Policy & Practice June 2015

association news

DPSS Builds Future Leaders Through Management Fellows Program The Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) is beginning its second year of the Management Fellows Program (MFP), a two-year program that has brought an impressive mix of Management Fellows with backgrounds in education and public/private sector knowl- edge to address DPSS’ departmental challenges. Managed by the County of Los Angeles Department of Human Resources (DHR), the MFP is admin- istered within DPSS by the Bureau of Administrative Services. The minimum qualification for the position is a master’s or higher degree from an accredited college. MFP candidates are assessed on their critical thinking ability, leadership potential, and ability to communi- cate effectively. The candidates also undergo a battery of assessments, such as a work-style assessment, a cognitive broad-based written test, a writing assessment, and an interview. Five fellows were selected based on their enthusiasm and creative ideas. Dimitri De Silva found that his legal expertise as a legislative analyst with the City of Los Angeles and County DHR were a solid foundation for his assign- ment, analyzing the financial impacts of legislation on DPSS’ operations. A military veteran, Jorge Anaya , utilized his business/logistics back- ground to evaluate space planning efforts for the department. Meredyth Atkinson and Thu Pham found their attorney backgrounds to be assets in the Contract Management Division, where they worked on the development and procurement of program services impacting participants. Ricardo Castaneda ’s path slightly differed in that he was promoted from

within DPSS. A long-time DPSS eligi- bility worker, GAIN Services worker/ supervisor, and most recently, a Fiscal Compliance auditor, he was assigned to the Management Information and Evaluation Section. For more information, visit www. facebook.com/LACMF. 48th Annual IT Solutions Management for Human Services (ISM) Conference The 48th annual ISM Conference is being held August 30–September 2 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, an architectural gem set in the heart of downtown Philadelphia. This year’s theme is Celebrating our History, Building our Future. As ISM nears a half century of leadership in health and human services (HHS) informa- tion technology (IT), the future is full of opportunity for innovative tech- nology solutions to address human service needs. This year’s conference planning is nearly complete and the agenda is timed to address the chal- lenges of improving service delivery with a shrinking workforce and rapidly evolving technology. This year’s conference categories— Customer Engagement, Emerging Technologies, Best Practices, Data Analytics, and Workforce Enablement—are presented in 24 breakout sessions led by federal, state, local, and private-sector HHS thought leaders. “In designing this year’s agenda, the ISM Planning Team has strived to address everyday challenges like customer engagement and an aging workforce that are common to all HHS programs,” said Todd Bright, ISM’s president and assistant director of Arizona’s Child Support Program. “ISM 2015 highlights successful inno- vations in several HHS programs, from Child Care to Child Welfare, to

Child Support, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as well as Medicaid, Aging, and Disability programs. Collectively, ISM 2015 addresses the entire HHS enterprise from an IT and high-level business perspective.” ISM 2015 provides conference attendees with a unique opportunity to network with local, state, and private- sector IT and program professionals from across the United States as well as with federal HHS partners. Day 1 features the return of John Kost of the Gartner Group to deliver a thought-pro- voking keynote address. A guaranteed highlight on Day 2 is a stirring and motivating presentation called “Dare to Dream,” with Mary Wilson—original member and founder of the 1960s female singing group, The Supremes, and Pam Stone from the TV sitcom, Coach. Day 3 is always popular “Federal Day” with federal agency representa- tives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Food and Nutrition Service, the Administration for Children and Families, and the Social Security Administration, inter- acting on a wide range of topics from data sharing to the use of the A-87 waiver for enhanced funding. The conference exhibit hall will host a diverse group of public- and private-sector vendors displaying their latest products, solutions, and services directed at the HHS market. ISM Award winners will demonstrate their systems in our Solutions Center located in the Exhibit Hall. Visit http://www. aphsa-ism.org to register and review the conference agenda. Fellowships for state conference attendees will be offered once again this year. Applications for fellowships will be accepted on the conference web site fromMay 19 to June 19, 2015. Follow us on Twitter (APHSA1) and LinkedIn (APHSA).

June 2015   Policy&Practice 31