Sometimes a Great Podcast

At the end of another week of servicing humans, there should always be a little bit of time for fun...

FACT of the Week November 5, 2025 1 Min. 40 sec. Topic: Federal courts order emergency SNAP funding On Tuesday, November 4 , ODHS received new guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) about November SNAP benefits . The federal government has directed all states to issue 50 percent of each household’s normal monthly benefit due to limited federal funding during the ongoing shutdown....

Season 1, Episode 21: Nov. 5, 2025 35 min What’s inside The Big Picture This week’s episode of The Big Picture: The Voices of ODHS features an in-depth conversation with Bree Scarborough, a mother working to rebuild stability and independence for her family; Victoria Neil, her Child Welfare permanency worker; and Christine Warner, her Family Coach from Self-Sufficiency Programs. Together, they sha...

Length: 3:39 11/3/2025: 3:46 p.m. Federal courts have ordered the release of partial SNAP funding during the ongoing government shutdown, but benefits haven’t yet been issued in Oregon. ODHS is waiting for official guidance and funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture before moving forward. Once released, it will take time for benefits to appear on EBT cards, as states and vendors coordinate...

At the governor’s request, the ODHS Office of Resilience and Emergency Management (OREM) has taken an active role to strengthen Oregon’s food support network during the SNAP delay. Working with partners across the state, OREM is tracking food supplies, coordinating distribution and prioritizing families most at risk of running out of food. Local offices are asked to complete a daily data form and...

Season 1, Episode 20: Nov. 3, 2025 24 min From cliff-edge deadlines to cross-program victories, this week’s episode follows the Fellowship as it sets out across the landscape of ODHS. We face the SNAP cliff, master the art of written spell-craft, and celebrate four epic tales of teamwork where staff collaboration turns challenges into triumphs. It’s strategy, spirit, and service — all rolled into...

A Friday Funny to take you into this Halloween weekend...

Season 1, Episode 19 •Oct. 29, 2025 43 min Beneath the glow of a Halloween moon, ODHS faces its fears, finds its footing, and proves that even in a season of shadows, compassion still conquers the creepiness. From budget bats and policy potions to plain-language spells and the steady light of foster-care heroes—this week’s episode brews equal parts humor, heart, and human service. What’s Inside De...

Season 1, Episode 18 · October 22, 2025 · 41 min Grab a cart and roll down the aisles—this week’s episode is stocked with socket sets of strategy, power tools of purpose, and the people turning small fixes into solid frameworks across ODHS. What’s inside: Deadline: ODHS (06:35) & FACT of the Week (9:00) Safety, Health & Well-Being Forums (Oct 20–24) – Practical tools, resources, and discus...

This time, we’re tackling something that doesn’toften make headlines but has major consequences—the SNAP payment error rate . It’s one of the key measures the federal government uses to judge how accurately states deliver food benefits, and under House Resolution 1 , it’s tied directly to how much Oregon will have to pay.

This time, we’re looking at what happens after eligibility—how House Resolution 1 changes the way SNAP is funded and what it means for Oregon’s budget. HR 1 doesn’t just adjust who qualifies; it rewires how food support is paid for and administered across every state. For decades, SNAP’s costs were shared evenly: the federal government covered half of administrative expenses and all of the food be...

This time, we’re talking about one of the most immediate shifts from House Resolution 1 —the changes to SNAP eligibility. These updates reach deep into how food benefits are determined and who continues to receive them. Under HR 1, the biggest change affects able-bodied adults without dependents , or ABAWDs—people ages 18 to 64 who don’t have a child under 14 in their home

Together with Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement Director   Jessica Ventura, we want to remind you about Oregon’s Sanctuary Promise — what it means for all of us, our shared responsibilities under the law, and ways to support and stand with our communities. For more information, see the Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025 email "Director's message: Reminder about Oregon’s sanctuary promise.&...

Season 1, Episode 17 · October 15, 2025 · 55 min It’s a high-octane ride through deadlines, federal updates, and program rollouts—gears shifting fast, communication systems humming, and every segment more than meets the eye. This week: Deadline: ODHS (05:56) and FACT of the Week (16:07) Ready, Staffer One (19:43): Federal webinar highlights featuring Acting Deputy Director Dana Hittle, HR 1 Co-Lea...

Season 1, Episode 16 · October 8, 2025 · 53 min It’s a British Bake Off –style tour through deadlines, federal updates, and program wins—proofed, laminated, and finished with a Discover glaze! What’s inside Deadline: ODHS (06:44) and FACT of the Week (15:22) The Magnificent 7 (17:42): Parent Advisory Council guide (Douglas Co.); OEP national awards & EligiBot; North Bend mobile van outage resp...

We Don’t Pod No Stinkin’ Badgers! Season 1, Episode 15 — October 1, 2025 · 54 mins This week on Sometimes a Great Podcast we open with origin beats and the platform drop. The pod is now available iTunes & Spotify— including all of our previous episodes. Then we’ll suit up for Deadline: ODHS (5:12) beginning with guidance on how ODHS is responding to the partial shutdown of the federal governme...

Season 1, Episode 14 September 17, 2025 · 44 mins This week on Sometimes a Great Podcast , we bring a full ’90s sitcom lineup—without the canned laughter. Acting Director Liesl Wendt opens the show (2:01), followed by Deadline: ODHS , it’s a clips-show mix of Out of the Darkness community walks, Orange Shirt Day, the PMA fall conference, and Disability Employment Awareness webinars. (5:42) FACT of...

September 17, 2025 · 44 mins Season 1, Episode 13 This week on Sometimes a Great Podcast ,  This week on Sometimes a Great Podcast , we’re packed with Oregon-grown goodness. In Deadline: ODHS we’ve got three dates poking their heads up into your calendar, (7:52) while the FACT of the Week blooms bigger than ever as part of The Big Picture (24:29). But first, there’s “Design, Real, Delivered,” wher...

September 10, 2025 · 50 mins Season 1, Episode 12 This week on Sometimes a Great Podcast , we get our “E” on in both FACT of the Week , and Deadline ODHS . There’s the everyday things you need to know - even if we need you to do something a little abnormal to find them. (4:38) Then, we’ll preview next week’s interview with one of the leaders of the Federal Action Coordination Team—aka the folks be...

3 Sept · 53 mins September 3, 2025 (Season 1, Episode 11): This week on Sometimes a Great Podcast, Deadline: ODHS rings the bell on two key dates — the agency-wide Rebranding Webinar happening today and Florence’s “Beat the Wave” Tsunami Evacuation Quest coming September 7 (4:59). In FACT of the Week, we highlight how you can be a part of the messages we share with our communities. (13:52) Then in...

27 Aug · 40 mins August 27, 2025 (Season 1, Episode 10): This week on Sometimes a Great Podcast , Deadline: ODHS drops some dates for a virtual Spanish-language emergency-preparedness event. (6:01) In FACT of the Week, we unpack the potential $15 billion federal budget cut announced by Governor Kotek, what it could mean for Oregon programs, and the reassurance that SNAP benefits and ODHS staff pos...

Relaaaaaaax! Take it cheesy! This week in “Sometimes a Great Podcast: The Voices of ODHS” have all kinds of news for managers, and those hoping to become one or just a better one. We’ll also head down the river and down the beach, where we’ll pop the Cork on life in a rural - but not definitely not small - district. 20 Aug · 41 mins August 20, 2025 (Season 1, Episode 9): This week on Sometimes a G...

Bring me a HIRED love!  All kinds of news for managers, and those hoping to become one or just a better one. This week in “Sometimes a Great Podcast: The Voices of ODHS”13 Aug · 50 mins August 13, 2025 (Season 1, Episode 8):This week on Sometimes a Great Podcast , Dateline: ODHS includes the search for a permanent head of the Developmental Disabilities Services, and some quick reminders about upco...

WOWI That’s an awesome truck! It’s another week on the roads to TransformationSometimes a Great Podcast – The Oregon Department of Human Services 6 Aug · 52 mins “Sometimes a Great Podcast:” August 6, 2025 (Season 1, Episode 7):We kick off “Deadline: ODHS,” with a retiring director and a VERY exciting truck in Roseburg, (3:26) followed by our “FACT of the Week,” (6:37), we’ll roll into “The Magnif...

Christine Warner: One Family Coach, Two Programs, No Wrong Door Sometimes a Great Podcast –  The Oregon Department of Human Services 23 Jul · 46 mins. “Sometimes a Great Podcast:” July 30, 2025 (Season 1, Episode 6): After our regular “Deadline: ODHS,” (4:23) and “FACT of the Week,” (6:09) segments, we’ll get into the next edition of “Survivor, Oregon.” This month: Emergency Kits for In-Home Medic...