Swearing in of Susan Dreyfus

May 20, 2009

It�s a pleasure to have all of you here today for this very special occasion.

We�re facing even tougher and more challenging times than we�ve ever seen, but the leadership at DSHS has never, ever shied away from adversity or challenges.

You instill confidence in me that my vision for transformation is achievable. And, I�m bringing you a new leader who is ready to join you in the shaping of a more efficient, effective and dynamic organization.

Times like these call for courage, innovation and generosity.

No longer is there room for doing things the same old way. We must find new, better ways to deliver our services and we must stop doing what�s no longer necessary.

It�s no longer about doing more with less, but doing less smarter.
And, that doesn�t just mean making more cuts; it requires us all to look ahead, with bold thinking and vision. You all play an integral role in better positioning the agency for the future.

So, today I invite you to muster the courage to make the kind of changes that will make this a stronger, more effective agency, for the sake of the literally millions of Washington residents who rely on its services to make their lives better.

I�m confident I�ve provided you with precisely the kind of leader to guide and support you, a leader who brings the right kind of experiences, insights, creativity and a knife-sharp focus on successful outcomes for the people being served.

Susan Dreyfus says she believes that the mark of a good leader is to build lasting initiatives and change efforts by earning both internal and external buy-in and support.

I know that Susan has a passion toward making systems work better through a consumer focus, involving collaboration across sectors and the leveraging of knowledge and resources.

A good example is when she challenged her team to consider how they could double the number of adoptions they did annually.

It required them to think differently, outside the box. They changed their program design and partnered with community-based agencies. In less than two years they hit their 1,000 goal and the system design is still in place.

Another example is when she learned, through national-level research, of just how many children of incarcerated parents were in the child welfare system.

By working with a local child welfare agency and varied state and local partners, Susan and her team created one of the first programs for children with mothers in the prison system, with caregiver support, support groups for the children and visitation.

Susan says she�ll always remember the day she rode on a school bus with 30 children and an 18-month-old on her lap - to Ellsworth prison.

People in Washington will come to learn that Susan will be visible on the front lines. She believes it is the only way we can accomplish our priorities and set sound policy that can work.

She has a genuine "feeling" for the work you do. She has tremendous respect for the employees on the front line and values their insights and experiences.

When Susan left her job with the state of Wisconsin, the state employees in the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare presented her with a plaque that says, "Queen Barrier Buster."

She says that plaque will hang in her office here in Olympia.

I, for one, am ready for Susan to break down barriers and take on the tough challenges.

And, so as to not waste a minute, I�ve given her my four priorities and tasked her to go at it.

The first is to find immediate efficiencies in the agency as well as position it better to meet future demands.

She�s very familiar with our economic crisis and knows how to live within her means. But, she also understands that DSHS must continue to meet the immediate health and safety needs of the vulnerable populations it serves.

Secondly, I�ve asked Susan to spend time and energy in filling the Children�s Administration Assistant Secretary position.

This agency has undertaken several significant reform initiatives to improve outcomes for the children it serves. It�s at a critical juncture of early implementation, and it also has additional areas needing attention and improvement.

Next, we all know that DSHS spends more than any other state agency on health care, and I find it essential that Susan commit to and continue the reform work already under way of developing a more effective, value-driven health care delivery system.

And finally, the public mental health system is a key component of our state�s overall health care system and health care reform will not be effective is it doesn�t encompass mental health services.

While the state has provided substantial funding increases in the last four years, there is inadequate information about the outcomes of those increases. I�ve asked Susan to take steps to increase the transparency and accountability of state-funded mental health services.

Susan may join us bringing her plaque from her previous employees, but we�re here today presenting her with a proverbial overflowing plate � a plate of critical priorities.

I believe that Susan is the right leader at the right time. She is up to the challenges I�ve asked of her, and I�m very confident Susan will deliver.

Susan, will you please come to the front.