
About the DCHS
Department of Community and Human Services
At the King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS), we manage a range of programs and services to help our county's most vulnerable residents and strengthen our communities. We have five divisions in the department that help us offer services for our residents, and we mainly contract with community-based agencies to provide those services. Our divisions are as follows:
Our Mission
Provide equitable opportunities for people to be healthy, happy, self-reliant and connected to community.
Our Vision
The Department of Community and Human Services supports and maintains vital communities, families and individuals.
How Our Department is Structured
Adult Services
ASD focuses on adult education and employment; civil legal aid; older adult services; service members and military families; survivors of domestic abuse, sexual assault and trafficking; and the King County Veterans Program, which includes several unique services in itself
Division Director: Scarlett Aldebott-Green
Behavioral Health and Recovery
BHRD focuses on crisis response and investigation for involuntary commitment; mental health and substance use disorder, intervention, prevention and treatment; and services to support recovery
Division Director: Kelli Nomura
Children, Youth and Young Adults
CYYAD focuses on early intervention, prevention and promotion for children and youth ages 5-24; justice system alternatives; and youth education and employment
Division Director: Sheila Capestany
Developmental Disabilities and Early Childhood Supports
DDECSD focuses on early intervention for infants and toddlers with developmental delays; employment services for people with developmental disabilities; healthy development for children birth to age five; infant mental health; and support services for families of people with disabilities
Division Director: Magan Cromar
Housing, Homelessness and Community Development
HHCDD focuses on community development; creating and preserving affordable and special needs housing, housing repair programs, services and shelter for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness
Division Director: Mark Ellerbrook
Best Starts for Kids
BSK is considered the most comprehensive approach to child development in the nation. Best Starts for Kids invests an average of $65 million per year to support King County families and children so that babies are born healthy, children thrive, and young people grow into happy, healthy adults.
Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy
VSHSL connects servicemembers and veterans, residents age 55 or older, and vulnerable populations to programs and services that help them live healthy, productive and meaningful lives. It helps individuals and families transition to affordable housing, get job training, find employment, receive behavioral health treatment, and more.
MIDD Behavioral Health Sales Tax
MIDD programs and services aimed at supporting people living with or at risk of behavioral health conditions to be healthy, have satisfying social relationships, and avoid legal system involvement.
Our entire department, along with our trusted network of community providers and partners, plays a leading role in creating and coordinating the region’s human services infrastructure. The Director’s Office, led by Leo Flor, Department Director; Josephine Wong, Deputy Director; and Denise Rothleutner, Chief of Staff, manages the critical business functions of the department and provides regional leadership for our various efforts.
The DCHS Director’s Office is also responsible for providing leadership and coordination for All Home, a regional effort that brings together all levels of the community in a coordinated response to the immediate crisis of homelessness.
Our department also stewards the revenue from the Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy (VSHSL), Best Starts for Kids (BSK) levy and the Mental Illness and Drug Dependency (MIDD) sales tax. These initiatives provide critical funding and support for various related programs.