Department of Human Services | Press Releases, Public and Legislative Affairs, & Publications

It is DHS' goal to keep the public, provider agencies and our constituency informed regarding the various local, state and national issues that affect our human services system.

Because DHS covers such a wide range of human needs and services, this section of the DHS website helps to communicate about those issues – ranging from addictions, mental health, emergency and disaster preparedness mental health, disabilities, hunger and poverty, Medicaid and NJ FamilyCare, Food Stamps, welfare and work – as issues arise or begin to affect New Jersey citizens.

On the left of this page you will find links (described below) which provide current and newsworthy information.

Press Releases

Press releases from DHS and sometimes from the Governor's Office describe new programs and initiatives, announce expansion or explanation of programs, and generally alert the media and the public to what's happening in the Department of Human Services and its Divisions.

Hot Topics

This section provides information on important topics of the day - such as the precautions and updates on the H1N1 Flu Virus; how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 will affect New Jersey; or weather alerts and warnings which might affect DHS facilities or consumers.

Commissioner's E-Updates

Periodically, the Commissioner of DHS publishes newsletter alerts or announcements of particular interest to the public or to other state agencies and departments, which are posted here.

Community Outreach

The Community Outreach unit in the Office of Public Affairs coordinates charitable drives or public events for DHS and uses this section to "get the word out" to the public about its efforts across the state.

Legislative Affairs

When appropriate, this section may explain or link to legislative information that affects DHS and its Divisions and consumers.

Official Testimony

During every budget season, the Commissioner and Executive Management Team appear before various New Jersey State Senate and Assembly Committees to explain budgetary and programmatic needs.

Occasionally there might be other offiicial testimony by the Department or Divisions regarding specific issues.

All official testimony is posted in this section.

Publications

This section features departmental publications, as well as some specific divisional publications of general interest.

To find publications specific to each Division, click the Division link on the left, go into their sections and find their News and Publications section for special publications, brochures or other informational material pertinent to just that division.