Agency begins comprehensive reorganization

Oct. 10, 2008 -- The Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services will eliminate one section and redistribute some of that group's work as the start of a comprehensive reorganization. Agency Director Moira Weir yesterday announced to staff the first of a series of structural and personnel changes that will shape the organization for the future.

"Today we begin a process that will be long and difficult, but ultimately better position us to meet our mandates, remain on solid financial ground and serve the citizens of this county," Weir said. "These changes are small compared to what is coming, given difficult financial times and a desire to focus on our mandates. But it does provide us with a beginning."

Effective Dec. 1:

~ The Family and Adult Assistance section and Workforce Development section will re-join Integrated Services under Assistant Director Cynthia Smith.

~ Information Systems will join the other Shared Services under Chief Financial Officer Vaughn Smith.

~ Decision Support will move under Information Systems.

~ Child Care will join Child Support under Assistant Director Jeff Startzman.

~ Overpayment Recovery Unit/Investigations/ Benefit Recovery will move under Workforce Development.

~ Health Services will be dissolved and the work redistributed to other areas. Charles Woode will become a section chief in Family and Adult Assistance. Healthy Start/Healthy Families will move under the management of Family and Adult Assistance. The training unit will move under the Performance Improvement section. The Healthchek/Pregnancy Services unit will move into Integrated Services.

~ Michael Patton will move to the Children's Services Program Support Section, replacing Amy Story.

~ Amy Story will move to the Accreditation Section to replace Kathy Schellinger. Story will bring the Children's Services Training and Policy units with her and also assume responsibility for Project Management.

~ Kathy Schellinger will move to the Permanency Section to replace Mary Eck, who is moving out of state.

These moves follow the announcement last month of changes in Children’s Services leadership (Weir with oversight, Assistant Director Ron Kirkendall with day-to-day operations and Section Chief Colleen Gerwe with clinical decision-making).

The moves are the result of Operational Team recommendations, Organizational Planning Committee suggestions, the need to put key leaders in critical areas and requests by some leaders for different or more responsibilities. They are all being made to improve efficiency and create equitable workload distribution with an eye toward budget concerns and the realization that the agency is trying to avoid or minimize layoffs.

"We are waiting to hear more about current and future state budget cuts and how they will impact us," Weir said. "We are still trying to determine what positions can be eliminated through retirement and attrition and we are studying other proposals for costs savings."