Executive Kittleman Announces New Offices in Reorganized Department of Citizen Services

From Howard County:

ELLICOTT CITY, MD -- To make it easier for residents to access vital human services and connect to other programs, Howard County Executive Allan H. Kittleman announced today that the Department of Citizen Services will be renamed the Department of Community Resources and Services and include four new service offices.

Effective today, the Department’s three existing offices will also adopt new names: the Office on Aging becomes the Office on Aging and Independence; the Office of Consumer Affairs becomes the Office of Consumer Protection; and the Office of Children’s Services becomes the Office of Children and Families.

“We’ve initiated these changes to improve the delivery of human services to those who need help, particularly those with complex issues that involve multiple agencies,” said Kittleman. “As part of the reorganization, staff will follow a ‘No Wrong Door’ approach so that residents can be connected to services without spending an entire day going from place to place to find support.”

The new DCRS structure includes four new offices to facilitate outreach to an increasingly diverse Howard County community including: an Office of Veterans and Military Families; Office of Community Partnerships; Office of Local Children’s Board; and Office of ADA Coordination. A new Commission for Veterans and Military Families will advocate for the more than 20,000 veterans who live in Howard County.

“By adopting new names and adding new offices, we will increase our visibility, as well as our capacity to serve multiple generations, tailor services to different cultural values, and promote full inclusion for individuals with disabilities,” said DCRS Director Phyllis Madachy.

To contact DCRS, click hereor email communityresources@howardcountymd.gov.

Image courtesy of Howard County.