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Tana Senn, DCYF acting secretary, prioritizes communication, staff support and juvenile overcrowding
Summary
Acting Secretary Tana Senn told the Senate Human Services Committee Feb. 11 she will focus on improving communication, supporting staff and addressing juvenile rehabilitation overcrowding at Green Hill, and asked the legislature for tools and capacity to reduce facility population.
Tana Senn, acting secretary of the Department of Children, Youth and Families, testified Feb. 11 before the Senate Human Services Committee and said her immediate priorities are improving communication, supporting the agency workforce and delivering better service to families — alongside urgent work to address overcrowding at juvenile rehabilitation facilities.
Senn, who served in the state Legislature and as chair of the House Human Services, Youth and Early Learning Committee, told senators she stepped into the role to avoid a lengthy national search and to provide continuity. “It has been so rewarding already in just five weeks to speak with the staff who are the most committed people that I've ever met,” she said, referencing the roughly 5,000 employees across juvenile rehabilitation, social work, early learning and licensing.
Why it matters: Senn warned that juvenile rehabilitation overcrowding — particularly at Green Hill School — is hampering rehabilitation efforts and jeopardizing safety. She said Green Hill typically houses about 230–240 young men on many days while its design capacity is about 180, leading to widespread double-bunking and difficulty providing programming.
Senn described three immediate internal priorities: better internal and external communication so staff, providers and families can find and use services; improving support for social workers and juvenile-rehabilitation staff, including addressing secondary trauma; and focusing on public service and streamlined service delivery.
On overcrowding, Senn said DCYF cannot resolve the problem alone and needs additional off-site capacity and legislative flexibility. She said the agency is working to open an additional 48 beds to help reduce Green Hill’s population and asked legislators to consider slowing inflow and speeding up outflow from facilities where appropriate. Senn also asked for flexibility in JR-to-25 policies enacted in recent years so DCYF can better match security levels and placements.
Senators pressed Senn on litigation and safety. Senator Christian pointed to settlements and said DCYF had paid about 151 settlements in the last biennium; Senn responded that many of the department’s claims are legacy cases, with roughly 60–80 older claims concentrated in earlier decades and that about 80% of certain cases stem from 20–30 years ago. Senn acknowledged the increase in claims but emphasized the need for policy stability so staff can implement changes to fidelity.
Senn said an employee engagement survey showed 88% of staff said they worked at DCYF because of the mission. She told senators the agency has begun appreciative-inquiry interviews and open leadership forums to surface successful practices and to spread them systemwide as part of a culture-change effort.
On juvenile rehabilitation specifics, Senn described the population distribution: Echo Glen houses younger people and women up to age 25, while Green Hill houses most men over 18 up to age 25. She urged the legislature to pass a package that includes diversion and voluntary-transfer measures to help slow inflow and create options for placement, and said several bills under consideration could assist.
Ending: The committee planned to executive both gubernatorial appointments the following day. Senn told senators she looked forward to working with them on overcrowding, workforce support and improved service delivery; no confirmation vote was taken during the Feb. 11 hearing.
