Vision
To serve Coloradans through bold and innovative health and human services.
Mission
Together, we empower Coloradans to thrive.
Summary
The Colorado Department of Human Services collaborates with partners in State and county governments, nonprofits, advocates, community residents, providers and many others to design and deliver high-quality health and human services that improve the safety, independence and well-being of the people of Colorado. Specifically, the Department supports and/or provides care for Colorado families who need assistance with food, cash, employment or energy assistance; Children, youth and adults at risk of abuse or neglect; individuals with developmental disabilities; pre-adjudicated and committed youth in trauma-responsive environments; individuals who need treatment inpatient level of care for mental illness and all competency restoration services; older adults and their families who need resources to care for themselves or their elderly parents; Colorado’s veteran heroes and their spouses; and Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and deafblind Coloradans. The Department’s staff is committed to providing the right services to the right people in the right setting at the right time.
In addition to the Senior Executive Team and the Executive Director’s Office, which includes the Administrative Solutions team, the Financial Services team, the Community Partnerships team, and the Deputy Executive Director of Strategy team, the Department is split into four management offices, each led by an office director. The intent of these eight teams is to provide a leadership structure to facilitate the delivery of cross-system human services programs to Colorado. These eight teams are:
Administrative Solutions provides services that help program areas achieve their goals. It is responsible for a number of support functions to make the agency as efficient, effective and impactful as possible. Administrative Solutions comprises Human Resources; Facilities Management; Audit; Business Innovation, Technology and Security; Emergency Management; Legal Affairs; and Quality Assurance.
Community Partnerships builds and strengthens internal and external partnerships, while being a cross-system catalyst for people-centered solutions to support individuals, families and community partners. Community Partnerships provides strategic coordination to ensure the success of the whole person, whole family, whole community approach to human services delivery, while also overseeing external entities and agencies with whom the Department contracts. Community Partnerships provides oversight for the Office of Children, Youth and Families; Office of Economic Security; Aging and Adult Services Division; Community and Family Engagement; County and Client Services; and Homelessness Prevention Initiatives.
Financial Services is responsible for managing the Department’s $2.5 billion budget, as well as additional unappropriated federal dollars. Financial Services provides governance, oversight, training and education to the Department’s programs as well as county partners. Financial Services oversees Budget, Legislative Affairs, Accounting, Payroll, Contracts, Procurement, and Warehouse storage and delivery.
The Strategy Office team ensures the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the Executive Director’s Office by crafting and executing the Department's Better Together strategic plan and provides oversight of related work stream priorities to achieve goals. The Strategy Office team comprises policy; Strategic Operations and Solutions; Equity, Diversity and Inclusion; and Communications.
The Office of Adult, Aging and Disability Services (OAADS) serves Colorado’s older adults, veterans and those with disabilities through responsive and person-centered support. OAADS elevates adults towards independence to live their best lives their way. Services are provided through the Division of Regional Centers; Veterans Community Living Centers; Aging and Adult Services — including Adult Protective Services and the State Unit on Aging; Disability Determination Services; and programs including Mindsource Brain Injury Network and the Colorado Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind to ensure Coloradans live in the communities of their choice.
The Office of Civil and Forensic Mental Health (OCFMH) operates Colorado’s two mental health hospitals, the Forensic Services Division and the Division of Mental Health Transitional Living. The office provides a continuum of mental health care that includes pre-trial restoration services, inpatient hospitalization and transition homes for community-based care.
Civil clients and patients are individuals who are committed by a civil court into the care of the Department, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, because they have serious and persistent mental health conditions. OCFMH provides inpatient hospital care as well as transitional, community-based services, depending on the patient or client’s individual needs.
Forensic clients and patients include two types of individuals. One category is individuals who are charged with a crime and have a mental or developmental disability that prevents them from assisting in their own defense or rationally understanding the criminal court proceedings. The second category is individuals who have been charged with a crime but found not guilty by reason of insanity. OCFMH works across the justice system to provide evaluations, treatment and case management for these clients.
The Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF) is responsible for the coordination of quality and effective services for Colorado’s most vulnerable children, youth and their families. OCYF houses three divisions — the Division of Child Welfare, the Division of Youth Services, and the Division of Community Programs — as well as Medical Oversight and the Colorado Implementation Science Unit. The Division of Community Programs includes the Colorado Sexual Health Initiative; the Domestic Violence Program; the Juvenile Parole Board; the Collaborative Management Program; and the Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program. Additionally, legislative and finance staff are dedicated to advancing the policy and budgetary priorities of the office, and the communications team works to increase understanding of the office’s impact and encourage Coloradans to become involved in strengthening families. Each team is uniquely organized and pursues defined goals to best collaborate with counties and community partners to empower people in Colorado to thrive.
The Office of Economic Security (OES) operates programs that provide income, employment, food and support services to those in need. Divisions include Child Support Services; Economic and Workforce Support; Food and Energy Assistance; and Staff Development.
The Division of Child Support Services helps ensure children receive regular financial support from both parents and is committed to providing family-centered services that address barriers to consistent child support payments. The Division of Economic and Workforce Support provides innovative programming that connects people to employment and benefits services that reduce poverty, increase stability and improve well-being. Programs include Colorado Works (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, also known as TANF); Adult Financial Programs; Colorado Employment First; ReHire Colorado; and the Colorado Refugee Services Program. The purpose of the Food and Energy Assistance Division is to safeguard health and well-being by administering programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) program, Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer EBT); and Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP). In addition, the division provides Food Distribution Programs (FDP) including the Emergency Food Assistance Program, the National School Lunch Program, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Commodities, and Everyday Eats for older adults. Last, the Staff Development Division works to identify essential training needs and to establish, facilitate and maintain competency-based training programs for county staff working with families who are accessing medical and other types of public assistance.