(Effective January 3, 1987)

Prepared by the Mayor and transmitted to the Council of the District of Columbia on September 1, 1986, pursuant to the provisions of Section 422(12) of the District Charter and Public Law 98-621 of November 8, 1984 (24 U.S.C. § 225 et seq.), the Saint Elizabeths Hospital and District of Columbia Mental Health Services Act.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

1. I. Establishment There is hereby established, in the Executive Branch of the Government of the District of Columbia, under the supervision of the Director, a Department of Human Services (hereafter "Department"). The Director shall have full authority over the Department and all functions and personnel assigned thereto, including the power to redelegate to other employees and officials of the Department such powers and authority as in the Director's judgment are warranted in the interests of efficiency and sound administration.
2. II. Purpose The mission of the Department of Human Services is to assure the development and implementation of public health and social service policy in response to the needs of individuals and families in the District of Columbia; and to promote the health, mental health, and well-being of District residents through the delivery of high-quality and equitably-distributed services and income assistance programs.

3. III. Functions The functions to be assigned to the major organizational components of the Department shall be:

   The Director, through the organizational components of the Department, shall be responsible for the following functions:

   A. Policy-making and the development and implementation of long- and short-range plans;

   B. The development and utilization of an automated information support system for the Department;

   C. Providing basic support services throughout the Department;

   D. Managing the finances for the Department, and preparing and defending the budget;

   E. Directing the preparation and support of the legislative agenda for the Department;

   F. Serving as the single state agency for federal categorical and block grants;

   G. Providing high-quality community-based and inpatient preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative mental health services;

   H. Providing psychiatric evaluation and treatment services to adult and juvenile forensic clients and inpatient, day treatment, or detention settings;

   I. Providing psychiatric evaluation and treatment services to adult and juvenile clients on an acute-care or long-term basis in an inpatient setting;

   J. Providing mandates services, technical assistance and counseling regarding veterans' benefits and other assistance under DHS and affiliated programs administered under provisions of public laws;

   K. Medically investigating and reporting on known or suspected homicides, suicides, medically unattended or accidental deaths, and deaths which might threaten public health and safety;

   L. Identifying and treating drug and substance abusers with the goal of rehabilitation, and working to prevent substance abuse in the District of Columbia;

   M. Administering comprehensive community-based medical screening and care to infants, children, adults, and the elderly in clinical, school, or home settings;

   N. Providing long-term skilled and intermediate-level inpatient health care;

   O. Providing health services to homebound adult patients who show potential for rehabilitation as well as to patients with long-term chronic illnesses who need help to maintain themselves at home;

   P. Providing a wide range of identification and immunization services with the goal of preventing, insofar as possible, toxic, contagious, or injurious conditions;

   Q. Analyzing the needs of homeless persons, coordinating and delivering comprehensive shelter, medical, and social services to the homeless;

   R. Aiding in developing and sustaining independent living by the provision of social services, including emergency assistance, to adults and the elderly;

   S. Providing a range of protective and child welfare services to children and youth;

   T. Determining eligibility of clients for the range of available federal and District-funded income assistance programs;

   U. Providing a range of habilitative, training, educational, and residential services, as needed, to retarded and developmentally disabled District residents and their families;

   V. Determining the degree of disability of physically, mentally, or emotionally disabled or handicapped residents, and working to assist such clients to achieve self-sufficiency through training and auxiliary services; and

   W. Developing and administering a citywide system of services for delinquency prevention and control, including supervision, short-term detention as needed, and educational, health, psychological and social services for delinquent and pre-delinquent youth.

4. IV. Delegation and Redelegation of Authority The Director of the Department of Human Services is the successor to the authority delegated to him or her as Director of the previously-existing Department, and is authorized to act, either personally or through a designated representative, as a member of any committees, commissions, boards, interstate compacts, or other bodies which presently include as a member the Director of the Department of Human Services or the Superintendent of Saint Elizabeths Hospital; or as a participant in any interagency agreement to which the Director or the Superintendent has been a party.

5. V. Other Transfers All property other than real property and all records and personal property used in conjunction with the real property and buildings transferred to the District by Section 8 of P.L. 98-621 (24 U.S.C. § 225f), are hereby transferred to the Department of Human Services for use in providing mental health and other services as of the effective date specified in the law.

   The Department shall have the use of real property and buildings on the East side of the Saint Elizabeths campus with the exception of such real property and buildings as are retained by the federal government under P.L. 98-621; and shall also have the use of certain real property and buildings on the West side, on an interim or long-term basis, as determined by the Mayor.

   The Department is also the successor to all other positions, property, allocations and other funds available or to be made available relating to the powers, duties, and functions of the preexisting Department of Human Services.

6. VI. Reorganization The Director of the Department of Human Services, in the performance of his or her duties and functions, is authorized to establish such organizational components within the Department with such specified functions as he or she deems appropriate. Until such establishment, existing Orders establishing the components of the preexisting Department remain in force, where they do not conflict with this Plan.
7. VII. Recission All orders and parts of orders in conflict with any of the provisions of this Plan are, to the extent of such conflict, hereby repealed, except that any municipal regulations adopted or promulgated by virtue of the authority granted by such orders, shall remain in force until properly revised, amended, or rescinded.
8. VIII. Effective Date The provisions of this Plan shall become effective pursuant to the promulgation of an executive order of the Mayor no later than thirty (30) calendar days after this Plan has been approved, in accordance with the requirements of Section 422(12) of Public Law 93-198.

Prior Codifications

2001 Ed., Title 1, Chapter 15, Subchapter VII, Part B.