DPW’s Programs

The Department of Public Welfare (DPW) is charged with numerous program areas. DPW oversees all Children, Youth & Families, Mental Health & Mental Retardation, Income Maintenance, Medical Assistance and Social Program issues in the Commonwealth. Programs and Services: Medical Assistance/Medicaid (financial assistance, pays for anything that is medically necessary. Payment is made to enrolled providers who submit the claims on behalf of eligible clients. You will receive assistance on applying for Medical Assistance, call 1-800-986-5437 or visit www.dpw.state.pa.us/ompa for more information.) Michael Dallas Model Waiver Program (home nursing/visiting nurses, medical equipment, Medical Assistance fee schedule services, case management. Call 1-717-772-2525 for more information.) Welfare Helpline (financial assistance, provide information on financial assistance and Medicaid, information regarding eligibility for public assistance programs, food stamps, energy assistance and Welfare. Call 1-800-692-7462 for more information.) Special Pharmaceutical Benefits Program [SPBP] (health screening/diagnostic, case management, financial assistance, individual counseling, financial assistance for HIV patients’ medication, T cell testing and viral load testing. Call 1-800-922-9384 for more information.) Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis Treatment [EPSDT] (helps provide physical exams, hearing and vision testing, immunizations, growth and developmental assessments, dental exams, routine lab tests, help with scheduling a doctor’s appointment, transportation assistance, free eyeglasses, free hearing aids, and free braces. Call 1-800-KIDS-MED for more information.) DPW administers more than 38 percent of the total Commonwealth budget — currently more than $13 billion. DPW employs more than 23,000 people. DPW provides services that touch the lives of one in every six Pennsylvanians (more than 1.5 million people) each year. DPW distributes more than $543 million in cash welfare benefits annually to one in every 43 residents (about 286,000 people). DPW provides medical assistance benefits to one in every nine citizens (more than 1.4 million individuals) making the state one of the largest health insuring agencies in the nation. DPW operates 103 county assistance offices: 9 state mental hospitals; and 8 residential centers for people with mental retardation. DPW licenses and monitors more than 15,000 human service providers including day care facilities, mental health providers, mental retardation programs, adoption and foster care agencies, and personal care homes. DPW provides help in heating one in every 15 Pennsylvania homes (over 316,000 families) each winter. DPW determines eligibility for and distributes food stamps to one in every 16 Pennsylvanians — nearly 752,000 recipients. DPW operates six youth development centers, two youth forestry camps, and contracts for the operation of five additional facilities that provide over 850 beds for delinquent youth at a cost of $85 million. Nearly 23,000 cases of suspected child abuse were reported to the department for investigation in 1998; 5,392 cases were substantiated; 52 children died in 1998 as the result of abuse. DPW provides multi-denominational chaplaincy services to residential facilities operated by the departments of Public Welfare, Military Affairs, Labor and Industry, and Education with 15 full-time and 106 part-time chaplains. Maintains properties and buildings valued at more than $3.5 billion. Monroe County Office: P.O. Box 232 Stroudsburg PA 18360 570-424-3030 Fax 570-424-3915