Financial help from Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services.
Using mostly government grants, the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services processes applications for financial aid programs and may be able to offer some of its own direct public assistance. The programs run by DHHS are generally for very low income families, those living in poverty, or residents facing extenuating circumstances.
The non-profit is part of the county’s Department of Health and Human Services department. The resources available from the non-profit range or county DHS from the Emergency Eviction Prevention Program to food supplements and applications for heating bill assistance, so the services available from are wide ranging.
Find assistance from medical programs
They are the region's primary Support Planning Agency for programs such as Medical Assistance Personal Care (MAPC), Community First Choice as well as Options Waiver (COW), and Increased Community Services. As a non-profit Support Planning Agency, case managers from DHHS assist in coordinating case management and social services to Montgomery County residents, regardless of their income.
In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services will provide access to public health care such as Medicaid home and community-based services, and the case managers from the organization help participants with waiver eligibility maintenance and determination.
Medical Assistance (or Medicaid) is a state of Maryland benefit that is set up as a form of fully comprehensive health care. It was created to be an insurance program for low-income families and individuals in the region, and MA covers services such as prescription medications, in-patient or outpatient hospital care, basic medical bill assistance, nursing home costs, substance abuse treatment, and mental health. Families receiving public assistance, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Temporary Cash Assistance automatically qualify for the state's Medical Assistance benefit.
Free government or charitable health insurance, including free health or dental care policies, may be available. These are generally for the very low income, disabled, and families living in poverty. Medicaid, CHIP for kids, and other options can be offered by Health and Human Services. Find free health insurance policies.
Operated by the State of Maryland, the MCHP - Children's Health Program provides free or low-cost health care services for children from birth up to age 19. MCHP also serves uninsured, low-income, pregnant women of any age. Participants choose a Managed Care Organization (MCO) to provide care to them upon enrollment, and then select a doctor from a list provided by MCHP. Covered services include doctor visits, specialized or hospital care, lab tests, dental care, prescription medicines, and mental health services.
Cash assistance programs from Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services
There are a few different state and federal government public aid programs. They include DHHS’s Temporary Cash Assistance and TDA, or the Temporary Disability Assistance. These different options provide government benefits, cash assistance, and employment resources to disabled or low-income Montgomery county residents.
Food Stamps, or the county's Supplement Program, provides monthly financial benefits to eligible households in Montgomery County. This is defined as all household members who purchase and prepare groceries or meals on a regular basis, and the aid is for the purpose of purchasing supplemental foods.
Senior citizens in Montgomery County can benefit from the SNP, or Senior Nutrition Program. The agency serves hot, nutritious meals to the elderly, either in congregate settings or through referrals to the Meals on Wheels home delivery program.
Different versions of SNP exist as well, as individualized meals are available for those with heart disease, diabetes, or hypertension, and everything served to clients will meet federal standards calling for each meal served to provide at least one-third of the recommended dietary allowance for older adults. In addition, they must comply with Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Selected congregate meal sites in Montgomery County Maryland also offer Chinese, Korean, Kosher and Vietnamese meals. So there are so called specialty food items provided, including for diabetics and others.
Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services will also arrange for nutritional education, health screening, recreational activities, counseling and other social services are available at meal sites as well. These other public resources include programming for the various ethnic groups residing in Montgomery County as well as support for immigrants. The Senior Nutrition Hotline can be called at 240-777-3810.
The DHHS Emergency Eviction Prevention Program, or EEPP, assists income qualified individuals and families who are homeless or have a pay or quit notice. So there is help for people facing eviction or foreclosure or that are victimized by individual or community disasters. The county may provide individuals with a government grant for paying rental expenses, or partnerships with lenders in the county may allow a loan to be used for these back rent costs.
Much more is offered too. EEPP services include emergency financial assistance, transitional housing, and/or emergency shelter for homeless or at-risk families and adults, including single moms. There is also help for those who are struggling with overdue utility bill payments. Other types of financial assistance available through this program include Employment Support or Welfare Avoidance Grants, and these tend to be for qualifying participants in the Welfare-to-Work program. Call 240-777-3075.
The state of Maryland Rental Assistance Program (RAP) is also run by Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. This provides financial assistance for eligible low-income households, including funds for a security deposit. Eligibility criteria for RAP include income level, age, disabilities within the household, and also level of need.
The Energy Bill Assistance Program is another financial assistance program that helps working poor or struggling families. Montgomery County residents with the high costs of heating fuel and electricity. The Handicapped Rental Assistance Program is also available in Montgomery County, and it can provide support to disabled individuals who are having difficulty keeping up with rent payments to licensed care facilities. The phone number is 240-777-4400.
The Shelter Services department works with homeless individuals and families to coordinate an array of public assistance programs, including transitional housing, outreach, emergency shelter, and permanent supportive housing. As the winter months in Maryland can be very cold, shelter capacity and access to appropriate services expand to meet demand.
Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services case managers and Housing Stabilization staff from DHHS perform emergency assessments for homeless families with children, and work with counselors and social workers to provide housing referrals. They can also offer clients links to medical assistance and mental health care, public funded community clinics, job training, and access to entitlements.
In order to help the homeless, DHHS partners and contracts with a number of nonprofit organizations throughout the community. One example, the DHHS Housing Stabilization staff, have members that provide emergency assessment services to homeless families with children.
Help with employment needs
Staff from DHHS work with clients on employment. This is after all key to overcoming poverty or a short term financial struggle. Clients can learn about free job training in Maryland, they can get information such as interviewing tips or free work clothes, or even learn about transportation to a workplace in Montgomery County. The goal is to increase income and skills.
Child Care Subsidies include the federal government and state-funded Purchase of Child Care Program and the county-funded Working Parents Assistance Program (WPA). Grants to pay for day care can help improve employment prospects. Applicants from Montgomery County need to fill out a single application for both of these public assistance programs, and a caseworker from the DHHS then determines which program is the best fit, based on their income. Please call the number below to obtain more information.
Locations of Health and Human Services in Montgomery County Maryland
There are a few offices of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services in the region. Note some of the programs are available directly from the agency, and others are government run and use public funds to pay for them. So the office that offers a service may vary. The number to call for referrals on these or other programs is 1.800.492.0618.
- MidCounty DHHS Building, 1301 Piccard Dr., Rockville, Maryland 20850
- DHHS Silver Spring Center, 8818 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910
- Takoma East Silver Spring Center - 8513 Piney Branch Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20901
- UpCounty Regional Services Center is located at 12900 Middlebrook Rd., Germantown, Maryland 20874
- Neighborhood Service Center at Catholic Charities is at 12247 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20906
- There is another Neighborhood Service Center at Family Services, and this site is at 610 E Diamond Ave., Gaithersburg, MD 20877
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