Department of Health and Human Services

The mission of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is to promote and ensure the health and safety of the residents of Montgomery County and to build individual and family strength and self-sufficiency. DHHS ensures delivery of a full array of services to address the somatic and behavioral health, economic and housing security, and other health and human services needs of County residents. DHHS directs, manages, administers, funds and delivers critical support for the most vulnerable residents. Services provided also include case management and advocacy services, protective services for vulnerable children and adults, and prevention services. The Department strives to provide services that are:

Built on the strengths of our customers and the community
Community-based
Accessible
Culturally competent
Responsive to changing needs of our community
Provided in collaboration with our community partners

Department Performance Measures

Montgomery County departments are broken out into discrete programs for the purposes of Outcome Based Budgeting. A program is an activity or set of activities performed by County government that has:

identifiable costs for budgeting purposes
a clear public purpose and measurable results, and
clear lines of accountability for its performance and financial management

The following are the performance measures for programs within the Department of Health and Human Services. In our performance framework there are three categories of measures:

How much did we do? (quantity)
How well did we do it? (quality)
Is anyone better off? (effect or impact)

Administration and Support Services

The function of Administration and Support Services is to provide overall leadership, administration, and direction to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), while providing an efficient system of support services to ensure effective management and delivery of services.

Adult Protective Services

Investigates allegations of abuse, neglect, self neglect and/or exploitation of vulnerable adults. The program provides professional services to reduce risk factors and promote protection of the health, safety and welfare of endangered, vulnerable adults. A vulnerable adult is one who lacks the physical or mental capacity to provide for his/her daily needs.

Behavioral Health and Crisis Services

The mission of Behavioral Health and Crisis Services (BHCS) is to promote the behavioral health and well-being of Montgomery County residents. BHCS works to promote mental wellness, prevent substance abuse and suicide, and to ensure access to a comprehensive treatment and recovery system of effective services and support for children, youth and families, adults, and seniors in crisis or with behavioral health needs. BHCS is committed to ensuring culturally and linguistically competent care and the use of evidence-based or best practices along a continuum of care. BHCS works with the State's Behavioral Health Administration, HHS service areas, County agencies, and the community to provide strength-based and integrated services to persons in need.

Children, Youth, and Families

The mission of Children, Youth and Family Services is to promote opportunities for children to grow up safe, healthy, ready for school, and for families and individuals to achieve well being and self sufficiency. This mission is realized through the provision of protection, prevention, intervention, and treatment services for children and their families, and through educational, support, and financial assistance for parents, caretakers, and individuals. These services work to build on the strengths of both the individual and the community in addressing issues of child development, abuse, neglect, health, and economic security.

Public Health Services

The functions of the Public Health Services programs are to protect and promote the health and safety of County residents. This is accomplished by monitoring health status and implementing intervention strategies to contain or prevent disease (including bioterrorism and emerging diseases); fostering public-private partnerships, which increase access to health services; developing and implementing programs and strategies to address health needs; providing individual and community-level health education; evaluating the effectiveness of select programs and strategies; and licensing and inspecting facilities and institutions affecting public health and safety.

Services to End and Prevent Homelessness

The vision of the staff of Services to End and Prevent Homelessness (SEPH) is a community where all persons have access to safe, affordable housing, and the opportunity to achieve a higher quality of life. The mission of SEPH is to make homelessness a rare, brief, and non-recurring event by operating from a Housing First philosophy. Housing First recognizes that people are most successful when they have choice in housing and seeks to eliminate barriers such as sobriety requirements or treatment compliance. SEPH provides a full continuum of services including housing stabilization, homeless diversion, and permanent housing; and employs evidence-based and promising practices. The mission cannot be achieved without collaborating with public and private partners through the Interagency Commission on Homelessness. Special needs populations include veterans, both individuals and families, persons with behavioral health challenges, individuals with developmental disabilities, transitioning youth, and seniors with disabilities experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Approved Budget

Click the chart presented below to explore how the Department of Health and Human Services is funded.