Department of Human Services
Department Leadership:
Lisa-Michele Church, Executive Director
Mission Statement:
The Department of Human Services (DHS) provides direct and contracted services to a broad range of individuals in our community, including persons with disabilities, mental health or substance abuse issues, children and families in crisis, juveniles in the criminal justice system, the aged, and vulnerable adults.
The selection of the Department's performance measures are based on these four critical areas of desired outcomes;
- Children and families are to be preserved and supported
- Children and adults are to be protected from harm
- Client treatment services are effective
- The Department's entities strive to serve all clients with needs as timely and efficiently as possible
Overview
The Department of Human Services is the state agency responsible for providing services to Utah's most vulnerable citizens. Some examples of the type of work performed by DHS employees are:
- Reunifying a mother and her child after intervening due to abuse or neglect
- Finding respite care for the sister of a disabled adult
- Collecting child support and passing it on to a parent to assist in supporting her/his children
- Intervening in the financial exploitation of an elderly citizen
- Mentoring a delinquent youth with criminal offenses and helping them become accountable for their actions and move onto a more productive life.
- Make life sustaining decisions for a vulnerable adult as their guardian because they have no family or ability to make decisions for them
- Attending a drug court to see someone's life being turned around
- Making sure the right mix of mental health treatment is provided to a teenager so they can return to school and graduate
The Department employs 5,000 employees statewide and has an operating budget of over $699,000,000. There are five Divisions, two Institutions and three Offices with responsibility to provide direct services under the umbrella of the Department. Each of these entities within the Department has a unique mission that contributes to the interests of Utah's citizens.
Click on the links below for more detailed information on services provided and annual and/or individual performance reports.
Department web site:
Division of Child and Family Services
Division of Juvenile Justice Services
Division of Services to People with Disabilities
Division of Aging and Adult Services
Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Office of Public Guardian
Office of Recovery Services
Office of Licensing
Population Growth of Seniors in Utah
Providing needed services to the senior population of Utah will become more challenging in the future due to increasing growth in this population. The U.S. Census Bureau predicts the senior population in Utah will grow to 482,542 by the year 2030. The chart above shows Utah 's 65+ population will increase by 165% between 2000 and 2030.
Data Source: DHS
Why this is important:
According to the 2000 census, Utah has the sixth most rapidly increasing population age 65 and older in the nation. The predicted aging of the state is a situation that has been created by two main factors; 1) the increase in longevity due to better health, sanitation, nutrition and medicine and 2) the baby boomer group reaching retirement age. There is a concern that without planning toward the future; the predicted growth of those needing services will overwhelm the existing programs currently being provided. There is a need to invest in planning and designing better ways to articulate the impact the aging of Utah 's population will have upon the current service delivery systems, while at the same time maintaining a solid foundation of current services for existing individuals over the age of 65.
What we're doing about it:
The Division of Aging and Adult Services, along with many community partners are actively engaged in addressing these future issues. Some of the things currently being done are;
- The Division is working with the Utah State Legislature Medicaid Interim Committee on identifying long term care strategies and programs.
- The Utah Commission on Aging is continuing its work on identifying issues and strategies across public and private entities, in anticipation of the increased demographics.
- The Division is taking the lead on completing the 2030 Project which was initiated by the Commission on Aging. This project involves each State governmental agency under the Executive branch to assess the impact of the increase in the aging population to their agency and identify strategies to address those impacts.
Child Support Collections
Data Source: DHS
Why this is important:
The mission of the Office of Recovery Services is to serve children and families by promoting independence through responsible parenthood and to ensure public funds are used appropriately. By doing so, this reduces costs to taxpayers such as a reduction in cost to public assistance programs and foster care. Providing child support services to families to enable them to remain intact and self supporting is a critical function to all Utah citizens.
The pie chart above shows the outcome of the Office of Recovery Services performance in collections for 2007 as follows; 154 million dollars collected and sent to children and families, 16.7 million dollars recouped for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program administered by the Department of Workforce Services and 5.9 million recouped for services provided to children in state custody.
What we're doing about it:
The Office of Recovery Services (ORS) continues to return millions of dollars on Utah taxpayers' investment each year. ORS works within the bounds of state and federal laws and works with parents, employers, federal, state and private agencies, professional associations, legal profession and community advocates in order to accomplish their mission in a courteous and efficient manner. The Office of Recovery Services consistently looks for cost effective and efficient resources and methods to deliver their services without compromising customer service.
Child and Family Services
Data Source: DHS
Why this is important:
The Division of Child and Family Services' is most often known in the community for investigating child abuse and neglect and/or placing children in foster care. The reality is the majority of the work and the critical mission of the division is to assist families in remaining together, reunifying and stabilizing whenever possible.
Home based services are the preferred service when families need extra help and support because they are the least intrusive means of keeping children safe while preserving the family. The types of services provided under Home Based are; voluntary or court ordered family preservation, counseling, and prevention or home study services.
What we're doing about it:
The Division continues to strive toward providing effective home based services that keep children safe within their families whenever possible. All children need and are entitled to enduring relationships that provide a family, stability and belonging. Community partnerships and support are critical to the success of Utah 's families.
Substance Abuse Treatment
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Data Source: DHS
Why this is important:
Substance abuse treatment improves the lives of individuals and the community as a whole. With treatment, individuals have a chance to become productive citizens, as evidenced by the percent employed and the decrease in criminal activity. Individuals commit crimes to support their substance abuse and end up in jails and prison, at a great cost to the state of Utah. Treatment has been found to be effective and at a lower cost.
What we're doing about it:
During the past 15 years, there has been a significant increase in the number of women who have entered treatment programs as compared to men. There were 12,383 men admitted to treatment in 1991 compared to 11,742 in 2005; that is 5% decrease. For women over the same time frame, there were 2,679 women admitted in 1991 and 7,243 in 2005; this is a 170% increase. With methamphetamine use on the rise and the primary drug choice for women, female admissions have increased significantly. Some of the things we are doing are;
- Governor's Meth Task Force is addressing issues statewide, including the needs of Native Americans and a public awareness campaign. This is a partnership between local county government and state agencies.
- The Division of Substance Abuse & Mental Health in conjunction with the local authorities are teaming with the Division of Child & Family Services on serving women with children in order to limit or reduce the impact of children in foster care due to parent's substance abuse.
- The Utah State Legislature appropriated 2.5 million for women and children substance abuse treatment, 4.8 million for the drug offender reform act and 1 million ongoing and 1 million one time monies for drug court services.
Disabilities Services
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Data Source: DHS
Why this is important:
The Division of Services for People with Disabilities provides funding for out of home and in-home services for Utahns with severe intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities or brain injury. These services allow individuals who would otherwise be in a nursing home or intermediate care facility to live safely in their own home and community.
What we're doing about it:
The division provides for an array of services that include supervision, support, training and companionship for Utahns with severe disabilities. Services are of two major types, either out of home or in-home. Residential services such as group homes, supervised apartments, professional parent and host homes are out-of home services. In-home services help to preserve Utah families and include family support, respite, personal assistance, chore and homemaker services, supported living, supported employment, transportation and day services. Over 90% of the people on the waiting list want some kind of in-home service. The cost in state general fund for in-home services typically is $2,500 per person, while the average general fund cost of out-of-home services is around $17,000 per person. This may vary depending on need of each person. In most cases, individuals eligible for services also meet eligibility requirements to receive federal Medicaid funding. Medicaid funding provides three dollars for every dollar of state funds.
Over the past three years, appropriations from the Utah State Legislature have allowed the Division to provide funding for the top 20-25% on the waiting list. In addition, in the 2006 session a supported employment pilot was approved and continued in 2007 that focused on providing services for people with lower scores on the list, as an early intervention program. A second pilot approved in the 2007 session, the family preservation pilot, will also provide a time limited early intervention/prevention program to individuals on the bottom % of the waiting list.
The Department and Division continually seek input from various advocates, stakeholders and public policy makers on cost effective, early intervention concepts that would assist families and individuals in remaining in the community with supports in addition to requesting in the yearly budget process funding for the top tier of individuals waiting for home and community based services.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Consumer Satisfaction Survey
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Data Source: DHS
Why this is important:
The Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health is committed to ensuring effective treatment is provided to individuals receiving mental health and substance abuse treatment. One of the strategies in evaluating this is to conduct consumer satisfaction surveys.
What we're doing about it:
The Division takes the results of the surveys seriously and uses the feedback to improve services through the following actions;
- Establish target performance standards for each local mental health/substance abuse center to meet or exceed the national or state average
- Use survey results in state oversight monitoring of local centers and use the information to assess the quality of services and to help centers improve
- Incorporate the survey results in the Division's balanced scorecard and in Local Authority (Counties) and Providers (Centers) reports. Trends and ideas for improvement will be included
- NAMI Utah will establish a consumer council that will review services and provide feedback to the division