Oregon DHS director outlines budget, IT and staffing constraints; highlights resilience grants and family-preservation pilots

At an informational hearing Jan. 23 before the House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services, the director of the Oregon Department of Human Services told committee members the agency serves more than 1.5 million Oregonians and faces major technology, staffing and capacity challenges as it prepares the governor’s recommended 2025–27 budget.

The director framed agency work around “whole well‑being,” saying services must address social determinants such as housing, food and health care while recognizing that “no state agency…can provide is a sense of belonging and a purpose in life.” That framework underpins priorities the director said include improving customer service, modernizing legacy IT systems, strengthening the provider network and expanding emergency‑response capacity.

ODHS overview and budget profile The director told the committee ODHS reaches roughly 1,570,000 Oregonians through programs that include child welfare, self‑sufficiency benefits, aging and people with disabilities, vocational rehabilitation and developmental disability services. The agency operates from 173 buildings statewide (148 customer‑facing storefronts), organized into 16 districts, and reported that about 61% of its funding comes from federal sources, with Medicaid identified as the largest single funding stream.

The director said nearly 60% of the agency’s budget is concentrated in two program areas that serve older adults and people with disabilities and that more than 90% of the legislatively approved budget is distributed into communities as direct assistance, provider payments or…