DHS-CSD Expose Part II

Considering the shining public reputation of DHS as “THE CHILD PROTECTION AGENCY”, and the portrayal of every client as a “monster”, the answers are not hard to predict.

(SALEM., Ore.) - Due to the large response I received to my guest opinion regarding wrongdoing by DHS-CSD, (see: Expose` - DHS Children`s Protective Services Division) and many requests that I write more on the subject, I have agreed to do follow up pieces as time allows.

Before I go any further, let me be very clear about my opinion regarding DHS-CSD.

I DO NOT support the presumption that DHS is all bad, or has no place in our society. If you are a child abuser, you deserve to have your children removed from your custody. If you are a parent that needs education to improve your parenting skills, I want you to get that education. If you are so ill that you can not adequately parent, I want you to get the help you need and deserve (which does not include punishment by DHS, but help).

DHS has saved countless children from the debilitating effects of abuse imposed by the very people children look to for nurturing and guidance. This is the DHS at its best, and I both support and applaud them for the children they have saved.

It is their much too frequent failure to perform adequate investigations of the allegations bringing a family to their attention that I want to address. Their willingness to believe reports of abuse by parties with an axe to grind, a spouse wanting custody as a form of revenge, or even a teacher who leans toward being fanatical over every small incident (it happens…I’ve seen it) is a huge problem.

Blatant violations of civil rights begin with the parent(s) being charged with some crime, but never having the right to know where the allegations came from, let alone face their accusers in court.

Then there are the caseworkers who lie to both the client and the judge, and who too often side with family members or former friends of the client who seek permanent custody of the child. They commit further violations and are sometimes willing do or say anything toward that end.

The pool of court appointed DHS-CSD lawyers most often seem disinterested in defending their clients. In the majority of cases, these appointed legal representatives are, in reality, in support of DHS.

One male attorney was overheard to say, “Don’t make waves. They’re vindictive”. In my own case, when faced with completely false allegations, my attorney suggested that I “plead to numbers 2 and 4”. I replied that I had no intention of pleading to anything, as the all of the allegations were completely false. Her reply to me was, “Well, you have to plead to something!” I will never forget that statement as long as I live. Since then, I carry a voice activated recorder to all important meetings.

The Citizens Review Board, a panel essentially appointed as DHS “watchdogs”, to oversee the actions of DHS in each clients’ case, appears to have “jumped the fence”, and are now barking in the wrong direction. I have been told repeatedly “they were useless”. That they “cross examine” and “criticize” clients as if they were prosecutors for the State.

One might wonder how any of this could be true, and rightly so, because it certainly is unbelievable.

Unbelievable... unless one takes into account the existence of certain circumstances that are neither new, nor unfamiliar, if you remember your history and sociology.

Start with a group of people who have been through trauma. Be it military invasion, threats of harm, anything that instills fear will do. If you can, add a good dose of guilt, all the better. Then you bind them by taking what matters most to them, then sooth them with false promises that “all will be well if you do as you are told.” These tactics are known to result in the “Stockholm Syndrome”, not only guaranteeing docile, compliant hostages, but willing hostages. I have always thought of this as “grooming”.

In fact, I have heard many DHS clients say that DHS “has different laws”. They are so convinced of the truth of this, that they will argue the fact, against themselves!

Too many DHS clients are groomed to the point that guilt, shame, remorse, and fear, reinforced by client attorneys and the citizens review board, remove their "fighting chance" as a human being to rise up and demand fairness for themselves. These tactics are so effective that DHS has come to see themselves as “untouchable”. So much so, that they regularly include their violations in their own written reports.

Add to all this, the shining public reputation of DHS as “THE CHILD PROTECTION AGENCY”, and the portrayal of every client as a “monster”, and what do you get? CARTE BLANCHE.

An ever growing number of angry, embittered citizens does not bode well for any part of any government, and it seems implausible that DHS could be unaware of their growing number of detractors, but unaware and unconcerned is what they seem to be.

I have spent the last 12 years of my life preparing to do something that I did not believe I had in me, that I do not possess the ability to do, requiring I express feelings that I am reported to not have,

The goal is to inform people who are predisposed not to believe me, to help people who don’t deserve it, for reasons beyond my documented ability to reason.

She says she is looking for an up and coming attorney, who has the brass to take on a State Agency on contingency. You can email Jenifer at j.saroian@comcast.net

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Anonymous September 19, 2017 12:04 am (Pacific time)

DHS took my friends baby girl . I'm not sure of the circumstance to begin with. I do know how it ended. My friend was trolling his facebook page and he saw a picture of his caseworker with his bestfriend and his bestfriends wife camping smoking pot and what not. God only knows what else that caseworker was doing. So my friend brought it to the caseworkers attention and guess what happened next? They had their daughter back within a month. Please tell me how that can happen. His name is Jeff Lewis. This was an Oregon case about three years ago.

Shanon rogers June 4, 2015 3:28 pm (Pacific time)

I'm not the parent but the grandparent of my eighteen month old grandaughter,she has an older five year old sister that I consider mine too and I called dhs on the mom scared of her drug and men habits in the home and it resulted in at least the five year old being molested and I think my youngest also and now the same dhs case worker has the case and I haven't seen my babies in two months,I'm sure they are scared due to the fact it was on them these girls were exposed to harm and that is why I'm being blocked out and haven been given any rights to my girls or at least my blood grandaughter.can you help me too.lost scared and hurt grandma.

nana July 11, 2013 3:54 pm (Pacific time)

DHS/csd has damaged our home and our lives, with the help of a vendictive school staff. We adopted and raised 2 of our 10 grandchildren had them 14 yrs. They are both special needs, fetal drug and alcohol, autism. M.R....The school knew that our youngest was a problem, lies, embelished stories and theft, we were trying very hard to get through this. One day she told some whoppers, all false as always and the school knew this but called dhs/csd and we were destroyed. My spouse arrested, me flogged verbally and the kids were taken...We have voluntarily signed disablility services to our daughter, the one with the stories so she can be taken care of by this service rather than the dhs/csd whom are very mean and aweful for our visits, we are spied upon and only allowed visits at the thier covenience, not my work schedule, this will end soon for disability services is going to stop it. the point is, dhs/csd thrills on destruction of a good home and family, not facts and the truth. Our case is one of many in this area and I am sure nationwide. THis has changed our lives forever and we have neither child now. The oldest just turned 19 and disability services has found an adult fostercare that he is happy in and that is easy for us to handle, for he wants to be treated as a grown up. We have close contact with him on a regular basis. I have had a real rough time with our daughters problems and the fact that dhs/csd, does not go on the truth but what damage they can do and how long they can control and demean people, good people and good parents. The case was dropped by the da in this county within 48 hours of the arresting officer turning it in,(3-4 weeks after the fact) and dhs/csd is still trying covict us. If it wasn't for the wonderful services of disabilities our special children would be doomed. DHS/csd has done nothing but throw my daughter in a home, and told them nothing of the issues, not searched help for her, no counceling nothing. She has issues of stealing, and is very knowelegable of computers facebook and such(thanks to lack of school supervision) she contacted many strangers and bad people. She started doing this with the foster home because dhs did not see fit that they knew the problems,,,,Our disability services when contacted told the foster home the facts. DHS/csd needs a wake up call. As stated in the proir story, I agree, the lack of training and smarts of the staff of dhs/csd create this. Our lives and many others are scarred from this entity for life.

Sandy Boen May 18, 2013 7:32 am (Pacific time)

I would like to know how to file a formal complaint against lane county DHS an CSD for the wrongful decision they have made to not go check out my grandson whom is living life in hell because his biological father refuses to believe that his non biological wife is beating my grandson abusing him emotionaly physicaly and mentall

lindsey July 11, 2011 11:20 am (Pacific time)

My daughter is in dhs custody in the state of ms. Her father and I have completed about two thirds of our service agreement. He just lost his job as well as our vehicle. We have to move out of state for him to get back to work. Does anyone know if we will be able to get our daughter back? Plz give me some good news.

dhs hurts June 9, 2010 1:04 pm (Pacific time)

im aM 20 YRS OLD WITH TWO BOYS THEY TOOK MY OLDEST AND I GOT TO KEEP MY YOUNGEST.. THEY LONGER THEY DRAG UR CASE ON THE MORE MNEY THEY GET.. ITS TOTALLY UNFAIR... AND I DISAGREE WITH THE WAY THEY DO THINGS. AND MAKE IT A BIGGER ISSUE WITH WHA IT REALLY IS..

christina anderson April 15, 2010 12:02 am (Pacific time)

this is a long story but here it goes. My son (26yrs.) and his wife had a wounderful baby girl, at about 4mo. of age she got ill and was taken to the family doctor around 3:30 one afternoon, he said she had a cold an possibly broncituss and perscribed her some meds. That night she was having a real hard time breathing, so we took her to the emergency room and they said she had RSV a condition that only effects infants and admitted her. This was in Florence Or. and the hospital thought it best to send her to Eugene by ambilance. My daughter inlaw called her sister and asked her to meet the baby at the hospital, because she and my son were going to go by the house and pack a small bag as to stay the night. Eugene hospital is about 75 or so miles away and it was now in the early hours of the morning. I myself drove the kids to Eugene and indeed her sister was there. We stuck around till the doctor said she was stable at which time I came home to Florence and the kids went to my daughters sisters house as to be closer to the hospital. The hospital called their cell phone around 5:am and said they needed to return to the hospital ASAP so they did. the baby had quit breathing many times and they felt she need to go to the Portland Childrens Hospital by ambilance as soon as possible. So baby headed to Portland and I arived and took the kids in my car behind the ambilance. My granddaughter was put in a controlled coma as so she would not be excited. I came back to Florence after everything was settled and the kids stayed w/their daughter. My daughter inlaw was by chance again pregnaut about 3mos along and was having alot of morning sickness as well as that they had NO money for food or lodging. The hospital sent them to social services there in the hospital but they were out of funds, so their DSH case worker said he could help them with an extra emergency check and would prossece it as soon as possible. In the meen time they ate pudding, jello, and gramcrackers out of the nurses micro frig. A very nice hispanic couple in the room next to them brought them some dinner and gave the $50 one day. After about 3 days the check came from DHS to my PO Box in Florence, by this time baby was much better and out of the coma. The hospital said she probably be there a few more days so the kids met this young guy at the hospital who said he would take them to Florence to shower, get clean close and pick up the check. They told the hospital what they were doing and gave them the cell phone # and my home phone # in case they needed to reach them for any reason. The kids got here that evening and ate, showered, and got a good nights sleep thinking their baby was in good hands and getting stronger every moment. The next day they cashed the check and was just about to leave when CSD called and said " the hospital wanted to release the baby and had NO idea were the parents had dissapeared to" so CSD told the kids that they placed the baby as a ward of the court and dont even bother to come back to the hospital because they wont even beable to see her, and they would be contacting them in the very near future. The kids were devastated and didnt know what to do so they stayed at home and waited to hear from CSD. Thats when all the bull.... started. By the way we found out the baby was NOT yet released from the hospital and it takes awhile to make a child a ward of the court and they could have gone back and been with their baby. Anyway, CSD did contact them and told them they need to go to a fact finding hearing were all the facts were wrong even the dianoses of my granddaughter was wrong. They were granted each a lawyer even though they are married and could not claberate with each other. My sons lawyer, even though very nice had very advance stages of MS and stuttered horriblly, you could see the frustration in the judges eyes as well as us all. Im not real sure what happened after that they were never found guilty of anything that atleast made sence to us however; they were told they had to go through indivigual counceling as well as couples counceling, parenting class and a psycoevaluation. (excuse the spelling) Oh yes I almost forgot they had to go to drug class as well even though drugs were never mentioned at all. The kids were upset but knew they had to just jump the hoops. They set it up to get all the counceling and parenting class at Options Counceling Services in Florence and CSD said this would be fine. Their worker from CSD seem to be against them from the start and I sware would out and out lie at times so I sugested they take a tape recorder w/them when they had a meeting w/her. At some point she decided she liked the kids when she found out the young DJ at the local bar was my sons cousin and she realy wanted to know him better. Now she was trying to help the kids, this was great till she was caught sleeping w/one of her clients. She was fired. About the same time my next grandchild is ready to come into this world and they were told she would be taken right from the hospital due to the fact they had the first one. The kids by this point had finished all counselling and paqrenting class and 1/2 way through emergence drug class but that was not good enough and a beautiful baby girl was born and taken once again. Now mother and child was tested at the hospital for all drugs and both tested negitive. To top off all of this their new case worker decided that CSD would NOT reconize Options counselling services as valid service and wanted them to do it all over in a service they choose in Eugene and they have 3mo. left inwhich to finish it because it will have been a year by then. It took them atleast 3mo. to let the kids know in the first place what they had to do, and all the rest of 6mo. to get it set up and done. They were running out of time and scared. They had a hard time just getting up to Eugene to their visits. Once my daughter inlaws mother came up from Coos Bay ( 50 miles away ) to take them, thats atleast 120 -130 miles one way, they missed 3 visits in 9mo.all together. They were scared they would loose their babies and the girls would be split up and adopted out, so someone told them the foster family wanted to adopt them and they would stay together that way. The kids had gotten to know the foster parents and liked them so they met, and talked. The foster parents told them it would be a open adoption and they would beable to visit as long as it was prearranged and they were not high or drunk, or wanted by the police. Not a problem, they felt this was their only option at that point, so CSD backed out and meadeations started but thats not how it turned out. Surprize! Now if they backed out the children would amediatly go back to CSD and go up for adoption to who ever they deemed fit, so they signed the papers. 1 1/2 years later they are excpecting again everything is going fine, everyone is healthy and they have about 6wks. left till baby comes into this wourld when their midwife tells them CSD has red flaged them and baby would be taken as soon as she was born. The kids choose to leave all their family behind and move several states away to start over. I miss them very much but plan on taking a train this summer and visit my new woundeful grandchild and her very happy parents. I beleive my kids were railroded by CSD of Oregon and changes need to be made to the system. I understand we need a agency to help all those children of abuse and drug addicted homes, but some of the workers are callused perhaps from so much exposer to the worst of the worst life has to offer some children. Perhaps rotating between different sosial service dept. through out the state DHS, parole and probation, mental health, health dept. etc. but something deeply needs to change and Id like to know were to start. keepthefaith1962@gmail.com Thank you PS my spell check is not working so I hope every one can figure all this out

KORDAE'S "REAL" GRANDMA March 5, 2010 1:55 am (Pacific time)

MY 18 YR. OLD SON WAS FORCED TO RELINQUISH HIS PARENTAL RIGHTS TO MY BELOVED GRANDSON WHO WAS PLACED INTO FOSTERCARE BASED ON HIS MOTHER'S DRUG ADDICTIONS, OR RISK TERMINATION OF THEM and ANY FUTURE OF PARENTING W/O THREAT FROM CPS TO INTERVENE. MY GRANDSON WAS ADOPTED BY HIS FOSTER FAMILY PLACEMENT WHO HAD ALREADY ADOPTED A SIBLING THAT REMAINED IN THEIR CARE. MY SON HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF MY GRANDSON'S REMOVAL FROM MOTHER and DHS' REASONS FOR DENYING PLACEMENT WITH MY SON WERE BASED ON HIS AGE and FACT THAT HE RESIDED AT HOME WITH ME and 4 SIBS. MY SON WAS NOT GIVEN ADEQUATE COUNCIL, NOR VISITATION. HE WAS SERVED WITH A CHILD SUPPORT ORDER and GIVEN A LIST OF EXPECTATIONS BY DHS THAT HIS FIRST LAWYER ADVISED HIM TO IGNORE AS HE PLANNED TO MOTION FOR TRIAL BASED ON NO VALID CIRCUMSTANCES THAT HIS CHILD NOT BE PLACED WITH HIM. BEFORE ANY ACTION COULD BE MADE, DHS REQUESTED HIS COUNCIL BE REPLACED DUE TO "CONFLICT OF INTEREST" (WE'RE STILL CONFUSED AS TO WHERE THAT CONFLICT EXISTS), and WAS REPLACED BY AN INCOMPETENT DHS SYMPATHYZER. HE FAILED MISERABLY AT DEFENDING MY SON AGAINST UNTRUE and MISLEADING REMARKS MADE BY DHS ON RECORD WHILE IN COURT, HE FAILED TO SHOW AT 2 HEARINGS, THE CRB REVIEW, and NO SHOWED FOR CONSULTATION PRIOR TO LAST PERMANENCY HEARING YET MET WITH DHS TO ARRANGE FOR MY SON TO SIGN RELINQUISHMENT OF RIGHTS...OUR STORY HAS MUCH MORE INJUSTICE THRU and THRU, I DO PLAN LEGAL ACTION WHEN I AM FINNANCIALLY EQUIPPED TO DO SO.

sarah July 12, 2009 8:00 pm (Pacific time)

the state tore my family apart they dont make no effort to keep families together only placing kids with strangers!

HOLLY TAYLOR May 30, 2008 11:31 pm (Pacific time)

i have written the president and will post a copy to this website for all 2 c.i plan on mailing to all the higher government officials so that the state of or alone gets investigated.this state is no.4 in the nation of parents forced to having their children literally yanked from them on a technicality or because they didn't down right kiss the states bottem.d.h.s. is very known 2 twist a persons words quickly 2 benefit their agenda.oh n how they so lie.n 2 ur face.n e ways one day we that have been victimized will exhale.eventually they(d.h.s)will reap what they sow.i'm not saying that in some cases d.h.s. has a purpose that is needing survices.but 2 those who dont need it n have proven themselves don't need to continueously be hurt.i've learned 2 trust nobody know.

HOLLY TAYLOR May 30, 2008 11:15 pm (Pacific time)

it truly amazes me 2 be witness of how much power these people truly have been given.they act as if they r untouchable.i,d like 2 c the physc evals on some of them.

Jenifer Saroian May 13, 2008 7:29 pm (Pacific time)

Email me at the address shown above. I will show you where and how to get help.

Jidith Wolfcreek May 12, 2008 5:48 pm (Pacific time)

What can I do?Where do I start?My daughter is caught up with DHS and our life is a complete nightmare with no help..I feel like I'm in the twilight zone..please..give me some advice

J.Huitt May 6, 2008 3:19 am (Pacific time)

heres a good one I am a disable Native Ameican I was raisning my son the day he was born my child has Opitz BBB syn.what never heard of this well DHS never heard of it at all yes I being fighting for my son for almost 3 years,but I won't go in to it,ok had a attorney on my case he did nothing for me.well I was diging around on my attorney we behold look what poped up his wife works for DHS in salem or.mmm funny right well when I wrote him a letter asking him about at he told me that it was not true.ok then I go back to court he go's in the back with DHS and the other attorney's and the judge 15mins later he comes out and tells the judge I fired him.over a year in a half well heres some more so they get me a new attorney so I did some diging up on this attorney ooop's looked what poped up on him he worked for DHS as there attorney then thats not all both of these attorney's are best friends with my case worker and get this she state that she only works with Native people mmmm this is funny there were 6 native women in court same tribe as me she did'nt work with them..lets talk about my sons attorney oopp's what popped up on him Nope I better not tell on this one yet ok back to the judge she has 3 nieces the work for DHS get good a thats not all I had my old foster sister come and help me in come oop's I find out she good friend with her.theres more to it I have never got a fair trial in court and I never will as for my paper work the they give u I have never got anything they tell me they can't give it to me? well then get this one the foster parents are abusing my son I do have pic's of him and so on well today I lose my son later in time u will here about the foster parents GOD help us

DHS broke my heart April 22, 2008 12:20 pm (Pacific time)

Anonymous....One more big reason to expose DHS for what they are. They knowingly leave a child in an enviornment as you describe and take them away from clean, loving homes where they are fed well, kept clean,taught to be good citizens and loved more than you can imagine. As the person who worked for them shared with me "they don't want those children because they are too hard to place. They want "normal" kids that are easy to adopt out". That is what makes them appear "successful".

Anonymous April 21, 2008 6:21 pm (Pacific time)

While some family's may be treated unfairly by DHS. There are also children that need to be taken away from their family and are in a toxic environment and are just left there. After years with drug addict parents the most prefect child was finally taken away from her parents. She was 4 years old and couldn't even walk due to being left in a crib. Her parents had a caseworker since the day she was born and yet nothing was done.

Peggy Johnson April 18, 2008 6:03 pm (Pacific time)

Jenifer, I am not familiar with you before now but thanks for what you are doing. You are a good writer and you deliver an important message, plus you have the credibility of surviving the system, in spite of what any state employee implies. I agree some are great people and some are just animals lapping at the public trough and they need to be brought under control while the emphases shifts back to not overloading the foster care system with more kids to receive new abuse at the hands of yet another family. Sorry, but when foster parenting has to be presented as a 'money making opportunity' to attract participants, you are sailing in dangerous waters, to say the least. Glad Salem-News.com has the guts to carry your message, no big surprise, again thanks.

Jenifer Saroian April 18, 2008 5:24 pm (Pacific time)

I recognise some of your who have left comments, but to those of you I have not heard from personally, EMAIL ME!

DHS broke my heart forever April 18, 2008 4:15 pm (Pacific time)

DHS may have a place, but let me tell you from experience they are despicable liars and they will say and do anything to justify wrongfully removing children from loving and caring parents. I also know someone who once worked for them who confirmed that what they did to my grandchildren is common practice. They did absolutely NOTHING to help my daughter get her children back and did EVERYTHING possible to see that she didn't. They would not return her calls. The attorney she was appointed showed up late to court, had not cracked the file, didn't even know their names much less anything about the case. Only he was allowed to speak in the hearing and of course he said nothing because he knew nothing. So....only the lying, conniving case worker had anything to say and they got temporary custody. It only got worse from there. I lost part of my family because of their tactics and can only hope that someday when they are grown they will find us. If I sound a little bitter, it's because I damn well am and always will be!

Sincere April 18, 2008 1:24 pm (Pacific time)

Please note the ideological background of this organization, it really is the antecedent for this type of government abuse on the American family. In fact it's very easy to compare other states that have a more pro-family approach and see the difference. You get what you vote for people!

Susan Detlefsen April 18, 2008 10:27 am (Pacific time)

DHS "grooming" as she calls it, is part of their policy. Most DHS caseworkers are trained to believe that most parents don't know how to raise and child, and that most children are better off in the hands of the state. Nothing is farther from the truth. One must also keep in mind the huge financial incentives involved in the child protection industry.

J.Martin April 18, 2008 9:12 am (Pacific time)

I agree DHS is needed,But DHS also needs to be put in there place when it comes to the wrong full taking of children.Understanding from experience.

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