CHFS Community Podcast

Leslie Hogue Hoffmann is Deputy Commissioner with the Department for Medicaid Services (DMS). Today we discuss her life, education and where our careers have crossed paths over the years. In addition to her other responsibilities, Hoffmann serves as a Medicaid racial and health equity champion tasked with ensuring that the program is diverse and inclusive of all populations. This includes a focus on data driven policy and partnering with other states to learn about best practices and lessons learned. Commissioner Hoffmann and I also discuss the mobile crisis project intended to help any Kentuckian regardless of age, gender, genetic orientation or ability to pay. The project is focused on prevention and diversion, appropriate placements, better quality of life and outcomes. I take great satisfaction in the development of this project, along with Cabinet leadership and support staff, and how it will serve our entire state going forward.

As former Chief Resilience Officer for Louisville–Jefferson County Metro Government I was involved in discussions around equitable economic development, racial equity, homelessness, sustainability, infrastructure and the environment. Participating in homeless outreach during this time taught me that helping people reach their full human potential is about their vision of success, not mine.

Working with patients and their families at the Office for Children with Special Health Care Needs (OCSHCN) is no different. Today’s guest, Social Service Clinician Mark J. Miller, shares several stories about advocating for children and families in Kentucky while respecting their autonomy. We also discuss barriers people face in becoming more resilient including language, transportation, physical and mental health difficulties.

The purpose of OCSHCN is to enhance the quality of life for Kentucky's children with special health care needs through quality service, leadership, advocacy, education, and collaboration. Providing the highest quality of life for these children requires compassion, cooperation and community support.

Hillary Lantrip Croft has been part of the legal community for half of her life. Her father is a narcotics officer, and she took an early interest in criminal justice. At the age of 15, Croft became an intern at the Hopkins County Attorney’s Office and returned to her hometown after graduating law school. She’s come full circle as Assistant County Attorney and Child Support Director in Hopkins County and is quick to tell you she is more than a prosecutor. Awarded the 2021 Child Support Attorney of the Year, Croft participates in community job expos and yearly expungement clinics so her clients can work towards self-sufficiency. Today’s discussion is about what it means to have a servant’s heart and why everybody wins when we invest in our communities.

Former clients are some of our finest employees at the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), and today’s guest is no exception. When Tammy Thornsberry applied for Medicaid as a young mother-to-be, her case worker encouraged her to consider a job with the state. A year later, Thornsberry accepted a job at the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS). She became a case worker as a way to pay it forward and the rest is history. Thornsberry says every client has a story and should be treated with the utmost care and consideration. She feels the same way about those she supervises in Adult Medicaid, Medicaid and SNAP in the Northern Bluegrass Service Region. Hopefully, today’s conversation underscores our commitment to the health and well-being of Kentuckians on either side of the desk, inside and outside of the Cabinet.

The Kentucky Prescription Assistance Program (KPAP) helps qualified individuals identify sources of free and low-cost medications offered by pharmaceutical companies. The process reduces paperwork and offers more direct access to programs. Today’s guest, Bryant Hileman, is a KPAP Western Kentucky community consultant. At the age of 22, he launched a non-profit in Paducah that eventually became a model for the KPAP. Hileman joined the Cabinet in 2008 as a consultant and organizer. We discuss resilience, social action, and how affordable prescriptions can reduce health care costs and increase financial security for all Kentuckians.

Before joining the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID), Commissioner Wendy Morris worked for Appalachian Regional Healthcare Inc. in Hazard for over two decades. Following the historic flooding in eastern Kentucky, we traveled to the region to meet with people and find ways that the Cabinet can assist. Today’s discussion is about what we witnessed, how Kentuckians can help flood victims and what it takes to increase emotional resilience.

LaToya Payne is director of the Division of Administrative Hearings Office of the Ombudsman and Administrative Review (OOAR). A graduate of Centre College with an MS in Family Studies from the University of Kentucky, she takes pride in the commitment of the Division to serving the residents of Kentucky. In today’s conversation, we discuss the lessons she learned growing up in a large family, her unique leadership style and the inspiration she receives from co-workers. We conclude that great things can happen when people are empowered to carry out their own solutions.

Jennifer Craig is the coordinator of the Office of Dementia Services in the Department of Aging and Independent Living (DAIL). The office was established in 2021 after Gov. Beshear signed KY SB74. The program provides education, outreach and resources to over 75,000 Kentuckians living with dementia, their families and their caregivers. Craig has worked in the aging and disability field since 2005 as a direct service provider at a skilled nursing facility and as the Aging and Disability Resource Coordinator at Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency (KIPDA) Area Agency on Aging and Independent Living. Over a decade ago, Craig and her husband Darrin became primary caregivers for her father-in-law, who was diagnosed with vascular dementia. With limited experience and little money, Craig and her family had to maneuver through the challenging world of dementia services and resources. She hopes to use her life and work experience to educate CHFS leadership and staff, community partners and Kentuckians on the importance of the Office of Dementia Services as it moves forward.

Arielle D. Akin is a resource management analyst III in the Integrity Analysis Section within the Program Integrity Branch at the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS). Over the years, she has acquired a knack for investigative work, particularly related to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits trafficking. Having witnessed firsthand the abuse of SNAP benefits, the self-proclaimed “keyboard warrior” works with her team to identify and alleviate fraud, and recoup benefits for Kentuckians who truly need them. In this episode, Akin shares how she overcame childhood adversity and eventually found her forever family with the help of dedicated social workers in Caldwell County. Akin credits these workers for her personal and professional success, calling them “family” to this day.

As a former Chief Resilience Officer in Louisville, I noticed that trauma was a common thread among Kentucky’s most vulnerable populations. Trauma, an emotional reaction to a distressing experience, affects both mind and body and its symptoms can be short or long-term. However, a person does not need to experience trauma firsthand to be affected. Frontline and other CHFS workers can experience secondary trauma through the traumatic experiences of the people they serve. Today’s guest, Marjorie Shular, MSSW, knows something about the effects of trauma. Her life experience led her to become a front-line social worker, supervisor and now staff assistant who helps recruit social workers for CHFS. In this episode, we discuss trauma, the necessity of self-care and how to enhance resilience during challenging times.