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DHS Makes Changes in Leadership for Adult and Child Protection

Marie Cervantes has stepped down from her job as director of the Office of Adult Abuse Prevention and Investigations and been replaced by her deputy, John Thompson.
September 15, 2016

Oregon’s Department of Human Services has shuffled personnel, moving Marie Cervantes from director of the Office of Adult Abuse Prevention and Investigations over to the Aging & People with Disabilities Division, where she will work as an adult protective services manager.

John Thompson, deputy director of the Office of Adult Abuse Prevention and Investigations, has been promoted to its interim director.

“Marie’s expertise and passion around elder and adult abuse prevention will be an asset to the program as it integrates functions from licensing back into the [Aging & People with Disabilities] program,” said Reginald Richardson, the deputy director of DHS. “In her new role, Marie will apply her experienced leadership and in-depth policy knowledge to supporting [adult protective services] workers and managers; collaborating with the Safety, Quality and Oversight unit; ensuring implementation of the Centralized Abuse Management (CAM) system for APD, and coordinating with [the Office of Adult Abuse Prevention and Investigations].”

The Office of Adult Abuse Prevention and Investigations has come under criticism from representatives of foster care agencies, including lobbyist Doug Riggs, for taking excessive amounts of time to complete investigations into child abuse allegations, and straining resources for the agencies after every minor mishap.

Sen. Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis, the chair of the Senate Human Services Committee, said that the office was in need of a culture change and that DHS Director Clyde Saiki swiftly addressed the issue when complaints arose.

Despite the title, the office is responsible for protecting children receiving residential treatment as well as several categories of adults receiving services, including seniors and people with disabilities.

According to a report released last fall, the Office of Adult Abuse Prevention and Investigations fielded 38,000 potential cases of abuse and neglect in 2014, a 10 percent rise over 2013.

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