DHSS Community Partner Support Unit outlines help with benefits, employment and housing referrals
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Summary
Department of Health and Social Services staff introduced the Community Partner Support Unit (CPSU), described services including assist-portal access, case management and partner outreach, and answered council questions about data, legal-aid referrals and emergency warming/cooling supports.
Gabe Fred Bivens, a senior social services administrator with the Department of Health and Social Services’ Division of Social Services, told the Wilmington City Council Health, Environmental, Aging and Disabilities Committee on Jan. 22 that the Community Partner Support Unit (CPSU) serves as a bridge between state service centers, community partners and residents to connect people with benefits and supports.
The presentation explained the unit’s main services — intensive case management, assistance using the state’s “assist” portal for benefit applications and renewals, and direct referrals to local partners for employment, housing and other supports. Bivens and CPSU colleague Dwayne Hartwig emphasized that CPSU works with state, local and federal agencies as well as nonprofit and private partners to provide on-site and remote help.
CPSU staff described the unit’s scope and outreach. They said the program works with more than 340 partners statewide and over 50 direct employer partners for job placement and training referrals. CPSU highlighted benefits handled through Division of Social Services programs, including SNAP (food benefits), Medicaid (including long-term Medicaid), cash assistance programs and TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), and said providers can apply and act as authorized users on the assist portal so they can complete applications, upload verifications and track cases for clients.
During committee questions, staff said program-level data are published monthly in the Division of Social Services newsletter and can be provided on request with breakdowns by team and location, including Wilmington. Bivens said legal aid is not offered directly by CPSU but that CPSU refers clients to partner legal services where counsel is available based on eligibility. On housing, staff described partnerships with organizations including family and emergency shelters, Wilmington Housing Authority and private landlords; they said Housing Alliance of Delaware handles centralized intake for shelter referrals and CPSU sometimes uses hotel/motel vouchers for emergency stays when clients meet eligibility criteria.
Committee members asked about job-training pathways and certification funding. CPSU staff said they coordinate with the Delaware Department of Labor and training partners; they cited examples ranging from immediate-hire partners (Amazon, UPS, Postal Service, Walmart) to trade-skills training that can produce higher earnings. Staff said some training costs can be covered by Department of Labor funding if people engage early in the application cycle.
Council members asked about emergency warming/cooling supports; CPSU staff said the division had opened Code Purple warming stations at eight state service centers during the cold weather week and had placed Red Cross teams at centers to help people who are unhoused find shelter and support. Presenters provided contact addresses for partnership and referrals and offered to email program statistics on a monthly basis to council members who requested them.
No formal action or vote was taken on the presentation. Committee members thanked staff and said they would follow up for additional data and partnership details.
Contact and next steps: CPSU staff gave a mailbox for partnership inquiries (community_partner_support_unit@delaware.gov) and a bridge-program mailbox (dhss_bridgereference@delaware.gov). Committee members asked staff to share the division’s monthly newsletter and detailed location-level statistics by request.
