Human Services Change Makers

Four experts in human services from around the country give their perspectives on the value of upstream support in preventing downstream crises. Frank Alexander talks about how data transparency can help systems react to root causes quicker. Kristie Gordy talks about WY Home Matters and using all the resources of an agency to support families across their interactions. David Reed breaks down how h...

Liesl Wendt, Director of the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), joins Dr. Deb and Kelly to talk about how compliance doesn’t have to limit creativity, how an over reliance on the text of policy can limit how well the practice works, and how those served by human services should feel welcomed and be treated with dignity when they interact with agencies. Liesl spoke about how her upbringing...

Frank Alexander, deputy director of Boulder Housing Partners, joins Dr. Deb and Kelly to talk about taking a systems-level approach to hyper-local issues in human services. Frank spoke about how his experience in housing assistance taught him about the way human services systems can utilize data to improve outcomes. He also describes the way those systems often fail the people they serve, and spec...

Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Stephanie Muth, the executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, to talk about the importance of “why” in organizational leadership. She also spoke about how good internal communications supports the work being done by the department, and ways to integrate interagency collaboration into both the planning and execution of the services bei...

Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Christine Norbut Beyer, the former Commissioner of New Jersey’s Department of Children and Families, to talk about building systems that listen to the people they serve, support their employees, and last beyond any one leader. Christine discusses how the department navigated crises under her leadership and the lessons she learned while bringing all stakeholders to t...

Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Dr. Angela Pharris, the director of the University of Oklahoma’s Child Welfare Impact Institute. They discuss the science of hope and how it can be applied to human services, specifically child welfare, and how creating hopeful communities can create resiliency against stress and adversity, and generate positive outcomes for the individuals who need them the most. ...

Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Andrea Danes, a seasoned human services leader with more than three decades of experience developing strategies to improve services and systems across the country. Andrea speaks about the ways emerging technologies can improve human services systems, the guardrails that need to be taken into consideration, and the need for any new systems to be designed alongside th...

Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Kim Merolla-Brito, the director of Rhode Island’s Department of Human Services, to talk about how her background as a social worker informs her leadership of the department. Kim discusses communication and transparency with stakeholders and staff as non-negotiables, and how to improve program quality and integrity while keeping data and core values at the center of...

Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Molly McGrath Tierney, who spent 25 years working in human services and a decade as the Director for the Baltimore City Department of Social Services where she worked on the city’s public assistance and child welfare programs, to talk about her history with improving the human services system in Baltimore and focusing on helping families rather than just growing the...

Dr. Deb and Kelly kick off the new year with Fariborz Pakseresht, long-time Director of Oregon's Department of Human Services.  Recently retired from that role, Fariborz reflects on what drew him to public service, lessons he learned along the way, the importance of love in leadership, and how he hopes to continue shaping and supporting leaders. Before his eight years of service as the directo...

Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by David Reed with Human Services Group to talk about the innovative approach he pioneered to reducing the need for foster care placements by keeping kids safe at home with other services.  David is a former Deputy Director of Child Welfare Services at the Indiana Department of Child Services, where he led the implementation of policies and programs (and importantly, t...

Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Kristie Gordy, the Senior Administrator for Social Services in Wyoming’s Department of Family Services (DFS), to talk about supporting families in their homes, improving access to services, and doing it through programs like "Wy Home Matters," which aims to improve DFS’s work across systems and with communities. Learn how community-driven innovation and cross-agency...

Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Tricia Howell, an expert and former Oklahoma Director of Child Welfare, to talk about enhanced foster care programs, family support and foster care prevention. Learn about how this approach helped Oklahoma improve its system and successfully exit a lawsuit like those facing many foster care systems across the country. Tricia is a strategic expert in large-scale prog...

Kelly and Dr. Deb are joined by Jeri Culley, Human Service Group's director of business operations, to talk about SNAP eligibility, error rates, and participation. The trio discuss how states are navigating the interplay between federal and state funds for food assistance programs around the country. Jeri is a multi-faceted innovator and change agent in health and human services dedicated to helpi...

Dr. Deb Shropshire and Kelly Harder kick off the inaugural episode of the Human Services Group Change Makers podcast by telling a bit about their personal backgrounds, and discussing what (and who) they aim to focus through this new show.  Dr. Deb is a distinguished pediatrician and public servant renowned for her transformative leadership and commitment to improving child welfare. Throughout her...