Sometimes a Great Podcast

Season 1, Episode 63 — April 1, 2026Length: 11:32This episode introduces the first of many stories that explore Oregon’s frontier not as an idea, but as a working reality. Across some of the most remote communities in the state, distance, infrastructure, and geography shape how services are delivered and how decisions are made. What appears straightforward in policy or on a map becomes more complex in practice, where access is uneven and conditions rarely align with system design.Traveling through John Day, Enterprise, Burns, Condon, and Lakeview, a consistent pattern emerges: the work adapts. Staff operate in environments where relationships continue beyond the workday, where problems do not disappear, and where solutions are shaped by what is available rather than what is assumed. These stories reflect what it means to do this work in places where systems arrive incomplete—and people make them function anyway.Reporting first from John Day, in this series, Bethany listens to ODHS staff and the community members they serve and partner with. Learning how geography and isolation shape access, service delivery, and daily work conditions. She explores how staff operate in visible, relationship-based environments beyond the office setting. Seeing how decisions are shaped by constraints of connectivity, travel distance, and available resources. Ones requiring work to adapt to place rather than place adapting to systems. A place where long-term presence and relationships function as part of the infrastructure in… the Big Picture.CreditsHosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe, Communications, and Shenika, Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10 Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe Contact: bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov

Season 1, Episode 63a — March 30, 2026Length: 5:25This episode introduces us to the people of Grant County, as we explore how a place shapes the work of the ODHS and the people who carry it out. Through the experiences of staff and community partners, the stories show how geography, infrastructure, and local connection influence both what services are needed and how they are delivered.Across these stories, a consistent pattern emerges: systems meet real conditions, and the work adapts. From staff who return and choose to stay, to community partners who extend services across long distances, the episode highlights how relationships, resourcefulness, and local knowledge make services possible in environments where standard approaches do not always apply.Featuring Krista Qual, a family coach, and Kristina Kreger, a case worker for APD, this is the introduction to their world. One that shows how work on the Oregon frontier is irrevocably tied to the place in which the work is done. CreditsHosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe, Communications, and Shenika, Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe Contact: bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov

Season 1, Episode 62 — March 30, 2026Length: 16:39This week’s episode moves across a wide range of moments — from immediate deadlines and system updates to long-term transitions and structural changes in how we share information. The throughline is movement: how staff navigate systems in real time, how processes shape daily work, and how changes—both large and small—affect the way services are delivered across ODHS.Along the way, we cover upcoming trainings and federal policy changes, reflect on the retirement of a longtime leader, and introduce a new format for the podcast itself. From preparing for SNAP interviews to reshaping how information is delivered each week, the stories in this episode focus on clarity, usability, and the ongoing effort to make complex systems work more smoothly for staff and the people they serve.Deadline: ODHS (5:13)Community Resiliency Model trainings scheduled for April 8 and April 21ASIST two-day training in Salem on April 21–22 with manager approval requiredFact of the Week (6:21)Dateline: ODHS: (7:28)Ivonne Lopez retires after 32 years of leadership across ODHS programsChanges are comin’ to the Pod (8:01)New “Four Minutes For You” segment prioritizes key weekly informationBegins Monday, April 6Staff Feedback Survey (13:30)CreditsHosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe, Communications, and Shenika, Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov

Season 1, Episode 61 — March 25, 2026 Runtime: 7:33With Shenika on vacation, and Bethany’s noggin’seemingly slow in returning from hers, the schedule has moved at a pace that hasn’t allowed for keeping up—much less reflection, which tends to require at least a moment of sitting still and remembering what day it is. Accordingly, we’re using the Big Picture this week as an opportunity to catch up. To return to a handful of Discover stories that have already been doing their work in the background, now gathered together and given a bit more space.·      February 11, 2026 — Update on Work Out of Class(WOC) Changes·      February 23, 2026 — Supporting Your Well-Being:Tobacco Cessation & Substance Use Resources·      March 9, 2026 — Basics of Personal Finance –ODHS and OHA Staff Training·      March 10, 2026 — Oregon Deaf and Hard of HearingServices Is Here for You!·      March 16, 2026 — ODHS Recruiters Connect withCommunity at Beaverton Multi-Employer Job Fair·      March 17, 2026 — Course Offering: EffectiveManagement of Financial Resources·      March 17, 2026 — Spring—a Time to Refresh, aTime to Grow: The Community Resiliency Model Can Help You Grow More Resilient CreditsHosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe —Communications Shenika — Community PartnershipCoordinator, District 10Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: Questions / feedback:bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov

Season 1, Episode 60 — March 23, 2026Length: 14:59This week’s episode follows the movement of time — how moments connect across days, months, and even decades to shape the work we do across ODHS. From immediate deadlines to long-term impact, each story shows how past experience, present action, and future outcomes are linked in ways that are not always linear, but always meaningful.Along the way, we explore how decisions made today shape future services, how ongoing efforts like food drives and recognition months build over time, and how individual experiences continue to influence the way staff show up for the communities they serve. From a single envelope decades ago to leadership journeys just beginning, this week’s stories trace the timelines that carry the work forward.Staff engagement sessions scheduled for 2027–2029 Agency Request BudgetGovernor’s State Employees Food Drive continues through MarchNational Social Work Month recognizes staff across OregonJessica Prince’s journey from Oregon Health Plan recipient to Public Benefits SpecialistBeth Apa shares lived experience shaping her work as Volunteer Coordinator37 employees graduate from the Aspiring Leaders ProgramWriter’s Round-Up: “Run! ODHS, run!” (13:22)Hosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe, Communications, and Shenika, Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov

Season 1, Episode 59 — March 18, 2026 Runtime: 29:56In this episode of The Big Picture, Bethany heads to Hillsboro for Tu Salud — a community health fair where music, conversation, and Spanish-language outreach create the backdrop for a deeply personal conversation with Emma Lively, a Family Coach in District 15. Emma reflects on her journey from Venezuela to Oregon, the long path that brought her into ODHS, and the lived experience she now brings to families navigating unfamiliar systems in a new country.The conversation explores why community presence matters in ways media alone cannot replicate. Emma describes how printed materials, websites, and even translated information can only go so far if people do not see themselves reflected in the person offering help. For families who are new to the area, uncertain of their rights, or hesitant to trust institutions, connection often begins not with a brochure or a social media post, but with a face, a shared language, and the sense that someone truly understands their experience.Emma also speaks about the complexities of working in Washington County, Oregon’s most racially diverse county, where cultural understanding requires more than broad categories. She reflects on how ODHS can help people connect not just to benefits, but to the communities, churches, organizations, and cultural networks that help them feel less isolated. Throughout the conversation, she returns to a central point: access is not only about eligibility — it is also about belonging.The episode closes with Emma’s reflections on Oregon as a place of safety, beauty, and possibility — a state whose landscapes, communities, and openness helped turn a difficult migration story into a life she now proudly calls home.CreditsHosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — Communications Shenika — Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10Produced by:Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: Questions / feedback: bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov

Season 1, Episode 58 — March 16, 2026 Length: 21:00This week’s episode looks at beginnings — the moments when something first takes shape. From leadership conversations and new employee orientations to evolving federal health policy and emerging employee networks, each story captures a different kind of starting point.Along the way we explore how those beginnings grow into something larger. Leadership journeys take root, new employees find their footing, communities of practice form, and programs evolve as federal decisions ripple outward into everyday work.Deadline: ODHS (6:08)SSP leadership interview series returns March 18In-person employee orientation sessions launch statewideSAGE ERG meeting scheduled for March 19FACT of the Week (10:38)Oregon Health Plan rule changes expected in 2027The Magnificent Seven (12:43)Transformation update clarifies rollout directionSAGE ERG launches with first member meetingRaIN ERG introduces new meeting scheduleWriter’s Round-Up: “A Super-Caseworker Begins” (17:31)Credits Hosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe, Communications, and Shenika, Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10 Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe Contact: bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov

Season 1, Episode 57 — February 2026 27:54Last week, in the first part of our two part conversation in Roseburg, we talked with Tabitha Stevenson and Jessica Hunter about the district’s Parent Advisory Council. How it creates a formal space for parents who have experienced Child Welfare and Self-Sufficiency to directly shape how the work is done. We focused on practical impact rather than theory — from trauma-aware meeting spaces and fewer locked doors to faster, more humane changes driven by parent feedback.Where last week focused on visible outcomes, this week focuses on mindset, capacity, and the quiet choices that turn collaboration into trust.Tabitha reflects on how feedback moves quickly into action — not by accident, but because there’s a shared expectation that meetings lead somewhere. She points to changes that may seem small but are deeply meaningful in practice: celebratory dismissal dockets, affirmations for parents, and rituals that mark progress rather than shame. For her, these moments matter because reunification isn’t just a legal outcome — it’s a life-altering achievement that deserves dignity and recognition.Jessica widens the lens to what isn’t always captured in a playbook: leadership capacity, emotional readiness, and the discipline of showing up every month without exception. She describes how this work reshaped her leadership — learning to sit with grief, acknowledge harm without defensiveness, and follow through even when the work is relentless. The episode also touches on how lived experience informs staff training, where parents name words and actions they remember for decades, shaping engagement long after a case ends.What makes this week different is its focus on relationship as infrastructure. Trust isn’t built through redecorated rooms or shared meals alone — it’s built when leadership presence is non-negotiable, when commitments are honored, and when parents experience their voices not as symbolic, but as consequential. The episode closes, as always, with reflections on Oregon — and on Douglas County in particular — as a place where people rally around one another in moments of crisis, proving that systems change most when relationships come first.Celebrity PSA for the Day: “Knight” and Day: ODHS Progresses with AI (11:38)CreditsHosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — CommunicationsShenika — Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: Questions / feedback: bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov

Season 1, Episode 55 — March 9, 2026 14:18This week’s episode moves in circles — intentionally. From recognition deadlines to food security efforts and federal SNAP policy updates, each story reflects how small decisions travel outward through programs, partnerships, and communities before eventually circling back again. The throughline is connection: between policy and people, effort and opportunity, and the steady systems that keep support moving.Bethany returns from a week at sea with a cautionary tale about sunscreen and sunburned feet, setting a playful tone before the episode turns to the work at hand. From statewide food drive efforts to national leadership representation and evolving SNAP guidance, the message is simple: the work doesn’t move in straight lines. It loops through decisions, partnerships, and people — and when the circle turns again, we’re right where we need to be to keep it moving.Deadline: ODHS (5:39)Today, March 9, is the final day to submit nominations for the 2026 Ambassadors of Public ServiceFACT of the Week (6:31)Federal law changes SNAP work requirements for some Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs)Deadlines & Headlines Round-Up (9:48)Governor’s State Employees Food Drive continues through MarchDirector Liesl Wendt appointed to APHSA Leadership CouncilWriter’s Round-Up: “The Circle Game — Seuss Edition” (12:09)Credits Hosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe, Communications, and Shenika, Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10 Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe Contact: bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov

Season 1, Episode 43 — February 2026 27:43 minIn the first half of a two-part episode, the pod heads to Roseburg for a conversation that starts with a familiar Big Picture ritual — coffee, context, and the feeling of being welcomed back — and then moves quickly into one of the most concrete examples of system learning you’ll hear in this series. Bethany sits down with two guests: Tabitha Stevenson, a case manager at the Umpqua Valley Public Defender’s office and a member of the local Parent Advisory Council, and Jessica Hunter, a Child Welfare program manager for District 6 in Douglas County. Together, they explain what a Parent Advisory Council actually is: a structured, ongoing partnership where parents with lived experience in Child Welfare and Self-Sufficiency provide direct feedback to leadership about how the system feels, where it harms, and what can be changed to reduce trauma and increase dignity.Tabitha’s story brings the conversation into focus. She describes having her three children removed in October 2005 due to meth addiction, entering treatment, facing felony charges, and ultimately reunifying with her children less than a year later. That history isn’t shared for drama — it’s shared to explain why her role now carries unusual weight: she supports parents navigating dependency cases while also helping the agency improve how it engages families. In the episode, she names something many people struggle to articulate: there are parts of the Child Welfare experience that staff can’t “imagine” their way into, because the trauma is visceral, disorienting, and deeply embodied. The council creates a formal space where that truth can be spoken plainly — and where parents can feel, often for the first time, that they’re being heard by people with the authority to act.At the heart of the episode is what makes this work sustainable: humility, structure, and follow-through. Jessica talks about the emotional discipline required for leadership to sit with hard feedback without defensiveness — and the intentional design that helps make that possible: meeting in a neutral, welcoming room; starting with food, connection, and icebreakers that level the field; and committing to leadership presence every month. Just as important, she describes the “closed loop” principle: no suggestion is left hanging. If something can’t be done, the council is told why. If it can, it gets implemented — often quickly, because many ideas are common-sense, human-centered changes rather than policy battles. The episode offers vivid examples: reducing the number of locked doors parents must pass through for meetings, creating a more comforting family space, and launching practical improvements like early meetings between biological and resource parents — a shift Tabitha believes could have changed the course of her own case. By the end, Roseburg’s Parent Advisory Council isn’t framed as a feel-good initiative. It’s framed as a method: a way to build a culture where responsiveness is expected, dignity is operationalized, and lived experience isn’t just acknowledged — it’s treated as expertise.Celebrity PSA for the Day: What only a “Freeman” Can Feel (12:48)CreditsHosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — CommunicationsShenika — Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: Questions / feedback: bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov

Season 1, Episode 54 — March 2, 202614:02This week’s episode sails straight into practical readiness, blending a light nautical theme with clear updates that keep ODHS steady and secure. From optional cybersecurity refreshers to system upgrades and evolving AI guidance, the throughline is consistency — reinforcing habits and guardrails that help prevent small issues from becoming bigger disruptions.With Bethany broadcasting from a “very large boat” somewhere beyond reliable Wi-Fi, the tone stays playful while the content remains grounded. The episode moves from calendar reminders to digital infrastructure, underscoring that preparation, clarity, and thoughtful tool use keep the agency moving forward — whether you’re in the office or at sea.Deadline: ODHS (4:45)Q1 2026 optional cybersecurity reinforcement courses available in WorkdayReady: Staffer One (7:05)June 2026 launch of the Ivanti OIS Self-Service PortalUpdated responsible AI guardrails including Copilot Chat guidancePhishing alert and credential-protection remindersWriter’s Wrap-Up: “The Pod-boat is Making Another Run” Edition (12:09)CreditsHosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe, Communications, and Shenika, Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov

Season 1, Episode 53 — February 202626:01 minThis episode sits down with James, an ODHS eligibility worker approaching his 11th year, and Natalia, a leader within the Slavic Employee Resource Group, for a conversation that begins as a simple question — what does “Slavic” even mean? — and quickly opens into something much bigger. Through a warm, funny, very human exchange, they walk listeners through the scope of Slavic identity across multiple countries and cultures, and the practical reality that “Slavic” is not one language, one history, or one experience. It’s a wide umbrella — and understanding that umbrella is part of what the ERG exists to support.From there, the episode explores what the Slavic ERG actually does: internal education for coworkers, mentoring support for state employees, and a steady drumbeat of community presence through events across Oregon. James and Natalia describe how ERG funding works, what it can and can’t be used for, and how much of their budget goes directly into showing up in the community — tables, outreach, and relationship-building that extends far beyond Portland into places like Bend, Klamath Falls, and eastern Oregon. In a state as geographically spread out as Oregon, they make the case that ERGs are not just affinity spaces; they can become bridges — between agencies and communities, between language and access, and between “being bilingual” and being truly bicultural.At the heart of the conversation is the idea that even inside a shared label, there are real differences — different national histories, different dialects, and sometimes different political perspectives, especially in the shadow of war. James speaks candidly about the work of holding that complexity with care: making room for varied viewpoints while drawing a firm line when conflict becomes personal or targeted. The episode closes, as this series often does, with a reflection on Oregon itself — Natalia describing it as a place of safety and new roots, and James describing it as home — a state whose diversity of landscape mirrors the diversity of people now building lives here, on purpose, together.Celebrity PSA for the Day: Getting to the “Grey” areas of CRM (13:54)CreditsHosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — CommunicationsShenika — Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: Questions / feedback: bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov

Season 1, Episode 52 — February 23, 202616:58Winter finally made its entrance into the Willamette Valley — not with cinematic snow, but with enough ice and rain to remind everyone to check the forecast and steady their footing. This episode leans into that theme of readiness, walking through the systems and safeguards that keep ODHS steady when conditions shift.From winter weather procedures and office closure coordination to statewide immigration response efforts and staff wellbeing resources, the tone moves from practical to purposeful. The throughline is preparation — reinforcing structures, clarifying responsibilities, and strengthening resilience before small disruptions become bigger ones.Deadline: ODHS (4:18)Winter weather resourcesUpdated local office closure procedureStatewide scam warning targeting Spanish-speaking injured workersFACT of the Week (8:15)Survivor: Oregon (9:59)Compassion fatigue: recognizing the “cost of caring” and available supportsCommunity Resiliency Model training — Feb. 26 workshop and CRM skills overviewWriter’s Wrap-Up: “Cuz it Rains” Edition: (14:46)Credits Hosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — Communications and Shenika — Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10

Season 1, Episode 5128:43 This week’s episode is a departure from our usual format. Instead of focusing on a single interview, we widen the lens and spend time in one place: John Day, Oregon.Grant County is one of Oregon’s largest geographically and one of its smallest demographically, home to just over 7,000 residents spread across high desert and mountain basin. With fewer than six people per square mile, it qualifies as “frontier” by definition. Here, distance isn’t aesthetic — it’s structural. And when disruption arrives, it does not stay abstract.In recent years, John Day has absorbed a series of losses: the mine closed, the lumber mill shut down, the hospital reduced staff, and last fall, SNAP benefits stopped for a week. In a town of 1,500 people, economic shocks ripple quickly from households to grocery stores to restaurants, revealing how closely everything is connected.Through conversations with ODHS Family Coach Krista Qual, Chester’s Market co-owners Tirza and Mike Shaffer, and Squeeze-In restaurant owner Shawn Duncan, this episode examines how SNAP functions here — not simply as a benefit, but as infrastructure. When it operates predictably, it fades into the background. When it falters, even briefly, trust is shaken.In a frontier county, reliability is not an abstract value. It’s the condition that allows people to plan, to stay, and to build. In Grant County, the question isn’t whether government matters. It’s whether it will show up the same way, every time.This is a story about steadiness — and about what it means to live where every decision echoes… in The Big Picture

Season 1, Episode 50 — February 16, 202616:00It’s the golden episode. Fifty weeks in, the podcast pauses just long enough to laugh at itself — and then gets right back to work. This milestone edition leans into the theme of gold: not glitter or flash, but steadiness under pressure. The tone moves from celebratory to lightly self-aware as Bethany and Shenika reflect on what it actually takes to show up week after week translating dense updates into something structured, dependable, and occasionally even entertaining.Deadline: ODHS (3:25)District 3 Mi Gente ERG — February 24 meetingGalaxy Defenders Lunch & Learns — Feb. 25, March 4, March 11Black History Month centennial observanceRamadan begins February 17FACT of the Week (7:16)The Magnificent Seven (8:59)Douglas County clothing resource transformationDistrict 1 Astoria office walk-throughERG Mentoring Program quarterly newsletterWriter’s Wrap-Up: Gold Medal Edition: (12:19)Credits Hosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — Communications Shenika — Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe Contact: bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov

Season 1, Episode 47 — February 202626:50 minThis episode travels to Madras for a conversation with Alexander Perez, an Oregon Eligibility Partnership worker whose understanding of public service is shaped deeply by place. Alexander talks about choosing life east of the mountains — drawn by a slower pace, affordability, and a sense of rootedness — and how that grounding carries directly into the way he approaches his work. Community, for him, is not limited to geography. It is something you practice, whether the person you’re serving lives down the street or several counties away.As eligibility work has shifted from primarily face-to-face service to statewide support, often delivered by phone, Alexander reflects on what has been lost — and what has been gained. Rather than seeing distance as a barrier to connection, he describes it as a different skill set, one he built through earlier customer service work and through lived experience. The conversation explores how compassion, patience, and clarity can still travel across a phone line, and how intention matters more than proximity when the goal is to help someone feel supported through a complicated process.At the heart of the episode is a thoughtful examination of balance: between efficiency and care, between policy and people, and between the weight of getting things right and the grace required when learning is ongoing. Alexander speaks candidly about the emotional responsibility of eligibility work — the volume of information staff must hold, the real consequences of mistakes, and the importance of giving one another room to be human while doing consequential work. The episode closes with a reflection on Oregon itself — its geographic and human diversity, its shared sense of belonging across the mountains — and a reminder that connection is not defined by distance, but by how we choose to show up for one another.Celebrity PSA for the Day: Barry White wishes ODHS a Happy Valentine’s Day (12:51)CreditsHosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — CommunicationsShenika — Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: Questions / feedback: bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov

Season 1, Episode 47 — February 9, 2026 12:39This week’s episode steps behind the curtain. Instead of spotlight moments, the focus is on preparation — the decisions, coordination, and quiet work that have to be in place before anything visible can happen. The tone is purposeful and lightly playful, tracing how leadership, policy, data, and logistics move into alignment long before the lights come up.Deadline: ODHS (3:50)Acacia McGuire Anderson selected as new ODDS DirectorThe 2026 short legislative session convenesDistrict 2 Equity and Inclusion Committee  open house and potluckFACT of the Week (5:47)New multilingual tools for food resources statewideMission: In Policy (7:33)Federal recognition of the Lumbee TribeREALD and SOGI data requirementsFleet Management pilot launchesWriter’s Wrap-Up (10:41)It’s sensational, inspirational, MuppetationalCreditsHosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — CommunicationsShenika — Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: Questions / feedback: bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov

Season 1, Episode 46 — Feb. 2, 202632:19This episode heads to Brookings for a conversation with Chris Bailey, an eligibility worker whose route to ODHS runs through higher education — including a research PhD and years spent studying how people learn hard things. Chris didn’t arrive here because he stopped caring about systems. He arrived because he wanted his work to stay close to people, close to real needs, and close to the kind of day-to-day service where patience and attention matter as much as ideas.Chris and Bethany talk about what happens when your brain is trained to spot problems — and your role doesn’t always give you a lever to pull. Instead of framing that as frustration alone, the conversation shifts toward a skill ODHS quietly requires every day: learning in public. Being willing to not know yet. Asking the next question anyway. Chris connects that habit to eligibility work directly — listening carefully, slowing down, helping someone make sense of complex information — and to the deeper truth that good learning takes time, practice, and feedback. There are tools that can help, but there isn’t a shortcut that replaces people.At the center of the episode is a simple, stabilizing idea: no one knows everything, but hopefully everyone knows something — and the work goes better when that’s treated as normal. Chris describes how teams grow stronger when uncertainty isn’t punished and knowledge isn’t hoarded, and why leadership matters less as “the expert” and more as the person who makes it safe to ask, to learn, and to share. The episode closes with a clear affection for Oregon’s southern coast — its working towns, its open vibe, and the kind of community where people still look out for each other — and a reminder that the big picture is often built from small acts of steadiness, repeated daily.Celebrity PSA for the Day: Won’t you take my training? 16:10CreditsHosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — Communications, and Shenika — Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: Questions / feedback: bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov

Season 1, Episode 46 — February 2, 202616:51This week eases off the fast cuts. After a full stretch of long days, the episode slows its pace deliberately—offering updates, reassurance, and context without the usual sprint. It’s steadier by design, built to let information land without pressure, and to remind listeners that the work continues even when the weeks feel heavy.Deadline: ODHS (6:15)Launch of Immigration Law Basics required training for all state employeesUpcoming Plain Talk Lunch & Learn on plain language foundationsHands-on Microsoft Copilot Prompt-a-thon training and AI learning resourcesFACT of the Week (8:36)An update on the partial shutdown of the federal governmentHeadline ODHS (10:31)A message from Director Liesel Wendt on showing up with care during difficult timesJanuary Legislative Days recap and what lawmakers are focusing on heading into sessionData-sharing updates for SNAP and the Oregon Health Plan, with privacy protections explained clearlyWriter’s Wrap-Up (14:15)The tempo drops all the way down as we channel E.B. White and Charlotte’s WebCreditsHosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — CommunicationsShenika — Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: Questions / feedback: bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov

Season 1, Episode 45 — Jan. 28, 202631:50This episode introduces a new recurring feature—playful in name, serious in intent—and uses it as a doorway into a bigger question: how lived experience travels. Not as a credential, not as a label, but as a set of hard-earned tools that help ODHS staff connect with people whose lives may look nothing like theirs. The tone swings between joking warmth and deep reflection, with one clear throughline: the work is personal, but the impact is broader than identity categories. It’s “Fitch Perfect.”Through a wide-ranging, candid conversation, the hosts reflect on recent interviews, personal histories, and the idea that identity is not a boundary on who we can serve, but a set of tools that can deepen connection across difference. Humor and pop-culture references give way to a thoughtful discussion of empathy, visibility, and what it means to show up for people whose lives may look nothing like your own, while still recognizing the weight of first impressions and structural realities.At the center of the episode is the concept of what the hosts call “codified empathy”: not just feeling for someone, but drawing on real, formative experiences to recognize patterns, respond with care, and help people move forward on their worst days. The conversation weaves together frontline work, trauma awareness, public safety reminders around social media and visibility, and reflections on why not everyone can—or chooses to—do this work. The episode closes with an open invitation to staff to share their own stories, broadly defined, about how their lives and communities shaped how they serve, and a reminder that these connections—quiet, practiced, and deeply human—are what make the work possible.Our celebrity PSA for the day because this is The Way: 16:28CreditsHosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — Communications, and Shenika — Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: Questions / feedback: bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov