Gov. Heineman Outlines Proposal to Reform HHSS; Improve Operation of System Structure


August 24, 2006 - (Lincoln, Neb.) Gov. Dave Heineman today outlined the concepts of a plan designed to restructure the management of Nebraska’ Health and Human Services System (HHSS) in an effort to bring greater clarity, transparency and comprehension to one-third of state government.

The Governor’s proposal would reform the system, which currently operates as three distinct agencies, to a structure where HHSS becomes one agency. The single agency structure would consist of six departments, including the Departments of Public Health, Medicaid, Children and Family Services, Behavioral Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Veterans’ Homes.

“The goal of this proposal is to refine, not reinvent, Nebraska’s Health and Human Services System,” Gov. Heineman said. “A top priority in developing this restructuring plan was to create an agency that accurately reflects the core missions of HHSS, and while these departments might not identify every important task within the system, they offer a much clearer indication of the true scope and responsibilities of this agency.”

Currently, the system is divided into three departments including HHS Services, HHS Regulation and Licensure and HHS Finance and Support, led by a policy cabinet made up of directors of the three agencies and a policy secretary.

Gov. Heineman said, “The problem we’ve been facing is how to help Nebraskans know what HHSS does and which department they can contact for an answer to their questions. The reality is that it’s very difficult to know where to go for help. The agency that is charged with providing services to our residents should not be a complex maze of names and missions. It should be organized in a clear, logical and accessible manner.”

A key aspect of the restructuring proposal involves the creation of a separate Department of Children and Family Services.

The new department would put an increased focus on efforts to meet the needs of children and vulnerable adults by maintaining strong ties between functions such as protection and safety and economic assistance. Front-line workers and those based in the network of offices located throughout the state would continue delivery of services as part of the Department of Children and Family Services.

The current Department of HHS Services is responsible for the delivery of care to citizens ranging from foster children to the consumers of behavioral health care services, management of juvenile and sex offenders, providing support for families receiving economic support, overseeing services for children and adults with developmental disabilities, and managing Nebraska’s veterans’ homes. The new structure would highlight many of these functions.

“This department is critical to fulfilling the core mission of providing support for people in need,” Gov. Heineman said. “If the safety and well-being of Nebraska’s children and their families are going to continue to be a top priority, then we need to ensure that staff, from our front-line workers all the way up to the director, has the time to devote to that mission.

“By removing some of the current functions of the services agency and elevating them to stand on their own as individual departments, we hope to increase the focus on services provided to children and their families.”

Another key component of the Governor’s proposal is the creation of a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for HHSS who would have the management tools needed to ensure success and help the agency move forward. Each of the six departments created under the Governor’s proposal would be headed by a director who reports to the CEO, all of whom would be appointed by the Governor and subject to confirmation by the Legislature.

“An organization of this size needs a day-to-day manager who can devote the time it takes to solve problems and offer the necessary vision and leadership to move the system forward,” Gov. Heineman said. “What Nebraska needs is for this agency to have a leadership structure that enables success and encourages accountability. Under this structure, the CEO and the directors would work to make the entire agency more effective and more responsive to Nebraska citizens.”

Gov. Heineman said, “This proposal grew out of a pledge I made to Senator Jim Jensen and other members of the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee at the conclusion of the last legislative session. I said I would work with the HHSS Policy Cabinet and others to develop a proposal for a management structure that would strengthen the system. I believe we have an opportunity to take what we’ve learned since the reorganization in the mid-90s and find a better, more effective way to structure HHSS.”

The reorganization began in 1994 and combined what had once been five separate agencies into three, uniting them under the umbrella of the Health and Human Services System.

“One of the strongest outcomes of that reorganization has been the increased collaboration and coordination that now takes place between the various programs and departments,” Gov. Heineman said. “I want to continue to build on that relationship. I will continue to work with the current leadership of HHSS and its many workers, along with the Legislature, to strengthen the agency and help to take the next step in improving the services we provide to Nebraskans and their families.”