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ABOUT HUMAN SERVICES

The New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) is the state's social services agency, serving more than one million of New Jersey's most vulnerable citizens or about one of every eight New Jersey residents. Among them are abused and neglected children; troubled youth and families; people with low income; and people who are mentally ill, developmentally disabled, blind, visually impaired, deaf and hard of hearing.

DHS is one of the largest agencies in State Government. It comprises about one-quarter of the state's workforce and budget, with more than 19,000 employees at any given time and a $8.3 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2003.

The Department is comprised of the following divisions:

The Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS)

(609) 588-2600

This division administers the Medicaid program for families and individuals on public assistance and the NJ FamilyCare health insurance program for in low-income working families who have no insurance.

The division's Executive Recommendation for FY 2002 budget is $4,191,030,000 with $1,720,288.000 in state funds and $2,470,742,000 in federal funds and other sources.

The Division of Mental Health Services (DMHS)

(609) 777-0702

This division sets mental health policy, contracts with 120 community mental health agencies and operates six psychiatric hospitals throughout the state. These include:

Ancora Psychiatric Hospital

Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital

Trenton Psychiatric Hospital

Arthur Brisbane Child Treatment Center

Ann Klein Forensic Center

Senator Garrett W. Hagedorn Gero-Psychiatric Hospital

The Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD)

(609) 292-7260

This division sets policy on the delivery of services to persons with developmental disabilities. Developmental disabilities are comprised of a host of neurological impairments that begin before the age of 22. These include mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, epilepsy and traumatic brain injuries.

The division also operates seven residential centers statewide for persons with developmental disabilities. These include:

Green Brook Regional Center

Hunterdon Developmental Center

New Lisbon Developmental Center

North Jersey Developmental Center

Vineland Developmental Center

Woodbine Developmental Center

Woodbridge Developmental Center

The Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS)

(609) 292-6920

The Division is New Jersey's family and child protection/child welfare agency, mandated by law to investigate all reports of suspected child abuse, neglect, exploitation and abandonment. Its staff of over 3,000 employees perform their duties at one Central Office in Trenton, six Regional Offices, which include the Northern Region, Metropolitan Region, Central Region, Southern Region and Adoption Operations; 32 District Offices; six Adoption Resource Centers; four Institutional Abuse Investigation Units; an Office of Child Abuse Control and three Residential Treatment Centers. DYFS provides protective services for children and their families; case management services; general social services; substitute care services, such as foster care, residential and adoption; and licenses and/or approves and/or certifies child day care centers, family day care homes, foster homes, residential treatment facilities, children's shelters, children's shelter homes, group homes, treatment homes, and adoption agencies. The division also supervises the social services sections of the state's county welfare agencies and contracts with approximately 900 public and private non-profit community provider agencies and individuals to provide community-based social services to children and families.

The Division of Family Development (DFD)

(609) 588-2401

This division administers the state's welfare program, Work First New Jersey, and offers public assistance to the poor and the homeless. It also sets policy on welfare-to-work issues.

This Division provides leadership and public support to public agencies responsible for administering programs for New Jersey's needy individuals and families. These major programs include: Work First New Jersey/Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (WFNJ/TANF), WFNJ/General Assistance (WFNJ/GA), Food Stamps, Emergency Assistance, Child Support and Paternity, Child Care, Home Energy Assistance, Social Services for the Homeless, Refugee Resettlement, and Supplemental Security Income.

The agencies responsible for administering these programs include County and Municipal Welfare Agencies, and Unified Child Care Agencies (UCCAs).

Division of Disability Services (DDS)

1 888-285-3036 (Toll Free)

The Division of Disability Services serves as a central point for information and referral to all individuals with disabilities. It promotes and facilitates the maximum independence of people with disabilities through information and access to services and supports. The Division fosters coordination and cooperation among government agencies that serve people with disabilities.

The Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DDHH)

(609) 984-7281 (Voice/TTY)

The Division is an advocate for the Deaf and hard of hearing, promoting increased accessibility to programs, services and information. It serves as New Jersey's primary information and referral source on topics related to hearing loss and also as the state's primary interpreter-referral service. In addition, it distributes free text telephones (TTY's) to qualified Deaf and hard of hearing residents with little or no income.

The Office of Education (OOE)

(609) 588-3157

This office provides educational programs to students, ages three to 21, who either reside in Department of Human Services facilities or who need the intensive, special-needs education services of the DHS Regional Schools.

The Office of Education serves students with a variety of disabilities, students who are at risk of school failure, and students who have left school prior to earning a high school diploma.

The Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI)

(973) 648-2324

The Commission provides educational, vocational rehabilitation, independent living and eye health services to individuals who are experiencing a vision impairment that is affecting his or her normal daily life activities.

CBVI also works to reduce the incidence of blindness by conducting a variety of educational and eye disease detection programs.