Sometimes a Great Podcast

Season 2, Episode 37 — November 9, 2026Length: 24:59This week, The Big Picture comes from Palmer's Cafe in Bend, where we sit down with Tracy Taylor, a District 10 community partnership coordinator, Marine Corps veteran and member of the ODHS Veterans Employee Resource Group (VERG), for a Veterans Day conversation about service, community and the experiences that stay with us long after military service ends.Tracy shares why she joined the Marines at 23, what she learned as a woman serving in the late 1990s and how military habits — from arriving 15 minutes early to the unofficial motto Semper Gumby, or “always flexible” — continue to shape her work at ODHS.The conversation explores how VERG connects veterans, military families and supporters throughout the agency. From community stand-downs that connect veterans with resources to a growing women veterans subgroup, Tracy describes efforts to build relationships, share experiences and help employees discover support they might not know exists.You'll also hear about the assumptions women veterans still encounter, the resources available through organizations such as Wounded Warrior Project and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and Tracy's own experience finding support through VA services. Along the way, we discuss why recognizing veterans means more than celebrating a holiday — it means understanding their experiences and making room for their voices throughout the year.In the end, this episode is about service that continues beyond the uniform, the importance of community and the people who show up for one another. From the Marine Corps to ODHS, and from Brookings to Baker City to Bend, Tracy reminds us that when things seem difficult, there are always helpers to be found in… The Big Picture.CreditsHost: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe, CommunicationsGuest: Tracy Taylor, Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: [email protected]

Season 2, Episode 36 — Nov. 9, 2026Length: 9:11This week’s episode is our final edition of Sometimes a Great Podcast: Discover ODHS. After 88 episodes of deadlines, agency updates, unexpected musical performances and stories from across Oregon, Bethany and Shanika are saying goodbye to the weekly Discover recap.Instead of our usual segments, we look back at what the podcast has meant to us, from discovering the extraordinary work happening throughout ODHS to connecting with staff and communities we might never otherwise have met. We also thank the listeners who joined us along the way and share what comes next: The Big Picture will continue bringing longer conversations with ODHS employees and community partners every Monday.Writer’s Round-Up: “Captain’s Log: Final Entry”

Season 2, Episode 35Nov. 9, 2026Length: 26:00This week, The Big Picture returns to Bend, where we sit down with Brian Enriquez, a public benefits support specialist in District 10, to talk about the people who are often the first point of contact for Oregonians seeking help from ODHS.Brian describes a job where every conversation is different. From helping people understand notices and applications to connecting them with eligibility workers, front desk staff must navigate complicated systems while recognizing that every person arriving at the window has different needs, questions and circumstances.The conversation also explores how federal policy changes, including H.R. 1, are affecting those interactions. Brian talks about helping people understand confusing correspondence about SNAP and medical benefits, answering questions about changing requirements and recognizing the anxiety that even a routine government letter can create.You'll also hear how Brian and his coworkers learn from one another, ask questions and use their experience to anticipate what people might need next. For Brian, being willing to say he doesn't have every answer—and knowing who can help find it—is part of providing good service.In the end, this episode is about the people who help Oregonians take that first step through the door. From complicated paperwork to moments of reassurance, Brian reminds us that customer service begins with listening, curiosity and a willingness to meet each person where they are in… The Big Picture.CreditsHost: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe, CommunicationsProduced by: Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: [email protected]

Season 2, Episode 27 — Oct. 26, 2026Length: 9:58This week’s episode heads into La Pine’s fur-trapping past with updates on accessible documents, employee mentoring, holiday stress, leadership graduates, records management, retirement planning and Mi Gente’s Cultura Corner.With no new 4Minutes4U or Fact of the Week, the episode begins in Deadline: ODHS with accessible Word document workshops, ERG mentoring orientation and a webinar on handling holiday stress. From there, Dateline celebrates 36 Metro Leadership Class graduates, reviews records retention guidance, highlights Oregon Savings Growth Plan learning resources and shares Mi Gente’s latest newsletter.4Minutes4U:Nothing this weekDeadline: ODHS:Oct. 26: Accessible Word Document Workshop series beginsNov. 3: ERG Mentoring Program orientationNov. 4: Revive webinar on handling holiday stressFact of the Week:Nothing this weekDateline: ODHS:36 Metro Leadership Class graduatesRecords retention and destruction guidanceOregon Savings Growth Plan training videosMi Gente’s October Cultura CornerWriter’s Round-Up: “The Journal of Dr. B: French Fur Trapper”

Season 2, Episode 33: Oct. 28, 2026Length: 30:27This week, The Big Picture comes from Sunriver, where we catch up with three members of the ODHS Office of Resilience and Emergency Management (OREM) following the Oregon Resilience Summit: Jeff Gilbert, regional emergency coordinator, and Marleen Munden and Sylvia Ceron, both social service emergency liaisons.The conversation explores how Oregon's resilience hubs have grown from an idea into community-driven networks of people, organizations and resources. From food pantries and fairgrounds to livestock evacuation support and emergency supplies, Jeff, Marlene and Sylvia explain why a resilience hub isn't necessarily a building. It's whatever helps a community prepare for disruption and support its neighbors when disaster strikes.Six years after the 2020 wildfires, OREM has developed emergency contracts, sheltering and feeding capabilities, and relationships that can make future responses faster and more coordinated. You'll hear about a Silverton Lions Club member who turned an emergency feeding operation into an ongoing resilience resource, and communities building their own solutions with support from state partners.The conversation also turns personal. Marlene recalls helping flood survivors find shelter and dry clothing in the middle of the night. Sylvia shares how years of phone conversations built enough trust that an elderly wildfire survivor agreed to relocate. And Jeff describes an unusual, middle-of-the-night food delivery to a community that needed help but didn't want it visibly coming from the state.In the end, this episode is about the relationships behind emergency preparedness. From food banks and fairgrounds to late-night deliveries and neighbors helping neighbors, OREM's work shows that resilience isn't something the state simply delivers. It's something communities build, strengthened by people who listen, connect and show up when they're needed in… The Big Picture.CreditsHost: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe, CommunicationsGuests: Jeff Gilbert, Marlene Munden and Sylvia Cerrone, ODHS Office of Resilience and Emergency ManagementProduced by: Dr. Bethany Grace HoweContact: [email protected]

Season 2, Episode 31Length: 20:07This 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, 2026Length: 9:59This 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 weekDeadline: ODHS:Oct. 26: Pride ERG Intersex Awareness Day eventOct. 27–28: State of Oregon Data Equity SummitNov. 5: ABLENet session on workplace accommodationsFact of the Week:New multilingual resources help explain separate SNAP and OHP work or activity rules, exemptions and available support.Dateline: ODHS:Workday sick leave and shift differential entriesOutlook’s new Promotions folderDomestic violence resources for ODHS employeesDomestic Violence Awareness Month resourcesWriter’s Round-Up: “If Famous Directors Directed Discover”

Season 2, Episode 29 — Oct. 14, 2026Length: 23:44This 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, 2026Length: 9:57This 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 weekDeadline: ODHS:Oct. 31: Annual Required Trainings Campaign No. 3 dueFact of the Week: * OIRA has a new public charge FAQ in English and Spanish that staff can share while referring individual legal questions to qualified immigration expertsDateline: ODHS:Domestic Violence Awareness Month resources2027 Kaiser Permanente and Moda Health training recordingsAdidas and Nike employee store passesPride ERG Queer Identity Series: gender sessionLGBTQIA2S+ Subcommittee advisory seatsWriter’s Round-Up: “The Beverly Hillbillies”

Season 2, Episode 27 — Oct. 5, 2026Length: 34:50This 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.