Department of Health and Social Services Library

Delaware Department of Health & Social Services (DHSS):
Division Overview

The mission of the Delaware Department of Health & Social Services is: To improve the quality of life for Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. Each of the divisions within DHSS provides essential services to meet our mission. This page offers a brief overview of each division and their notable activities.

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Division for the Visually Impaired (DVI)

The Division for the Visually Impaired originated in 1906 as the Delaware Committee for the Blind. In 1909, the Delaware State Legislature created the Delaware Commission for the Blind (Delaware’s first State agency) to provide gainful employment for those without sight. DVI works in partnership with the consumer and the community to improve the safety, education, and employment of blind and visually impaired Delawareans. The Registry for the Blind is a statutory requirement that physicians and nurses report blind and legally blind persons to DVI. It is intended to ensure that those in need of services from DVI are quickly referred.

Notable Activities

• Independent Living Services – Provides consumers with adaptive techniques and devices that can help maintain an independent lifestyle.
• Education Services – DVI staff works closely with the Delaware Department of Education, Delaware's local education agencies, Child Development Watch, and other organizations involved with children who have visual impairments.
• Vocational Rehabilitation and Supported Employment Program – Serves persons with visual impairments aged 14 and older who wish to secure or retain employment.
• Business Enterprise Program (Randolph Sheppard) – This blind entrepreneurs program works to broaden economic opportunities for blind and visually impaired residents of Delaware by creating snack bars, cafeterias, and vending route facilities on federal, state, and municipal properties.
• Orientation and Mobility – Helps individuals move as independently as possible through their home, school, community, or office environments and works with transportation venues.
• Low Vision Program – Targets effective utilization of appropriate low vision aids.
• Technology Training Center – Provides persons of all ages with adaptive training and high-tech and low-tech adaptive equipment evaluations that promote personal independence.
• Volunteer Program – Coordinates the efforts of 40-50 volunteers in order to assist both consumers and staff.

Division of Child Support Services (DCSS)

The mission of the Division of Child Support Services (DCSS) is to promote family independence by reducing the dependency of single parent households through the collection of monetary child support payments and medical support from non-custodial parents. This mission is achieved through the effective use of paternity establishment programs, aggressive case processing and enforcement techniques, efficient collection, and prompt distribution of support payments. DCSS is the single state agency responsible for administration of the child support program as authorized under Title IVD of the Social Security Act. No person shall, on the ground of race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under the Delaware IV-D child support program.

Notable Activities

• Establishment of Paternity
• Location of Non-Custodial Parents
• Establishment, Modification, and Enforcement of Child Support Orders through the Family Court of the State of Delaware
• Administrative Enforcement of Child Support Orders (State and Federal Tax Offset, Lottery and Video Lottery Offset, Consumer Credit Reporting, License Suspension, Passport Denial, Liens and Levies of Assets)
• Payment Processing through State Disbursement Unit
• Processing of Intergovernmental Cases
• Customer Service
• Delaware Fatherhood Program – Refers non-custodial and custodial parents to employment and training vendors for education and job search resources provided by the Division of Social Services (DSS).
• Hospital Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP) Program – DCSS has a senior Child Support Specialist who visits Christiana Care, the state’s birthing facility with the highest number of births, multiple times a week and assists in administering the Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP) program.
• Customer Websites – DCSS offers two customer-centered websites to assist the public with greater access to the IV-D program.

Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDDS)

The Division of Developmental Disabilities Services’ (DDDS) mission is to value persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, to honor abilities, to respect choice, to achieve possibilities, and to work together to support healthy, safe, and fulfilling lives. DDDS provides services and supports to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Prader Willi Syndrome with significant limitations in adaptive functioning. In addition to the community services listed below, DDDS also operates offices for Applicant Services, Service Integrity and Enhancement, and Business Support Services.

Notable Activities

• Stockley Center – Stockley Center, located in Southern Delaware, is a Medicaid certified Intermediate Care Facility for individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The 50-bed facility provides both intermediate and skilled nursing care for individuals requiring a variety of complex supports and medical needs.
• Supported Employment – Supports to enable service recipients to obtain and maintain paid, integrated employment in the community.
• Day Habilitation Services – Supports to enable service recipients to gain skills of independence, self-help, and socialization.
• Community Participation Services – Highly individualized supports to enable service recipients to acquire skills to become active and fully integrated members of their community.
• PreVocational Services – Time limited services to help service recipients obtain general work skills that will result in paid integrated employment in the community.
• Personal Care Services – Assistance to enable service recipients to accomplish tasks that they would normally do for themselves if they did not have a disability.
• Respite – Short term services provided for service recipients during the absence of a caregiver or a caregiver’s need for relief.
• Assistive Technology – Services that directly assist a service recipient in the selection, acquisition and/or use of an assistive technology device.
• Home or Vehicle Accessibility Adaptations – Adaptations to the service recipient’s private residence or to the automobile/van that is their primary means of transportation which enable the service recipient to more fully live and integrate into their community.
• Supported Living – Individualized supports provided in the service recipient’s own home that enables the service recipient to live successfully in the community.
• Community Transition Services – Enables service recipients with limited means to furnish and decorate their bedroom and provide for one-time expenses necessary to occupy a domicile in the community.
• Behavioral Consultation – Services provided for service recipients with significant behavioral support needs which jeopardize their ability to live in the community.
• Residential Habilitation – Services available to service recipients after the loss of a caregiver or after a change in the caregiver’s status which prevents them from meeting the needs of the service recipient.
• Nursing Consultation – Services that provide overall coordination and monitoring of the health care needs of the service recipient.
• Targeted Case Management – Supports provided to the service recipient to assist them to develop a person-centered service and support plan designed to enable them to achieve the life they want to live.
• Pathways to Employment – A set of services for service recipients aged 14 and older who have a goal to obtain paid, integrated employment in the community.

Division of Health Care Quality (DHCQ)

The mission of the Division of Health Care Quality (DHCQ) is to protect residents and patients in licensed and certified Delaware facilities and health care agencies through the promotion of; the quality of care, quality of life, and safety & security. DHCQ also enforces compliance with State and Federal health care laws and regulations.

Notable Activities

• Long-term Care (LTC) Licensing and Certification – The purpose of licensing and certification of LTC facilities is to ensure that those facilities maintain compliance with both State and Federal health care laws and regulations and provide a high quality of care and quality of life to their residents.
• Acute/Outpatient Health Facilities Licensing and Certification – The Office of Health Facilities Licensing and Certification (OHFLC) mission is to improve the quality of healthcare through regulatory oversight of acute care and outpatient healthcare facilities and agencies throughout Delaware.
• Investigative Section – The purpose of the Investigative Section is to protect individuals receiving services in long-term care facilities and psychiatric hospitals.
• Quality Improvement Section – The Quality Improvement (QI) Training section oversees training activities for DHCQ staff, providers, other agencies, and related groups.
• Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Trust Fund Programs
  • Music and Memory Project – Provided personalized music for residents in long-term care facilities.
  • It’s Never Too Late (iN2L) Project – A program dedicated to helping older adults realize the full benefits of today’s technology.
  • For State LTC Facilities GBHC and DHCI – This project is to build a foundation across facility staff in Person Centered Care values and principles, provides wide-spread training in neurobehavioral supports within long-term care facilities, and builds strategies to increase the use of nonpharmacological approaches and interventions. In 2020, our State LTC facility Governor Bacon Health Center merged with our other State LTC facility The Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill.
  • Beam by EyeClick Projection Gaming System at Exceptional Care for Children (DE’s only Pediatric Nursing Home) – The purpose is to provide a gaming system to be used to seek new and innovative avenues for promoting learning, creating themed environments to teach and improve motor skills, and to enhance the resident’s quality of life.
  • Minimum Data Set (MDS) Workshop – The purpose of this annual mandated CMS training is to provide certified nursing homes and surveyors training on the most recent updates in the field.
• Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Programs (NATCEP), Certified Nursing Assistant (CNAs) Registry & Training Information – The Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) Compliance Nurse is responsible for overseeing the CNA Registry, and the 28 Nurse Aide Training Competency Evaluation statewide training Programs (NATCEP) in the State of Delaware.

Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance (DMMA)

On July 1, 2005, the Delaware Division of Medicaid & Medical Assistance was officially created. The purpose of creating the new division was to strengthen the delivery of quality health care in Delaware in a fiscally responsible manner. DMMA furnishes a variety of medical assistance programs to eligible low-income families and eligible aged, blind and/or disabled people whose income is insufficient to meet the cost of necessary medical services.

Notable Activities

• Medicaid – Furnishes medical assistance to eligible low-income families and to eligible aged, blind, and/or disabled people whose income is insufficient to meet the cost of necessary medical services.
• Delaware Healthy Children Program – A low-cost health insurance program for Delaware's uninsured children.
• Diamond State Health Plan – Delaware’s Medicaid Managed Care Program – Requires mandatory enrollment of most Medicaid and CHIP recipients into managed care organizations (MCOs) to create efficiencies in the Medicaid program and enable the expansion of coverage to certain individuals who would otherwise not be eligible for Medicaid.
• Long-Term Care Medicaid Programs – DMMA furnishes a variety of long-term care (LTC) programs and services to eligible individuals, such as Medicaid Nursing Facility Care, Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services, Children's Community Alternative Disability Program, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) related programs, and Medicare Savings Programs.
• Chronic Renal Disease Program – Provides medical assistance to Delaware residents diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).
• Medicaid Workers with Disabilities (MWD) – Provides Medicaid coverage to certain employed individuals with disabilities.
• Delaware Prescription Assistance Program (DPAP) – Provides payment assistance for prescription drugs and certain Medicare Part D costs to Delaware's low-income senior and disabled citizens who are ineligible for, or do not have, prescription drug benefits or coverage through federal, excluding Medicare Part D coverage; state; or private sources.
• Breast and Cervical Cancer Program – An individual eligible under this group is entitled to full Medicaid coverage.
• Adult Dental Program – DMMA’s Adult Dental Program covers both preventative and restorative services for eligible individuals.
• Transportation – Medicaid covers both emergency and non-emergency transportation to and from a medical service with limitations.
• Social Determinants of Health – DMMA is committed to continuing its work with its Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), and other partners to systematically identify social determinants of health challenging DMMA beneficiaries by providing incentives to the MCOs to screen for social determinants of health challenges and to address them.
• Maternal and Child Healthcare Initiatives – Medicaid & DHCP Expanded Post-partum Coverage, Post-Partum Food Boxes, and Children with Medical Complexity.
• Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services – In November 2019, DMMA was one of fifteen states awarded a planning grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Through this planning grant, DMMA studied Medicaid rates for SUD services and identified needed rate changes. DMMA also conducted several rigorous analyses on the burden of SUD on the Medicaid population and the adequacy of our Medicaid SUD treatment and recovery system/services.

Division of Public Health (DPH)

The Division of Public Health’s mission is to protect and promote the health of all people in Delaware. Public Health touches the lives of everyone in our State and includes a wide range of programs and services – all aimed toward protecting and improving the health of the people who live and work in Delaware. DPH adheres to the following values in the effort to ensure healthy people in healthy communities: integrity, respect, participation, accountability, teamwork, and excellence.

Notable Activities

• Office of Medical Marijuana – Protect Delawareans through proactive monitoring and enforcement of the Delaware Medical Marijuana Act and accompanying regulations.
• Bureau of Health Equity – Promote and advocate for policy, programs, services, and initiatives which will eliminate the impact of the social determinants of health to ensure all Delawareans can achieve their optimal health with a special focus on the underserved populations of Delaware.
• Animal Welfare – Delaware Animal Services, (24/7 hotline), Low-Cost Spay and Neuter Program, Delaware Animal Response (DAR) Program, and Dog Licensing.
• Community Health – Clinics (Child Health, Community HIV/AIDS Wellness, Reproductive and Sexual Health), Child Development Watch (statewide early intervention program for children ages birth to three), and Dental (promote and provide essential public health services to improve the oral health and wellbeing of all Delawareans).
• Emergency Medical Services and Preparedness – Office of Emergency Medical Services (assure a comprehensive, effective, and efficient statewide emergency medical care delivery system in order to reduce morbidity and mortality rates for the citizens of Delaware), Office of Preparedness (takes the lead and collaborates with partners and the community to develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive program to prepare for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from public health threats and emergencies), and Office of Health Crisis Response (coordinates DPH response efforts to address specific public health threats that are more extensive and longer term than emergency response and are not considered chronic in nature).
• Epidemiology, Health Data, and Informatics – Works to compile and analyze public health data to generate epidemiologic evidence and translate findings into practical and actionable information. This includes My Healthy Community, a data portal that allows Delawareans to access information about the overall health of their communities, and the Office of Vital Statistics.
• Family Health Systems – Maternal and Child Health Bureau (Title V Maternal and Child Health Program; Early Childhood Program; Child Development Watch; and the Newborn Screening Program), Family Planning / Reproductive Health (offers a wide range of reproductive health services and supplies to both women and men), and School-Based Health Centers.
• Office of Communications – DPH’s public affairs office that promotes DPH programs and services and manages DPH emergency communications during an emergency.
• Health Promotion and Disease Prevention – Has the responsibility for prevention and control of chronic diseases and their risk factors. Section programs address cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, tobacco use, physical activity, nutrition, health education, chronic disease epidemiology, and collection of behavioral risk factor data.
• Health Systems Protection – Protects Delaware citizens through the monitoring and enforcement of health and safety standards as well as the prevention and control of environmental risk to human health. This includes the Office of Drinking Water, the Office of Food Protection, and the Healthy Homes and Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.
• Infectious Disease Prevention and Control – Bureau of Communicable Disease (HIV Prevention Program, HIV/AIDS Ryan White Treatment Program, HIV Surveillance Program, Sexually Transmitted Disease Program), Immunization Program (prevent vaccine-preventable diseases by making sure children and adults receive the vaccines they need) and Office of Infectious Disease Epidemiology (mitigate the impact of infectious diseases through prompt disease investigations, conduction of passive and active surveillance, communication risk, recommendation actions to prevent spread of disease, and overseeing the provision of services targeted at prevention and/or treatment).
• Public Health Laboratory – Receives specimens from a variety of submitters from a variety of sources.

Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD)

The mission of the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities (DSAAPD) is to promote dignity, respect, and inclusion for older adults and people with disabilities. DSAAPD provides a broad range of supports and services for older adults, persons with physical disabilities, and caregivers at DSAAPD’s facility and in the community. Some services are provided directly through DSAAPD while others are funded by the Division and operated under contracts by outside organizations.

Notable Activities

• The Delaware Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) – A one-stop access point for information and services for older persons and adults with physical disabilities throughout the State.
• Rights and Protections – Adult Protective Services (responds to cases of suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of vulnerable adults), Legal Services (assists older persons with legal issues), Long Term Care Ombudsman Program (advocates for residents who live in all long-term care facilities as well as those who live in other settings and individuals who receive home and community-based services), and Senior Medicare Patrol Program (provides public information to encourage Medicare beneficiaries to carefully read their Medicare summary notices and ask questions if they do not think the information is correct).
• Caregiver Assistance – Caregiver Resource Centers (provide community outreach and serve as access points for information on a variety of caregiving issues) and Respite Care (provides a break for caregivers).
• Home and Community Based Services
  • Adult Day Services – Provides activities and assistance for people with physical and/or mental impairments.
  • Assistive Devices – DSAAPD has funds available for persons with disabilities to buy or rent new or used assistive devices.
  • Care Transitions Program – The Nursing Home Transition Program is a state-funded program led by DSAAPD. The overall goal of the program is to identify, inform, and assist nursing home residents, especially those who are Medicaid-eligible, who want to move to a community-based setting.
  • Case Management – Helps older persons, persons with disabilities, and caregivers connect with the services that they need.
  • Emergency Response System – A Personal Emergency Response System is a device that allows a person at high risk (for example an older person who lives alone and has a health problem) to get immediate help in the event of an emergency.
  • Home Modification Program – Pays for modifications or changes to be made to the home of a person with a physical disability.
  • Healthy Homes Program – Helps low-income homeowners impacted by age, disability, and family circumstances address health hazards in their homes.
  • Village Volunteers – Works to promote the "aging in place" movement throughout Lewes, Delaware.
  • Meal and Nutrition Services – Congregate Meals and Home Delivered Meals.
  • Options Counseling – Helps people identify their long-term care needs and preferences, understand the service options available to them, and make decisions about their care.
  • Personal Attendant Services (PAS) – A self-directed program in which participants serve as employers of their own attendants.
  • Personal Care Services – Provided for persons who need help at home or outside the home because of illness or disability. The services are designed to help persons to continue living independently.
  • Senior Community Services Employment Program – Provides paid, part-time work experience for eligible persons.
• Long Term Care Facilities – DSAAPD operates one Long Term Care Facility, Delaware Hospital for the Chronically Ill (DHCI).

Division of Social Services (DSS)

The mission of the Division of Social Services (DSS) is to provide prompt, respectful, and accurate services that promote the potential for self-sufficiency for all Delawareans. We are committed to a vision of a Delaware where there is hope that anyone can overcome poverty and prosper. DSS will provide, either directly or through coordination, an integrated system of opportunities, services, and income support, which will enable Delaware’s most disadvantaged families to maintain and move toward independence. 

With 15 statewide locations, DSS serves as a one-stop-shop housing a diverse array of public/private health and social service partners. Each center provides a mix of services based on the specific needs of the community, including resources for food, housing, utilities, and specific medical costs to those who are eligible.

Notable Activities

• Application for Social Services & Internet Screening Tool (ASSIST) – ASSIST is an easy and accessible way for individuals to learn about benefits, program qualifications, and potential eligibility, using a website portal.
• Cash Assistance Programs
  • General Assistance – A state-funded program designed to provide cash assistance to low-income individuals who do not qualify for federally funded programs, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Social Security benefits.
  • Refuge Cash Assistance – The 100% federally funded Refugee Resettlement program provides social services, cash assistance, and medical assistance for a limited time period.
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) – Participants must have minor children or be taking care of minor children that they are related to in order to qualify. The State provides positive incentives for the family to become self-sufficient, and the family must accept responsibility to become self-sufficient and self-supporting. Time on TANF is limited for most people.
• Child Care – Provides support for families with children to enable the caretaker to hold a job, obtain training, or meet special needs of the parent or child.
• Employment and Training – Assists mandatory and voluntary clients with employability services such as: transportation vouchers, employment workshops, resume development, interviewing, and soft skills modules.
• Family Support Services
  • Emergency Assistance Services – Provides funds for rent, utilities, and emergency shelter for eligible low-income persons in order to maintain self-sufficiency and prevent homelessness.
  • Community Resource and Assistance Services (CRAS) – DSSC provides emergency funds and services through community partnerships and resources to assist people in crisis.
  • Delaware Emergency Medical Diabetes Fund – Funded through the Division of Public Health (DPH) and administered by DSSC, the Delaware Emergency Medical Fund provides diabetes services, medications, and supplies to Delaware residents on an emergency need basis.
  • Kinship Care Program – Provides assistance for relative caregivers during the 180-day transition period when a child first moves into the non-parent caregiver's home.
• Food Supplement Programs (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)) – A food supplemental program that enables low-income families to buy a variety of food that is the basis for better nutrition.
• Office of Community Services
  • Delaware 2-1-1 - In partnership with the United Way of Delaware’s ‘First Call for Help’ and the State of Delaware’s Office of Management and Budget, the Delaware 2-1-1 provides toll-free information and referral for persons seeking information about state and community services within the state of Delaware.
  • Delaware Energy Assistance Program – Helps to keep families safe and healthy through initiatives that assist with energy costs. Components include Fuel Assistance, Crisis Assistance, Summer Cooling Assistance, Weatherization, Assurance 16, and Replacing Repairing Heaters and Conserving Energy.
  • Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) – Provides core funding to local agencies to reduce poverty, revitalize low-income communities, and to empower low-income families to become self-sufficient.
  • Emergency and Transitional Housing Services – Provides operational assistance to agencies as they serve families and individuals who are experiencing homelessness.
• State Office of Volunteerism
  • AmeriCorps National Service Programs – A national network of programs that engages nearly 85,000 Americans each year in service to meet critical needs in education, the environment, public safety, homeland security, and other areas.
  • Foster Grandparents Program – Recruits applicants 55 years of age and older to be role models and mentors to exceptional or special needs children less than 21 years of age to help them achieve improved educational, physical, mental, emotional, and social development.
  • Volunteer Delaware & Volunteer Delaware 50+ – Matches prospective volunteers with community agencies in need of help.

Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH)

The Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) is “responsible for providing and overseeing public mental health and substance use treatment services serving individuals who are 18 years old and older” (29 Del. C. § 7908). From that charge, the mission of the Division is to improve the quality of life for adults with behavioral health conditions by promoting their health and well-being, fostering their self-sufficiency, and protecting those who are at risk.

Notable Activities

• DSAMH Informational Resources
  • The Delaware Hope Line – A phone line dedicated to helping Delawareans with behavioral health conditions. The Hope Line also assists Delawareans in managing and processing stress related to the COVID pandemic and addressing more intensive behavioral health needs.
  • Helpisherede.com – A joint project between the Division of Public Health and DSAMH; a website for all of Delaware’s behavioral health resources.
• Treatment and Referral Services
  • Bridge Clinics – DSAMH operates a Bridge Clinic in each county. The Bridge Clinics serve as a gateway to DSAMH’s treatment services by providing rapid access to qualified clinicians who can help individuals and their families understand how to engage with the treatment system and the appropriate course of treatment.
  • Delaware Treatment and Referral Network (DTRN) – A statewide, comprehensive referral network for behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment. Using a digital referral system to expedite patient placement, providers can eliminate the need for manual processes while seeking appropriate care.
  • Treatment Connection – The Treatment Connection, accessed through helpisherede.com or treatmentconnection.com, enables Delawareans seeking behavioral health care for themselves or others to search for nearby providers by the type of care needed and submit confidential online referral inquiries to appropriate vetted treatment providers.
• Delaware Psychiatric Center – The Delaware Psychiatric Center (DPC) was founded in 1889 and is the only adult, public, inpatient psychiatric facility in Delaware. DPC provides treatment to Delawareans with severe mental health conditions until they are ready to return to their community. DPC focuses on active treatment to address individual needs identified collaboratively by the patient and the DPC treatment team. Psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and psychiatric nurses work in each unit, providing assessment, treatment planning, and group and individual treatment for patients.
  • Psychiatry Residency Program – Since 1950 DPC has offered a psychiatry residency program, playing a significant role in preparing physicians to become successful psychiatrists. Throughout their four years of training, DSAMH’s residents gain a wide range of experience in federal, private, and state programs and in academia through educational affiliations.
• Treatment Access Center (TASC) – The primary liaison between the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health and the criminal justice system. TASC assesses, refers to treatment, and provides case management services to offenders as they move through both the criminal justice and treatment systems.
• PROMISE Program – The Promoting Optimal Mental Health for Individuals through Supports and Empowerment program (PROMISE) targets individuals with behavioral health needs and functional limitations to offer an array of home and community-based services that are person-centered, recoveryoriented, and aimed at supporting individuals to live in the community successfully.
• Licensing and Certification – DSAMH is responsible for licensing substance use disorder treatment programs in Delaware.
• Quality Assurance – DSAMH’s Quality Assurance Unit guides providers through the application process for licensing and certification.
• Risk Management – DSAMH’s Risk Management Unit works with community providers to safeguard consumers in licensed programs.

Office of the Secretary (OSEC)

The Office of the Secretary of DHSS oversees and administers the activities of the Department’s ten Divisions. The primary duty of the office is to manage the Department’s budget, work with the Governor, General Assembly, and Congressional Delegation as requested, and help the Divisions respond to clients’ needs and concerns.

Notable Activities

• Office of Constituent Relations – Receives inquiries and complaints from a variety of sources, including referrals from constituents (directly), from legislators/ legislative aides, the congressional delegation, the Governor's office, as well as other Departments within the state. The Director coordinates responses for inquiries regarding any of the eleven Divisions within the Department.
• The Delaware Health Care Commission (DHCC) – The DHCC strives to foster initiatives, design plans, and implement programs that promote access to high-quality affordable care, improve outcomes for all Delawareans, and foster collaboration among the public and private sectors regarding health care.
  • Health Care Spending and Quality Benchmarks – DHSS monitors health care spending and quality benchmarks, as determined by the Governor and Delaware legislature.
  • Primary Care Reform Collaborative – The PCRC seeks to address the crisis in primary care services in Delaware and improve access to and the capabilities of primary care providers.
  • The Delaware Institute of Medical Education and Research Program (DIMER) – DIMER provides qualified Delaware applicants with an opportunity to receive high-quality medical education by holding admission slots at Sidney Kimmel Medical College (SKMC) and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM).
  • The Delaware Institute for Dental Education and Research Program (DIDER) – DIDER provides Delaware residents with an opportunity to receive quality education and training at Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry. Each year five (5) admission slots are reserved for applicants from Delaware which has increased the odds of acceptance for students from the First State.
  • State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP) – SLRP strives to create healthier communities by recruiting and retaining quality health care professionals to practice in rural and urban settings designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).
  • Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program (HCPLRP) – DHCC may award education loan repayment grants to new primary care providers up to $50,000 per year for a maximum of four years.
  • Delaware Health Resources Board (HRB) – The purpose of the HRB is to foster the cost-effective and efficient use of health care resources and the availability of and access to high quality and appropriate health care services.
  • Delaware Health Insurance Individual Market Stabilization Reinsurance Program (1332 Waiver) – This reinsurance program helps stabilize Delaware’s individual market by lowering premium rates, increasing enrollment, and improving the morbidity of the single risk pool overall.
  • Health Workforce Subcommittee – Recognizing the need to address medical and dental professional shortages in Delaware and to consolidate statewide health care workforce development initiatives, the DHCC convened a health workforce subcommittee in December 2020.
• Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program – Long-Term Care Ombudsmen are advocates for residents of nursing homes, board and care homes, and assisted living facilities. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman also advocates for individuals who live in other settings (such as their own homes) and receive home and community-based services. The Ombudsman program investigates and resolves complaints on behalf of these individuals.

Office of the Secretary – Administration (OSEC Administration)

Office of the Secretary – Administration (OSEC Administration) is responsible for the oversight of finance, budget, grants, facility operations, cost allocation, revenue, payments, labor, planning, and quality control procedures. OSEC Administration provides leadership and policy direction for all of the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS).

Notable Activities

• Audit & Recovery Management Services – Identifies, investigates, and refers for criminal prosecution or civil litigation acts of fraud or error that cause an overpayment of benefits in welfare programs administered by DHSS.
• Human Resources – Provides centralized processing for all of DHSS in the areas of: training; human resource administration (benefits processing, leave usages and updating employee records); applicant services; short term disability and FMLA administration; ADA accommodation and diversity; and eStar administration.
• Labor Relations – Provides centralized guidance and advice to managers and supervisors for employee relations specific to conduct, performance reviews and improvement plans, Merit Rules, and federal employment laws.
• Facility Operations – Manages maintenance, housekeeping, and administration of all DHSS facilities and capital projects.
• Public Safety and Security – Provides protective services across the state with security officers stationed on the three major DHSS campuses. Security at these locations is available 24 hours a week, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
• Information Resources Management – Provides centralized information technology (IT) services to DHSS.
• Contract Management & Procurement – Provides central coordination and management of the public procurement process for DHSS.
• Financial Management – Processes the accounts payable and receivables for OSEC Administration and other DHSS agencies.
• Quality Control – Responsible for reviewing the case records of recipients who are receiving or have received benefits from public assistance programs such as Child Care (purchase of care), SNAP (formerly called food stamps) and Medicaid to determine accuracy and timeliness of case processing.
• Budget, Program & Revenue Analysis – Oversees the annual budget request for state funds, manages and coordinates resources and spending during the fiscal year, and manages General Fund revenue for the Department.
• Government Efficiency and Accountability Review Board (GEAR) – DHSS has committed to look at and address operational cost drivers, ways to increase fee-based revenue, and new opportunities to maximize federal dollars.
• Human Subjects Review Board (HSRB) – All research involving DHSS clients or client data must be reviewed and approved.
• Change and Internal Improvement Unit – Works to ensure process improvements for short- and long-term goals by providing high level project management within DHSS. It houses transformative work including leadership training, Leadership Academy, DHSS Library, interns and co-ops, internal policy, wellness initiatives, onboarding and offboarding staff, as well as various other DHSS initiatives and projects.