Human Services

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#0000BF" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="044005a0exvipq.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Copperplate Gothic Bold" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eastside Republican Club"><U><B>Home</B></U></A><B>  </B><B> </B></FONT><B>  | </B><B> </B><B> </B><B>  </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Copperplate Gothic Bold" ><B>Eastside Republican Club</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B>Events</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="eastside_republican_review_summary.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ERC Review"><U><B>ERC Review</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="michigan_s_13th_district.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><B>Congressional District News</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="civic___governmental_links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="erc_officers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><B>About Us</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Human Services</B></div> <div> <A HREF="link_to_michigan_gop.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michigan Republicans"><U><B><IMG SRC="05358580.gif" border=0 width="88" height="88" ALT="Michigan GOP" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="michigan_s_13th_district.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><I><B>Congressional District News</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="east_lansing.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michigan GOP Convention 2010"><U><I><B>2010 Republican Convention</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="erc_testimonials.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="What Theyre Saying About Us"><U><I><B>Read what they've said about us</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B><IMG SRC="81b871f0.gif" border=0 width="135" height="31" ALT=">>Events" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div>  <A NAME="top_of_page"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><IMG SRC="1b9ee17a0.jpg" border=0 width="225" height="378" ALT="Maura Corrigan, director of Michigan Department of Human Services" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="4"></div> <div> <I><U>Tireless Champion for Michigan Children and Families</U></I></div> <div> <B>Pointe's Maura Corrigan</B></div> <div> <B>Outlines Big DHS Change</B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>s</B></FONT></div> <div> Showing a life-long concern for the welfare of Michigan children and families, Maura Corrigan, newly appointed director of the Department of Human Services, told of big changes underway at DHS in remarks to the Eastside Republican Club Forum.</div> <div> Ahead of her rundown of DHS changes, she paused at the June 21 Forum to offer a tribute to the late Thomas R. McCleary, Jr., a founder of the Eastside Republican Club.</div> <div> Corrigan said, “I would like to recognize the late Tom McCleary for inviting me, and for all his efforts through the years. He was a dedicated, patriotic American.”</div> <div> She then went on to tell her audience at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial, “Great changes are taking place at the Department of Human Services.”</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="251" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 288 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1ba0f01a0.jpg" border=0 width="240" height="282" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 288 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1ba2f51a0.jpg" border=0 width="245" height="282" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> Vowing that the DHS would assist Michigan's needy in their move to self-sufficiency, she noted, “an entitlement culture doesn't entitle you to much at all.”</div> <div> <I><B>DHS Caseload Challenge</B></I></div> <div> At risk of being bogged down by an overwhelming caseload, the department's nearly $7 billion budget is getting a hike of $70 million for such things as the hiring hundreds of new caseworkers.</div> <div> The goal is to reduce the caseload per social worker, and thus improve the outcome for kids.</div> <div> At present, the caseload per worker is 70 to one, and Corrigan's challenge is to get it down to 15 to one or even lower.</div> <div> Although serving only since January 2011, Corrigan was pleased to report that the state now has only 344 children who are awaiting adoption, compared to as many as 4,000 not long ago.</div> <div> Other actions include contracting for a new computer system, in an effort to move toward a paperless process.</div> <div> As to other efficiencies, Corrigan was proud to announce, “We have developed 21 `metrics,' and are measuring results.”</div> <div> To reign in the growing DHS budget, Corrigan said her department is determined to meet court-established guidelines, thus allowing Michigan to be released from federal oversight and the accompanying cost of reporting and attorney fees.</div> <div> <I><B>Cutting Waste, Fraud, and Abuse</B></I></div> <div> Other tax-saving measures will involve actions to reduce waste, fraud and abuse.</div> <div> She said that waste, fraud, and abuse have contributed to Michigan's sky rocketing cost of administering “Bridge” cards, taxpayer-financed debit cards for those deemed in need of food assistance. Until recently, 1.9 million Michigan residents received this assistance.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="227" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 198 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1ba4e1c00.jpg" border=0 width="225" height="192" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 175 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1ba6e1a90.jpg" border=0 width="225" height="169" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 222 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1ba8e1d80.jpg" border=0 width="225" height="216" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> Corrigan said, “Some of the `gamers' are inventive.”</div> <div> As an example, she cited elimination of the automatic eligibility of some for food stamps. Although the move dropped 34,000 from the rolls, she said the action triggered very few appeals. Thousands of those dropped were full-time college students not otherwise qualified for assistance.</div> <div> Next, she said asset verification would be in place by October 1, making Michigan one of five states checking assets before certifying eligibility.</div> <div> In addition to keeping the lid on spending, this change will “redirect welfare to the truly needy and vulnerable, while cutting out the games,” Corrigan said.</div> <div> A further action will be enactment of 48-month limit on benefits. “Welfare assistance is not designed to be permanent!” she said.</div> <div> She also reported that Michigan's $14 billion Medicaid budget presents lots of opportunities for abuse. That's why, she said, the FBI, USDA, and Federal courts have ongoing investigations in Michigan.</div> <div> Corrigan also announced that DHS is re-engineering veterans' benefits to ensure veterans receive every benefit to which they are entitled.</div> <div> Her resignation from the Michigan Supreme Court and appointment to head DHS all happened on a single day in January when she “traded in the black robe of a Supreme Court justice for the DHS job.”</div> <div> “I was blessed to serve on `greatest court' in the nation, as WSJ called us.”</div> <div> To keep the Michigan Supreme Court sound, she challenged her audience, “Be there in 2012 for Zahra, Markman and other conservative court nominees.”</div> <div> <I><B>Corrigan's Duties</B></I></div> <div> In addition to serving as director of the Michigan Department of Human Services, Snyder appointed Corrigan group executive for the "People" group, which includes the departments of Human Services, Community Health, Civil Rights, and Education.</div> <div> The Department of Human Services serves as Michigan's public assistance, child and family welfare agency. It directs the operations of public assistance and service programs through a statewide network of over 100 county departments of human service offices. >><A HREF="http://michigan.gov/dhs/0,1607,7-124-5459---,00.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://michigan.gov/dhs/0,1607,7-124-545"><U><I>Inside the Michigan DHS</I></U></A><I>.</I></div> <div> Following her appointment, Corrigan said, "My passion has been protecting children and the vulnerable. I started the first Michigan Adoption Day seven years ago, and last year we finalized the greatest number of adoptions in our state's history.”</div> <div> “We now have special dockets that find children who have gone missing from foster care, and we make it easier for grandparents and other relatives to be guardians for kids who need loving, safe homes. We have made great progress, but much work remains and I look forward to this amazing chance to serve the people of Michigan in this new capacity," she said.</div> <div> Although the Michigan child welfare system currently operates under a federal court consent decree overseen by a court-appointed monitor, Snyder has committed to both the federal judge and monitor that fixing Michigan's child welfare system is a top priority.</div> <div> <I><B>Supreme Court Career</B></I></div> <div> Justice Corrigan was elected to the Michigan Supreme Court in 1998, and served four years as chief justice.</div> <div> Under her leadership on the Supreme Court, it became a requirement that lawyer guardians <I>ad litem</I> sign affidavits stating they had actually met with the children they represented, ensuring children were properly represented in legal proceedings.</div> <div> While serving on the Court, she was instrumental in the conversion to the Michigan Child Support Enforcement System saving the state approximately $40 million.</div> <div> <I><B>Education and Community Service</B></I></div> <div> Corrigan graduated with honors from Marygrove College and the University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law. She served as a law clerk on the Michigan Court of Appeals, a Wayne County assistant prosecutor, and an assistant United States Attorney, ultimately becoming chief assistant U.S. Attorney.</div> <div> In 1989, she became a partner at the Detroit law firm of Plunkett & Cooney. Her appointed to the Michigan Court of Appeals came in 1992, and her selection as Chief Judge of that 28-judge court came in 1997.</div> <div> Justice Corrigan was appointed to the Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care, and chosen as a vice-president of the Conference of Chief Justices. She was appointed to the Michigan Law Revision Commission, the Sixth Circuit Attorney Advisory Committee, and the Rules Committee of the U.S. District Court in Detroit.</div> <div> She volunteered on the board of Boysville of Michigan (now Holy Cross), and currently is a director of Vista Maria in Dearborn Heights. She has been president of the Incorporated Society of Irish American Lawyers, the Federal Bar Association in Detroit, and MSU Inns of Court.</div> <div> Justice Corrigan has received numerous awards, including Oakland County Champion of Children Award in 2010. In 2008, she received the Michigan Children's Award, Powerful Women of Purpose Award, and was recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for Innovative Partnerships (OCS).</div> <div> In 2006, she was honored with the Spectrum Human Services Chairman's Award, the Michigan Family Support Council recognized her with their Judicial Award, and the Police Officers Association of Michigan conferred their Jurist of the Year Award.</div> <div> Honors received in 2005 include the Vista Maria's Child Advocate of the Year Award, Congressional Coalition on Adoption "Angels in Adoption" Award, and the <I>Detroit News</I> Michiganian of the Year Award.</div> <div> In 2002, she received the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (OCS) Award for significant improvements to Michigan's Child Support Enforcement Program.</div> <div> The Federal Bar Association honored Corrigan with its Leonard Gilman Award to the Outstanding Practitioner of Criminal Law in 1989, and the U.S. Department of Justice Director's Award for Outstanding Performance as an Assistant U.S. Attorney was awarded to her in 1985.</div> <div> <I><B>Corrigan as Authoress and Teacher</B></I></div> <div> Justice Corrigan was named the Outstanding Alumna of UD-Mercy Law School and Marygrove College.</div> <div> She has coauthored a treatise on civil procedure and has published many articles in professional journals and books, including the Ave Maria Law Review, Wayne Law Review, University of Toledo Law Review, NYU Law Review and the Texas Review of Law and Politics.</div> <div> She has taught as an adjunct professor at Wayne State University Law School, at programs for the Michigan Judicial Institute, the American Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, and the Attorney General's Advocacy Institute.</div> <div> Corrigan is the widow of Wayne State University Distinguished Professor of Law Joseph D. Grano and is the mother of Megan and Daniel.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="#top_of_page" TITLE="Human Services"><U>back to top</U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>