SECTION 340:1-11-4. Administration responsibilities

(a)   The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) Director assumes full responsibility for compliance, per Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 340:1-11-1.

(b)   The DHS Director designates a staff member as the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) administrator. The OCR administrator is a person who is knowledgeable of civil rights laws.

(c)   The DHS Director assigns full compliance responsibility to all DHS administrators, managers, and supervisors. The administrators, managers, and supervisors maintain essential records and files, per OAC 340:1-11-1.

(d)   Administrators, managers, and supervisors avail themselves of the OCR administrator's technical assistance and training. Administrators, managers, and supervisors comply with the Methods of Administration designed and prepared by the OCR administrator.

(e)   The OCR administrator is responsible for:

(1)   developing rules, regulations, and compliance programs, per OAC 340:1-11-1, and disseminating those requirements to:

(A)   staff;

(B)   clients;

(C)   contractors, vendors, and sub-grantees;

(D)   the general public; and

(E)   customary referral services;

(2)   developing the Methods of Administration;

(3)   keeping the DHS Director, administrators, managers, and supervisors informed of nondiscrimination requirements and responsibilities, per OAC 340:1-11-1;

(4)   monitoring and evaluating DHS nondiscrimination activities, identifying the need for remedial action and appropriate follow-up review, and submitting reports, as required to the DHS Director, the Department of Health and Human Services-Office for Civil Rights (DHHS-OCR), and the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS);

(5)   providing training and technical assistance, and serving as a resource for DHS staff regarding nondiscrimination responsibilities;

(6)   assigning OCR personnel to perform compliance reviews and to investigate discrimination complaints;

(7)   preparing the annual DHS Affirmative Action Plan;

(8)   conducting Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act compliance inspections of DHS facilities and recommending remedial action to the DHS Director and to the facility, when necessary;

(9)   receiving Request Review Committee appeal decisions;

(10)   overseeing investigations of discrimination complaints received by the Office for Civil Rights;

(11)   acting as the liaison between the DHS Director, DHHS-OCR, FNS, minority and community organizations, and groups advocating for persons with disabilities in all matters concerning nondiscrimination in the DHS delivery of services; and

(12)   testifying in matters concerning civil rights before entities, such as boards, commissions, or legislative panels.

[Source: Amended at 15 Ok Reg 860, eff 2-1-98 (emergency); Amended at 15 Ok Reg 1587, eff 5-11-98; Amended at 15 Ok Reg 2085, eff 5-20-98 (emergency); Amended at 16 Ok Reg 1006, eff 4-26-99; Amended at 18 Ok Reg 1177, eff 5-11-01; Amended at 33 Ok Reg 1560, eff 9-15-16; Amended at 37 Ok Reg 1740, eff 9-15-20]