Massachusetts is in the process of restructuring its maze of 15 human services agencies to group them under 5 offices with the stated goal of better efficiency and coordination by population. It also means some that the public and advocates will have to get used to some agency name changes. For one, the Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) is becoming the Office of Medicaid.

The new Office of Children, Youth and Family Services will encompass DSS, the Office of Child Care Services, Dept. of Transitional Assistance (DTA), Department of Youth Services (DYS), MA Office of Refugees and Immigrants and a couple of smaller programs. DMR, Mass. Rehab., the Commission for the Blind, and the Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing will fall under the umbrella of the Office for Disabilities and Community Services. DPH and DMH will make up the Office of Health Services. The Department of Elder Affairs will become the Department of Elder Services and the department of Veteran's Services will remain the same. You can see a full organizational chart at www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/eohhhs_orgchart.pdf.

07/2004