- Michigan Department of Human Services
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Michigan Department of Human Services Agency overview Employees 10,000 Annual budget $4 billion Agency executive Maura Corrigan, Director Website http://www.michigan.gov/dhs/ The Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS) is the agency of state of Michigan, headquartered in Lansing,[1] that provides public assistance, child and family welfare services. The DHS directs public service and assistance programs through a network of more than 100 county DHS offices statewide.
Applications for assistance can be made in person, by mail, by fax or over the Internet, depending on the program. For example, potential clients can apply for food assistance and energy-related State Emergency Relief (SER) online.
Michigan's troubling economic climate has caused an unprecedented number of families to seek help paying their bills or putting food on their tables. The Medicaid caseload for May 2010 was 1,065,575, which represents care for more than 1.8 million recipients. The May food assistance caseload, like most recent months, set a new record high with 884,072 households, representing 1,805,981 individuals. Since January 2000, the caseload (then 258,287) has increased 242 percent.
But with that staggering increase in demand for services come myths that are tarnishing the purpose of the welfare system. The DHS launched a statewide campaign in April 2010 to bust those myths with facts. The "Welfare 101: busting myths about welfare" campaign is an effort to reduce the widespread negative perceptions and show how valuable the welfare system is for so many Michigan residents, as well as to the state's economy.
Additionally, the DHS oversees Michigan's child and adult protective services, foster care, adoptions, juvenile justice, domestic violence, and child support programs. The DHS also licenses adult foster care, child day care and child welfare facilities.[2]
Contents
About DHS
The DHS administers the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families grant (Family Independence Program) and Food Assistance programs through local state offices. In addition, the DHS accepts applications for Medicaid administered by the Michigan Department of Community Health.
Other assistance programs the DHS administers - jointly funded by the federal government and the state - include medical and disability assistance, food stamps (federally funded), and the state medical services program, which is funded by the state of Michigan and the State Emergency Relief Program.
The agency also administers child support collection and client welfare fraud investigation programs for the state of Michigan. The DHS offers a wide range of service programs for the children and families of Michigan, including protective and preventive services for children who are neglected, abused, or exploited, including foster care placement.
The DHS, in May 2010, began heavily recruiting foster and adoptive parents statewide for the 16,000 children in Michigan's foster care system. Of those children in foster care, almost 4,000 are available for adoption because they are state or court wards after their parents' rights were terminated by a court due to abuse or neglect. Efforts include running radio public service announcements and newspaper ads. The spots and ads are part of an Ad Council campaign -- You don't have to be perfect to be a perfect parent -- developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Adopt Us Kids, which works to raise awareness about the need for foster and adoptive families, and supports states in their own efforts.
In addition, the DHS offers institutional and non-institutional social services for the care, training, and treatment of delinquent and neglected children committed to the agency as state wards and temporary court wards. Services include counseling and casework, adoption, foster care, and the operation of centers for institutional residential care and group homes.
Further, the DHS provides consultation on general child welfare problems to private and public agencies throughout Michigan and offers services through the Interstate Compact.
The DHS provides family services that include referral for employment and training, independent living services providing housing assistance, family planning, counseling, health-related services, volunteer services, refugee assistance, foster family care, transitional services to youths exiting foster care/out-of-home placements, child development and care, migrant services, Native American services, and domestic violence prevention and treatment programs. These services are provided to Michigan families to strengthen family life and to help Michigan families become self-sufficient.
Adult services include protective services, adult placement services, home help services, and assistance with health, transportation, housing, and educational needs.
The DHS further administers the Children’s Trust Fund and the Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board.[3]
Bureau of Juvenile Justice
The Bureau of Juvenile Justice is responsible for the operation of juvenile correctional facilities.[4]
Facilities include:
- Bay Pines Center[5]
- W.J. Maxey Boys Training School[6]
- Shawono Center (Boys adjudicated for sex offenses)[7]
Director
Maura Corrigan is the director of the Michigan Department of Human Services. Corrigan was appointed by Governor Rick Snyder on January 14, 2011 at noon. As a former Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, Corrigan was chosen to lead the State's largest executive agency.
Corrigan graduated from the Marygrove College.
History
The Department was created in 1965 as a principal department with the name of "Department of Social Services".[8] Renamed in 1995 to "Family Independence Agency", the department was once again renamed in 2004 to indicate its status as a principal department as the "Department of Human Services".[9]
Notes
- ^ "Contact DHS." Michigan Department of Human Services. Retrieved on July 25, 2010.
- ^ http://www.crainsdetroit.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770813003
- ^ http://www.michigan.gov/dhs/0,1607,7-124-5459-14732--,00.html
- ^ "Juvenile Justice." Michigan Department of Human Services. Retrieved on July 25, 2010.
- ^ "Bay Pines Center." Michigan Department of Human Services. Retrieved on July 25, 2010.
- ^ "W.J. Maxey Boys Training School." Michigan Department of Human Services. Retrieved on July 25, 2010.
- ^ "Shawono Center." Michigan Department of Human Services. Retrieved on July 25, 2010.
- ^ Section 450 of the Executive Organization Act of 1965, 1965 PA 380, MCL 16.550
- ^ EXECUTIVE ORDER No.2004 - 38
External links
- Michigan Department of Human Services
- State of Michigan Official Website
- Mom ordered to stop baby-sitting friends’ kids
Incarceration of juveniles in the United States Federal Bureau of Prisons Corrections by U.S. state Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · WyomingFederal District Insular Areas Categories:- State agencies of Michigan
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