DHS News

APS Becomes One of Few Programs to Receive Accreditation in the Country

 After what has been described as an “intensive and thorough” two-and-a-half year process, the Adult Protective Services (APS) program of the Department of Human Services, Family Services Administration has been awarded accreditation from the Council on Accreditation (COA).  APS, the District agency responsible for investigating and resolving reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation of seniors and adults with disabling conditions, has received the first accreditation ever earned for the District Government. Nationally, there are only 21 other accredited APS divisions, making DC’s APS number 22.

"We are so proud of the APS team and all the tremendous work they are doing on behalf of residents. At DHS, we are determined to serve District residents in a manner that is uncompromising while utilizing best practices and research-based methods," said DHS Director Laura Zeilinger.

COA, is an international, independent, nonprofit, human service accrediting organization founded in 1977.  When an organization or program becomes COA accredited, this means that the entity has been thoroughly evaluated against best practice standards, and has met those standards of quality established by the COA. This is great news for District residents, as this merit now confirms that APS is effectively managing its resources and is providing the best possible services to its clients. 

Mayor Bowser and DHS Celebrate Modernized H Street Service Center

Mayor Bowser, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Brenda Donald, Department of Human Services (DHS) Director Laura Zeilinger, and Department of General Services Interim Director Jonathan Kayne, celebrated the re-opening and ribbon cutting of the newly renovated “H” Street Service Center this spring. The “H” Street Center services approximately 265 District residents daily, and was relocated to a nearby swing space in 2012 to accommodate the renovation process.

District residents may apply for public benefits such as TANF, food stamps, medical assistance, burial assistance, long-term care and Interim Disability Assistance at the “H” Street Center. The space was converted to a more inviting atmosphere that includes amenities that will allow residents to conduct their business faster and with a better customer service experience, including a staffed self-help center where customers can renew their Medicaid benefits, a self-check-in desk for faster processing times, and co-located services that allow residents to access many of the services they need in one place. Read more about the ribbon cutting here.

Third Annual TANF Symposium Links Service Providers Community Based Organizations

DHS hosted the 2015 TANF symposium “Making the Transition-Life after TANF- the Time is Now," on May first at the Dorothy I. Height Community Academy Public Charter School (CAPCS) located in Northeast, Washington DC.

The Symposium was an all-day event for service providers and community-based organizations that work with TANF Employment Program participants. It focused on promoting communication and expanding relationships among participants and encouraging participants to continue developing and providing suitable outcomes for TANF recipients.  

Facilitators explored new methods for identifying and utilizing customer’s strengths and challenges by introducing participants to the modalities, tools and resources that will assist them in facilitating the process for assisting customers with addressing barriers to success.

DHS Employee Among Finalists for Prestigious Cafritz Awards

Hilary Cairns, Program Manager at the Department of Human Services (DHS) for the Parent and Adolescent Support Services (PASS), Teen Parent Assistance (TPAP) and the Alternatives to the Court Experience (ACE) programs was selected as a finalist for the 14th Annual Cafritz awards. Established in 2000, the Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Awards for Distinguished DC Government Employees is an annual program designed to recognize and honor outstanding performance and exemplary service among DC Government employees.

“I am so excited and proud to have been nominated and chosen as a finalist,” said Cairns. “I also want to recognize my incredible PASS team and all the agencies and community service providers who partner with us in the ACE Diversion program and who are completely and utterly dedicated to improving the lives of young people in the District of Columbia. This honor is shared among all of us,” she concluded.

As the Program Manager for ACE, Cairns leads an interagency coalition, a collaboration between the Court Social Services (CSS), the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH), the DC Trust, the Department of Human Services’ Parent and Adolescent Support Services program (PASS), the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), and community-based service providers, to expand the quantity and scope of diversion services available to young people in the District. Through the ACE Diversion program, teens that are facing status offenses are successfully diverted out of the court system with no juvenile record. ACE is the only juvenile diversion program in the City and was newly implemented in summer, 2014.  ACE receives diversions from MPD, CSS and OAG for truancy and low-level delinquency offenses. Read more about the award here.