THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1966.

OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER, SALARIES AND

EXPENSES

WITNESSES

DR. ELLEN WINSTON, COMMISSIONER OF WELFARE

ROY L. WYNKOOP, EXECUTIVE OFFICER, WELFARE ADMINISTRATION

ELMER W. SMITH, DEPUTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER, WELFARE ADMINISTRATION

JAMES B. CARDWELL, DEPARTMENT DEPUTY COMPTROLLER

1 Selected resources as of June 30 are as follows: Unpaid undelivered orders, 1964, $73,000; 1965, $107,000; 1966, $107,000; 1967, $107,000.

Mr. FOGARTY. We will now take up the "Office of the Commissioner, Salaries and Expenses."

GENERAL STATEMENT

We will put your statement in the record, Dr. Winston. (The statement follows:)

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, substantial responsibilities have been delegated to the Commissioner of Welfare for the direction and coordination of the Federal-State-local programs concerned with the provision of welfare services, financial and medical assistance, juvenile delinquency prevention, and control activities, child welfare services, maternal and child health activities, and other specialized child health services, assistance to Cuban refugees, and the work experience projects under title V of the Economic Opportunity Act. In addition, the cooperative research or demonstration program, and the foreign currency research and training program are also directly administered by this Office.

As I noted in my general statement earlier, the responsibilities associated with these programs have grown in recent years through the enactment of new and expanded legislation. Heavy workloads are associated with policy review and leadership necessary to provide the basis for extending medical assistance programs, strengthening medical assistance programs to children, and for supporting more adequate assistance payments and social service.

Administrative guidance and supervision is also provided through this Office to promote the most efficient administration of the Federal and State programs and to insure the coordination of our program activities with such other agencies as the Social Security Administration, the Vocational Rehabilitation Administration, the Public Health Service, and the Office of Economic Opportunity.

IMPACT OF RECENT LEGISLATION

Much developmental work related to the implementation of the 1962 and 1965 Social Security Act Amendments will continue to be required in the coming

year. Such areas as providing leadership related to the constructive provisions of the 1962 and 1965 amendments and administrative improvements, such as the simplification of budgeting for assistance recipients, will continue to be required.

ADDITIONAL STAFF REQUESTS RELATED TO WELFARE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Adding to these responsibilities will be the task of carrying out recommendations made by the Advisory Council on Public Welfare. It can be anticipated that the Council's report will contain many provisions affecting the policy and procedural materials issued by the Welfare Administration. These recommendations will deal with matters such as the effective administration of public assistance and medical assistance programs and will inevitably demand strengthened program leadership for the Office of the Commissioner.

A small additional staff increase is requested to provide two additional staff advisers on welfare policy and procedures.

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

In addition, it has become increasingly apparent that our ability must be strengthened to analyze and evaluate basic social problems and their impact on our programs. To this end, we are requesting an increase in the research staff of the Office of the Commissioner.

DIRECTED RESEARCH

The need for research and demonstration studies directly aimed at evaluating our on-going operations has become a key priority, and $650,000 is being requested for directed research through cooperative research and demonstration projects. The directed research which will be carried out under this program will be administred under contracts which will call for defined information to be provided in accord with specifications determined by the Welfare Administration. Thus a staff increase of four positions is requested to administer this directed research program. The requested staff will stimulate interest in the research community; will design the studies; and will interpret those aspects of the program not covered in the contract, but highlighted in the work of the study.

SOCIAL WORK MANPOWER

Two positions are requested to staff a small social work manpower research unit to focus attention on the whole area of social welfare manpower needs, supply, and utilization, and to coordinate the intramural and extramural research being conducted in this area by the Welfare Administration. The Task Force on Social Work Education and Manpower Development has pointed out the pressing need for intensive research and analysis in this area, and the Welfare Administration would provide a focal point for studies of this nature.

MEDICAL ECONOMICS

The recent expansion in the medical assistance programs means that additional attention should be given to the economic effects of medical care programs especially as they are related to public assistance recipients and other medically indigent persons. The addition of a medical economist to the staff would enable us to make an evaluation of studies on such matters as projections of medical care costs, cost benefit analyses related to medical care, and other related matters.

SUMMARY OF COSTS

In summary, an appropriation of $1.6 million is requested for the Office of the Commissioner for fiscal year 1967. This will provide a total staff of 108, which is an increase of 12 positions over the level authorized for fiscal year 1966.

BUDGET REQUEST

Mr. FOGARTY. The appropriation for 1966 is $1,292,000 and the request for 1967 is for $1,589,000, an increase of $297,000 and 12 positions.

Dr. WINSTON. Yes, sir.

Mr. FOGARTY. Will you give us a breakdown of the 12 positions? Put it in the record, the job description and so on.

Dr. WINSTON. Yes.

(The information follows:)

RESPOSIBILITIES OF 12 NEW POSITIONS REQUESTED FOR THE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR FISCAL YEAR 1967

The 12 new positions requested for the Office of the Commissioner for fiscal year 1967 are to work in the following areas:

1. Four positions to develop and review welfare policies and procedures (two GS-13's, one GS-6, and one GS-5): The responsibilities of these positions are to assist the Commissioner in the development and review of policy material related to the effective implementation of the 1965 and 1962 Social Security Amendments and to evaluate and implement the recommendations of the Advisory Council on Public Welfare which will submit its report by July 1, 1966. The 1966 supplemental appropriation provided staff to facilitate the implementation of the initial stages of the 1965 Social Security Amendments. Additional staff time is needed as more States embark on implementation of the 1965 amendments; the volume of policy materials to be reviewed and policy decisions to be made will increase. Also, additional staff time at the Commissioners level is needed for full coordination of the services and activities relating to the health insurance and medical assistance programs with the Public Health Service and the Social Security Administration. In addition, review and clearance of policy materials related to the provision of preventive and rehabilitative services under the 1962 Social Security Amendments continues to be a significant workload.

The Advisory Council on Public Welfare, in its report due by July 1, 1966, will establish new goals and objectives over the broad range of social services and financial assistance activities. While it is not possible to anticipate the variety and exact nature of the recommendations at this time, it can be expected that the Advisory Council will identify many areas requiring additional highlevel attention to improve the provision of services and assistance and the administration of programs. Part of the effort of evaluating and advising in the implementation of these recommendations will also be the responsibility of these positions.

2. Four positions for a directed research program (GS-14, GS-13, GS-6, and GS-5): Under the appropriation "Cooperative research or demonstration projects," $650,000 is requested to initiate a directed research program for the Welfare Administration, starting with a study of the AFDC program.

The two professional and two clerical positions requested for fiscal year 1967 are to work with the research community to stimulate an interest in performing the directed research; to design the research plan so that the results we desire will be produced; prepare and oversee the implementation of the contract for the research; analyze the research as it progresses and write reports on those aspects which are highlighted during the course of the study. All of this work requires considerable staff effort in addition to the commitments we now have for ongoing program research, long-range research, and statistical analysis. 3. Two positions to perform work in the social work manpower area (GS-15, and GS-11): The responsibilities of these positions would be concentrated on the problems of projecting national needs for social work manpower, ways and means of maintaining an adequate supply of appropriately trained social welfare personnel, and methods of utilizing trained personnel most effectively.

The problems of the supply, training, and use of social welfare staffs is of special concern to the Welfare Administration. Implementations of the 1962 and 1965 amendments to the Social Security Act, with their emphasis on services to needy people, accentuate the need for moving ahead at a faster pace in our efforts to meet the State and local requirements for staff to effectively administer the welfare programs. Responsibilities of the positions requested would be to Coordinate intramural and extramural research being conducted in this area. Staff would encourage the development of, and would itself develop, information about the efficient utilization of social welfare personnel and would seek a better basis for delineating social work job tasks and functions. In addition, staff