The Department of Human Services has as its goal a common sense human service delivery system that is comprehensive, responsive, coordinated and based on measurable results. The department provides various forms of assistance to citizens of Monroe County including income support, medical assistance and comprehensive services designed to promote a higher quality of life for children, families and disadvantaged or elderly adults.
Operations
Perry Wheeler, Director of Operations
The Operations Division is a new division of the reorganized department that includes portions of the former Services, TA and MA Divisions. Operations interfaces with state and federal offices, conducts cost saving and cost avoidance activities, program management, mandated planning and reporting, program research, policy and procedure development, quality control and improvement, fraud investigation, specialized program support and grant writing. Additionally, the Operations is the coordination point between the entire department and the following program focused units; Office of Mental Health, Office for the Aging and the Rochester-Monroe County Youth Bureau.
Throughout this website the units of Operations are further described. Please utilize the contact information if you are interested in further information or would like to provide suggestions.
Special Investigations Unit (SIU)
The Special Investigations Unit, a component of the Special Programs Division, processes over 5,000 referrals each year. This involves over $3 Million in public funds. General areas of investigation are:
- Temporary Assistance, Food Stamp and Daycare Fraud Investigations
- Front End Detection System
- Back End Detection System
- Out of State Computer Matches
- Prison Computer Matches
- NCIC Warrant Matches
Records Management
The Records Management Unit for the Department of Human Services has two major functions:
- Assigns case numbers and documents client information for the Services Division. The non-automated card system used is the sole source of collective Child Protective Investigation case information.
- Works as a clearinghouse between DHS and the County off-site storage facility. Returns approximately 8,000 records a month to our off-site storage facility. In 2002, recorded over 24,000 agency transfer notices and handled 200–300 daily requests for records.
Other responsibilities include copying and certifying records for court, filing 3209 and 2970 Authorization Documents, processing service/foster care/adoption transmittals (700–800 a month), home finding and relative resource searches, post sealed record information (3,000 annually), complying with USDA Federal Audit requests, answering numerous information requests from various governmental agencies and managing record retention and destruction.
Customer Service Line
Questions about programs and services?
Call 585 753-6000 or e-mail.
Fraud Hotline: 585 753-6639
Strategic Initiatives and Data Analysis
Integrated County Planning
Building Strengths in Youth Families and Communities
In 1998, the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) was formed from the merger of the NYS Department of Social Services and the NYS Division for Youth. OCFS developed a five year demonstration project designed to encourage the local development of strategies to integrate youth and family services planning.
Since 1998 the Rochester-Monroe County Youth Bureau and the Monroe County Department of Human Services along with key community partners have been developing an ambitious multi-phased strategy to incorporate the state requirements and develop a common sense youth and family service system that is responsive, comprehensive, coordinated and based on results.
Helpful Information
- What Is Integrated County Planning? brochure (1.2mb PDF)
- September 2005 Integrated County Plan MCDHS Strategic Component Update (278k PDF)
- September 2005 Integrated County Plan Youth Bureau Administrative Component Update (1.3mb PDF)
- September 2005 Integrated County Plan Department of Social Services Administrative Component Update (1.07mb PDF)
- May 1, 2004–December 31, 2006 Integrated County Plan Administrative Component (177k PDF)
- May 1, 2004–December 31, 2006 Integrated County Plan Strategic Component (297k PDF)
- Research Based Program Models: A Resource Tool (388k PDF)
- May 1, 2004–December 31, 2006 Integrated County Plan Youth Bureau Administrative Component (252k PDF)
Children Discharged to Adoption (1994–2004)
The attached graph shows the number of children discharged to adoption from 1994–2004. Over the past decade, concerted efforts made by the department to improve the adoption process have been paying off with an overall increase in the number of children adopted per yea
ICP Research-Based Programs
Research-Based Program Models: A Resource Tool has been compiled to support Monroe County’s Integrated County Plan and the larger child and family service system in Monroe County.
The goal of Research-Based Program Models: A Resource Tool is to assist youth and family service providers, municipal recreation programs, community-based organizations, educators and others in gathering information and ideas on research-based programming. In recent years, as policy makers, human service workers and organizations have increasingly become interested in identifying which programs and strategies are most effective, intensive research methods have been utilized to evaluate human service programming. Research-based programs serve as models because they have undergone credible research and have strong theoretical foundations.
Model programs for children and families have a foundation in developmental theory. This means that they are designed with an understanding of the biological, cognitive and social changes that occur in the lives of individuals and they utilize developmentally appropriate practices. Other common characteristics of effective programs are the inclusion of skill building and social competence building activities.
Programs that have been selected have been rated as highly effective by researchers. Typically this means that the program outcomes are specific and measurable, evaluation is of the highest quality with an experimental design with a randomized sample (replication by an independent investigator is also preferred), and outcome data show clear evidence of program effectiveness. It is important to perform further research on your own if selecting and implementing a program. Although deemed highly effective, these programs will show similar outcomes in your own community only when carefully selected and implemented. It is also important to note that these models follow a specific program including curricula, time frames, etc., and are not simply a framework, approach or language.
The resource tool adapts, combines and adds to the work of several key research institutions, resource guides and governmental agencies. The ICP partners have not developed this tool to endorse specific program models but rather to encourage those who work with youth and families to consider the characteristics of effective programs and the similarities in the strategies used by models with well-researched positive results.
