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APS Program Operational Plan: Oklahoma

State/Territory/District Oklahoma

Contact Reza Zeinalpour

Budget Allocation $ 937,536 + $1,960,263 = $2,897,799

Timeline AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (ARPA) OF 2021- Grant 1 

August 2021 – September 2023 $937,536

AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021 - Proposed Grant 2 

August 2022 – September 2024 $1,022,727 + $937,536 = $1,960,263

Vision 2025

The Vision clarifies what your ARPA Grant 1 Program 

aspires to become and to achieve. It is designed to 

inspire by providing a picture of where the program 

is heading in 3-5 years.

Note: If you are a part of a larger organization, does 

it have its own future vision? If so, you may want to 

adapt it to your own program.

Bringing Hope to Vulnerable Oklahomans by Protecting with Purpose and Passion!
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 2

Mission Statement

Mission and Values statements can be an effective 

tool to educate the public; state and local 

government officials; state government agencies; 

provider agencies; and service recipients as to what 

the Adult Protective Services is and how they do 

business.

Mission Statements answer four key questions 

about your APS Program:

• Who do we serve?

• What needs do they have that we can fulfil?

• How do we meet those needs? How do we 

make the clients' lives better?

• Does it link directly to the Vision Statement?

Note: if you are a part of a larger organization, does 

it have its Mission Statement? If so, you may want 

to adapt it for your own program.

Community Living, Aging and Protective Services provides leadership by fostering strong 

relationships with community partners to support independence of vulnerable adults, 

protect their quality of life, and promote person-centered planning and delivery of 

services across the lifespan.

Adult Protective Services (APS) is a program that serves vulnerable adults, age 18 and 

older, who need temporary assistance because of abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or 

financial exploitation (adult maltreatment). APS helps adults connect to the services 

they need so they can stay safely in their homes and communities whenever possible.
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 3 

Guiding Principles / Core Values

Guiding Principles or Core Values guide internal 

processes and client interactions for your APS 

Program. 

Note: If you are a part of a larger organization, does it 

have its own set of Guiding Principles or Core Values? 

If so, you may want to adapt it for this program.

APS Values

Hope, Dignity, Compassion, Excellence

True North Goals (guiding principles)

• Foster strong relationships with families, agencies, and community partners to 

improve the independence and well-being of vulnerable adults.

• Promote the safety and protect the quality of life of vulnerable adults.

• Empower independence and choice through person-centered thinking and 

planning for the delivery of services.
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 4

Goals for Program Improvement

These are goals to be obtained in order to move your APS 

program from current practices to your Vision.

Now that you have new funds targeted for your work with 

APS, what can be enhanced or improved in your current 

program? These goals must meet the APS Formula Grant 

requirements. It is recommended these goals become 

SMART goals (specific, measurable, actionable, and 

timely).

Using the results of your Environmental Scan, identify key 

issues that need to be addressed during this planning 

cycle. 

These are goals to move your APS Program from current 

practices to your Vision #1.

Foster strong relationships with families, agencies, and community partners to 

improve the independence and well-being of vulnerable adults.

• Tribal Partnerships – increase partnerships with tribes to secure stronger 

partners w/ community 

• APS Partner Portal – increase document sharing capabilities accessibility for 

hospitals, law enforcement, etc. which will reduce the burden of process

therefore enhance ease of partnerships

Promote the safety and protect the quality of life of vulnerable adults.

• Temporary Positions – increases capacity so APS can focus on quality

• Medicaid Adult Protective Services Specialists (MAPSS)

• APS Training & Toolkits – provides methodology improve speed and quality

Empower independence and choice through person-centered thinking and planning 

for the delivery of services.

• Temporary Positions – increases capacity to address client needs and goals

• APS Training & Toolkits – provide staff the resources they need to empower 

client choice
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 5 

Targeted Improvement Projects

Using the results of your Environmental Scan and PESTEL, 

describe the targeted improvements and enhancements 

needed for this planning cycle. 

Your improvements should be concrete, measurable, and 

complete.

WHY is this improvement needed? 

What Purpose or NEED will it fill? 

What RESOURCES will be used? 

What ACTIVITIES will it entail? 

What are the direct OUTPUTS of the activities? What are 

the intended results and how will clients benefit?

See example on next page.
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 6 

Purpose / Needs 

to be filled by 

ARPA Funds

Inputs (Resources 

Deployed)

Activities Outputs from Investment Short-Term Outcomes Long-Term Outcomes

APS relies on our 

partners to help 

us assist clients 

and gather 

evidence for 

investigations. A 

partner portal 

will allow APS 

and partners to 

communicate and 

collaborate to 

serve clients 

more effectively.

Some partners 

resistant to form 

relationships – 

Nursing homes, 

hospitals, tribal 

nations.

Challenging to 

share records in 

order to move 

forward w/ client 

service planning

Funding for 

enhancements

$300,000 ARPA1

APS and Partner 

Stakeholders

Design Company

System 

Development 

Company

ARPA 1 PROJECT 1

Partner Portal

Stakeholder and 

requirement 

gathering meetings

Design check-in 

meetings

Milestone meetings

Deployment Training

# and type of partners 

engaged

# of requirements and or 

milestones documented 

and met/not met

# of people and partners 

trained

System deployed and 

requirements accepted by 

stakeholders

Stakeholders understand 

how to use the system

Stakeholders actively use 

the system as part of their 

daily processes

APS and partners in the 

community have a vehicle 

to communicate quickly 

and effectively.

APS receives requested documentation 

within 5 business days of request.

Wellness checks are immediately 

documented in the system.

APS, with the help of its partners, better 

meets the needs of clients through 

service planning, produces higher 

quality documentation as part of 

investigations and service planning, and 

more quickly intervenes and acts 

against abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Oklahoma APS 

will develop 

partnerships that 

support tribal 

elder abuse 

prevention 

efforts, preserve 

$60,000 ARPA1

APS and tribal 

stakeholders

SATTRN Contract

ARPA 1 PROJECT 2 

Tribal Partnerships

Meet with tribal 

stakeholders

# of sovereign tribal 

nations engaged and 

willing to partner

# of tribal/APS 

participants in training

Increased awareness and 

knowledge of abuse, 

neglect, and exploitation 

intervention measures

APS and Oklahoma’s 39 tribes work 

closely together to serve Oklahomans 

and tribal members who are victims of 

abuse, neglect, and exploitation

APS, in partnership with tribal nations, 

better meets the needs of clients 
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 7

tribal 

sovereignty, and 

will provide a 

vehicle for 

cultural 

awareness 

training for 

Oklahoma APS 

workforce.

DHS Legal for MOU 

development

APS core training

Cultural awareness 

training

Develop MOUs

Fund tribal 

involvement in 

training (attendance, 

lodging, meals, and 

travel)

# and type of training 

provided

# of MOUs created

# of participants 

supported through ARPA 

funds to attend training

Increased awareness of 

cultural issues

Increased 

knowledge/guidelines for 

how to work together as 

partners to stop abuse, 

neglect, and exploitation

through service planning, and more 

quickly intervenes and acts against 

abuse, neglect, and exploitation

Increased 

capacity for APS 

to manage 

current workload 

and backlog while 

creating a 

pipeline to 

reduce the 

impact of 

turnover.

$510,536 (ARPA1)

$510,536 (ARPA2)

GALT Foundation

HR & Onboarding

ARPA 1 PROJECT 3

ARPA 2 PROJECT 1

Temporary Positions

Hire GALT positions 

to perform APS work

Train GALT 

employees to do APS 

work

Utilize GALT 

workforce as a 

pipeline for full-time 

APS work

# employees hired

# employees retained

Sum of time each 

employee is retained in 

GALT positions

# employees that attend 

APS academy

# employees hired as FTE 

in APS

7 full-time positions hired

7 full-time positions trained 

and able to complete APS 

work

Increased capacity across

the state 

Create a training/employment pipeline 

to supplement current staff and 

mitigate turnover by utilizing the temp 

positions to fill APS staff positions after 

a position on permanent staff opens 

Elimination of unnecessary backlog

Increased capacity to utilize staff 

creativity to better meet client needs

APS better meets the needs of clients 

through service planning, and more 

quickly intervenes and acts against 

abuse, neglect, and exploitation

Reduction in repeat referrals due to 

client needs being met

This balances the workload equitability 

across the state and improves client 

outcomes 

APS relies on our 

partners to help 

us assist clients 

and gather 

$25,000

Equipment

ARPA 1 PROJECT 4

APS Training & 

Toolkits

# and type of 

stakeholders identified

Partner stakeholders have 

increased knowledge of the

role of APS

More informed partners result in fewer 

calls from community partners resulting 

in screen-outs
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 8

evidence for 

investigations. 

Partner training 

and toolkits will 

help educate 

community 

stakeholders on 

the role of APS 

and how we can 

collaborate to 

serve clients 

more effectively.

SATTRN Contract

DHS 

Communications

APS and Partner 

Stakeholders

Identify stakeholders

Purchase equipment 

for training and 

toolkits

Develop APS Training 

& Toolkits

Market APS Training 

& Toolkits

# and type of 

trainings/toolkits 

developed

# of in-service trainings 

conducted

Improved collaborative 

relationship with partner 

stakeholders

APS, with the help of its partners, better 

meets the needs of clients through 

service planning, produces higher 

quality documentation as part of 

investigations and service planning, and 

more quickly intervenes and acts 

against abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

One video will focus on supported 

decision making as a preferred 

methodology when considering care of 

clients that partners would currently 

recommend guardianship for.

One video will focus on improved 

relationships with LE and community 

partners when they have a better 

understanding of APS processes and 

capabilities which will increase speed to 

care of clients.

Increased speed of care for clients

Oklahoma APS will develop training and 

standards to expand the MAPSS 

program statewide.

Many families 

cannot afford to 

pay the legal fees 

to obtain a 

guardianship, 

resulting in 

unnecessary APS 

interventions. A 

legal assistance 

fund will provide 

a mechanism for 

families to 

intervene on 

$42,000

DHS Finance

Internal 

stakeholders

Legal partners

ARPA 1 PROJECT 5

Legal Assistance 

Fund

Develop process for 

requesting and 

approving legal 

assistance voucher 

for guardianship 

intervention

# of vouchers requested

# of clients assisted 

through legal assistance 

fund

Increased involvement of 

family and friends 

interested in helping meet 

the needs of APS clients

Increased focus on 

supported decision making

Fewer clients become wards of the state

Clients stay connected to family and 

friends
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 9 

behalf of their 

loved one.

APS employees 

are the most 

important asset 

in our goal to 

help clients. A 

human-centered 

system will help

our workforce 

focus more on 

client outcomes 

over system 

navigation. 

$1,449,727

APS and Partner 

Stakeholders

Design Company

System 

Development 

Company

ARPA 2 PROJECT 2

HCD System 

Enhancements

Stakeholder and 

requirement 

gathering meetings

Design check-in 

meetings

Milestone meetings

Deployment Training

# and type of 

stakeholders engaged

# of requirements and or 

milestones documented 

and met/not met

# of APS stakeholders 

trained

System deployed and 

requirements accepted by 

APS stakeholders

APS employees understand 

how to use the system

Stakeholders actively use 

the system as part of their 

daily processes

APS employees are delighted to use 

AVA because it supports ease of 

documentation, quality of work, and 

they have more time to focus on client 

needs instead of navigating a 

complicated system

APS better meets the needs of clients 

through service planning, produces 

higher quality documentation as part of 

investigations and service planning, and 

more quickly intervenes and acts 

against abuse, neglect, and exploitation
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 10

Budget / Spending Plan for ARPA funds – Semi-annually for 3 to 5 years

Budget/Spending Plan will be used to enhance, improve, and expand the ability of APS workers to investigate allegations of abuse, neglect, and

exploitation. Be sure to use separate line items for each major improvement project.

Operational Plan Submission due by January 31, 2022. 

ARPA 1- First Grant Allocation - August 2021 - September 2023

Description 2022 

Period 1

2022 

Period 2

2023 

Period 1

2023 

Period 2 Total

Project 1 Partner Portal $100,000 $200,000 $300,000

Project 2

Tribal 

Partnerships $30,000 $15,000 $15,000 $60,000

Project 3

Temporary 

Positions $255,268 $255,268 $510,536

Project 4

APS Training & 

Toolkits $15,000 $5,000 $5,000 $25,000

Project 5

Legal Assistance

Fund $14,000 $14,000 $14,000 $42,000

Total $255,268 $414,268 $234,000 $34,000 $937,536
APS Program Planning Template: State/Territory/District-Specific Focus Page 11

ARPA 2- Second Grant Allocation - August 2022 September 2024 

Description

2023 Period

1

2023 Period 

2

2024 

Period 1

2024 

Period 2 Total

Project 1

Temporary 

Positions $127,634 $127,634 $127,634 $127,634 $510,536

Project 2

HCD System 

Enhancements $362,431.75 $362,431.75 $362,431.75 $362,431.75 $1,449,727

Total $490,065.75 $490,065.75 $490,065.75 $490,065.75 $1,960,263

*The goal is to accomplish our strategic goals for ARPA 2 in 2023. If needed 

Summary of ARPA 1 + ARPA 2 Expense

2022 

Period 1

2022 

Period 2 2023 Period 1 2023 Period 2 2024 Period 1 2024 Period 2 Total

Summary $255,268 $414,268 $724,065.75 $524,065.75 $490,065.75 $490,065.75 $2,897,799