Wake County to split Health and Human Services into separate Social Services and Public Health departments July 1

Commissioner Cheryl Stallings used her board update on Feb. 17 to announce an administrative restructuring of Wake County’s Health and Human Services. Effective July 1, the county will divide the current Health and Human Services umbrella into two separate departments: Social Services and Public Health.

Stallings said the change is intended to provide more focused leadership for each function. The county will appoint directors to lead the new Social Services and Public Health departments, and Deputy County Manager Duane Holder will oversee the transition. Stallings said the Health and Human Services Board will remain a single board following the restructuring.

Stallings framed the change as an effort to provide more effective and efficient services for residents and said staff have been briefed. The board did not take formal action on the announcement during the Feb. 17 meeting; Stallings presented it as an upcoming organizational change to take effect July 1.