Tonight in his State of the State address, Governor Haslam called on Tennessee government to transform the way it does business. We are not alone; in these economic times, this charge is being made to governments everywhere and at every level.
Governor Haslam has stressed that we must do everything we can to continue to deliver services to Tennessee’s citizens while improving efficiency. To succeed, we will have to keep the outcomes that we we seek for our clients first and foremost in our priorities. At the same time, we have to find ways to save on costs.
The budget proposal calls for closing the seven Juvenile Justice group homes. If implemented today, this would mean that 74 people would lose their positions at DCS. An additional 5 filled positions are to be reduced in Administration. The actual numbers of staff displaced will likely be much lower by the time this plan would be implemented.
The first priority is to ensure that there is no reduction in the services that bring good outcomes to our kids. This proposal accomplishes just that.
The group homes currently provide services that are also delivered by our network of private providers. The services are parallel and duplicate one another. Under this plan, the youth will continue to get the services that they require, while we conserve resources for other uses.
Finding this way to reduce costs has some significant advantages for our ability to serve our clients. This budget proposal would allow us to maintain more staff positions in the Youth Development Centers, as well as the Juvenile Justice Coordinators in the Regions. It preserves valued grants to courts and communities for another year, as well as community-based services for juvenile justice youth and their families. It also ensures that we have the resources we need to stay on track with the progress we have made towards a successful exit from Brian A.
We know that this is difficult news for many of you to hear. We are committed to doing all that we can to help people find other positions for which they are qualified in state government or elsewhere. We will keep you posted on the latest developments as the budget begins to move through the legislature.
The work does not end with tonight’s budget proposal. I ask you to join me in thinking of new ways of meeting the outcomes of our mission, while ensuring maximum efficiency in our use of resources. Thanks to everyone, for all of the hard work you do on behalf of Tennessee’s children and families.
Governor Haslam has stressed that we must do everything we can to continue to deliver services to Tennessee’s citizens while improving efficiency. To succeed, we will have to keep the outcomes that we we seek for our clients first and foremost in our priorities. At the same time, we have to find ways to save on costs.
The budget proposal calls for closing the seven Juvenile Justice group homes. If implemented today, this would mean that 74 people would lose their positions at DCS. An additional 5 filled positions are to be reduced in Administration. The actual numbers of staff displaced will likely be much lower by the time this plan would be implemented.
The first priority is to ensure that there is no reduction in the services that bring good outcomes to our kids. This proposal accomplishes just that.
The group homes currently provide services that are also delivered by our network of private providers. The services are parallel and duplicate one another. Under this plan, the youth will continue to get the services that they require, while we conserve resources for other uses.
Finding this way to reduce costs has some significant advantages for our ability to serve our clients. This budget proposal would allow us to maintain more staff positions in the Youth Development Centers, as well as the Juvenile Justice Coordinators in the Regions. It preserves valued grants to courts and communities for another year, as well as community-based services for juvenile justice youth and their families. It also ensures that we have the resources we need to stay on track with the progress we have made towards a successful exit from Brian A.
We know that this is difficult news for many of you to hear. We are committed to doing all that we can to help people find other positions for which they are qualified in state government or elsewhere. We will keep you posted on the latest developments as the budget begins to move through the legislature.
The work does not end with tonight’s budget proposal. I ask you to join me in thinking of new ways of meeting the outcomes of our mission, while ensuring maximum efficiency in our use of resources. Thanks to everyone, for all of the hard work you do on behalf of Tennessee’s children and families.
Commissioner Kate O'Day
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