Overview

Description: This policy describes the expectations, one-time and on-going actions to enhance the equity in the access to gender-specific services to children and youth provided by DHS.

The Department will undertake action, where appropriate, to incorporate gender specific perspectives and practices into the program strategy, development, implementation, analysis, and DHS work culture. To accomplish this, gender consciousness and related topics must be integrated into all aspects of DHS work; including program implementation, service delivery and the recruitment, continuous development and work expectations for DHS staff.

Purpose/Rationale: "The legislature acknowledges that females under 18 when compared to males under 18 often lack equal access to services and treatment provided by human services organizations. The legislature and DHS declares that it is a matter of best interest for the state that males and females under 18 have equal access to gender appropriate services, "facilities and treatments". ORS 417.270.

The Department seeks to ensure that children and youth accessing services receive gender-specific services that effectively meet their needs and that gender consciousness and related issues are integrated into the internal and external work of the Department, through its programs, services and offices, as well as the many delivery systems through which it provides services.

Applicability: Expectations for All DHS staff working with programs affecting children and youth. Specific expectations for DHS managers, program managers, human resources, contracts staff and others.

Failure to Comply: Possible legislative sanction.

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Policy

1. General
1. Gender specific perspectives and practices for children and youth will be integrated, where appropriate, into all parts of the Department’s service continuum and work-culture.
2. The Department’s service continuum includes intake to follow-up aftercare, program development through program evaluation; services and treatment, where appropriate.
2. The Department will undertake the following actions, where appropriate, to incorporate gender-specific perspectives and practices into the work culture, services, treatment and public relations.
1. The Department and its offices will use this policy and products, where appropriate, to
1. Ensure that staff become aware of and knowledgeable about the importance of gender-specific services for clients, delivery systems, and
2. Ensure that staff implement gender-specific services.
2. Incorporate gender-specific perspectives and practices into.
1. Administrative rule, policy and program documents, will include a clear statement about gender-specific service expectations, where appropriate. Department contracts and other agreements will include a clear statement of gender-specific services, expectations and / or performance measures, where appropriate.
2. Hiring, outreach will include gender-specific information, where appropriate.
3. Public Information. where DHS interfaces with the public, such as in outreach and education initiatives, will include gender-specific information, where appropriate.
4. DHS staff training will include topics on gender-specific services and will incorporate into other pertinent training curricula, where appropriate.
5. Diversity and multicultural conferences sponsored by DHS will include gender-specific topics and will integrate gender-specific services topics into the core subjects, where appropriate.
3. Measure results and report progress
1. Offices will report, where appropriate, through their cluster to a designated Department liaison on a biannual basis about cluster activities and efforts on ensuring access to gender specific services, facilities and treatment. This information will be included in the "Gender-Specific Services Report" required by the legislature, ORS 417.270.
2. The Department will develop and implement outcome measurement strategies and tools. These outcome strategies will be included in the required legislative reports.

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Procedure(s)

• DHS-010-004-01, Gender-specific Services
for Children and Youth Procedure

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Form(s)

• None

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Reference(s)

• ORS 417.270
• Legislative Report - Equal Access to Services for Girls and Boys. This is a biennial report to the Legislative Assembly required by ORS 417.270. The most recent report was submitted January 2003.
• A resource on gender-specific services for girls- "How to Implement Oregon’s Guidelines for Gender-Responsive Programming for Girls"
• A resource on gender-specific services for boys - Supporting Our Sons
• Howard Hiton and Associates

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Definition(s)

Gender-specific Services: Services, treatments, interventions, educational programs, and/or approaches that comprehensively address the unique needs, strengths and risk factors of each gender and fosters positive gender identity development.

• Also see Common Terms for department-wide support services policies

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Contact

• Name: Marita Baragli; Phone: 503-947-5287; Email: marita.baragli@state.or.us

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Policy History

• Version 1.0:
  • 01/01/2005 - Initial Release

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If you have comments about this site, send email to dhs.policyinfo@state.or.us.

Oregon Department of Human Services
500 Summer St. NE E25, Salem, OR 97301-1098
Phone: (503) 945-5944
Fax: (503) 378-2897
TTY: (503) 947-5330