Human Services

Counties increasingly handle direct mental health services, acting as the safety net for vulnerable residents and operating crisis lines, hospitals and detention centers. NACo’s Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing unites county leaders to address the mental health crisis through four key policy priorities.

County human services provide critical supports that serve as a foundation for moving individuals, children and families out of poverty and improving their immediate and long-term health outcomes.

Counties play a crucial role in fostering communities that support positive outcomes for young children. Resources and peer learning opportunities are available to help counties advance programs and policies for children from birth to age three. 

The Familiar Faces Initiative aims to reduce incarceration and hospitalization rates for individuals frequently cycling through jails, shelters, and emergency services. The program encourages communities to share data and integrate care between health and justice systems for earlier intervention, improving outcomes for these "familiar faces."

NACo’s Housing Affordability Task Force examined housing challenges and highlighted county-led solutions to address the housing affordability and inventory crisis. The task force identified intergovernmental and public-private strategies to enhance housing affordability and stability.

NACo's Opioid Solutions Center empowers local leaders to invest resources in effective treatment, recovery, prevention and harm reduction practices that save lives and address the underlying causes of substance use disorder.

The Stepping Up Initiative is a data-driven framework that aims to reduce the overincarceration of people with mental illnesses in jails through training, resources, and support that are tailored to local needs.