Regional and Community Development

 

The Human Services System is driven by the needs of clients and the community, rather than based on agency organization.  The system is guided by five overriding principles:

To be prevention oriented — The system's major goal is to decrease client dependency, address needs before they become crises, and reverse the growth of long-term client needs.  Success in this involves a shift in thinking away from traditional programs that react to problems toward those that are preventive in nature.

To be client and family centered — The system must comprehensively address the individual needs of our clients and their families and not be hampered or limited by categorical boundaries or agency-related barriers or priorities.  Empowerment of clients toward self-sufficiency is supported by strong case management and coordination of services within a fully integrated and seamless system. 

Human Services Regions

Fairfax County provides an integrated community-based service delivery system to respond to and anticipate the unique needs of individuals and families within a specific geographic area.  The four human services regions were created based mainly on our county's geographic areas, in addition to the following criteria:

• current human services caseload distribution
• total population distribution
• postal zip codes
• areas served by community-based organizations
• natural boundaries and communities
• school enrollment areas
• magisterial districts
• minority populations
• population income

  

 

 

 

To be community based  — The system provides services to clients within their own communities and actively pursues the development of partnerships that build on community strengths.  Community partners will include all public, private nonprofit entities, ecumenical groups, and area residents within each of five regional areas.

To be results oriented, collaborative, and team based — The team based approach requires system-wide commitment and strategies that support service integration, and collaboration and yield long-term cost savings.

To be right sized — System right sizing utilizes existing resources in ways to maximize productivity and effectiveness, thereby enhancing service quality and lowering costs.