The Department's vision statement has been updated.
A vision statement is a clear and inspirational description of the long-term goals that an organization wants to achieve or foster. It describes where an organization wants to go, and helps guide its planning.
There are three pillars of our work here at DSS – three things we’re striving to improve every day for people in our community in order to achieve our vision. We offer programs to help vulnerable people maintain their health, improve their economic security, and live in safety. Specifically, we offer low- or no-cost health coverage and food aid so people can be healthy, cash aid and job services so people can become more economically secure, and protective and supportive services so children and people who are elderly or disabled can be safe.
Summarizing the many complex programs and services of DSS into these three simple categories makes it easier for people to understand what we do – as demonstrated by the W-311 “Spectrum of Services” flyer, often provided at outreach events and in new client packets. Seeing the benefit of incorporating these three categories – health, security, safety – DSS management has updated the department’s vision statement.
Our updated vision statement reads as follows:
“We envision socially integrated individuals and families contributing to a thriving community where everyone is healthy and nourished, economically secure and self-sufficient, and living in safety and dignity. To move toward this future, we identify individual and family needs, administer state and federal programs to meet those needs, and establish partnerships for collaborative solutions.”
The updated vision statement now appears on the department’s public website, and will be incorporated into the department’s Renew 2022 planning.