DIRECTOR'S OFFICE / PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION

PROGRAM MISSION: To provide leadership, policy guidance, planning and goal setting, and management oversight to the Department of Human Services to ensure that high quality, integrated human services are provided to Arlington County residents and businesses.

The Director's Office/Planning and Administration monitors conditions, assesses needs, conducts strategic and tactical planning, and works closely with state and other local human service agencies and community organizations to extend resources and achieve common goals. During FY 2005, the Director's Office will focus on the following strategic efforts:

• Planning and implementing affordable supportive housing efforts through acquisition and rehabilitation of housing, contracting with service providers, and developing a Supportive Housing Plan;

• Enhancing access to persons with limited English proficiency in compliance with federal language access requirements, through training of staff and provision of interpretation and translation services;

• Completing the implementation of the long-awaited replacement of the outdated Client and Service Event (CASE) mainframe system and its four sub-systems, including standardizing client service entry and accounts receivable and accounts payable processes;

• Developing and implementing revenue maximization plans to draw down increased federal funds through the state, including LPACAP, Title IV-E, and Medicaid monies;

• Streamlining financial transactions with contract service providers, providing support and technical assistance to non-profit community organizations that receive County funding;

• Continuing facility enhancements through completion of funded projects at Fenwick Center and the Edison complex and addressing the issue of the long-term home for the DHS headquarters;

• Enhancing the capacity of the department to respond to emergencies, particularly public health emergencies;

• Continuing the implementation of policies and procedures to ensure compliance with privacy provisions mandated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and Department-wide records management standards.

Units within the Director's Office/Planning and Administration provide administrative services to support delivery of services and achievement of the Department's program mission. Five bureaus, which provide centralized and specialized administrative support for the Department's five program divisions, report to the Director and Deputy Director. Responding to the breadth of programs and services in the Department, the diversity of funding sources, and the complexity of administrative support needs, these units provide support within the Department that cannot be provided by the County's central support departments. Close coordination with these departments ensures that the Department complements, but does not duplicate services.

• The mission of the Human Resources Bureau (HRB) is to enable DHS employees to maintain the highest level of service to the community by providing accurate, timely and supportive Human Resources Services. HRB is responsible for management of the Department's workforce needs and departmental efforts to ensure compliance with all human resource policies and procedures. The Bureau provides coordination of and special expertise regarding the Department's recruitment, employee relations, organizational development, payroll, performance management, equal opportunity and affirmative action, staff training and development, and position classification activities. In FY 2005, attention will be given to expediting hiring processes, implementing a new information technology system for human resource record keeping, and providing organizational development services to specific divisions and to the department as a whole.

• The mission of the Automation Services Bureau (ASB) isto enable DHS staff to do their jobs by providing information technology support. Department staff rely on a wide and complex array of information systems, related to a multitude of federal, state, and local programs, funding sources, and regulatory mandates, to conduct day-to-day business and serve clients, as well as account for and report to numerous state agencies and other entities. The DHS Information Technology Strategic Plan looks to a flexible information technology architecture of multiple platforms and applications systems, with multiple connections directly to state systems, as well as through the Internet, which interface with a central DHS client data repository containing shared information needed to support the DHS objective of integrated service delivery. The Bureau has the responsibility of supporting, in coordination with the Department of Technology Services, the hardware and infrastructure necessary to carry these systems, as well as supporting several major business applications systems critical to service delivery, tracking and reporting, and management. FY 2005 will see the culmination of the multi-year effort to replace the outdated Client and Service Event (CASE) mainframe system and its four sub-systems and achieve system interface among different systems. Other projects include multiple Web-interfaced applications to improve application performance, and creation of a Community Human Services Information Network to share the benefits of the County's INET system with non-profit human service partners. Additional LPACAP monies in FY 2005 will fund investments (including two additional positions) in infrastructure support and application systems enhancements.

• The mission of the General Services Bureau (GSB) is to provide a safe, clean, healthy, and efficient working environment by managing DHS resources in the areas of facilities, vehicles, and related support resources. GSB assists in maintaining the buildings occupied by the Department, working closely with the County's Office of Support Services. The Bureau supports Department programs by providing mail and delivery services, maintaining a central medical supply storage, managing the Department's vehicle fleet and reservation system, coordinating activities designed to ensure a safe and secure working environment, and managing closed files and permanently retained case records. At the Warren G. Stambaugh Human Services Center, GSB provides tenant facility management and liaison with the owner's building management, the Office of Support Services, and vendors for building systems maintenance, custodial services, parking garage management, electronic access and security services. In FY 2005 GSB will be involved in County efforts to inventory and develop systems for managing the wide array of client records throughout the Department, in accordance with federal and state mandates, as well as completing the renovation of the Fenwick Center and the George Mason Center.

• The mission of the Financial Management Bureau (FMB) is to provide sound financial management for the Department of Human Services and to maintain good working relationships with internal and external customers. FMB performs centralized Departmental accounting and financial reporting functions: issuing certain client assistance payments; tracking Departmental revenues and expenses; developing and maintaining financial reports for program managers and grantor agencies; ensuring that the Department's fiscal procedures are in compliance with County, state and federal policies and practices; carrying out centralized Departmental billing and depositing functions; collecting grant revenue and fees from agencies, clients and other sources; and recouping assistance payments in accordance with state and federal mandates. The Bureau coordinates collection of overdue accounts with the Treasurer's Office, debt set off, and state and federal tax recovery programs. Bureau staff is involved in a number of revenue maximization efforts to draw down additional federal and state funds, including LPACAP and Medicaid reimbursements. In FY 2005 additional LPACAP monies will fund an additional position to meet state accounting requirements for the significant LPACAP reimbursements received and to investigate ways to maximize LPACAP revenue. In FY 2005 FMB will coordinate the replacement of mainframe financial systems as part of the larger CASE replacement project.

• The mission of the Management and Budget Bureau (MBB) is to ensure that the Department has sufficient resources to achieve organizational goals by coordinating the timely development and implementation of an annual budget. MBB also is responsible for coordinating the Department's performance measurement efforts, evaluating overall financial issues in the Department, and coordinating with the County Manager's Office on County Board reports and actions.

SIGNIFICANT BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS:

• Proposed personnel expenditures increase ($311,962) due to normal merit increases and a net of 2.5 new FTEs in support of LPACAP initiatives.

• Non-personnel increases ($233,892) due to additional LPACAP funds allocated for information technology enhancements and a reserve to cover possible state cuts or assistance to nonprofit service providers, as well as increases in electricity, rent, and County vehicle charges.

• State share increases reflect increases in LPACAP funding due to higher-than-expected reimbursement levels and reprogramming of contingency funds not required to cover prior state budget cuts.

• FTEs increase by a net of 2.5 due to the addition of 3.0 FTEs in support of LPACAP initiatives, partially offset by 0.5 FTE transferred to Aging and Disability Services Divisional Management for administrative support.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES:

Proposed Budget Contents | Section G Contents