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 LEVELS MEASUREMENTS

Workload	FY 2005 Act.	FY 2006 Est.	FY 2007 Est.
Number of Food Stamp Households	1017	1025	1035
Value of Food Stamps	1.795m	1.81m	1.83m
Number of Medicaid recipients	2626	2652	2688
Value of Medicaid	12.4m	12.5m	13.0m
Number of families in TANF	131	140	150
Value of TANF	.35m	.38m	.39m
Number individuals receiving energy assistance	1589	1605	1610
Value of Energy Assistance	.396m	.4m	.4m
Number of Adult Service Cases	80	110	140
Number of Child Protective Services Complaints	79	120	160
Number of Children receiving Child Care Services	130	145	160
Number of Foster Care Children	27	26	27
Number of Family Stabilization Cases	28	32	60
Number of Home Studies completed	19	12	20
Individuals receiving emergency assistance	20	12	10
Number served through Employment Services	127	130	135
Number receiving State and Local Hospitalization	73	80	88
Number of Adult Protective Service complaints	33	40	45
Number of Auxiliary Grants	24	26	26
General Relief	41	45	45