Show Notes
Season 2, Episode 19: Sep. 9, 2026 Length: 22:27 This week, The Big Picture comes from Portland, where we sit down with Nicomi Levine, ICWA permanency supervisor in District 2, and Angela Mellison, family coach for the ICWA team, to talk about tribal relationships, collaboration and what it means to support families with respect. The conversation begins with ICWA — the Indian Child Welfare Act — and the importance of working alongside tribes, respecting tribal sovereignty and making sure tribes are part of decisions involving their children and families. For Nikomi, that means supporting her team to follow the law and listen to tribes. For Angela, it means helping families connect with culturally specific resources and support before deeper system involvement is needed. You’ll hear how Unified Child and Family Services changes the work in practical ways. Instead of Child Welfare and Self-Sufficiency asking families to meet separate goals without always knowing what the other program is doing, staff can coordinate, understand what a family can manage and focus on shared steps that help support safety, stability and self-sufficiency. The episode also looks at what is still hard, especially for Native families in a metro area where services may be available, but culturally specific services are still not always sufficient. Nikomi and Angela talk about historical and generational trauma, the need for stronger connections and the importance of making support feel less like another door to open and more like one coordinated path. In the end, this episode is about relationship: with tribes, with families, across programs and within communities. From ICWA work to SSP support, Portland shows how collaboration can reduce competing demands, honor culture and help families move forward with more dignity in… The Big Picture. CreditsHost: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe, CommunicationsProduced by: Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: [email protected]
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Season 2, Episode 31 Length: 20:07 This week, The Big Picture sits down with ODHS Director Liesl Wendt for a conversation about leadership, transformation and what it means to put the human back in human services. Fresh from a visit to Burns, Liesl talks about the resilience of rural communities, the pride ODHS staff take in their work and her vision of One ODHS: an agency where people come before acronyms, bureaucracy supports rather than obstructs service, and leadership is something employees practice at every level. The conversation also explores the changes facing ODHS and why Liesl believes the agency needs to become more comfortable trying new ideas, learning from what doesn't work and building on what does. From budget challenges and frontline experiences to the importance of giving staff the tools and freedom to solve problems, she describes a culture where change is an ongoing process rather than a single destination. You'll also hear what excites Liesl about the agency's future, including the staff-driven ideas from the Beaver-Duck Innovation Classic and the emergency response work that has earned ODHS national attention. For Liesl, both demonstrate what happens when employees closest to the work help shape the solutions. In the end, this episode is about curiosity, teamwork and recognizing the leadership already happening throughout ODHS. From rural offices to agency headquarters, Liesl makes the case that putting people first means listening to staff, trusting their expertise and finding better ways to serve Oregonians together in… The Big Picture. CreditsHost: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe, CommunicationsGuest: Liesl Wendt, Director, Oregon Department of Human ServicesProduced by: Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: [email protected]
Season 2, Episode 26 — Oct. 19, 2026 Length: 9:59 This week’s episode takes Discover to Hollywood with updates on intersex awareness, data equity, workplace accommodations, SNAP and OHP work rules, Workday sick leave entries, Outlook changes and domestic violence resources. With no new 4Minutes4U this week, the episode begins in Deadline: ODHS with Pride ERG’s Intersex Awareness Day event, the State of Oregon Data Equity Summit and an ABLENet session on workplace accommodations. From there, Fact of the Week highlights resources for navigating separate SNAP and OHP work rules, while Dateline covers shift differentials, Outlook’s new Promotions folder and domestic violence support and awareness. 4Minutes4U: Nothing this week
Season 2, Episode 29 — Oct. 14, 2026 Length: 23:44 This week, The Big Picture hops into the wayback machine to bring you an interview we did a year ago. It’s story focused on National Disability Employment Awareness Month, where we sat down with Diane Navarrete, an ODHS communications officer whose story is also featured in the October 8 ODHS Facebook post. Diane lives with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a genetic condition that affects nerves and muscle strength — though, as we will explain, not the teeth. Diane’s story is about much more than a diagnosis. She’s also someone who has received the kinds of support Vocational Rehabilitation can provide, including learning to use voice recognition technology so she could continue her career and keep doing the work she loves. And now, Diane helps tell that story for others. As a strategic communicator with ODHS Communications, she works in what she considers her dream job: communicating about Vocational Rehabilitation and helping more people understand the services, tools and opportunities that can support people with disabilities in the workforce. In the end, Diane’s story is a reminder that disability inclusion is not only a goal. It is one way Oregon’s workforce becomes stronger, more creative and more connected. When barriers are removed and people have the tools they need to thrive, everyone moves forward in… The Big Picture. CreditsHost: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe, CommunicationsProduced by: Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: [email protected]
Season 2, Episode 28 — Oct. 12, 2026 Length: 9:57 This week’s episode goes prospecting through Discover for updates on annual required trainings, public charge resources, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, 2027 health plan recordings, employee store passes, Pride ERG’s Queer Identity Series and advisory seats supporting LGBTQIA2S+ older adults. With no new 4Minutes4U this week, the episode begins in Deadline: ODHS with three required trainings due by Oct. 31. From there, FACT of the Week highlights a new public charge FAQ from the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement, while Dateline covers DVAM resources, health plan training recordings, Nike and Adidas employee passes, the next Queer Identity Series session and openings on the LGBTQIA2S+ Subcommittee of the Governor’s Commission on Senior Services. 4Minutes4U: Nothing this week
Season 2, Episode 27 — Oct. 5, 2026 Length: 34:50 This week’s episode of The Big Picture comes from District 2 and features a conversation about refugee support, Child Welfare, Self-Sufficiency and the ODHS Transformation. Bethany talks with Kosrat Meman, a Human Services Manager who works with Refugee Services and SSP, and Child Protective Services supervisors Rebecca Lusk and Tara Bridges. They discuss what happens when families are working with more than one ODHS program, especially refugee and immigrant families who may be navigating trauma, unfamiliar systems, language barriers and different relationships with government. More than reflections and questions, however, this episode also includes answers and observations from Marissa Moon, interim District 2 manager. Who, as she listens to members of her team, connects the staff experiences raised in the conversation to the goals of the ODHS Transformation: stronger coordination across programs, clearer pathways to expertise, less duplicate work and a more connected experience for families.All of them giving a Transformational view of ODHS already underway… in The Big Picture.