William Siedhoff, Director

General Information

As a unit of City government, funding sources are City General Revenue, as well as state and federal revenue. The overall Departmental activities are guided by the City Charter, the Mayor, and the Board of Aldermen.

The Department of Human services provides only Information and Referral as a direct service to the citizens of the City of St. Louis. Other services are provided via subcontracts and partnerships with public and private entities. Thus, the Department has a long and rich history of fiscal management, contract negotiations, payment by reimbursement, contract monitoring, and data collection for evaluation purposes.

Fiscal Services. The Fiscal Unit of the Department coordinates the overall budget; including, but not limited to receipt of funds, payment of vouchers, coordinating fiscal issues for the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, and establishing the Department's Chart of Accounts.

Veterans' Affairs

• Programs for homeless veterans such as the Homeless Veterans Employment Project prepare veterans for successful work situations and remove barriers to their full employment. This project provides housing, meals, clothing, medical, legal, employment, and a variety of supporting services, with sponsoring agencies.
• The Special Veterans On-the-Job Training Program provides job training situations for veterans with private employers who step forward to hire and train vets, and gain from their reliability and "can do" attitude.
• Veterans Resource Directory is over 100 pages of resources compiled annually in a single directory, which is widely used and distributed throughout the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. The Directory is available at the Veterans' Affairs Office free of charge.

Youth and Family Services

• The Summer Food Service Program. Presented the 2002 USDA Food and Nutrition Service "Summer Sunshine Award" for excellence in the achievement of successful outreach, this program provides meals at over 200 sites to approximately 17,000 children involved in summer school programs, daycares, latchkey, recreation, and church sponsored programs during the summer months of June through August.
• The Child and Adult Care Food Program provides year round meals to children in schools, homeless shelters, and day programs across the St. Louis Area. Approximately 800,000 meals are served annually through this program.
• The M.I.N.E. Program. In cooperation with the of the City's Juvenile Court system, this program emphasizes the importance of mentoring, instruction, nutrition and esteem by utilizing life skills programs which hold juvenile offenders accountable for their actions; thereby reducing the likelihood of the reoccurrence of unacceptable behaviors.
• After School Initiatives. The Youth and Family Services Division in collaboration with the Mayor's Office, St. Louis Public Schools, and numerous other organizations is working towards the development of programs, which will support children and youth during out-of-school hours. New initiatives are forthcoming.
• Early Childhood Success Initiative. Recognizing that positive experiences between birth and school entry boosts a child's healthy development and future prospects, the Youth and Family Services Division is committed to assisting in the development of childhood programs that expand access to quality services; which in turn, promote child health and safety, enhance early learning opportunities, and expand access to high-quality and affordable child care. The Division is actively seek partnerships to aid in the accomplishment of this goal.

Office on the Disabled

Accessibility Guidelines & Policies. Click here for policies, ramp specifications, and permits.

Information and Direct Referral. Office on the Disabled provides current reliable information on services, programs, issues, etc. for persons with disabilities to callers or office visits or through the mail. Standards for accessible design are available to architects, engineers, design professionals, and the general public.

Interpreter for the Deaf. Office on the Disabled provides interpreting for the deaf services for all city services, programs, and activities.

Residential Disabled Parking Program. Office on the Disabled provides reserved residential parking spaces for city residents with disabilities. (Click here for more information)

Parking Meter Exemption Permits. Office on the Disabled issues permits exempting persons with disabilities unable to activate parking meters in the City of St. Louis.

Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator. The Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator provides information on the ADA; provides reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees; offers training on the ADA.

Awareness Training. Office on the Disabled offers training on issues related to disabilities.

Public Use of TDDs. Public use of TDDs is available to deaf persons needing to make phone calls.

On Site Accessibility Consultation. Office on the Disabled provides advice and recommendations on facility accessibility for persons with disabilities.

Homeless Services

The Homeless Services Network Board Program has several important functions which include:

• Development, coordination, and monitoring of new and existing service programs to meet the needs of the homeless and/or at-risk population.
• Negotiation of contracts with social service agencies to deliver these services ensuring through monitoring, that these services are not duplicated and that funds are efficiently and effectively utilized.
• Coordination and direction of the Homeless Services Network Board, a consortium of health and human service professionals, advocates, government officials, representatives from nonprofit agencies, and homeless clients from the metropolitan area.

At the foundation of the Homeless Services Network program is the "continuum of care model." This approach to homelessness is comprehensive, flexible, and inclusive of all service providers. The fundamental components of this continuum of care system are:

• Outreach and assessment efforts to identify an individual's of family's needs and make connections to facilities and services.
• Immediate shelter as a safe alternative to the streets.
• Transitional Housing and necessary social services. Such services include substance abuse treatment, short-term mental health services, independent living skills, etc.
• Permanent housing or permanent housing arrangements.

St. Louis Area Agency on Aging

SLAAA provides three important services for St. Louisians aged 60 and older:

• Advocates for older St. Louisians.
• Identifies the needs of the elderly and creates multi-year plans for the development of comprehensive, community-based services which meet those needs.
• Administers Older Americans Act funds and other funds which implement the plans.

SLAA administers programs largely through contracts with local service providers delivering these services at the neighborhood level.

Community Services

• Senior Centers with Meal Programs. Through contractual agreements, SLAAA assists 19 senior centers and 12 nutrition sites in public housing that provide nutrition, social, physical, and recreational activities.
• Transportation. By increasing their mobility, transportation services allow older persons to access other needed services such as medical, shopping, senior centers, and necessary business.
• Information and Referral. Information and Referral Services answers questions about the availability of services.
• Health Promotion. Health Promotion provides health promotion and disease prevention services, i.e. education about good health habits, physical fitness, and proper nutrition.
• Senior Community Employment Program (Title V). Title V provides employment training opportunities for eligible persons aged 55 and older.
• Legal Assistance. Helps safeguard the rights and interests of older persons, protects them and their property, and provides advice and counsel to older persons and their families.
• Housing Options. Fosters development of additional housing alternatives, such as home sharing, group residences, and exchanging housing equity for needed cash.

In-Home Services

• Home Delivered Meals (sometimes called "Meals on Wheels"). The most requested service is home delivered meals. This meal provides one-third the daily recommended nutrition, five days a week, to persons who cannot shop and prepare food for themselves.
• Personal Care. Provides (non-medical) hands-on care that is needed for daily living.
• Housemaker Services. Includes cooking, cleaning, laundry, and general household tasks that do not involve direct care of the older person.
• Respite Care. Helps family members who are caring for an older relative in their home by giving them a break, or "respite" from care giving responsibilities.

Institutional Services - Ombudsman Services for Complaint Resolution

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This Page Last Modified: Monday, 19-Nov-2007 16:43:38 CST