Welcome
Dear Visitors:
Welcome to the Delaware Health and Social Services website, where you will find a variety of information about the services available through our Department.
DHSS is the largest state agency, employing almost 5,000 individuals in a wide range of public service jobs. Our department includes 12 divisions, which provide services in the areas of public health, social services, substance abuse and mental health, child support, developmental disabilities, long term care, visual impairment, and aging and adults with physical disabilities. The Department includes four long term care facilities and the state's only psychiatric hospital, the Delaware Psychiatric Center.
The services provided through DHSS touch almost every Delawarean every single day. In addition to the hundreds of thousands of Delawareans who receive our social services - such as Medicaid, food stamps, subsidized child care and cash assistance - DHSS also provides many services that Delawareans consume every day. To name just a few of those services, the Department:
- Ensures safe drinking water
- Monitors and helps control the spread of disease
- Stands ready to serve in case of an act of terrorism or a natural disaster.
- Assists in criminal investigations by performing autopsies and processing forensic evidence in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
- Provides resources, training and employment for blind Delawareans.
- Ensures that children receive the financial support they deserve.
- Provides Meals on Wheels, nutritional counseling, information and support for caregivers, and other services for Delaware's elder citizens.
Providing these and many other services is the primary goal and work of Delaware Health and Social Services, but another of our most important goals is ensuring that your tax dollars are well managed. We are a social service agency, but that doesn't mean that we have to fit the old stereotypes of throwing money at problems. We work hard to provide the best services we can in the most efficient way possible.
Thanks for visiting our site. I hope you find the information you are looking for and, if not, please call the Delaware Helpline at (800) 464-HELP or email us at dhssinfo@state.de.us and we'll do our best to help you.
Sincerely,
Vincent P. Meconi
Secretary
