SOCIAL SERVICES

The Northampton County Department of Social Services’ mission is to provide benefits and services to the citizens of Northampton based on programs established by local, state and federal laws and policy. The department’s focus is to prevent dependency and encourage self-sufficiency; preserve and restore family stability as well as promote and protect the well-being of adult protective services, foster care, employment services, food stamps, temporary assistance to needy families, Medicaid and child care.

The Northampton County Department of Social Services is administered by a board of three members which represents the county. This board meets the third Tuesday of each month at 8:15 a.m. in the Social Services Building.

OUR VISION

Our vision is to be the leader in providing innovative social services.

OUR VALUES

Our actions are guided by:

• Commitment to the highest standard of services
  
• Respect and trust for customers and colleagues
  
• Empathy for others
  
• Innovation in the provision of services
  
• Highest standard of Ethics and Integrity in all we say and do
  
• We believe diversity enriches our lives; each person has the right to live and work in a safe and healthy environment, and all people have the ability to achieve their full potential.

GOALS

Organization-wide long-term goal - Develop a financial plan to maintain and enhance the community by providing a sound quality of life and a safe living environment for our citizens.

Departmental long-term goal - The department is committed to the goal of excellence in delivery of services to individuals, families, and the community by:

• Preventing dependency
  
• Encouraging self-sufficiency
  
• Preserving and restoring families
  
• Promoting and protecting the well-being of children, the elderly and disabled

FUTURE ISSUES

The department’s vision is to develop and support a staff is to create a collaborative, responsive, professional environment to protect, empower and strengthen families.

In the future the department will endeavor to:

• Provide agency-wide customer service
  
• Enhance or expand special initiatives and community partners
  
• Maintain and enhance efficient information management systems
  
• Assure continuous quality improvement
  
• Foster social and economic independence
  
• Maximize state and federal revenues
  
• Protect vulnerable children and adult

 

SERVICE LEVEL MEASUREMENTS

Workload	FY 2010 Est.	FY 2011 Est.	FY 2012 Act.
Number of Food Stamp Households	1550	1650	1750
Value of Food Stamps	3.65M	3.8M	3.9M
Number of Medicaid recipients	3150	3200	3300
Value of Medicaid	17.7M	18.5M	19M
Number of children in FAMIS	177	207	240
Value of FAMIS	730,000	750,000	750,000
Number of families in TANF	124	135	145
Value of TANF	300,000	312,000	312,000
Number individuals receiving energy assistance*	2275	2500	2800
Value of Energy Assistance	730,000	750,000	800,000
Number of Adult Service Cases	62	110	140
Number of Child Protective Services Complaints	78	58	65
Number of Children receiving Child Care Services	106	135	125
Value of Child Care Services	447,000	450,000	460,000
Number of Foster Care Children	10	8	8
Number of Family Stabilization Cases	35	31	35
Number of Home Studies completed	5	4	6
Number served through Employment Services	104	124	130
Number of Adult Protective Service complaints	39	40	50
Number of Auxiliary Grants	23	23	23
*duplicated for heating, crisis and cooling