervisor regarding their performance which is useful in making changes in their work.
• 84% agree or strongly agree that their supervisor is available and responsive to questions they have regarding their work.

However, we also learned that only 42% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that there are regular opportunities to provide information and suggestions to regional and state office management. For this reason, we are committed to continue working to improve opportunities for open communication between all employees of the organization.
Modifying the way we share internal information. Based upon feedback from OCS employees, our internal newsletter will be undergoing a major overhaul in 2012. Among the many changes, the name of the newsletter will be changed from *“The Pipeline” to “Frontline” to reflect our focus on the importance of our employees on the front line of child protection. In addition, the content will be modified to include all levels of staff from across the state, and focus more on positive events, self care tips, humor, and photos rather than strictly programmatic information sharing from management to field staff. All employees will be encouraged to submit topics and articles for Frontline. Involving more employees in decision making. In recent months, the Wasilla field office has developed and started implementing a plan of improvement. This process was designed with the help of external facilitators who engaged local staff in problem solving and
strategy development. This process has been very effective and by their reports, found to be useful and beneficial by all level of employees who participated including front line workers, supervisors, managers and administrators. We intend to continue using these types of inclusive methods to involve all levels in decision making whenever possible.
In addition, we are currently soliciting volunteers to participate in a formal statewide Employee Advisory Committee. Beginning in 2012, we intend for this committee to represent the interests of our front line staff and to have a regular and consistent forum to express their interests through direct discussion with the Director and senior leadership staff.

*If you can't dazzle them with brilliance... baffle them with b%*(#%&t.
 

*“The Pipeline” to “Frontline”?  

Ocs Pipeline http://www.hss.state.ak.us/ocs/newsletter/201203/

 



*The posts made in this blog are of our opinion only* Without Prejudice UCC 1-207