The Division of State Service Centers (DSSC) serves as a one-stop-shop housing a diverse array of public/private health and social service partners. The goal of DSSC is to promote access to Delaware's health and human service system and serve all Delawareans in need of them. There are 15 State Service Centers in Delaware. Each center provides a mix of services based on the needs of its community. Services include general assistance, emergency assistance services, food stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), emergency housing, mental health support, Medicaid, and more. The highest areas of need met by the State Service Centers are Medicaid and medical assistance, food benefits, housing, childcare, transportation and home health care.
The Division of State Service Centers (DSSC) and the Division of Social Services (DSS) officially merged July 1, 2024 into one streamlined division - an important step in helping those we serve more easily access crucial health and social services with shorter wait times and more efficient service. As part of our commitment to keep you fully informed about progress on the Service Delivery Reimagined Project, please click here for answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the merger.
DHSS Aims to Improve the Client Experience at the Agency's State Service Centers!
The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is changing how services are delivered. Delawareans across the state use the 15 DHSS State Service Centers and four standalone Social Services buildings to access critical services.
To make these services more accessible and streamlined for the client, DHSS launched the Reimagining Service Delivery initiative to research, create, and Implement Improvements for how these services are delivered. This effort Is part of Governor John Carney's Family Services Cabinet Council (FSCC).
Background
Secretary's Letter: Read letter from DHSS Cabinet Secretary Josette Manning
Fact Sheet: Reimagining Service Delivery
Delawareans rely on services provided by DHSS to improve their quality of life. In 2022, DHSS and Governor Carney's Family Services Cabinet Council launched an initiative to engage with community members, service providers, community leaders, and partners to better understand their experiences and discuss the changes necessary to improve DHSS's service delivery.Community Engagement
To ensure input from Service Center clients, DHSS hosted community engagement sessions across the state throughout Fall 2022. To gather as much information as possible, the agency conducted focus groups, interviews with community members, and "secret shopper" assessments. A public survey was also conducted to capture additional feedback about service user experience.
5 Focus Areas:
- Client Service Delivery
- Employees
- Technology
- Facilities
- Meeting Evolving Client Needs
Information Sessions
In July 2023, DHSS hosted four public Town Halls across the state to share the findings of the Reimagining Service Delivery initiative, discuss upcoming improvements, and get feedback from the community.
Town Hall Presentation: View the presentation
Town Hall Summary Report: Read the Town Hall Recap
English
Spanish
Frequently Asked Questions
Top 3 Questions
We understand that services can be difficult to access and navigate, often requiring a long process of several steps to receive the service. In 2021, DHSS launched the ''Reimagining Service Delivery'' initiative to research, create, and implement improvements on how services are delivered. The goal of this initiative is to make services at State Service Centers more accessible and streamlined for the client. This effort Is part of Governor Carney's Family Services Cabinet Council (FSCC).
The timeline for this initiative involved three phases:
Phase 1 (December 2021 - May 2022)
Gathering State Service Center staff input and researching internal practices.
Phase 2 (June 2022 - January 2023)Interviews and focus groups with users, staff, service providers, community partners, and mystery shoppers.
Phase 3 (February 2023 - January 2025)Test appropriate solutions for Improvement based on Phase 2 findings.
What's next? We want to be thorough when reviewing feedback so we can ensure meaningful, lasting change. Because of the importance of this work and our intention of reaching as many different groups as possible, we are taking time to do this right. There is already work that’s been completed and some changes have been made, we are focused on the high feasibility and high priority areas. Overall, this project is closely mirrored off of the Department of Motor Vehicles Reimagining, which was based on a five-year timeline.
Find More Frequently Asked Questions Here
Stay Updated
While changes are coming, it will take time to implement all the needed improvements. DHSS expects this to be a five-year process. We want our clients and communities to stay engaged throughout the process to help us make changes that work for them.
Contact Us: Send questions or comments to StateServiceCommunity@delaware.gov.
