Transcript of KSBI – TV interview for Community News Tonight with Monica
Price (MP) and Mike O’Brien (MO) on Monday, February 2, 2009.
MP: Welcome back, nearly one in five Oklahomans has disabilities. Now the
Department of Rehabilitation Services is working to provide employment and the
opportunity to live independently. To tell us more about this joining us tonight
is Mike O’Brien, he’s the Director of the Department of Rehabilitation Services.
Thank you so much for joining us, Mike.
MO: Thank you, I’m pleased to be here.
MP: First of all, congratulations, you’re brand new to the position. Tell us
about that, when you started and a little bit about your background.
MO: I started officially December 1st, but became the Director on January 1st.
I’ve been in the rehabilitation business for 30 years, I have a doctorate and
I’ve even been a professor of rehabilitation services.
MP: Wow, a lot of experience there. Now I know you’re trying to implement some
new programs and services. Tell us about those things.
MO: Well, the first thing we’ve been wanting to do is implement a release of
more clients so they can get service. We’ve been in an order of selection, and
so we’ve had clients we couldn’t serve this past, about two weeks ago we were
able to release 1,400 new people into services. We’ve very excited about that.
We’re also focusing now on increasing our efficiencies, trying to find ways to
serve more customers more effectively.
MP: Right, and I know one way you’re trying to do that is by training. You
really feel everything is evolving and so you really want to train these people.
MO: Well, in our world our business changes every single day. If there’s a
change in medicine, our work changes, a change in pharmacology, our work
changes, engineering, computers, so we have to make sure that our rehabilitation
counselors and rehabilitation teachers are prepared for that which means we’ve
got to continuously update their skills in order to put people to work.
MP: Right, Mike I know you heard one of the big stories today, the budget cuts
as far as our state. Tell us how bad it’s going to affect your agency?
MO: If it goes through as it’s planned, it’ll have a pretty dramatic cut for us.
The state dollars are a million and a half dollars in vocational rehabilitation
and about $500,000 for the School for the Deaf and the School for the Blind.
However, because we receive matching funds, we’ll lose an additional $6 million
in federal money, $4.5 million as a matching fund, and $1.5 million in penalties
for not maintaining our effort, and so we pay a penalty. So for us, it’ll be
over $8 million.
MP: Wow, now if this does happen, what do you think the solution is? Getting
creative, or how do you go about this?
MO: Well, the solution will be to be creative to serve as many as we can, but
we’re already in an order of selection which says we can’t serve everyone, so it
will mean reduced services. It’ll mean that we revert to serving only those with
the greatest needs and that some people will have to go without service.
MP: Mike, thank you so much for your insight and we have a phone number and web
address right there on the screen for people who would like more information.
Congratulations and welcome.
MO: Thank you, I appreciate the opportunity.
Employment Opportunities
For more information:
Department of Rehabilitation Services
1 (800) 845-8476
www.okdrs.gov